Chapter 4

But now, I just waited quietly at the door, letting Valentina finish her call. When she hung up, I smiled and said,

"Hello, Ms. Irwin." This was a formal interview, so it's better to call her "Ms. Irwin" instead of something too familiar. No need to act like we're close.

Valentina turned around and looked me up and down, her gaze sharp but not unfriendly. "Sit."

The interview lasted about forty minutes. Valentina asked me a lot of professional questions—my understanding of the luxury industry, my approach to copywriting, and how I'd handle a PR crisis.

Half my answers came from the fragmented experience I'd gathered in my previous life, and the other half from the knowledge I'd frantically studied after being reborn.

I wasn't dazzling anyone, but I knew my own strengths. My skills were solid, so I was confident I could hold my own.

As the interview was winding down, Valentina suddenly threw me a curveball. "Why did you leave your last company?"

I paused for a couple of seconds.

In my previous life, I'd stuck it out at that small company for a whole year and a half, never leaving until the day I died.

But in this life, I hadn't officially started at any company yet. Right now, I was just a new graduate.

But I wasn't about to lie.

I said, "Actually, I'm still a new grad—just interning at the moment."

Valentina arched her brow, seeming a little taken aback by my answer. "You'll start next Monday. Two-month probation. Any issues?"

"No problem at all." I couldn't help the little thrill of excitement bubbling up inside me.

"Starting salary is 4,000 dollars before tax. Once you're permanent, it'll be 5,000 plus project bonuses. Is that acceptable?" she asked.

My breath caught for a moment.

That was 4,000 dollars

In my previous life, I worked myself to the bone for a year and a half just to get a raise from 2,500 to 3,000 dollars.

And now, before I had even officially started, my salary was already more than double what I had ever made.

"Yes," I said, my voice so steady it even surprised myself.

As I walked out of the building, I watched people swiping their badges to get in. I felt more than just envy. This was one of the most prestigious office buildings in Norvayne City.

I never thought I'd actually be one of the people working here.

It was March in Norvayne City, and the wind still had a bite to it, but the sun was warm.

I glanced down at my phone and saw over thirty messages from Kenzie.

She started off with [Sherlyn, why aren't you answering me?] then moved on to [Do you even know what I went through today?[ and finally, [Are you ignoring me on purpose?]

Her tone got more and more heated with each message.

The last message read: [Sherlyn, you didn't call me a car today. Do you have any idea what I missed out on?

[I missed a chance to turn my life around. Do you even realize who Sebastian is? Do you know how much effort I put in just to get close to him? This is all your fault. Everything is on you.]

I stared at the message, my mouth twitching—couldn't help but smirk.

It was just like before.

They were the same words as in my previous life.

Back then, she even complained about the "junk car" I called for her. Now, Kenzie couldn't even come up with a decent reason to blame me. All I did was say no to calling her a ride.

I didn't bother replying. I just slipped my phone into my pocket and headed for the subway.

On my way past a convenience store, I went in and bought a bottle of water and a sandwich. Sitting on a bench by the street, eating and watching the crowd go by, I suddenly thought that it felt good to be alive.

In my previous life, I never really got to enjoy a proper meal before I died. I'd just scarf down a few bites and then hurry off to help Kenzie with whatever she wanted. She drained every bit of my time, energy, and money.

But now, this sandwich was something I bought for myself.

I took a bite. It tasted even better than I expected.

I really underestimated just how deep Kenzie's obsession could go.

Or maybe, I just didn't realize how unhinged a woman could get when she was completely swept up in her fantasy of marrying into money.

*****

Three days after the interview, Kenzie barged into my apartment like a storm.

It was a Saturday morning, and I was at my computer, cramming for the luxury business. Gotta be ready if I'm starting soon. Suddenly, there was a frantic knocking at the door, so hard it felt like someone was trying to break it down.

I peeked through the peephole, and my heart tightened suddenly.

It was Kenzie.

She was wearing a pink hoodie she probably thought made her look cute and trendy, but her hair was a mess and her eyes were puffy and red, like she'd been crying all night.

But I knew it wasn't sadness. It was pure rage.

I hesitated for three seconds, but in the end, I opened the door anyway.

It was not that I'm a pushover. I just didn't want her throwing a fit in the hallway.

The walls here were paper-thin, and everyone here was just working hard to make ends meet. I didn't want to cause trouble for anyone.

As soon as I cracked the door open, Kenzie squeezed her way in.

"Sherlyn!" she yelled the moment she stepped inside. "Why haven't you answered my calls or texts these past two days? Seriously, what's up with you?"

I leaned against the wall, arms crossed over my chest, just stared at her, cool and collected.