🤍 Jessica's POV 🤍
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The Interview goes on great despite the shit I had just been through out there. I try to answer the questions as excellently as I possibly can, making sure to not show my dropped confidence.
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But half way through it, things change.
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"How would you differentiate a product with no unique selling proposition, and what metrics would you use to measure the success of your strategy?" The third man, Mr Coleman questions.
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But my eyes drift. Something on the table catches my attention.
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A keychain.
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A small, silver-plated keychain in the shape of a crescent moon.
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It's identical to the one that was dangling from the rearview mirror of the truck the night they—
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The night they—
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My throat constricts. The air thins.
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The room fades.
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Fourteen years. It's been fourteen fucking years, but in an instant, I'm back there.
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The smell of burning metal.
The sound of glass shattering.
The crushing weight of silence after the screams stopped as we drowned.
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My heart pounds so violently I feel dizzy. My lungs seize, unable to expand.
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"Miss Reed?" I hear someone say, but it's like they're not in the same room with me.
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For a moment, I snap back to reality. I see the silver-haired man looking at me expectantly, and with worry.
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I blink. My mouth is dry. I don't even remember what he asked.
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"Sorry, could you repeat that?" I manage, my voice barely above a whisper.
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The man exchange glances with the woman beside him. They look worried. Can't blame them, I don't feel particularly good.
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"Miss Reed," the woman says kindly, "we asked how you would differentiate a product with no unique selling proposition, and what metrics you would use to measure the success of your strategy?"
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It's a fairly easy question to answer. I should know this.
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But my mind is blank.
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The keychain glints under the conference room lights. And suddenly, I'm not in the interview anymore. The memory rips through me, pulling me under.
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(14 years ago)
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"I got that summertime, summertime sadness
Su-su summertime, summertime sadness
I got that summertime, summertime sadness
Oh-"
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Dad and I sing completely off-key, but we sing like we're on some world tour.
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I giggle from the backseat, while Mom shakes her head at us, laughing.
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We all laugh as the car cruises down the bridge, the reflections of the pretty night stars bouncing off the water.
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It's one of those moments that feel... perfect.
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Then—Headlights. Blinding. Too close.
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Too fast.
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The deep rumble of a truck engine fills the air. I turn back for a second and catch a glimpse of massive tires screeching, the monstrous truck swerving violently as the driver struggles to overtake us. Its back end clips our small car. The force is brutal.
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Then—impact.
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A deafening metallic crunch.
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The world spins. Glass shatters.
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The seatbelt yanks me back so hard my chest burns. And then—The weightless, stomach-churning feeling of falling. We're airborne.
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For a terrifying, endless second, all I hear is the wind roaring past my ears. Then I feel the impact. The car slams into the water nose-first. It doesn't sink right away.
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For a moment, everything is eerily silent. Then the river starts swallowing us.
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"Mom!" I choke, coughing up water as the icy cold rushes in.
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Dad isn't moving. Blood drips from his forehead, his head slumped against the steering wheel.
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"Mom, what is happening?" I sob, yanking at my seatbelt, my fingers slipping against the wet fabric.
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Mom is gasping for breath, a deep ugly gash on her temple turning the water red.
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"Jessica... Baby" she rasps, her voice weak.
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The water is up to my chest now.
I whimper. "Mom!"
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She blinks through the blood trickling down her face, her expression hardening "Hold on."
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She shoves at the jammed rooftop hatch with all her strength, her breathing ragged. It doesn't budge.
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"Dad!" I violently nudge him, but he doesn't move.
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She grits her teeth, pain flashing in her eyes, but she keeps pushing, and the hatch finally pops open with a snap.
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She grips my arms, her movements sluggish "Go."
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I shake my head frantically. "No! Get dad, lets go together"
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Her breathing is too shallow now. Her grip is weakening.
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"Go!" she gasps, forcefully shoving me toward the opening.
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I struggle. "Not without you!"
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She touches my cheek. A soft, fleeting touch.
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"Jessica," she whispers, pointing north "swim."
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Then her body goes limp, and the car keeps sinking. I claw at the hatch, my small fingers slipping against the metal.
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I want to scream. But nothing comes out, except fear. All I feel is fear.
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So I do what mama said. I swim.
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The current is violent, shoving me in all directions, but I kick harder, my arms burning.
I don't know how long I fight against the river's grasp.
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Seconds.
Minutes.
Hours?
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My limbs are numb. But just as my strength gives out, my head barely above water, I see it.
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A wooden fishing boat and blurry faces. Then—Darkness.
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I wake up on a hard bed, the smell of antiseptic burning my nose, but all I can remember is the crescent keychain that was dangling from the rearview mirror of that truck.
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(End of flashback)
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I can't breathe.
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"I—" My voice is strangled.
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The woman on the panel stands slightly, concern etched on her face. "Would you like to take five to recollect yourself? Then we can try again"
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I nod, not trusting my voice.
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Then I bolt. From my peripheral vision, I see Justine and Priya stand up, looking at me with worry. But wave at them, signaling I'm fine.
