07:30 AM – MANHATTAN STREETS
Mornings in Manhattan are always hectic. Yellow cabs speed past rows of luxury cars, business-clad pedestrians walk briskly, and the sound of honking fills the air.
On the sidewalk of Park Avenue, Emily Carter stood, gazing up at the towering skyscraper before her—Calloway Holdings, a real estate company managing New York's most premium properties.
First day.
Her outfit wasn't designer—just a simple black blazer and tailored trousers from Zara. Modest, but professional enough. Taking a deep breath, she stepped inside.
"You got this, Em."
---
07:45 AM – CALLOWAY HOLDINGS LOBBY
The moment she walked in, the place exuded high-class energy.
Polished white marble floors.
Glass walls overlooking the NYC skyline.
Executives in expensive suits talking on their phones as they hurried past.
Emily felt like an outsider.
At the reception desk, a blonde woman with a neutral expression looked at her.
"Emily Carter?"
Emily nodded.
"Floor 37. HR is expecting you."
---
08:15 AM – ORIENTATION & EMPLOYMENT CONTRACT
In a sleek conference room on the 37th floor, Emily sat with the HR team as they explained her job description:
Position: Junior UI/UX Designer.
Department: Calloway Holdings Technology Development.
Project: Real estate investment & property management app.
"The workload here is intense," one of the HR reps said seriously. "Our CEO demands perfection."
Emily simply smiled. "If hard work can give me a better life, why not?"
---
09:30 AM – JOINING THE TECH TEAM
With the contract signed, Emily took the elevator up to the 40th floor—home of the Tech Team.
Open-space office with sleek wooden desks.
Large monitors everywhere.
The sound of keyboards clicking, mixed with fast-paced discussions on UI trends and real estate investments.
At the desk next to hers, a guy with glasses glanced over.
"You're new?" he asked, extending a hand.
"Emily. New UI/UX Designer."
"Chris. Financial Analyst. Welcome to hell."
Emily let out a small laugh. "Hell?"
"Just wait until your first meeting with Ethan Calloway."
Before she could ask more, another guy appeared, holding a cup of coffee.
"You're gonna need this," he said, handing it to her.
Emily raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
"Lucas. Senior UX Designer. I'm the one who got you this job."
Emily laughed, finally feeling like she knew at least one person in this intimidating office.
---
12:30 PM – NYC-STYLE LUNCH
Lucas took Emily to a small but crowded deli on 5th Avenue, packed with corporate workers grabbing sandwiches and salads.
Emily ordered a Turkey Avocado Sandwich and Iced Coffee. Lucas went for a bagel with lox and cream cheese.
"So, how's your first day?" Lucas asked, stirring his drink.
Emily sighed. "Intimidating. Feels like everyone here can read the CEO's mind."
Lucas chuckled. "Ethan Calloway is a perfectionist. But if you do good work, he'll respect you."
Emily raised a brow. "Have you met him?"
Lucas nodded. "Twice. And both times, he made me revise my project five times."
Emily exhaled. "I need to mentally prepare myself, huh?"
"Oh, definitely."
They laughed. Amid all the pressure, at least she had someone to talk to.
---
02:00 PM – BACK TO THE OFFICE
After lunch, Emily returned to her desk.
Just as she powered up her laptop, a sudden meeting notification popped up.
"All UX team, meeting in the CEO's boardroom. Now."
Lucas glanced at her. "Well… looks like you'll be meeting Ethan sooner than you thought."
Emily swallowed hard.
First day, and she was already presenting in front of the CEO.
MEETING WITH ETHAN CALLOWAY
---
02:15 PM – CEO'S BOARDROOM
Emily sat in one of the chairs in the boardroom, her heart pounding. Around her, the UX team was ready with their laptops open.
Lucas leaned over and whispered, "You ready?"
Emily swallowed hard. "Ready or not, I have no choice."
Before Lucas could respond, the sound of the door opening made the entire room go silent.
Ethan Calloway walked in.
A tailored suit, a navy blue shirt with no tie, and a face completely devoid of a smile.
The atmosphere in the room immediately turned tense.
Ethan took his seat, scanning the team in front of him as if deciding who deserved to stay and who would be fired.
"Alright, show me what you've got."
---
02:20 PM – THE UX PRESENTATION BEGINS
Jordan, the UX Manager, started the presentation, explaining the latest updates on the Calloway Property App—an AI-powered real estate investment platform.
Slide after slide appeared on the screen.
Emily remained silent, taking notes and trying to understand the workflow here.
Until suddenly…
"Emily, you designed the 'Smart Investment Dashboard,' didn't you?"
Ethan's voice was sharp.
Emily froze.
Why my part?!
She nodded. "Yes, sir."
Ethan leaned back in his chair. "Show me."
Taking a deep breath, Emily pulled up her slides and began explaining her UI concept.
"So, I simplified the navigation so users can instantly see their potential investment returns on one screen, with interactive graphs and more flexible filter options…"
As she spoke, Ethan remained silent. No reaction at all.
Then, suddenly—
"This is garbage."
The entire room went still.
Emily blinked. "Excuse me?"
Ethan placed his hands on the table. "Too many visual elements. Users don't care about design; they care about results. All these graphs are distracting from the numbers."
Lucas held his breath beside her.
"But, sir…" Emily kept her voice steady. "These visuals help beginner investors understand trends without having to analyze too many numbers."
Ethan's gaze was sharp. "Our investors aren't college students. They want profits, not a design lesson."
Damn.
Emily clenched her hands under the table.
---
02:45 PM – A SECOND CHANCE?
The tension in the room grew heavier.
Ethan crossed his arms. "Fix it in 48 hours. Make it cleaner. More practical. If you fail, I'll find someone who can."
Emily clenched her fists under the table.
"Understood, sir."
Without another word, Ethan stood up and left the room.
Lucas turned to Emily, looking horrified. "Are you still breathing?"
Emily took a deep breath. "I am… but my ego might be dead."
Lucas patted her shoulder. "Welcome to Calloway Holdings."
Emily let out a small laugh, but deep down, she knew… this was just the beginning of her nightmare under Ethan Calloway.