son

ugliness of the truth. He stared at me, a violent mix of shock and heartbr

ripping its way out of my chest. "If I had just waited for him to b

ence. The pain was absolute, tea

as a clumsy, desperate bro-hug, but it felt like a steel beam holding up a collapsing building. I buried my face in his shoulder, trembli

said roughly. "I don't know what the hell to say to f

e

s from the first line. They hadn't stepped inside. They were just hovering there, watching silently. The locker room bante

staring at the floor to hide the fact that

go, and stood up. "Come on. I'm taking you ho

y ounce of fight had bee

glass doors opened, the glaring afternoon sun hit my face, and I flinched like a vampire dra

ella

essively blasting my resume into the digital void, I was tryi

Layla had fina

lan like a weapon. "That's it, Bella. No more cover letters. No mor

ut I knew she was throwing me a lifeline. I offered a w

c rush that hit my bloodstream almost instantly. Finally

college hookups to grand, delusional life plans. Layla, ever the romantic, sighed into her glass, spinn

yth sold by Disney. When push comes to shove, they vanish." My father's face flashed in m

always an exception to the rule, B." She raised her g

echoed, knocking back

nly energized, Layla lunged for the coffee table,

age to show these corporate vultures

yla took on the role of hunting down the most unhinged job postings the internet had to offer, while I

manicured finger at the screen. "'Private Island Careta

e were acting like two middle-schoolers prank-calling the nei

op shut and call it a night when a pop-u

rict Requirements. Unp

ent and comprehensive lifestyle facilitation for a "High-Net-Worth Public Figure." It also expl

ade my breath hitch. It was the

00 ann

ze of the whiskey evaporating in an ins

istle. "Whoa. That's either a massive phishing scam, or so

er sixteen thousand dollars a month. That kind of money... it would cover my mom's

bravery, I hit the Apply button, attaching the wildly exaggerated, hype

ry. But as the loading wheel spun, a hollow pit opene

and eventually passed out, tang

d, squinting through the harsh sunlight streaming in through the blinds. The laptop was still open

brain struggling to process the pix

a scam. Or a troll post. No legitimate enterprise offers a two-

he laptop shut, deciding right then and there to leave la

was time to go home and face reality. The pity party was officially over, and I couldn'

pplication? It was just that.