Chapter 2 - The Morning After
The morning sun cast a pale, cold light across the linoleum floor of the kitchen. Claire woke up to the sound of Sophie cooing happily from her crib in the corner of the small bedroom.
For the first time in months, the heavy, crushing dread that usually greeted Claire upon waking wasn't there. She walked into the kitchen and stared at the paper shopping bags Ethan had left behind. Six containers of high-grade formula, diapers, wipes, and the small stuffed rabbit.
She checked her banking app.
$3.18.
The reality of her financial situation hadn't magically evaporated overnight. Rent was due in twelve days. Utilities were hanging by a thread. But Sophie had a full belly, and the panic clawing at Claire’s chest had receded into a manageable hum.
Her phone rang. It was Maya.
“Are you alive?” Maya’s voice burst through the speaker before Claire even said hello. “Did the stranger murder you? Do I need to call the FBI?”
“I’m alive,” Claire laughed softly, sinking into the kitchen chair. “He didn't murder me. He brought six cans of formula, diapers, and a stuffed rabbit.”
“Wait. A random man brought you hundreds of dollars in baby supplies at midnight because you texted the wrong number? Claire, what kind of Hallmark movie are you living in?”
“It gets better,” Claire said, lowering her voice. “Do you know who he is? Ethan Cole.”
There was a sharp gasp on the other end of the line. “Cole? As in Cole Global Solutions? The tech billionaire who owns half of downtown Indianapolis?”
“That’s the one.”
“Shut up! You’re kidding! The guy whose company rejected you?”
“Not only did his company reject me, but he’s also the CEO who showed up in a charcoal overcoat at midnight to rescue my daughter,” Claire said, running a hand through her hair. “And he left me his direct cell phone number.”
“Call him,” Maya said instantly.
“What? No! Why would I call him?”
“Because he’s a billionaire, Claire! And he feels guilty! Use it! Ask for a job! Ask for an interview! This is your golden ticket out of that shoebox apartment.”
“I’m not going to beg for a job by playing the charity card,” Claire said firmly. “He helped me because Sophie was hungry. I’m not going to exploit that.”
“It’s not exploitation, it’s networking!” Maya argued. “People network on golf courses and yacht clubs every day. You networked via a wrong number text about baby formula. Take the win!”
Claire hung up on her friend, though Maya’s words lingered in the back of her mind. She looked at the business card sitting on the counter. Ethan Cole. Founder & CEO.
She pushed the card aside, washed the baby bottles, and prepared for her remote customer-service shift at the call center. The job paid very little, but it allowed her to stay inside the apartment with Sophie.
By afternoon, however, reality intruded with brutal efficiency.
A notice was taped to her apartment door: FINAL NOTICE: ELECTRIC UTILITY SERVICE DISCONNECTION PENDING.
Amount due: $214.50.
Claire stared at the orange paper. Her next paycheck wouldn't cover it after she bought groceries and diapers for the coming weeks. She sat on the edge of her bed, holding her head in her hands, as the walls of her tiny apartment seemed to close in around her.
She looked across the room at the kitchen counter.
Ethan’s business card was still sitting there.
May you like
She told herself she wasn't asking for a handout. She was just inquiring about an employment opportunity. That was all.
With trembling fingers, Claire picked up her phone and dialed the number.
