FINDING ROSE

ROSE

The moment I stepped out of the administrator's block, my legs felt like lead. Each step was heavy, as if the weight of what just happened was chaining me down.

I spotted Elsie waiting under the shade of a tree, scrolling through her phone. The second she saw me, she waved dramatically. "Finally! What did they want with you?"

I hesitated, forcing my lips into something that vaguely resembled a smile. "You're not going to believe this..."

Her eyes widened instantly. "Don't tell me... you got the internship?" She whispered with a big smile on her lips.

I swallowed, pressing my books tighter against my chest. "Yeah."

Elsie squealed so loudly that a few students passing by turned to stare. She jumped up, almost dropping her phone. "Oh my God, Rose! This is huge! Sterling & Co. doesn't just take anyone! You're officially going to be working with the most powerful company in the city!"

I let out a small laugh, though it sounded awkward, thin. "Y-yeah... lucky me."

She grabbed my shoulders, shaking me with excitement. "Do you realize what this means? For your career? For your future? We're celebrating tonight, no excuses, this is so awesome ahhh my best friend is going to work in the very best sterling co... ahhh ."

Her joy was infectious, but all I felt was a pit forming in my stomach. If she knew the truth, what I did to his car yesterday, the way he looked at me in that office, she wouldn't be cheering. She'd be dragging me to pack my bags and flee the city.

"Elsie," I said softly, trying to calm her down. "What if... what if it's not as good as it sounds?"

She blinked at me, puzzled. "What do you mean? This is the opportunity of a lifetime, Rose. People would kill for this chance."

"I just..." I trailed off, shaking my head. "Never mind."

She narrowed her eyes at me, like she knew I was hiding something, but before she could press further, her phone buzzed. She sighed, glancing at the screen, then pulled me into a quick hug. "I've got to rush to. But listen, Rose... don't overthink it, okay? You deserve this. More than anyone."

I forced a smile as she hurried off, her words echoing in my head.

Deserve? No.

This wasn't luck. This wasn't fate.

This was punishment.

And Adrian Sterling, the kind of man who never forgot, had just chosen me.

By the time I got back to my tiny apartment off campus, my chest felt tight from holding everything in. The moment the door clicked shut, I dropped my bag on the floor and fell onto my bed with a groan.

"Why me?" I muffled into my pillow, then rolled over and squealed into the air, kicking my legs like a child throwing a tantrum. If anyone had seen me, they would've thought I'd lost it. Maybe I had.

The shrill buzz of my phone cut through my meltdown. I reached for it blindly and answered without looking.

"Aunty Jane," I said, already hearing her cheerful voice fill the line.

"My Rose, how are you, my dear?" she asked warmly, the familiar lilt of home wrapping around me like a blanket. "I've just finished preparing some specialties for you to stock up, your uncle will send it to you tomorrow on his way, hmm?"

My uncle, david is not the best person I know but he is definitely not the worst I have met , he is married to Jane it's been a long time since I had seen him not since that day, some memories are meant to be locked up and never looked at again.

My lips lifted despite everything, a chuckle slipping out. "Aunty, you spoil me too much." 

"Nonsense," she said firmly. "You are studying hard. You need strength. Besides, do you want to starve? It's not like you can run home every weekend. The journey is what, five hours? By the time you reach here and go back, all your energy will be gone."

I laughed softly, because she was right. Just the thought of traveling that long, switching buses, the endless road, the exhaustion, was enough to make me clutch my pillow tighter.

"That's true," I admitted. "...Thank you. Really. You're the best I love you "

She hummed happily, then launched into her usual reminders about prayer and staying focused. I murmured along, half listening, half drowning in the storm in my chest.

After we ended the call, silence filled the room again. I lay back, staring up at the ceiling, and that moment in the administrator's office replayed in sharp clarity. Adrian Sterling's voice, calm but heavy, like it had been carved into stone.

I lay still for a moment before Adrian Sterling's words replayed in my mind, low and unshakable,

"You'll start on Monday".

I sat up slowly, dragging my laptop onto my lap. My chest was heavy, my mind a mess, but my hands itched to start making lists, clothes to put together, documents to gather, research about Sterling & Co.

After scribbling a few notes, I caught my reflection in the mirror across the room. My hair was a mess, my eyes wide with exhaustion, and yet I stared at myself like I was meeting a stranger.

I pointed at my reflection. "Okay, Rose," I muttered. "You're going to walk into Sterling & Co. on Monday, smile, and survive. Even if your boss looks like he eats interns for breakfast."

The girl in the mirror didn't look convinced.

"Fine," I sighed, tugging at my hair. "You'll survive... or at least, you'll fake it till you do."

And with that, I flopped back on the bed, groaning again, but this time with the tiniest smile tugging at my lips.

Because, my aunt's food was on the way, and her prayers were wrapping around me...

This wasn't just food delivery.

This was survival prep.

And Monday was already waiting.