When I was a little younger, I had this crystal-clear vision of who I wanted to become in life. And let me tell you, dear reader, having a clear goal in mind is like having a treasure map to your dreams. I'm sure you've got some dreams of your own, some lofty aspirations you're chasing after. But hey, if you're not aiming to be as fabulous as me, that's totally cool too. I'm not here to twist your arm or anything. If my story ain't your cup of tea, feel free to walk on by. You do you, honey! Ignore my ramblings if you so choose. It's your loss, really!Now, when it comes to your vision board, ditch the clichés like magazine cutouts of private jets and diamond-encrusted mansions. Let's keep it real and achievable, shall we? Think along the lines of learning a new skill, starting that side hustle or getting a part time job. The world is yours for the taking, if only you dare to seize it.As for little Jessica, she had one particular goal she would kill for. Little me would have walked f
Chapter sixteen: On the wrong side of the law.As I entered the waiting room, I was met with a scene of chaos. Contestants, like me, were scattered around, their faces twisted with frustration and anger. Their inventions had also been stolen. The poor overworked secretary was trying to calm us down as we demanded to speak to the management. I could almost hear her inner thoughts: "I don't get paid enough for this shit," she must have been thinking, as she dealt with one disgruntled inventor after another.I was already so stressed and tired of being angry. Sitting on an iron chair, I let out a loud yawn.“You must be Jessica Raye Kardashian, the winner of this competition,” the girl beside me said. She had a peculiar accent, probably from Australia. She also had a special aura that I can’t quite describe."I'm Jessica Raye," I replied with a tired smile. "And as for the competition, it seems more like a scam at this point, doesn't it?""Yeah, it’s a fraud," she replied with a sigh. "I
Chapter 17: Double life at Karnegie Country club Thanks to Rachel's recommendation, I landed a job as a waitress at the prestigious Karnegie Club, found in 1736. The Karnegie Club, oh boy, where do I even begin? The members walk around like they own the place, probably because they do. It's like stepping into a world where everyone's last name is engraved on a golden plaque, and if yours isn't, well, good luck getting past the front gate. It was like stepping into a scene from a movie where the rich and famous mingled with the absurdly posh. The walls were adorned with paintings of ancient ancestors who probably never lifted a finger in their lives, except perhaps to ring a bell for their servants.And oh, the dress code for waitresses! It was stricter than a kindergarten teacher during nap time. If your socks didn't match your bow tie, you might as well have been wearing a clown suit. The members strutted around like peacocks, their noses held high enough to detect even the faintest
Chapter 18: Flirting with dangerThe following week, as I was leaving the country club, the night crowd began to trickle in. One thing I had noticed was the the day members were usually older, like 35 and above while the night crowd were young folks around seventeen to thirty years old; around my age.Among the newcomers was Bernita. The moment I caught sight of her, I instinctively attempted to blend into the background, hoping to avoid detection. I hoped she would not see me but it was too late."Jessica, Jessica, isn’t that you?" she called out, her voice cutting through the chatter of the arriving guests.Caught off guard, I turned around to face her, trying to maintain a composed facade. I froze for a moment, trying to come up with an excuse to escape. "Oh, hi, Bernita," I greeted, mustering a forced smile. She began to introduce me to her friends. “Everyone, meet Jessica. Her father does real estate, I think. Jessica, meet Tasha, Yara, Darla and Stephanie.”"Nice to meet you al
Chapter 19: Living two different lives.Living a double life was proving to be more challenging than I ever imagined. By day, I played the role of a humble waitress, serving tables alongside my best friend, Rachel. But as soon as the sun dipped below the horizon, I shed my apron and slipped into the world of the elite, rubbing shoulders with the wealthy and privileged. During the day, I was Jessica Raye, the hardworking waitress, but by nightfall, I transformed into someone entirely different—a sophisticated socialite, mingling effortlessly with the upper crust. It was a charade, a masquerade of sorts, and I was the master of disguise.But, I felt so guilty and uncertain. Was I deceiving others, or was I deceiving myself? With each passing day, the line between reality and fiction blurred further, and I found myself questioning my own motives. Yet, I couldn't deny the thrill of living on the edge. It was exhilarating, intoxicating even. "You're just living your best life," I'd whisper
Chapter twenty: A surprising date with danger.Do you remember that a big company, Xeto Technologies stole my app, BrainBoost and made a dumb counterfeit? If you were paying attention, you would remember. Well, since then, we have reorganized and made a proper plan to get justice. Our first course of action was awareness. We wanted to make sure everyone knew that the Albert Einstein Competition was a complete scam.On Wednesdays, we would carry placards and cardboard with slogans written on them like: “Return what you stole!”, “Pay us our money!”, “Down with Capitalism!”Sometimes, we would even march around in front of the building.All our efforts were turning out to be in vain. At first, news channel were coming to capture footage and interview us. But they suddenly stopped. I guess they got tired of us or maybe someone important paid them off. I’ll never understand why. We were slowly becoming a mere nuisance. Xeto Technologies had stationed very muscular security guards at the ga
Chapter twenty one: An intoxicated nightWe kept talking about several things until the sun casted a golden hue over the landscape. As the sky painted itself in hues of orange and pink, we fell into a comfortable silence. As the final remnants of daylight disappeared from the sky, Scott turned to me with a smile plastered on his face. “We should do this again," he suggested. "Another date, perhaps?"Feeling a surge of spontaneity, I couldn't resist the urge to suggest something bold. "Why wait?" I proposed eagerly. "Let's seize the moment and head to a party right now. A friend of mine is throwing one tonight."Without hesitation, we gathered our belongings and set off into the night. When we arrived at the party, I said to Scott, “I’m gonna go find my best friend, Rachel. Just wait for me here.”I left to find Rachel amidst a sea of people.“Ahhhhhhh!!! You came!” Rachel screamed excitedly when she caught sight of me. With a delighted squeal, she enveloped me in a tight embrace, and
Chapter twenty two: The end of a love that never startedMany weeks after that night, Rachel would not stop disturbing me. “Won’t you tell me about your mystery man?” She asked over and over again. Her persistence was like a pesky mosquito buzzing in my ear, relentless and kinda irritating. No matter how many times I swatted her inquiries away, she kept coming back for more. I felt my patience wearing thinner than a strand of spaghetti. But I understood that she was just a caring best friend, always concerned about me."It's not that big of a deal," I repeated, hoping to deflect her curiosity like a pro. But Rachel was like a detective on a mission, refusing to let go of her interrogation tactics."But you sounded so excited last night. You seem different now," she prodded, her eyes narrowing in suspicion.I sighed.“Who is he and what did he do to you? If he broke your heart, he’ll have me to deal with," Rachel declared, her protective instincts kicking into high gear.I waved her of