That evening, Aurelia had finally allowed herself to rest. The excitement of the past few days had drained her energy, and she had fallen asleep on the couch without even realizing it.
Suddenly—
Ting! Ting!
Her phone vibrated on the coffee table.
Aurelia groaned softly and reached out blindly, still half asleep.
"Who is messaging me right now…?" she mumbled.
She squinted at the screen.
The moment she saw the notification, her eyes snapped wide open.
Two new emails.
The Montclair Group
Blackwood JLE Law Firm
Her sleep vanished instantly.
She sat upright.
"Calm down, Vale," she whispered to herself, taking a deep breath. "It's probably just the interview details."
Still, her fingers trembled slightly as she opened the first email.
It was from The Montclair Group.
Her eyes quickly scanned the message.
First Round Interview – Thursday, 10:00 AM.
She froze.
"Tomorrow?"
Her heart began racing again.
"Okay… okay Aurelia. You can do this."
She placed a hand over her chest, trying to steady her breathing.
"Let's see the next one."
She opened the second email from Blackwood JLE Law Firm.
Interview Schedule – Friday, 12:00 PM.
For a second she stared at the screen.
Then she leaned back against the couch in relief.
"Oh thank God… they didn't clash."
A smile slowly spread across her face.
This was really happening.
Two of the biggest firms in California.
And both wanted to interview her.
There was only one thing left to do.
She grabbed her phone and opened the group call with her two best friends—Elena and Charlotte.
The call connected instantly.
"Hi!!!" Elena and Charlotte shouted at the same time.
Aurelia laughed.
"Hi girls! I missed you both. It's been so long since we talked."
Charlotte sighed dramatically.
"Tell me about it. I miss our high school days."
Elena groaned.
"Same here. Ever since we all went our separate ways, life has just been work, work, work."
Aurelia raised an eyebrow.
"Work? Elena, you're literally a famous dance artist. That sounds exciting to me."
Elena laughed.
"Exciting? Sure. But exhausting too. I have to choreograph, learn new dance styles, rehearse for hours… If I stop improving, someone else will take my place."
Charlotte nodded.
"That's true. In medicine it's the same. Every day there's something new to learn."
Then Charlotte suddenly narrowed her eyes.
"Wait a second… why did you start this group call, Aurelia?"
Elena gasped dramatically.
"Oh my God. Did something happen?"
Aurelia bit her lip, trying not to smile too widely.
"Oh right… I almost forgot to tell you."
She paused.
"You know I took the California Bar Exam, right?"
Both voices exploded through the phone.
"YOU PASSED?!" Elena shouted.
"Why didn't you tell us earlier?!" Charlotte added.
Aurelia laughed nervously.
"Everything happened so fast. I'm still processing it myself."
Charlotte clapped excitedly.
"This is huge! When are we celebrating?"
"Wait," Aurelia said quickly. "That's not even the best part."
Both friends went silent.
Elena whispered dramatically.
"Okay now I'm scared."
Aurelia grinned.
"You know the biggest law firms in California… The Montclair Group and Blackwood JLE Law Firm?"
Elena immediately replied.
"Of course. Even I've heard of them."
Charlotte added,
"They're practically rivals."
Aurelia inhaled slowly.
"I applied to both of them."
A pause.
Charlotte leaned closer to her phone.
"And…?"
Elena whispered,
"Don't leave us hanging."
Aurelia finally said it.
"And… they both called me for interviews."
For two seconds there was complete silence.
Then—
Elena screamed.
"WHAT?!"
Charlotte burst out laughing.
"I knew it! I knew you would get in!"
Elena added proudly,
"Of course she did. It's Aurelia."
Aurelia shook her head, smiling.
"Don't celebrate yet. I still have to pass the interviews."
Charlotte said confidently,
"You will."
Elena added,
"And when you become a big-shot lawyer, remember us little people."
Aurelia laughed.
"Never."
After a few more minutes of teasing and excitement, the call finally ended.
Aurelia placed her phone down and leaned back against the couch.
The room suddenly felt quiet again.
But this time the silence felt different.
Because tomorrow…
the real challenge would begin.
The interview.
And a decision that could change her life forever.