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•••••
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The second I lock myself in a stall, I collapse against the door, my chest rising and falling in uneven bursts.
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Breathe, Jess. Just breathe.
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I clutch my arms, forcing myself to count.
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One. Two. Three. But It doesn't help.
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The past and present are colliding. My parents' accident. The interview. My fucked up life.
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A sob escapes before I can stop it.
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It's over. I blew it.
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I spent two days preparing for this interview. Rachel spent so much on me. The pep talks that lasted until 1a.m. Ken was so excited for me. My friends believed in me.
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And I—
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I break down.
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By the time I manage to splash cold water on my face, my eyes are red, and my breathing is still ragged.
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I look into the mirror and see a woman who looks like she's been through war.
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I force myself to straighten, smoothing out the wrinkles in my suit and wiping the mascara smudges under my eyes.
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I have to go back in there. I have to try.
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But when I get back, I am told I have to wait for other applicants to finish their interviews before going for mine again.
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Cool. Totally understandable, since I caused this.
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So I wait till evening, but a man starts shutting the doors after the last applicant comes out.
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I blink. "Uh, Sir, I was told I could—"
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"I'm sorry, Miss," he says, "but the interviewers had to leave for an urgent matter. Unfortunately, there's no time left for a second round."
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I stare at him.
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My fingers curl into my palms.
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That's it? That's it?
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No second chance. No redemption.
It's what I get for being a hot mess who still needs to see her shrink.
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I nod stiffly and turn away.
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•••••
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By nightfall, I find myself at Riley's, a hole-in-the-wall bar where no one knows me.
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The whiskey burns my throat, but I've stopped caring. I'm three glasses deep, maybe four—
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Fuck, who's counting? And the world has that fuzzy, soft-edged glow where everything feels slightly less awful. You know the one.
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I just sit there, swirling the amber liquid in my glass, watching it catch the dim light.
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A small voice in my head whispers, 'Maybe you should give up.'
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Maybe it's right.
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Maybe I should just stick to the bakery. Its safer. Predictable. No interviewees judging me, no panic attacks in corporate bathrooms. Just flour, sugar, and Rachel's chaotic energy. Oh, and Ken's obsession with NBA young boy.
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Corporate life isn't for me.
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I reach for my phone, meaning to check the time, and my screen is flooded with missed calls.
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Ken.
Rachel.
Nora?
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Guilt twists at my chest, sharp and acidic.. I put my phone on silent before the interview, and forgot to turn it back on.
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You fuck things up so well, Jess.
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It's 10 p.m. And as if summoned by my shame, my phone lights up again.
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Rachel.
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I sigh and pick up.
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"WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU?!" Her voice could strip paint.
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"Hey, Rach." I slur.
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"Don't 'Hey' me! We've been calling you for hours!"
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"You're overreacting." I take another sip of my beautiful whiskey, fully drunk this time
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"Jess, just tell us where you are, please. You're drunk" Ken's worried voice cuts in.
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I giggle. "Nope. It's classified info"
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"Jess, for the love of God!" He barks.
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This boy must be suffering from amnesia.
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"Ooh, testy" I sing, twirling a straw between my fingers. "You must have forgotten who's older, little bro? I changed your diapers, y'know."
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"Just tell me where you are, please" Is that a sob I hear?
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"I'm a big girl, Ken" I say with a small voice. "I can handle myself."
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Silence.
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Then I hear Nora's voice, shaky and pleading "Jessica, it's Nora. Please tell us where you are. We're worried"
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Why are they all freaking out like I got kidnapped or something. I'm literally just chilling.
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I sigh. "I'm at Riley's"
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Nora exhales in relief. "Stay right there. We're coming."
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"Mmkay" I hang up, toss my phone into my purse, and sway off the stool.
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The jukebox in the corner wheezes out a half-decent cover of Sweetest Taboo by Sade, and I start dancing, arms overhead, heels abandoned under the table.
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Minutes later, Rachel storms in first, her neon-pink jacket clashing violently with the bar's grunge aesthetic.
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Ken trails behind, shoulders tense, while Nora hovers in the doorway like a concerned sparrow.
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"Jessica, we're here. You scared me to death" She hugs me tightly.
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I grin, hugging her back. "Welcome to Riley's! Can I get you a drink? They have whiskey that tastes like clean pus-!"
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She quickly puts a hand over my mouth.
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Ken arrives and hoists me up, steadying me. "Are you okay?"
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"Yep." I poke his nose. "I'm enlightened. Corporate life is a scam, Ken. Be free. Sell muffins. Live, baby, live!"
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He shakes his head and starts moving towards to exit, while Rachel gathers my things.
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As we reach, Nora steps forward, her eyes soft. "Jessica, honey..."
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Something in her tone cracks me open. "I messed up, Nora," I whisper. "I had one job. One interview. And I—"
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My voice breaks.
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"It's okay, darling," she says gently, "let's go home first, okay?"
"Home?" I mumble, drifting off to sleep. "That sounds nice."
ns 15.158.61.12da2
