Emiliano

𝐁𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐀𝐧𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐁𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 （Ｒｏｍａｎｃｅ／Ｓｉｔｃｏｍ） I really need this job. Ever since my ex packed up his life and walked off with someone else, I’ve been the sole breadwinner in our little household. Surprise bonus: I’m also a single parent now. Yes, I have a daughter. She’s small, smart, and heartbreakingly good at pretending she’s fine. I’ve managed to help her accept that her father isn’t around anymore, at least on the surface. She nods, shrugs, goes back to coloring. Still, I know the truth sneaks up on her when the house gets quiet. Her father, meanwhile, has vanished with impressive dedication. No child support. No apologies. And no, I can’t afford a lawyer to make him suddenly grow a conscience. Lawyers cost money. I mostly spend mine on rent and groceries. Lately, I’ve been juggling odd jobs, cleaning here, helping there, just enough to keep us afloat. We have a roof over our heads and warm meals on the table. Not glamorous, but solid. Survival-level comfortable. Then last week, I spotted a newspaper ad for the Better Future Agency for Aspiring Models. I laughed, because – please. With stress-induced hair loss and a belly held together by chocolate and denial, modeling is not my calling. But the job wasn’t for a model. It was for a cleaner. Offices, bathrooms, uniforms to wash and iron. Everything strictly regulated. Everything oddly well paid. There was just one rule: Do not meet the boss in person.