Chapter 7 - Ground Zero
The next morning, Ethan woke up before dawn in his cramped studio apartment. The room smelled of instant coffee and unwashed laundry. There were no notifications on his phone—because there was no phone connected to social media anymore, and his family and few remaining real friends hadn't called him in weeks.
He sat on the edge of his sagging mattress, staring at the worn-out sneakers lying by the door.
He realized Antoine was right. Everything he owned—from his borrowed clothes to his fake lifestyle—was built on sand. And the tide had finally come in.
Instead of opening TikTok or browsing luxury car listings online, Ethan walked into his tiny kitchen, filled a glass of tap water, and drank it slowly. Then he sat down at his rickety wooden desk, opened a legal pad, and picked up a pen.
For the first time, he began to write a real resume.
*Work Experience:*
* 2024–2026: Shift Supervisor at Downtown Espresso Cafe. (He had actually worked there for six months before quitting to pursue "full-time influencing.")
* 2023–2024: Warehouse Associate at Metro Logistics.
It wasn't glamorous. It didn't sound like a billionaire heir or a high-powered corporate executive. It was ordinary, humble, and completely honest.
May you like
By 9:00 AM, Ethan had submitted applications to five local logistics firms and two retail management positions across the city. No flashy portfolios, no rented props, no inflated titles. Just a guy in a plain cotton t-shirt and jeans looking for a legitimate day's work.
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