Leo Carter’s beginning
1425 Words
The next morning arrived faster than Leo expected.
Before sunrise fully brightened the city, he was already awake inside the small apartment. The excitement from the previous night still lingered in his chest, mixed with nervousness that refused to let him sleep any longer.
Today was his first day at Sky Company.
Leo stood in front of the cracked mirror near the hallway, adjusting the sleeves of his only suit. It wasn’t new the fabric was slightly worn around the cuffs but he had cleaned and ironed it carefully the night before.
He stared at himself quietly for a moment.
Then he reached for a small bottle sitting on the shelf beside the mirror. Cheap perfume.
Only a little remained inside.
He sprayed it lightly on his collar and wrists before nodding to himself.
“Good enough,” he murmured.
The apartment was still quiet, so he quickly moved into the kitchen and started making breakfast. Bread, eggs, and tea simple but filling.
As the food cooked, Leo kept glancing at the clock nervously.
“I can’t be late,” he muttered.
The eggs finished frying, and he immediately walked toward Isla’s room.
“Isla,” he called while knocking lightly.
No response.
He opened the door slightly. “Wake up.”
A pillow flew toward him instantly.
“Five more minutes,” Isla groaned from under the blanket.
Leo caught the pillow with one hand. “You said that yesterday.”
“And I meant it yesterday too.”
He walked further into the room and pulled the curtains open. Sunlight flooded inside immediately.
“Leo!” Isla complained dramatically, covering her face.
“You’re going to school.”
She slowly sat up, her hair completely messy. Then her sleepy eyes landed on him and widened slightly.
“…Wait.”
Leo blinked. “What?”
“You look fancy.”
He glanced down awkwardly at the suit. “It’s just work clothes.”
Isla suddenly grinned. “Look at my brother becoming a businessman.”
Leo rolled his eyes. “Brush your teeth.”
“Yes, sir.”
A few minutes later, they sat together eating breakfast in the tiny kitchen.
Isla kept staring at him with amusement.
“What?”
“You’re nervous.”
“I’m not.”
“You just checked the time three times in one minute.”
Leo sighed quietly while taking another sip of tea.
Maybe he was nervous.
Sky Company was a big opportunity. He couldn’t afford mistakes not after everything it took to get there.
Isla noticed his expression soften slightly.
“Hey,” she said quietly. “You’ll do fine.”
He looked at her.
“You always say that like you know everything.”
“I do know everything,” she replied confidently before stealing a piece of toast from his plate.
Leo laughed softly and shook his head.
After breakfast, he grabbed his worn bag while Isla hurriedly put on her shoes.
The morning streets outside were already busy with movement students rushing toward school, workers heading toward bus stops, and cars filling the roads with noise.
Leo and Isla walked together for a short distance before reaching the junction where their paths separated.
Isla looked up at him with a teasing smile. “Try not to become rich without me.”
“No promises.”
“And don’t forget your little sister when you start earning millions.”
“I’ll try.”
She laughed before suddenly hugging him tightly.
“Good luck, Leo.”
The sincerity in her voice caught him off guard.
He gently patted her head. “Have a good day at school.”
She stepped back and pointed at him dramatically. “Go make us proud, Sky Company employee.”
Leo smiled faintly before turning toward the crowded bus stop.
A few minutes later, he climbed into an old public bus packed with people heading to work.
The ride was noisy and uncomfortable, but Leo barely noticed.
As the city moved past the window, he stared ahead quietly, his heart beating with anticipation.
This was more than just a job.
It was the beginning of a new life for him and for Isla.
By the time Leo arrived at Sky Company, his palms were already slightly sweaty.
He stood across the street for a moment, staring up at the massive glass building. The company logo shined brightly near the entrance, and workers dressed in expensive suits moved confidently in and out of the revolving doors.
For a second, Leo looked down at himself.
His suit was neat, but old.
His shoes had been polished carefully, though the edges were worn from years of use. Even the cheap perfume he sprayed earlier had already started fading.
He took a slow breath.
Then he crossed the street.
The moment he stepped into the building, cold air brushed against his skin from the giant air conditioners overhead. The lobby alone looked bigger than his entire apartment building.
Marble floors.
Bright chandeliers.
Modern furniture.
Everything screamed wealth and importance.
Leo couldn’t help admiring the place as he walked carefully forward, trying not to look overwhelmed.
But almost immediately, he noticed the stares.
People glanced at his cheap outfit before quickly looking away. Some whispered quietly to each other while others openly stared at his worn shoes and old bag.
A man in an expensive suit brushed past him with a slight scoff.
Leo noticed.
But he ignored it.
He had faced worse than judgmental looks.
Keeping his expression calm, he continued toward the reception desk.
Behind it sat a woman dressed neatly in company uniform, typing quickly on a computer. When she looked up at him, her polite smile faded slightly as her eyes scanned his appearance.
“Yes?” she asked professionally.
Leo straightened slightly. “Good morning. My name is Leo Carter. I was hired yesterday and told to report today.”
The receptionist paused for a moment before typing something into her computer.
“Leo Carter…” she repeated softly.
Then she picked up the office phone.
“Hello, this is reception,” she said quietly into the receiver. “I have someone here claiming to be one of the new hires. Leo Carter.”
Leo remained standing silently while she listened carefully.
Her expression changed slightly.
“Yes… alright. Understood.”
She hung up and looked back at him again, this time with more seriousness.
“Please wait a moment.”
She made another quick call, likely confirming his identity again.
Leo stood there quietly while employees continued walking past him. Some still stared.
But instead of shrinking under the attention, Leo focused on the building around him.
This place represented something bigger than embarrassment.
It represented survival.
A chance to finally give Isla a better life.
After a few moments, the receptionist stood up politely.
“Mr. Carter,” she said, now sounding much more respectful, “your identity has been confirmed. You’re expected on the seventeenth floor.”
Leo blinked slightly.
Seventeenth floor.
That alone sounded important.
She pointed toward the elevators. “Take the elevator on the right. Someone will meet you there.”
“Thank you,” Leo replied calmly.
As he walked toward the elevator, he could still feel eyes following him.
But this time, it didn’t bother him.
Because despite the cheap suit, despite the whispers, despite looking like he didn’t belong
Leo stepped into the elevator quietly, clutching the strap of his worn bag a little tighter as the doors closed behind him.
The inside of the elevator was spotless, with mirrored walls and soft music playing faintly overhead. Around him stood several employees dressed in elegant suits, some holding tablets and expensive coffee cups.
One woman glanced briefly at Leo’s clothes before looking away again.
Another man frowned slightly, clearly wondering if Leo had entered the wrong elevator.
Leo ignored them all.
His eyes remained fixed on the glowing numbers above the door as the elevator climbed higher and higher.
10…
12…
15…
Then finally
17.
The doors slid open.
Leo stepped out into a completely different atmosphere.
The seventeenth floor was quieter, more organized, almost intimidatingly professional. Large glass offices lined the hallway while employees moved around calmly with files and laptops in hand.
Everything looked expensive.
For a second, Leo simply stood there taking it all in.
“Excuse me.”
He turned quickly.
A young man wearing an identification card around his neck approached him with a tablet in hand.
“You must be Leo Carter,” he said.
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