Chapter 2: CHASING OPPORTUNITIES

ISLA’S POV

When I got home, my legs felt heavy as I closed the door behind me. The silence of the apartment was deafening, amplifying the chaos in my mind. I dropped my bag on the floor and sank onto the couch. My hands trembled as I thought about the past year with Jason. How had I been so blind? Now that I had time to think, the signs were glaringly obvious. He was never truly mine.

There were moments I’d brushed off— the late-night “work meetings,” the way he avoided introducing me to his friends, the lack of affection when we were alone. Deep down, I must have known something wasn’t right. But I ignored it, convincing myself that he was just stressed or distracted. After all, I loved him, didn’t I? And I thought he loved me too.

I buried my face in my hands as tears streamed down my cheeks. It wasn’t just the betrayal that hurt; it was the humiliation of being used. He had played me for a fool, stringing me along while holding on to his feelings for someone else. I thought I knew him. I thought we had something real.

I cried myself to sleep that night, my chest aching from the weight of it all. Sometime later, the ringing of my phone jolted me awake. Disoriented, I reached for it.

“Hello?” I croaked, my voice hoarse from crying.

“Miss Isla, this is Dr. Howard from the hospital. I have good news about your mother’s condition,” he said, his tone professional but urgent.

I sat up immediately, wiping my face. “Really? What’s the news?”

“We’ve reviewed her case, and we believe her illness is treatable. The procedure has a high success rate, but it will be expensive. You’ll need to make arrangements for the payment soon,” he explained.

Relief and dread washed over me simultaneously. “Thank you, Doctor. I’ll find a way to pay.”

After the call ended, I stared at the ceiling, my mind racing. How was I supposed to afford this? My part-time job barely covered my tuition and hospital bills, and now I had no job at all. I felt like I was sinking into quicksand, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t pull myself out.

The next morning, I decided to return the watch I had bought for Jason. It was painful to part with something I had picked out with so much love, but it was practical. I needed every penny I could get now.

At the mall, I approached the counter and handed over the box. As the salesgirl processed the return, my attention drifted to the counter beside me. A man stood there, impeccably dressed in a tailored suit. His sharp features and confident demeanor made him impossible to ignore.

He was inspecting the gifts the salesgirl presented, but none seemed to please him. “No, not this one,” he said, his tone curt. “It’s too plain. Do you have anything better?”

The salesgirl fumbled with the items, clearly flustered by his demands. I couldn’t help but roll my eyes. Rich people, I thought. Always so picky.

My muttered remark must have been louder than I intended because he glanced in my direction, his piercing gaze meeting mine. A faint smirk tugged at the corner of his lips, but he said nothing. Embarrassed, I quickly looked away, grabbed my receipt and left the store in a hurry.

When I got home, I decided it was time to rid myself of all traces of Jason. I gathered everything he had left at my place— shirts, notes, random little trinkets— and stuffed them into a bag. Without a second thought, I carried it to the trash and tossed it in. It felt liberating, like I was taking the first step toward moving on.

That evening, I opened my laptop and began searching for jobs online. I needed something that paid well and didn’t require years of experience. Hours passed as I scrolled through listings, but nothing seemed promising. My hope was dwindling when an email notification popped up.

It was from one of my professors. He mentioned that a company called Sterling Corporation was hiring for an assistant position. My heart skipped a beat. Sterling Corporation wasn’t just any company— it was the most successful jewelry company in the industry.

I had always dreamed of becoming a renowned designer, and working at Sterling would be a dream come true. If I could get this job, I could not only pay for my mom’s treatment but also take a big step toward my future.

The excitement was short-lived when my phone rang again. It was the doctor. “Miss Isla, I need to remind you that if the payment isn’t made by the end of the month, your mother will have to leave the hospital,” he said, his tone more urgent this time.

“I understand, Doctor. I’ll figure something out,” I replied, though I had no idea how.

After the call, desperation set in. I started calling everyone I could think of— relatives, friends, even distant acquaintances. But the answers were all the same. “I’m sorry, Isla. I wish I could help, but I can’t.”

Days turned into a blur of rejection and disappointment. Every interview I attended ended with the same polite rejection. They didn’t want to hire someone fresh out of college, no matter how eager I was to prove myself.

Just when I was beginning to lose hope, another email arrived. It was an invitation for an interview at Sterling Corporation. Relief flooded through me. This was my chance.

The morning of the interview, I woke up early, choosing my outfit carefully and practicing my responses. I couldn’t afford to mess this up. When I arrived at the company, I was in awe of the building’s sleek design and the air of sophistication it exuded.

I was led to a meeting room, my nerves bubbling under the surface. As I stepped inside, my heart nearly stopped. Sitting at the head of the table, reviewing a file with a focused expression, was the man from the mall.

It was him— the sharp, handsome stranger with the picky attitude. Only now, I realized who he was. He wasn’t just any rich man; he was the boss of Sterling Corporation.

His eyes lifted, locking onto mine. For a moment, neither of us spoke. The air felt heavy, charged with an unspoken tension.

“Miss Isla, I presume?” he said, his voice calm but commanding.

I nodded, my throat dry. What were the chances? Of all the people to interview me, it had to be him.

As I sat down, I couldn’t shake the feeling that this meeting was going to be anything but ordinary.