Chapter 4 A ray of Hope

It was the weekend, and the apartment was cloaked in a heavy silence. Emelia and Marcus sat side by side on the worn-out couch, their bodies close but their minds worlds apart. The TV flickered in front of them, casting a pale, restless light across the room. Marcus was staring blankly at the screen, his eyes glazed over as if lost in some far-off place. Emelia, on the other hand, was only pretending to watch. Her mind was miles away, consumed by thoughts of that job poster.

Ever since she saw it, the words had been echoing in her mind: 'Now Hiring... Company Branch Manager... Maluma Enterprises.'

That name - Maluma - stirred something deep within her. It was familiar, unsettlingly so, but she couldn't quite place why. Not yet.

Emelia shifted uncomfortably, casting a sidelong glance at Marcus. He hadn't moved an inch, his gaze locked on the screen, unblinking. He was losing himself more and more each day, drifting further away from her with every silent moment.

"I'll be back in a few minutes," Emelia said, rising to her feet.

Marcus barely acknowledged her, his eyes fixed on the TV. The sight of him like that - hollow, lifeless - sent a chill down Emelia's spine. She swallowed the lump in her throat and grabbed her coat, slipping out the door quickly before the tears could spill over.

The wind nipped at her skin as she made her way down the street. The city felt colder than usual, the streets quieter. Emelia quickened her pace, her heart pounding as she approached the spot where she'd seen the poster.

There it was, still tacked to the lamppost. 'Now Hiring... Maluma Enterprises.'

Emelia ripped the poster off the wall and held it up to her face, scanning it more carefully this time. 'Position: Branch Manager,' the text read in bold, black letters. 'Competitive pay. Immediate start.'

The name 'Maluma' seemed to burn into her retinas, the letters swimming in her vision. Emelia's mind raced, trying to piece together the memory. Where had she heard that name before?

Then, it hit her. The memory crashed over her like a tidal wave, pulling her back to a time she thought she'd buried forever.

Fred Maluma.

Her chest tightened. Fred Maluma - the boy from high school. The one who had been infatuated with her, relentless in his pursuit despite her constant rejections. The one she had chosen Marcus over. Back then, Fred had been nothing more than a lovesick teenager, trailing after her with wide, desperate eyes. But now... now he was a man. A powerful one.

Emelia's stomach churned. What would he think when he saw her now? A woman hanging by a thread, struggling to keep her marriage and her life together. Would he pity her? Would he mock her? Would he even remember her?

She crumpled the poster in her fist, her knuckles whitening. Maybe it was a sign. Maybe she was being paranoid. After all, Maluma Enterprises was a massive corporation now. Fred Maluma was probably too busy to even notice her.

But something about it didn't sit right. Why was she so drawn to that poster in the first place?

Pushing the thoughts aside, Emelia hurried back home. As she stepped through the door, she plastered a smile on her face. Marcus was still glued to the TV, the same vacant expression on his face. Emelia's heart clenched, but she forced herself to stay calm. She couldn't let him see how shaken she was.

"Hey," she said softly, trying to catch his attention.

Marcus didn't look up. Emelia took a deep breath and sat beside him, the crumpled poster clenched in her hand. "I found something today," she said, her voice carefully casual. "A job opening."

Marcus's eyes flicked over to her, then down to the poster. He took it from her hands, smoothing out the wrinkles as he read the words.

His jaw clenched. "No."

Emelia blinked. "What?"

"I said no," Marcus snapped, tossing the poster onto the coffee table. "I'm not doing it. I'm not going for another interview."

Emelia's heart dropped. "Marcus, it's a branch manager position. You're qualified. This could be the chance we've been waiting for."

Marcus pushed a hand through his hair, his fingers trembling. "I can't do it, Emelia. I can't go through another rejection. I can't stand it."

Emelia swallowed, her throat tight. She needed to get him to go to this interview. They were running out of options, and fast. "I'll go with you," she said, the words tumbling out before she could stop them. "I'll be right there, every step of the way."

Marcus's shoulders sagged, his eyes softening as he looked at her. "You'd do that?"

Emelia forced a smile, though her heart was pounding. "Of course."

She hadn't thought it through, not really. The idea of facing Fred Maluma after all these years - of letting him see what had become of her - made her stomach twist. But she couldn't back down now. Not when Marcus was finally showing a flicker of hope.

"Okay," Marcus said, nodding slowly. "Okay, I'll go."

Emelia exhaled, relief mingling with dread. She had said it. She had committed to it. And now, there was no turning back.

That night, as Marcus fell into a restless sleep beside her, Emelia lay awake, staring up at the ceiling. Memories of Fred Maluma swirled through her mind, mingling with fears of what he would say when he saw her again.

She was no longer the vibrant, confident girl he'd once chased after. Now, she was a woman desperately trying to hold her life together - a woman who had sacrificed everything for the man sleeping beside her.

What would Fred think when he saw her again? And more importantly, what would he want in return for giving Marcus that job?