Brandon Corporations.

"Who do you know in the city?" Belinda cried as Grace gathered her few belongings into her traveling bag.

"I don't need to know anyone to go there. Besides, there is no future for me here either." Grace went to the closet to get another bag to put her shoes.

"Don't say that, my child. I believe you can still get something to do even if you are no longer a designer," Belinda.argued.

Grace had told her a day after their discussion about what happened in the company but she was careful enough to skip Lisa and Rufus's part in order not to trigger her mother's fluctuating blood pressure.

"Mom, designing is my life. I don't have a life outside designing," Grace insisted.

At least if she goes to the city, there are many prospects there and it's possible she might even find her footings again.

Belinda cleaned the tears from the corners of her eyes. She could see that Grace's mind was already made up and when it is like that, there's nothing anybody can do to change it.

"Ok, but I'll only let you go on one condition."

"What is it mom?" Grace asked, glad that she had been able to successfully convince her mother.

"You will return if you can't settle down in a year. At least here, you have a roof over your head and a family that still loves you."

"Is that all, Mom?" Grace smiled warmly for the first time in days.

"That's all the promise I need to get from you," Belinda stroked Grace's chin lovingly.

"I love you, mom."

"I love you too, my dear."

****************

Six months later:

"And now with a hand of applause, let's rise as we welcome, the CEO of Milky Ways, Ms Grace Fowler, a rare talent, an icon in the fashion industry and a co-owner of Glamour Glitz.

With a professional smile, Grace stepped onto the podium with camera lights flashing from different directions and at least five mics positioned in front of her as she waved to the ecstatic audience.

With her signature smile, she began to deliver her speech which she had spent sleepless nights preparing. As she spoke, her voice was steady and confident

But just as she reached the climax of her address, an unmistakable sound cut through the silence.

"Pickup, Pickup Butthead, Whatcha doing Butthead!"

Everyone's attention shifted from her to the direction where the crazy ringing tone of her phone was coming from.

"Why the hell would that undiscerning friend of mine choose this critical moment to call me and why did my Personal Assistant forget to place the phone on silence?" Grace gritted her teeth and muttered beneath her breath.

Frustrated, she turned around and gestured to her assistant to do the needful but to her dismay the phone kept ringing, growing louder and more persistent with each passing second.

Closing her eyes in exasperation, Grace took a deep breath, trying to maintain her composure despite the interruption.

But when she opened her eyes again, she was shocked to see that instead of the huge crowd in the auditorium, it was the white ceiling in her room staring mockingly at her.

"What happened? Why am I suddenly in my room?"

She closed her eyes again to see if she would find herself back on the podium, but the persistent ringing of her phone interfered with her concentration.

It took a moment for reality to sink in – the crowded auditorium, the speech– it had all been a dream.

"Not again," she lamented. This dream has been going on for as long as she could remember.

She thought this time it was finally real as she got to give her speech but was interrupted again.

Disappointed and with her eyes still closed, she stretched her hands to grope for the phone that was still ringing persistently. When she eventually touched it, she swiped the screen and answered the phone.

"You'd better have something important to say for waking me up so early, Wendy, otherwise I'll skin you alive when I get my hands on you."

"What time do you think it is in that cubicle of yours? The whole of San Francisco is already bubbling with activity, yet you're still buried under your sheets. Hurry up and meet me at Brandon Corporations in the next one hour if you don't want to live the rest of your life in regrets." Wendy scolded excitedly.

"What's up at Brandon Corporations today?" asked Grace.

"News flash! Today is the 28th of April, does it ring a bell, Butthead?

"28th of April…, 28th of April…" Grace muttered, her forehead creasing in a frown.

"OMG…. I completely forgot about the interview. Have they started?"

"No, they are waiting for her Majesty, Queen Grace Fowler to open the ceremony," came Wendy's sarcastic retort.

Grace jumped out of bed and would have received a ground breaking record for the fastest person on earth as she was ready in less than ten minutes, but it's a pity no competition was going on, at least not in her small apartment.

Forty-five minutes later after her call with Wendy, she alighted from a taxi in front of Brandon Corporation and saw her best friend Wendy Gales waiting for her at the gate.

"I wasn't expecting you to arrive so fast, did you skip taking your bath?" Wendy teased as she ran her eyes over Grace.

Grace grabbed Wendy's collar feigning anger, "What do you mean by me skipping my bath? If not that you helped me just now, you would have been picking two sets of your teeth from the roadside by now."

"I'm sorry, boss," Wendy quickly begged, raising her hands in mock surrender.

"I forgive you. Now let's go inside," Grace said and straightened a non-existent crease from Wendy's shirt.

"Yes, boss!"

"That's more like it, You should always remember that I'm the boss."

The two best friends laughed holding hands as they walked into the company.

Wendy, who was a staff at Brandon Corporations, led Grace to take the elevator to the sixth floor where the interview was being held.

"I'll be in my office. Call me when you are done."

"I sure will. Thanks a lot, girlfriend."

"Best of luck," Grace smiled and headed back to her own office on the second floor.

There were about thirty people seated in the large waiting area of the conference hall, all of them looking prim and proper in their formal attire.

Grace was forced to look at the simple but formal navy blue gown she wore. Although she didn't have time to really dress up, she still looked presentable, courtesy of her natural beautiful complexion and physical features which made everything look good on her.

Her half parted voluminous plum hair was tied up in a bun on top of her head giving her a professional look.

The wall clock showed that there was still twenty five minutes before the interview would officially commence.

She took her seat on one of the empty chairs and waited along with the rest.

For the upteenth time, she went through her CV to ensure everything was in order.

She knew it was all due to her nervousness.

But despite her attempts to stay calm, her nerves were getting the best of her. Feeling the need to relieve some of the tension, she decided to pay a visit to the restroom.

As she entered the quiet sanctuary of the restroom, she took a deep breath as she leaned against its sparkling tiled walls.

After some time, she turned on the tap and splashed some cold water on her face, willing herself to relax from the calming effect of the water.

Just as she was about to return to the waiting area, she heard a faint whimpering sound coming from one of the stalls.