Unrequited Love: Fate Worst Then Death

8. Selected

…. Present….

"Shit! Alice, I completely forgot—I was supposed to get the results for those internship programs I applied for! I hope they've accepted me."

I rush to my room, grabbing my laptop in a frenzy. As I log in, Alice follows me.

"Relax, love. They might've spammed you with offers," she says, trying to calm me.

There are five emails from the hospitals I applied to. My heart pounds as I open the first one, scrolling quickly to the bottom.

"Shit! They've rejected me. Alice, it says the deadline had already passed when I applied," I mumble, my voice trembling as I fight back tears.

"Check the others," Alice urges. "Don't panic; there are still four left."

Taking a deep breath, I open the next email, forcing myself to stay optimistic. "Jesus, help me," I mutter as my hands shake.

When the email loads, my eyes widen. My breath hitches, but I quickly close it without saying a word. I rush to open the next one, and the one after that, repeating the same process. With only one email left, Alice speaks up, her worry palpable.

"Angel, would you tell me what's wrong? Why are you switching emails so frantically?"

I can't hold it in any longer. Laughing with joy, I pull Alice off the bed, holding her hands as I twirl her around.

"Alice! Alice! Alice! They—" I pause, struggling to catch my breath.

Alice steadies me, guiding me back to the bed. She presses a hand to my forehead, looking genuinely concerned.

"Are you alright?" she asks, squinting at me like she's checking for signs of madness.

I laugh again, shaking my head. "Relax, old lady. I'm perfectly fine!" I beam at her, my grin stretching from ear to ear. "I got selected, Alice. Not just for one hospital—three of them offered me internships! And they've guaranteed me a position as a doctor once I complete the program!"

"That's incredible!" Alice claps her hands together, clearly overjoyed. "This calls for a celebration! Let me tell your mom. Oh, by the way, which hospital have you chosen?"

"The Ken Group of Sanatorium and Infirmary," I reply, barely able to contain my excitement.

Alice narrows her eyes playfully, trying to act stern. "Ah, I see what's going on here, young lady. You never told me you applied there."

I shrug, grinning sheepishly.

"Never mind," she continues, shaking her head with a knowing smile. "I should've guessed. You wouldn't miss an opportunity to work there, would you?"

"Never." I smirk. Alice knows about everything—Revan, the Ken Group, my little dreams, and even the wallpaper on my phone. What else could you expect from someone I spend 24/7 with?

She once got hold of my phone, noticed the wallpaper, and demanded answers. There was no escaping her curiosity, so I told her everything, down to the last detail.

I half-expected her to laugh at me or brush it off with sarcasm. But Alice surprised me. Instead of mocking, she was genuinely thrilled. If Alice knew Revan personally, I have no doubt she'd march right up to him and arrange our wedding on the spot.

"Stop it, Alice," I had said, feeling the sting of my own words. "You know he's way out of my league. He deserves someone better—someone beautiful, confident, and without the baggage of a messy past."

I remember the way her face hardened, her usual warmth giving way to one of her rare moments of seriousness. "Oh, my little girl, have you looked at yourself in the mirror lately? A little bit of polish, and boys will be tripping over themselves to get to you." She huffed, clearly annoyed by my self-deprecating talk.

"If I were a boy, and maybe a couple of decades younger, I'd have kidnapped you on the spot," she added with a wink. Her words had filled me with a kind of confidence I hadn't felt in a long time.

Back in the present, I look at her and sigh. "You know, Alice, Revan lives in Sydney, and we're here in Las Vegas. What I'm trying to say is that the possibility of us meeting is practically nonexistent."

Alice crosses her arms, undeterred by my logic. "But you're going to work at Ken's, aren't you?"

"Yes, but let's be real, Alice. He's just overseeing his business. He rarely visits Vegas, and when he does, it's purely for work. That's it." I pause, the name on the tip of my tongue.

That's the tricky part—Revan is Australian, and I'm as American as they come. The sheer improbability of our worlds colliding doesn't stop the tiny ember of hope within me, though. Maybe working at Ken's will bring me closer to him. Maybe.

Alice smiles knowingly, as if she can read my thoughts. "I'm about to tell Ryan and Candice about your selection. They'll be so proud." Before I can protest, she darts out of the room, eager to share the news.

I stare after her, my stomach twisting. Proud? The word doesn't fit. My parents have never been the "content and proud" type. Especially Mom.

As much as I love her, I know her too well. If she had to choose, she'd probably say her distant cousin's daughter—a girl who spends all day eating, gaining weight, and watching TV—was somehow better than me. It doesn't matter what I accomplish; in her eyes, I'll always fall short.

After all, those fools my mom adores are set to marry rich heirs, live off their husbands' fortunes, and spend their days waiting for them to come home. No ambition, no independence—just gossiping about trends and hot models they'll never be. That's the life they think is ideal.

But not me. I've chosen independence. I want to carve out my own path, build something out of my own effort, and make a name for myself without leaning on anyone else. This mindset drives my mom up the wall. She'd rather I turn out like my brain-dead cousins, living for nothing but the next juicy piece of gossip or the latest designer trend.

The thought irritates me, so I dial Jessica. She's the one person who's stuck around since school and who actually gets me. Jess became an artist, and boy, is she talented. She can work magic on a canvas, with just a few strokes and colors bringing life to her creations. She's already made a name for herself in the art world.

Her cousin Hadley, on the other hand, is also our age and took up psychiatry like me. I wonder if she applied for internships too. Let's see if she got in.

"Hey, Jess! Glad to know you're still alive," I chirp when she picks up.

"Selena, good to hear you remember I exist," Jessica retorts, her voice laced with mock annoyance.

"Of course, I remember! How could I forget my very first soon-to-be patient?" I tease.

"Yeah, yeah. I'll gladly be your first case—when you actually get selected, that is. Exams are done, but results? I don't see that happening anytime soon." I can practically see her rolling her eyes. "No offense," she adds quickly.

"Well, you might want to brace yourself for a shock." I grin, realizing how dumb it is since she can't see me.

"You're kidding," she gasps, and I hear the unmistakable sound of her settling in, ready to soak in every detail. "Alright, spill it. And I mean everything."

I launch into the whole story, from spotting the internship ads to applying to the hospitals, the nerve-wracking wait, and finally, the overwhelming news that I got selected by three hospitals.

"Oh, by the way, I thought your cousin Hadley might've gotten selected too. Frankly, I was being nosy about that," I admit.

"Hadley? Nah, I doubt that lazy Witt even applied," Jess scoffs. "But hats off to you, Selena. You earned this with your brains and hard work! It's not just luck—it's you."

"Stop exaggerating." I roll my eyes, though her words warm me inside. "I probably just got lucky."

"Luck, my foot. When do you start?" she asks.

"Monday. So I've only got this weekend to prepare," I reply.

"What? Monday?!" she shrieks. "And you're just telling me this now? There's so much to do—shopping, spa, a haircut!"

"Calm down, Jess. We've got time to manage it all," I reassure her.

"Fine, but we're going all out. Also, don't forget to pick up your stuff from me tomorrow. It's been sitting here for ages."

"Yeah, yeah, I remember. That was the other reason I called. Keep it safe, and I'll grab it tomorrow."

"Good. See you tomorrow, Miss Soon-to-be Doctor Selena."

"Bye, Jess. See you tomorrow!" 

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