REBIRTH TO CHANGE MY FATE

7

Jake Morrison stood in front of his cracked bathroom mirror, adjusting the tie Grace had given him for the third time. His hands trembled slightly—whether from nerves or residual anger from Danny's taunts, he couldn't tell. The interview at Stellar International was in ninety minutes, and despite his lottery winnings giving him financial cushion, this job still felt crucial.

This isn't just about me anymore. It's about proving Danny wrong and showing Grace her faith isn't misplaced.

A sharp knock interrupted his preparation. Jake opened the door to find Grace standing in the hallway, her face drawn with exhaustion but her eyes bright with nervous energy.

"I need to tell you something about the interview," Grace said, glancing around nervously. "Can I come in?"

"Of course." Jake stepped aside, noting how Grace kept looking over her shoulder toward her own apartment where Danny's voice could be heard talking loudly on the phone.

Grace closed the door behind her and leaned against it. "The interviewer is Manager Lewis from HR. He's... he's the one who recommended you after I spoke with him yesterday."

"That's good, right?" Jake asked, sensing tension in her voice.

"Jake, there's something you need to know about how I convinced him to give you this chance." Grace's voice was barely above a whisper. "He didn't want to interview you at first. Said your resume wasn't impressive enough for Stellar International."

Jake's stomach dropped. "So what changed his mind?"

Before Grace could answer, her phone buzzed with a text message. She glanced at it and her face went pale.

"He wants to meet with me before your interview," Grace said quietly. "In his office. Alone."

"Why?"

Grace looked away, unable to meet his eyes. "To discuss the 'terms' of your employment opportunity."

The implications hit Jake like a physical blow. "Grace, what exactly did this guy say to you?"

"It doesn't matter—"

"It fucking matters!" Jake's voice rose. "Tell me what he said."

Grace flinched at his tone but continued. "He said that Stellar International doesn't typically hire people with your... background. But he might be willing to make an exception if I was willing to be 'flexible' about company policies."

Jake felt rage building in his chest. "What kind of flexible?"

"Jake, please don't make me say it."

"Say it, Grace."

Grace's voice cracked. "He said that if I wanted to help my 'boyfriend' get hired, I should be prepared to show how much it meant to me. Personally."

Jake stared at her in disbelief. "And you agreed to meet with him?"

"I didn't agree to anything!" Grace protested. "I just... I didn't know how to say no without ruining your chances completely."

"Jesus Christ, Grace." Jake ran his hands through his hair. "You can't seriously be considering this."

"I'm not considering anything," Grace said quickly. "I'm just going to meet with him and try to convince him that you're worth hiring on your own merits."

"By yourself? In his office? With a guy who's already made it clear what he wants?"

Grace's phone buzzed again. She looked at the message and swallowed hard. "He's expecting me in twenty minutes."

"No," Jake said firmly. "Absolutely not."

"Jake, this is your only shot at Stellar International. If you don't take this interview, you'll never get another chance at a company like this."

"I don't give a shit about the company if it means you have to prostitute yourself to get me hired!"

Grace recoiled as if he'd slapped her. "That's not what I'm doing!"

"Then what are you doing?" Jake demanded. "Because from where I'm standing, it looks like you're about to let some corporate sleazebag feel you up so I can get a job I probably don't deserve anyway."

"You do deserve it," Grace said desperately. "You're smart and capable and you just need someone to give you a chance—"

"Not like this," Jake interrupted. "Never like this."

Grace's phone rang. She looked at the caller ID and her face went white. "It's him."

"Don't answer it."

"I have to. If I don't show up, he'll cancel your interview."

Grace answered the phone with a shaky voice. "Hello, Mr. Lewis."

Jake could hear the man's voice through the speaker, though he couldn't make out the words. Grace's responses were brief and tense: "Yes, sir." "I understand." "Twenty minutes."

She hung up and looked at Jake with something approaching panic. "He moved the meeting up. He wants to see me now, before the other employees arrive for the day."

"Grace, listen to me very carefully," Jake said, gripping her shoulders. "You are not going to that meeting."

"But your interview—"

"Fuck the interview!" Jake exploded. "Do you think so little of yourself that you'd let some corporate predator use you like that?"

Grace's eyes filled with tears. "I think so much of you that I'm willing to do whatever it takes to help you succeed."

The simple honesty of her statement hit Jake harder than any of Danny's insults. She's willing to sacrifice herself for me. For me—a guy who was asking her for rent money just two days ago.

"I'm going with you," Jake said suddenly.

"What? No, absolutely not. If you show up, he'll know I told you what he said, and he'll cancel everything out of spite."

"Good. Let him cancel it."

"Jake, please—"

"No, Grace. I'm not letting you walk into that situation alone, and I'm sure as hell not building my career on your humiliation."

Grace stared at him for a long moment, her phone buzzing insistently with text messages from Manager Lewis. Finally, she nodded.

"Okay. But let me handle this. Don't do anything that will make the situation worse."

Twenty minutes later, Jake and Grace stood outside the imposing glass tower that housed Stellar International Corporation. The morning sun reflected off the building's surface, creating an almost blinding glare that made Jake squint as they approached the entrance.

Inside the marble lobby, Grace led him to the elevator bank. Her hands shook as she pressed the button for the fifteenth floor.

"His office is at the end of the hall," Grace said quietly as the elevator climbed. "Maybe you should wait in the lobby area while I—"

"Not happening."