YESTERDAY, Charmaine had a sudden burst of personal and home makeover. 

She tried the Marie Kondo method of tidying up but failed miserably. The room was tidy but didn't reflect the aesthetic she had hoped for. 

She tried various job interview makeup tutorials on YouTube with satisfactory results.

She ironed clothes to wear for the interview and got them all ready. That one she got it right. 

She underwent various skin care regimens like putting on a deep-cleansing facial mask with a skin-rejuvenating formula. She bought the expensive brand. The beauty company claimed that the effect would be instantly noticeable. She believed in the promise rather than criticized the claim. That was a day of pampering.

She promised herself that she would secure a full-time job. She posted a boring text-based Facebook Story. The word #GoalDigger is on a black background. Don't ask how many 'friends' saw it. Probably just her best friend Jessica living in another city.

Nighttime was downtime. She needed beauty sleep. She skipped binge-watching her favorite series. She doesn't want to screw up the interview because she woke up late. She's been job hunting for the past five months. Her savings were running out. She's desperate to get a full-time job. 

Around 9:30 PM, she was ready to turn in but couldn't fall asleep. So she chatted with her friends in the group messenger. She missed the few friends she had back in Nueva York City. Then she scrolled down her Facebook timeline to stay informed of what was trending.

Next, she logged in to Instagram. It seemed like an endless scrolling, liking, and crushing on things that she could never have.

'Depressing for someone like me who has nothing to share,' she lamented.

She hasn't posted anything for a long time since the breakup with her boyfriend. She used to post her drawings and work-in-progress illustrations. But after failing to get that children's story illustration contract, she lost her passion.

Why did she check IG? Because even wallflowers fancy Instagram-worthy lifestyles too. But the reason was deeper than that. Stalking her ex. 

They broke up two years ago. She should have uninstalled the app because even if she unfollowed her ex, she wouldn't forget his Instagram handle. She's tempted to check on him now and then. 

Judging from the photos, her ex-boyfriend has a newfound romance. He's with a charming woman five years younger than him. Beach photos. Fancy get-together. Foodie buddies. Fitness #CoupleGoals. Romantic getaways. Dreamy dates. 

He's moved on. She hasn't. 

She sighed as she put the phone down. She closed her eyes, hoping she'd fall asleep.

When did they start to fall apart? How could they throw away a serious one-year relationship? At first, she wasn't ready for a relationship but eventually, she'd grown to love him. The breakup was to some extent her fault. But her best friend believed otherwise. 

He accused Charmaine of having a commitment issue. But there were rumors of him doing it with another woman.

Feeling jaded with social media, she read a lot of webtoons. She couldn't stop the late-night habit of either reading or binge-watching. She fell asleep around 3 AM.

***

"What the f—" she screamed, staring at the wall clock. It's past 8:15 AM. She checked her phone. The battery was dead. No wonder the alarm didn't sound.

She got up from bed and immediately charged her phone. After that, she's in panic mode, trying to do everything at once to make up for lost time. 

Yesterday's preparation was intended for today's job interview at 10:30 AM. 

She's in panic mode. She set the alarm for 6:30 AM. But when she sleeps very late, the alarm doesn't wake her up. Since losing her job five months ago, she has become a night owl. 

She woke up because the sun was too bright. It shone directly on her bed. She had forgotten to roll the blinds down. Otherwise, she would have slept until 9 or 10.

She was crunching time doing this and that. She mumbled while she kept herself busy. "Goddammit!" 

An hour and 15 minutes later, she's ready to leave. She managed to pull herself together even for such a short time. Taking a shower last night proved to be a timesaver. She grabbed her leather messenger briefcase. She turned on her phone's camera, admired her makeup, and took a selfie. She sent the photo to her friend. Message unread. 

'It's gonna be fine. I aced the online interview and tests they gave,' she mumbled confidently. As for breakfast, 'I'll have one good meal after the interview.' But her stomach growled. She ate a lot yesterday and skipped dinner. She assured herself. 'I'm good.' 

She took one final glance at her room. The once pristine state of her room turned into a messy abode in just an hour. She sighed heavily while tapping her forehead in disappointment. It's a habit when she's stressed. She massaged her wrinkled forehead.

'That facial mask doesn't work! Not as advertised,' she groaned with dismay.

She closed the door. Then she raised her hands to form the 'fighting' gesture that she's all too familiar with in KDrama. And off she went to slay this big day. Her studio flat was on the second floor. She climbed down the stairs gingerly, careful not to trip over.

'Curse these shoes,' she mumbled.

She was tempted by the idea that good shoes will take you to good places. At first, she hesitated to buy the shoes. But her best friend convinced her to order one for the interview. So she bought these 2.5-inch pointed-toe pumps online and it's quite expensive.

Charmaine was full of gung-ho until she passed by landlady Parker. The woman was tending to the vegetable garden. Parker greeted her with 'good luck', a wink, and a wicked smile. That gesture creeped her out.

She couldn't help but think if the rumors about the landlady were true. 

She smiled back out of courtesy and then scurried away. She felt a strange hair-raising sensation. The landlady was kind but weird. The woman was an enigma. 

But Charmaine was not in the mood to unravel the Parker mystery.

She walked so fast that she almost tripped over. She regained her composure and moved on. She's dressed to impress. Using public transportation would undo her efforts. The traffic and a bus crammed with commuters would be inconvenient. So she used an app to book a ride, after all, today was a special day.

It's a beautiful morning. What could go wrong on a sunny day with cotton-like clouds lazily drifting across the sky?