CHAPTER EIGHT - *ONLINE OBSESSION

Click. Her eyes darted across the screen, searching for the words she longed to see. Instead, her heart sank as she read: "Dear Ms. Petrovic, We regret to inform you that your application for the Fairchild Mentorship Program has not been successful at this time..." The rest of the email blurred as tears welled up in Anna's eyes. She'd been so sure this was her chance, her way in. Now what? Dejected, Anna closed her laptop and curled up on her bed, letting the disappointment wash over her. But as she lay there, staring at the ceiling, a familiar determination began to creep back in. "This isn't over," she whispered to herself. "I'll find another way." ______________________________________________________________________________ Anna stood outside the gleaming Fairchild headquarters, her heart pounding. The towering glass structure seemed to touch the sky, a fitting monument to Erik Fairchild's success. She adjusted her blazer and touched up her lipstick one last time, steeling