It was the day of Lily's interview at Golden Smith Fashion House, one of the biggest fashion companies in the country.
Inside her small bedroom, Lily hurriedly dressed up while her best friend Kim helped arrange the necessary things she would need in her bag.
"Hurry up, Lily! You're going to be late for your interview!" Kim yelled from the sitting room.
Kim had come over the previous night for a sleepover. Her main intention was to make sure Lily was properly prepared for the interview and to wake her up early if necessary. Surprisingly, Lily had woken up on her own that morning, even before Kim could wake up .
"Lily! What are you still doing?" Kim shouted again from the living room.
"I'll be there in a second!" Lily replied as she quickly finished getting dressed and rushed into the sitting room.
The moment Kim saw her, her eyes widened in admiration.
"Oh my goodness, Lily… you look so good! This outfit suits you perfectly," she said with sincere excitement.
Lily smiled shyly. She had used part of her savings to buy a new blazer and shirt. Most of the clothes she owned no longer felt suitable for such an important occasion. After all, this wasn't just any interview—it was an interview at one of the biggest fashion companies in the country. She needed to look confident, elegant, and professional.
"Omg! You got this new outfit, bestie. So you were secretly preparing for this interview all along while acting nonchalant about it," Kim teased.
"I didn't buy it because of the interview. I just felt like getting something new," Lily replied quickly.
Kim burst into laughter.
"Hmm… I see," she said playfully, raising an eyebrow.
"Did you help me pack everything already?" Lily asked.
"Oh yes, I did. Here's your bag," Kim said, handing it over.
Lily quickly opened it and glanced through the contents to make sure everything was there.
Her sketch folder.
Her documents.
Her pen.
Everything looked perfect.
"Thank you so much, Kim," Lily said gratefully, a warm smile spreading across her face. "I should get going now."
"Of course you should, bestie. I wish you the best of luck," Kim said as she pulled Lily into a quick hug.
"Thanks. See you later," Lily replied before hurrying out of the house.
Lily admired the biggest building she had ever seen. She had just arrived at Golden Smith Company, and she stood there for a moment in complete awe.
This was real luxury. The building was magnificent, towering proudly with its shining glass walls and elegant entrance. For a second, Lily almost forgot why she was there.
Taking a deep breath, she walked inside.
Immediately, she approached a lady whom she was sure was a staff member of the company and politely asked for directions. The woman kindly directed her to the waiting room where other applicants were seated patiently.
Lily thanked her and walked in.
She quickly noticed there were quite a lot of people already waiting, and the sight made her nervous. Most of them were richly dressed in expensive-looking clothes, which made her feel even more intimidated.
Come on, Lily. You can do it. You've got this, she muttered quietly to herself, trying to build up her courage.
Shortly after, a lady entered the room carrying a stack of small cards. She began handing them out to the applicants. Each card had a number on it, and they were to go into the interview according to their numbers.
Lily sighed when she realized her number was among the last.
It was annoying, but she had no choice except to wait.
After what felt like forever, it finally got to Lily's turn.
She slowly stood up, adjusted her clothes, and made her way toward the office while whispering a silent prayer under her breath.
It took her a moment before she could knock on the door. She kept breathing in and out, trying to calm her racing heart and gather what little confidence she had left.
Finally, she knocked gently.
"Come in," a voice said from inside.
Lily pushed the door open and walked in with her head slightly bowed.
"Good mor—"
Her words stopped halfway.
Her heart dropped instantly and her eyes widened in shock.
Standing before her was the last person she had expected to see.
It was the same man she had accidentally bumped into on the road weeks ago on her way home from the failed interview.
Travis sat behind the large office desk, looking as commanding and astonishing as ever. His sharp eyes studied her face curiously.
He was certain he had seen her somewhere before.
But where?
Then suddenly it clicked.
Oh… it's her.
She was the lady he had almost hit with his car weeks ago.
"Have a seat," he said calmly, his expression unchanged.
His calm reaction confused Lily.
Could it be he doesn't remember me? Oh… I pray so, she thought nervously as she walked forward and sat down opposite him.
"Your credentials, ma'am," Travis's personal assistant, Dante, requested politely.
"Uh… yes. My CV."
Lily quickly opened her bag and brought out a file containing her CV, certificates, portfolio, and her old sketchbook. She thought it would be a wise idea to present everything.
Travis began going through the documents silently.
After a moment, he picked up the old sketchbook.
"What is this?" he asked, staring at it with visible irritation.
"Uh… that's my sketchbook, sir. I—"
"I didn't ask you to come with that," he cut in sharply.
"Maybe we should go through it and see what she has there," Dante suggested calmly.
"There is no need for that," Travis said coldly, tossing the old sketchbook back toward her.
Lily quickly caught it.
She had owned that sketchbook for over seven years. Her father had given it to her on her seventeenth birthday. Now it looked worn and fragile, with pieces of cellotape covering its edges.
"So apart from this," Travis said, his eyes still fixed on her CV, "what else are you good at doing?"
"Uh… sorry, I don't understand, sir."
"What other skills do you have? I'm sure you must have some."
"I… I don't, sir."
Travis slowly lifted his head and looked straight at her.
"What about running into people's cars, hmm?" he said with a mocking smile.
Lily felt her breath catch instantly in her throat. She began coughing uncontrollably.
Dante quickly handed her a glass of water.
She drank a little, trying to calm herself.
"I… I'm so sorry, sir. I.."
"I'm done with you," Travis said flatly, pointing toward the door.
Lily immediately stood up. The room suddenly felt suffocating, and she hurried toward the exit.
"Hey, you forgot your file," Dante called after her.
She quickly turned back, grabbed it, and rushed out of the office.
The moment the door closed, Dante turned to Travis with confusion written all over his face.
He couldn't understand why Travis had been so harsh with the girl.
"Uhhh… Travis.." he began.
But Travis raised his hand, stopping him.
"I'm done for the day," Travis said coldly as he stood up. "The rest of the applicants should be dismissed."
"Dismissed?" Dante exclaimed in disbelief. "They've been waiting for almost six fucking hours!"
But Travis had already walked away without listening.
Dante sighed heavily.
He had known Travis for over twenty years, yet he still found it impossible to predict him.