Moon Carter slouched on the old, worn-out couch in her tiny apartment, flipping through the last few pages of her resume. It had been a week since graduation, and the reality of her situation hit harder with each passing day. Bills were piling up, her savings were quickly disappearing, and she had yet to land a job.
Her friend, Kayla, had been texting her all day, asking how the job hunt was going. Moon had to admit, she was getting tired of it all. The constant rejection emails. The interviews that felt more like formalities than actual opportunities.
She sighed and typed a quick reply.
"Still no luck. Everything feels out of reach."
A few seconds later, Kayla responded.
"Girl, have you heard of Delta?"
Moon stared at the message. Delta? She didn't recognize the name, but Kayla didn't usually recommend anything unless it was good.
"Delta? What's that?" Moon typed back.
"It's a cybersecurity company. A big deal. They're part of the Beaumont empire." Kayla's message popped up almost immediately. "You apply, and you'll be rich. Like, rich rich. I swear, you have to try. It's the biggest company around."
Moon rolled her eyes, half-amused, half-frustrated. Rich? Kayla always had a way of making things sound too good to be true.
"Kayla, I know it's hard to get into Ivy League schools, but Delta is harder than that. You need connections, experience, maybe even a PhD."
She leaned back on the couch and stared at the ceiling. The thought of applying to Delta felt ridiculous, but then again, it wasn't like anything else was working out.
Kayla's reply came quick. "Come on, Moon. You're smart. You're qualified. You've got this. Just send in your resume. What do you have to lose?"
Moon hesitated. She didn't even have her resume polished. She hadn't bothered making it stand out—just the basics. Her experience wasn't exactly mind-blowing, and she didn't think she had much of a chance. But, what if Kayla was right? What if she did apply, just to see?
"Fine. I'll send it, but I'm not getting my hopes up."
Kayla's response was quick. "Yes! You'll see, I told you. Just do it, girl. You got this!"
Moon glanced over her resume again, feeling the weight of the decision. She didn't want to waste time trying to make it perfect, so she just clicked "submit" and moved on. Her fingers lingered on the keyboard for a moment before she closed the laptop, and for the first time that day, she allowed herself to relax.
The next day felt like any other. Moon went through the usual motions: a cup of coffee, checking emails, scrolling through job listings with no luck. Her mind wandered, wondering if she had made the right call with the Delta application. It wasn't like her to take a risk like that.
She sat by the window, staring out at the street below. The world was moving on without her. Maybe it was time to admit she wasn't cut out for this. Maybe she was just meant to settle for something smaller.
Her phone buzzed suddenly, snapping her out of her thoughts. She glanced down at the screen, expecting another text from Kayla.
Instead, it was an email.
Subject: Congratulations, Moon Carter!
She blinked. She opened the email, unsure if she was reading it correctly.
Dear Moon Carter,
We are pleased to inform you that your application has been successful. Welcome to Delta! Please find attached the next steps to proceed with your onboarding.
Moon stared at the screen, her heart racing. This couldn't be real. She read the email again, just to make sure. Delta? The Delta?
No way. This had to be a mistake.
Her hands were shaking as she reread the email, the words blurring together. She clicked the attachment, and the next steps to her new job flashed on the screen. This was real. She had actually gotten in.
She stood up, pacing around her small apartment, trying to process it. This was it. Everything was about to change.
But how?
And why her?