Rhea's POV:
Okay, okay, I admit it. I cheated. Well, I didn't exactly cheat, per se—I just eliminated my competitors. Don't blame me, though! Lucy and I were literally on the edge of being out on the streets if I didn't get this job. The landlord's visit was looming, and let's just say, when he showed up to collect rent, we'd either have a cozy apartment or end up sharing a cardboard box. And trust me, cardboard boxes are not great for sleeping. So, yeah, survival mode kicked in. I did what I had to do.
I know, I know, I'm probably digging myself deeper into a hole by justifying this. But hear me out: in this world, it's a dog-eat-dog world. A girl's gotta look out for herself, especially when she's broke and unemployed. If this was a fairytale, I'd be the girl who goes on a magical adventure with a glowing fairy godmother. But reality check—I'm not Snow White, I'm Rhea, and my magical powers mostly consist of binge-reading CEO romance novels and hoping for a miracle.
But anyway, enough with the guilt trip. I'll get to the point.
And now that I'm done justifying myself, let me get to the real point here: the interview.
Here's how my interview went—no judgment or finger-pointing, okay? Just sit tight and listen, because this is my survival story.
I knew the night before that there would be tons of candidates. And while, yes, I do have the qualifications (a shiny master's degree, thank you very much), the real problem was I didn't have experience. And in the job market, experience is king. My résumé might have said otherwise (thank you, Lucy, for being an excellent fake boss), but I was definitely lacking the hands-on corporate grind that these guys probably had. No, I didn't have that "I've been working in corporate for five years and have seen it all" vibe going for me.
You want the truth? After graduation, I decided to take the easy road. I wanted a stress-free job, you know, where I could read my books and sip my coffee without worrying about spreadsheets or conference calls. So when I stumbled upon a job at a library that paid well and didn't require much, I felt like I'd hit the jackpot. My career as a business management professional? Yeah, let's just say it took a backseat. I was hooked on romance novels instead.
So, I may not have had the corporate experience, but my CV was impeccable. I doctored a few things here and there, and voilà—experience in droves. I even put Lucy down as my former boss. I mean, she was my boss, technically, even though our "company" was made up of ramen noodles and too many late-night discussions about life.
But, hey, this is a man-eat-man world, and a girl's gotta do what she's gotta do, right?
So, yeah, I may have used some creative liberties with my resume, but desperate times call for desperate measures.
Okay, let's move on.
So fast-forward to the interview day. I managed to get there at 7:43 AM—a record, considering I didn't exactly leave the apartment on time. But thank God for my driver. This guy was a miracle worker. He cut through traffic like a wizard, knowing all the shortcuts and secret paths that made the morning rush hour feel like a distant memory. Seriously, God bless him. I think I might've even given him a small prayer before I got out of the car. If there's a place in heaven for good drivers, he's already got his wings.
Now, about the voice. Oh, Lord. I made the mistake of speaking in my natural voice at first, and the driver definitely looked at me like I had two heads.
So, I did what anyone would do in this situation: I quickly cleared my throat and tried to drop my voice an octave. "Uh... sorry, man, I'm running late for an interview," I said, trying to sound all deep and manly. The driver's eyebrows raised, but he didn't say anything, probably assuming I was having one of those "early morning rough voice" moments.
Thank God, though, I pulled it off. I think.
By the time I got to the office, I was feeling pretty damn confident. I mean, I had to be, right? This was my moment. But then—oh, then—I saw the competition. And I knew right away that I couldn't just rely on my "manly" disguise to win this thing.
The place was packed. I mean, packed with guys. They were all standing around, looking just as nervous as I was. Some of them were fidgeting, others were pacing back and forth like they were preparing for a life-or-death battle. But there was a weakness I quickly noticed. You could spot the nervous ones from a mile away. They had that telltale, "I'm way out of my depth" look. And what does Rhea do? Oh, I do what any savvy girl trying to keep her rent money would do.
I started targeting the shy ones. The guys who looked like they could be easily swayed. They were all walking around, talking to each other, but I wasn't just another candidate—I was part of the "in-crowd."
"Hey," I'd say casually, my voice deep and smooth. "The interview's been rescheduled. Something came up with the HR department. We'll have to do it next Monday."
I gave them the most apologetic look, like I was part of the HR team, genuinely sorry that they'd made the trip for nothing. "Don't worry, man. I'll keep you in the loop. Just, you know, you can head home for now."
And like that, one by one, I sent ten guys back home. Just like that. Ten less competitors. That's right—Rhea's personal mission to reduce the number of applicants was in full swing.
And honestly, I don't think anyone even noticed. The employees were all running around, setting up last-minute things for the interview. The new CEO wanted to do some restructuring, apparently, and they were all talking about "weeding out lazybones." Which meant I was about to face a very serious, non-nonsense boss. Great. Just what I needed. Goodbye, easy life. Hello, corporate hell.
But, hey, if I had to survive, I had to play dirty. This wasn't a charity, and I wasn't about to let my future get squashed by a bunch of well-dressed, experienced men. Not today.
The interview was only getting started, and the battle had just begun.