Meanwhile, Olivia was having far less luck. She was sitting at home, completely out of work. Her basic culinary skills didn’t particularly interest anyone, except for perhaps the elderly neighbors who occasionally asked her to bake her signature apple pie for major public holidays. But the two friends held onto each other tightly. Olivia saved Maddie from the oppressive, deafening silence of her empty townhouse, and Maddie always generously shared her first real earnings.
Whenever she bought herself a new professional dress or winter boots, she always made sure to grab something nice for her friend as well: whether it was a soft cashmere scarf or a trendy, stylish sweater. And so they floated along the unpredictable current of life — laughing together until they cried, and crying together over their shattered, fragile hopes.
The college years flashed by as quickly as an express train roaring past a subway platform. Olivia eventually landed a job as an assistant cook in a massive corporate cafeteria somewhere out near O’Hare Airport. The physical work was incredibly hard, the daily shifts were grueling, but it provided at least some stable, steady pennies.
Maddie, however, stayed on at her prestigious firm. After finally receiving her hard-earned diploma, she was immediately promoted to the core staff, given a high base salary, and allocated a private, glass-walled office in the very financial heart of Chicago. Her wide window offered a luxurious, sweeping view of the bustling Michigan Avenue and the iconic city skyline.
Yet, even her frantic, non-stop schedule couldn’t destroy their deep connection. Every single weekend, they strictly carved out time for each other — slowly strolling along the windy, paved streets of the Navy Pier or spending hours drinking fragrant artisan tea in Maddie’s cozy living room.
Maddie’s corporate career skyrocketed with terrifying speed. She didn’t just mechanically perform her daily duties — she genuinely lived for her work, burning with pure passion for every new marketing project. After a few years of strict, rigid budgeting and constant, hefty performance bonuses, the young woman managed to accumulate a substantial amount of funds.
She successfully sold the old inherited townhouse and bought a luxurious, ultra-modern studio condo with panoramic, floor-to-ceiling windows that looked directly out over the vast, deep blue waters of Lake Michigan. Her life seemed absolutely picture-perfect, if not for one glaring detail — the personal lives of both girls resembled a scorched, barren desert. The relentless years were marching forward, and their thirtieth birthdays were already looming ominously on the horizon.
— Listen, you spin in a huge, successful company every single day. You are always in the spotlight, you look absolutely flawless. Is there really not a single worthy man among that entire corporate crowd? — Olivia would often interrogate her, loudly slurping her vanilla latte during their regular weekend get-togethers.
— Not a chance, — Maddie sighed heavily and sadly, lowering her tired gaze to her perfectly manicured hands. — All of them are either scared to death of me, or they are so incredibly boring that my jaw cramps from trying to hide my yawns. Well, except maybe for Sam… You know, our senior sales manager. He sometimes throws these long, meaningful, lingering glances at me when we cross paths by the office coffee machine.