Episode 3: New Lives, New Problems
786 Words
The first day had been shocking.
The second day was worse.
Because now, everyone had to live the lives they had wished for.
And reality was far less magical than they had imagined.
*Ariana vs. Breakfast*
Ariana stood in Miriam Garcia's kitchen staring at a carton of eggs.
As an architect, she had designed skyscrapers capable of withstanding earthquakes.
Yet somehow, breakfast felt impossible.
"Mom, we're hungry!"
"Mom, where are my school socks?"
"Mom, Marco took my backpack!"
Three voices shouted at once.
Ariana felt her head spin.
"One at a time!"
Nobody listened.
She cracked an egg.
The shell fell into the pan.
The egg missed the pan entirely.
A second egg slipped from her fingers and exploded onto the floor.
The youngest child burst into tears because breakfast was late.
Ariana looked around the kitchen in horror.
How did Miriam do this every day?
By the time the children left for school, Ariana looked as exhausted as she usually felt after an all-night construction project.
And it wasn't even eight in the morning.
*Bianca's Cooking Disaster*
Bianca had always believed surgery was stressful.
Now she was discovering that cooking for a family might be worse.
She carefully followed a recipe she found in Linda's notebook.
Step one.
Step two.
Step three.
Simple.
Or so she thought.
Ten minutes later, smoke filled the kitchen.
The pot overflowed.
The rice burned.
Something inside the oven caught fire.
Bianca stared helplessly.
"I can perform heart surgery," she muttered.
"Why can't I make soup?"
Linda's husband walked into the kitchen.
His eyes widened.
Bianca smiled nervously.
"Good news. Nobody died."
The smoke alarm immediately started screaming.
*Chloe and the Mystery of Family Life*
Chloe quickly discovered something strange.
Everyone expected her to know things.
Lots of things.
Important things.
"What time does Sarah's piano lesson start?"
"When is Grandpa's appointment?"
"Where do we keep the extra blankets?"
"What should we make for dinner tonight?"
"What movie are we watching on Friday like we always do?"
Chloe had absolutely no idea.
Every question felt like a pop quiz she hadn't studied for.
She opened Teresa's calendar.
It was packed with birthdays, appointments, school events, family gatherings, grocery schedules, and reminders.
Chloe stared at the endless list.
"How does one person remember all of this?"
For the first time in years, the millionaire entrepreneur felt completely overwhelmed.
Meanwhile...
The older women were facing disasters of their own.
*Miriam Gets Lost*
Miriam arrived at the hospital wearing Bianca's white coat.
Everyone greeted her respectfully.
"Good morning, Doctor."
"Doctor Reyes."
"Doctor Reyes."
Each greeting made her more nervous.
She smiled awkwardly and kept walking.
Unfortunately, she had no idea where she was going.
Every hallway looked identical.
Every door had confusing labels.
After twenty minutes of wandering, Miriam realized she was completely lost.
A young nurse approached.
"Doctor Reyes, the surgical team is waiting."
Miriam froze.
"What?"
"The surgical team."
Miriam nearly fainted.
Five minutes later she was hiding inside a supply closet.
*Teresa Misses a Presentation*
Meanwhile, Teresa sat inside Ariana's luxury apartment staring at five different phones.
They kept ringing.
Emails flooded the screen.
Messages arrived every second.
Finally, one assistant called.
"Miss Cruz, where are you?"
"Home."
A long silence followed.
"The presentation started thirty minutes ago."
Teresa blinked.
"What presentation?"
The assistant made a choking sound.
"The international fashion technology conference."
Teresa's stomach dropped.
Apparently, Ariana's company was unveiling a major new product.
Thousands of investors were watching.
And she had missed the entire event.
By evening, the Internet was filled with headlines questioning Ariana's absence.
Teresa wanted to cry.
*Linda Deletes Everything*
Linda had somehow survived her first day pretending to be a tech entrepreneur.
On the second day, disaster struck.
She sat in Chloe's office trying to answer emails.
One message contained an attachment.
Another contained a warning.
A third required approval.
Linda clicked something.
Then another thing.
Then another.
Suddenly every file disappeared.
The screen went blank.
A message appeared:
FILES DELETED
Teresa stared.
"No."
The message remained.
Her face turned white.
"No no no no no."
An employee walked in.
"Miss Santos, did you finish reviewing the project files?"
Teresa slowly looked up.
"I may have accidentally destroyed the company."
*Reality Arrives*
That evening, all six women sat alone in their borrowed lives.
Each had once believed the other side was easier.
Now they knew better.
Ariana's back hurt from housework.
Bianca was exhausted from endless family responsibilities.
Chloe felt trapped by expectations she never knew existed.
Meanwhile—
Miriam feared being exposed as a fake doctor.
Teresa struggled beneath impossible business demands.
Linda couldn't understand the technology surrounding her.
Their dream lives were falling apart.
And they were only a few days in.©️🌠
- Writer
