Chapter Three
1290 Words
Ava woke to the sharp, insistent blare of car horns outside her window, followed by the distant chatter of morning commuters. The city was already alive, pushing forward, as if it didn’t care that her life had come to a screeching halt.
She exhaled, staring at the cracked ceiling, fingers curling into the thin fabric of her blanket.
No more wasting time.
She had spent all of yesterday wallowing, letting Elaine’s words and Reese’s anger get under her skin. But self-pity wouldn’t pay the rent. It wouldn’t put food on the table.
She had to get out there.
Dragging herself out of bed, she went through the motions—splashing water on her face, pulling on the cleanest pair of jeans she could find, and tying her hair up. She glanced at herself in the mirror, forcing a smirk.
“You got this.”
She didn’t believe it, not fully, but she wasn’t about to roll over and let life walk all over her. Not today.
The air outside was crisp, the early sun casting long shadows over the streets as she wove through the morning rush. The usual scent of strong coffee, car exhaust, and the occasional whiff of fresh bread from a bakery filled the air. A street musician strummed a battered guitar on the corner, his voice barely carrying over the noise of traffic.
Ava tightened her coat around herself and headed to her first stop—a small cafe tucked between two larger buildings, its glass windows fogged from the warmth inside.
The bell above the door chimed as she stepped in, inhaling the rich scent of roasted coffee beans. A teenage girl behind the counter flashed a bright smile.
“Good morning! What can I get you?”
Ava hesitated. “Uh, actually, I was wondering if you guys were hiring?”
The girl’s expression faltered, and she glanced toward the back. A moment later, a woman in her late thirties emerged, wiping her hands on her apron. “You’re looking for a job?”
“Yes,” Ava said quickly. “I have experience as a waitress, and I—”
The woman shook her head before Ava could finish. “I appreciate you stopping by, but we’re looking for… a different vibe.”
Ava blinked. “A different vibe?”
The woman gave a polite but firm smile. “Someone a little younger, more… upbeat.”
Ava clenched her jaw, forcing herself to nod. “Right. Thanks for your time.”
Outside, she let out a sharp breath, stuffing her hands into her pockets.
"Someone younger."
She wasn’t even twenty-five yet, and somehow, she was already losing jobs to teenagers.
She moved on to a sleek retail store in one of the busier districts—the kind that sold overpriced handbags and perfume behind glass counters. The moment Ava stepped inside, she knew she didn’t belong.
Everything was too clean. Too polished.
Still, she walked up to the hiring desk, straightened her shoulders, and asked for an application.
The woman behind the counter barely looked up at her. “Do you have prior sales experience?”
Ava hesitated. “Not sales, but I—”
“Then I’m sorry, we require at least a year of retail background.”
Another door shut in her face.
At the corporate office, she thought she might finally catch a break.
The receptionist had been polite, even handing her a form to fill out. For a moment, she imagined herself behind a sleek desk, answering phones, organizing schedules—maybe even getting a stable paycheck for once.
But then, the hiring manager skimmed through her form and paused at the education section.
“You don’t have a degree?” he asked.
Ava’s stomach twisted. “No, but I’m a fast learner, and I—”
“Sorry,” he said, handing back the paper without another glance. “We require at least a diploma.”
She took it with stiff fingers.
No degree. No job.
She left before he could see the way her face burned.
Hours passed.
Rejection after rejection piled up, each one a little heavier than the last.
By the time she stumbled upon a tech repair shop, she was running on fumes, but something about the sight of tools, wires, and open laptop screens sparked a tiny flicker of hope.
This, at least, was something she knew too well.
She stepped inside, brushing past shelves stacked with motherboards and spare parts, until she found a middle-aged man hunched over a table, dissecting a board with laser focus, his tools cluttered all around on the table.
He glanced up, pushing his glasses higher up his nose. “Can I help you?”
Ava swallowed. “Are you hiring?”
The man studied her for a moment before motioning toward a disassembled laptop nearby. “What’s wrong with that?”
Ava took a step closer, scanning the motherboard and disconnected wires. She bit her lip, then pointed. “The power supply’s fried. Probably needs a capacitor replaced.”
The man raised an eyebrow. “Not bad.”
For the first time all day, she felt something close to confidence.
But then, he leaned back in his chair and sighed. “Listen, I don’t doubt you’ve got skills, but this business? It’s tough. Customers prefer… you know.”
Ava’s excitement flickered. “Prefer what?”
He scratched the back of his head. “Men. Guys who look like they’ve been fixing things their whole lives.”
Her fingers curled into fists. “That’s ridiculous.”
“Maybe. But it’s how people think. I can’t risk losing business.” He gave her an apologetic look. “Sorry, kid.”
Ava clenched her jaw. “Yeah. Sure.”
She turned and walked out, frustration burning behind her eyes.
By late afternoon, exhaustion had seeped into her bones.
She found herself in a small park, sinking onto a wooden bench as she watched cars pass by.
It wasn’t just the rejections—it was the pattern.
Too young. Not experienced enough. No degree. The wrong gender.
She had been through worse, but this? This was humiliating.
She leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees. Maybe Elaine was right. Maybe she really was running out of chances.
Her stomach rumbled, but she ignored it, closing her eyes against the city noise.
After a while, she stood and kept walking.
Somehow, she ended up in a part of the city she hadn’t visited in years.
The streets were quieter here, the buildings older. The air thick with nostalgia.
It took her a moment to realize where she was—the neighborhood where her old orphanage had once stood.
Her feet slowed as she looked around. Some things had changed. Others hadn’t. The little corner store where she and the other kids used to sneak in to buy candy was still there. The cracked sidewalk where she’d scraped her knee during a game of tag. The alleyway where she had hidden after getting into a fight with another foster kid.
And then, she saw it.
Or at least, what was left of it.
The orphanage was gone. In its place stood a half-demolished building, surrounded by construction equipment and metal fencing. Large banners hung from the scaffolding, boasting an upcoming development—luxury apartments, probably. Because why would anyone care about an old orphanage when they could make money instead?
Ava gripped the cold metal fence, her fingers tightening as she stared at the ruins of what had once been her temporary home.
She wasn’t sure what she was expecting—to feel sad? Angry? Empty? Maybe all of the above.
She gave an inward sigh as the memories flooded in.
- Writer
