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My heart beats excitedly as I stare at the e-mail open on my laptop in front of me.

I read it again just to be sure.

It’s true. It’s actually happening.

Thank you for attending the interview, we are happy to inform you that you have been accepted into our internship program. You will begin on Monday the 17 th .

I can’t believe it. This company is the most prestigious one I applied for, and the one I was really hoping to get into because it’s going to do wonders for my GPA.

The pay is decent, for an intern, but the salary is not my main reason for wanting this job. This is the ultimate place for me to make a mark in the industry.

The logo in the signature at the bottom of the email, with a lion emblem alongside an ornate D, makes me think of a family crest.

Dubrov Enterprise.

It is a family-run business, after all.

I can’t believe I’m starting there on Monday.

This Monday.

I glance to my left. Lying next to my laptop is a pile of textbooks that I have to work through tonight. I sigh and close my eyes for a moment. I can do this.

I can do this because I never give up. I’m the girl who gets through anything, and I won’t stop now.

I stayed strong when my mom passed away after a long battle with alcoholism, and I stayed strong when I turned eighteen and found out from the local debt collectors that I had inherited all of her debts, alongside my already growing college debts—

But it’s ok. I never grew up with money. Nothing was ever handed to me. I work for what I want.

The debts are definitely something that have been holding me back, though; it’s been three years since I inherited them, and I don’t even feel close to paying them off. It’s a nightmare, and it’s forcing me to work two different part-time jobs over and above my studies, and now this job—the one I really want.

I push away from my desk and wander through to the kitchen in my small but comfortable apartment in the city. It’s a little more expensive living here, but I have so many jobs, and with my campus being around the corner, the money I save on commuting from outside the city covers the higher rent, and I save a lot of time. I don’t have extra time, so it works out perfectly.

In the kitchen I flick on the coffee machine. If I start the internship on Monday, that means that this weekend I’m going to have to make sure I’m ahead on my studies.

I’ll need to pull out my schedule and replan everything.

You’ve got this, Tia. One step closer to achieving your goals—being debt-free, being able to save for a change, and working towards an incredible career. Whatever time, and effort and sacrifices I make now will pay off later.

***

Monday morning comes quicker than I expect it to, and I’m tired but excited, when I arrive at my first day of work.

My high heels click loudly on the tiled floors.

I pause just outside the massive glass double doors to adjust my skirt and make sure everything about my outfit is pristine.

My long, wavy caramel hair is braided neatly down my back and my makeup is fresh and subtle.

I step through the doors, bold and confident, and walk towards the reception desk.

Before I can get there, a tall woman approaches me with a smile on her face. “Tia?”

I turn towards her.

“Yes. That’s me,” I smile, pushing my shoulders back and trying to look as professional as possible. First impressions matter, especially in business. And I plan to make a very good first impression today.

My GPA is flawless, and I need to maintain an excellent record here at this internship in order to keep it that way. My GPA depends on it.

I’ll do whatever it takes. My future depends on it.

“Follow me, I’ll show you around. My name is Samantha, and I'm your direct manager. So, if you have questions or need to report something you can come straight to me.”

“Thanks, Samantha,” I say, following her through the side doors that lead into the open plan office space. She is beautiful and professional, and within minutes of meeting her I feel inspired to be like her.

I can tell that the other people in the office look up to her from the way they talk to her when she passes them.

The vibe here is great. People are friendly and welcoming, and most of them stop working to greet me and welcome me to the company.

I’ll never remember all of these names, though. I’ll just focus on the ones Samantha specifically points out.

“That’s the big boss's office. Yefim. He and his brothers own this company, amongst others.” She points towards an office on a higher floor, overlooking our desks below.

I stare up at it, watching as a tall, dark-haired man greets three other men.

“Those are the brothers with him,” Samantha confirms. “Oleg, Leon and Alexei.”

They are dressed head to toe in custom fitted suites. The stylish elegance of their outfits and the way they handle themselves just screams wealth and status. They work for what they have, and they know how to present themselves.

Never mind being inspired by Samantha—I’m inspired by the Dubrov brothers on a whole different level.

“Dubrov Enterprise imports and exports high-end electronics. Anything you can think of, from home automation, mobile devices and security equipment to machinery for wellness spas.”

Samantha is talking to me, but I'm completely distracted watching my new boss and his brothers. I don’t particularly care about the products, but I am interested in their worldwide network of connections and their reputation for being one of the most profitable businesses in Boston.

I can’t believe how powerful and impressive the Dubrov brothers all look.

As they walk into the office, my eyes follow my boss. He’s freaking hot.

“Tia?”

I quickly turn back towards Samantha.

“This is Eric. He handles project management for each of the teams in the warehouse. You will be doing a lot of work with him.”

“Hi, Eric.” I hold out my hand and shake his, a nice firm grip to show him I’m here to work.

Once she has shown me around and I’ve done my best to remember the important names, the people I will be working with, she takes me to my desk and leaves me with my first official task.

Sitting at my desk, I feel very exposed in this massive open plan office with the boss's office overlooking us all, but I’m not intimidated by any of it. I have to push myself if I want the same kind of success my boss has. It doesn’t happen overnight, but I know with determination and commitment I will have it in my future.

My whole life, I’ve relied on myself, no one else. Not my single alcoholic mom, not my absent father—no one but me. And I’ve done well.

As soon as I am out of this debt my mother left me with, things are going to be going better than well. Things are going to be great.

***

By Friday I’m exhausted to my bones.

Keeping up with this job, my studies, my part-time job editing for a local magazine and the hour I do every evening walking the neighbors' dogs—it’s a lot, and it’s getting to me. But I know all I need is time to adjust to my new routine. That’s all.

I glance at my watch. It’s five fifteen, and most of the people are busy packing up and heading home for the day.

No one works late here. The company seems to be pretty strict when it comes to taking care of their staff and making sure they fairly are all only working within working hours.

But I’ve been tired, and I didn’t finish this one project in the amount of time I expected of myself. It’s due on Monday afternoon, and I really wanted to hand it in now, before the day ended.

If I do a few hours overtime, I can easily get it done and not have to stress about it all weekend.

The problem is that it’s lines and lines of spreadsheet information that I need to transfer from a rough plan into a proper presentable document. My eyes are burning, and my head is beginning to throb from the endless lines of writing.

But I keep pushing, because it’s what I do.

And when I glance at my watch at seven o'clock, I reckon I have another hour to go before I’m done.

The office is so quiet. The light over my desk is practically the only one on down here on the ground floor, but a few lights are still burning upstairs in the managers' section.

“Okay, Tia, focus and get this done. Then you can go home and have that left over mac and cheese and sleep.” All I want to do right now is sleep.

I need another coffee, but I’ve already had four today and that’s two past my limit, so it won’t do me any good.

I sigh in frustration and rub at my eyes, trying to wake myself up.

But no matter how hard I try, my eyes just keep getting heavier.