2 Hours Later
Ivy stood in front of her wardrobe, trying to push down the growing tension she felt about her first day at the new job.
'Will he accept me? Or humiliate me publicly?'
She imagined the C.E.O.'s reaction, his cold, piercing gaze, and chuckled nervously.
'Either way, it's out of my hands now. At least the paycheck better be worth it.'
Her phone rang, snapping her out of her thoughts. She rushed to her bed, tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear.
"Hello?" she answered, seeing it was Pearl calling.
"Hey, sweetie! I'm back in the country! Can you come over so we can prep for your first day at work? Have you even found something decent to wear? You know the boss has taste. He's classy, and you're working in showbiz now. You gotta look the part!"
Ivy sighed dramatically. "I've tried, but nothing screams 'fashionably ready to please my ice-cold boss'. I'll be at your place in thirty minutes. Driving Grandpa's car."
"Perfect! Drive safe, babe. See you soon!"
Beep beep beep.
Pearl ended the call, and Ivy fell back on her bed with a groan.
She quickly got dressed, opting for a pair of blue jean shorts, a thin long-sleeve crop top, and Nike sneakers. Grabbing her white bag adorned with tiny pink hearts, she completed the look with a white face cap.
Bounding down the stairs like she was in a movie montage, Ivy found her grandparents watching a concert in the living room.
"Pa, Ma! I'm off to Pearl's, and I probably won't be back until tomorrow. Make sure you take your meds and don't overdose on TV. Seriously, think of your eyes!"
Grandpa Xu and Grandma Xu exchanged amused glances before responding in unison, "Okay, ma!"
They burst into laughter, and Ivy rolled her eyes playfully.
"Just don't get into any trouble, alright?" Grandpa added with a chuckle.
"Me? Trouble? Never!" Ivy shot back, pecking their cheeks before speeding out the door.
She hummed a tune as she wiped the dust off Grandpa's car.
'You are the air that I breathe… lalalalalala…'
A few minutes later, she was on the road.
---
Three Hours Later
"Ugh! Why did I let you drag me to eat so much stinky tofu? I look like I'm carrying twins!" Pearl groaned, patting her bloated stomach.
Ivy snickered. "Girl, just wait till the paparazzi catch you looking like this. Tomorrow's headline: 'Popular Actress Tang Xue Pregnant?! You'll be on every tabloid."
"Shut up!" Pearl pouted. "My stomach will be flat by morning, thank you very much."
They both burst into laughter before collapsing into their respective beds.
"Goodnight, and don't dream of pig feet," Ivy teased as they drifted off.
---
The Next Day
"Ouch!" Ivy groaned, rubbing her forehead after sitting up too quickly and bumping into the nightstand. 'Why am I like this?'
"Pearl?" Ivy called out, glancing at her friend, who was sprawled across the bed like a starfish.
Pearl groaned, yanking a pillow over her head.
"Pearl!" Ivy snapped, her frustration growing.
"Ivy, it's too early for your drama," Pearl mumbled, stretching her arms in slow motion like a sloth waking up.
Ivy stood up, rubbing the growing bump on her head. "Is it bad? The bump?"
Pearl squinted at Ivy's forehead, then burst into uncontrollable laughter. "How do you always manage to hurt yourself? It's huge, Ivy!"
"Really?!" Ivy's eyes widened as she rushed to the mirror. "What if the C.E.O. sees this?! He'll think I'm a complete disaster!"
Pearl, still laughing, waved her off. "Calm down, drama queen. Just hide it with your hair."
Ivy whirled around. "You think that'll work?"
"Obviously," Pearl shrugged, pulling on a pair of bunny slippers and heading for the bathroom.
Ivy furiously brushed her hair, trying to conceal the bump as best she could. "Pearl! How does it look now?"
Pearl peeked from the bathroom doorway, then shrugged again. "It's… better."
"Grrr, you're no help," Ivy grumbled.
"Love you too, babe," Pearl called over her shoulder, wiggling her butt as she disappeared into the bathroom.
Ivy chuckled and turned to her closet. She eventually settled on a sleek black pencil skirt, a royal red blouse, and classic black heels. Pulling her hair into a high ponytail, she admired her reflection. 'Professional, yet stylish. Nailed it.'
After a glance at the clock, Ivy realized she was running late.
"Pearl, I'm off! Don't eat more stinky tofu!" she shouted before rushing out the door.
---
ON THE ROAD
Traffic.
"Of course, there's traffic! Why wouldn't there be?!" Ivy groaned, smacking the steering wheel in frustration.
As the minutes dragged on, she saw flashing lights ahead, an accident. Guilt tugged at her as she watched the scene unfold.
"I hope no one's seriously hurt," she muttered, but she couldn't afford to stop. Today's too important.
Finally breaking free from the gridlock, Ivy sped the rest of the way to the office.
---
Pulling up in front of the massive showbiz building, Ivy took a deep breath. 'This is it. Time to face whatever comes my way.'
"Thank you," she whispered to the security guard who opened the door for her.
The lobby stole her breath away, with its massive chandelier, spotless windows, and plush leather sofas. 'How did I not notice this before? It's like walking into a movie set.
She walked up to the receptionist, trying not to gawk.
"Hi, I'm here for the assistant training."
The blonde receptionist barely glanced up. "Take the elevator down the hall to the 49th floor. You'll meet the others there."
'Others? I'm not the only one?' Ivy's heart raced.
"Thank you!" Ivy forced a smile, then headed toward the elevator, her nerves growing with each step.
Here we go…