And now, after years of struggle, the opportunity he had been praying for had finally arrived.
The tall glass building rising above Michigan Avenue belonged to Harrington & Doyle Financial Group, a consulting firm known across the Midwest for hiring only the best candidates. Landing a position there meant more than a career—it meant security, dignity, and the chance to finally give his family the stability they had been missing for so long.
Daniel checked his watch.
9:28 a.m.
His interview was scheduled for ten.
He had practiced his answers for weeks. He had ironed his shirt three times that morning. Even the worn leather portfolio in his hand had been carefully polished the night before as if appearances alone could convince the world that he belonged in rooms filled with powerful executives.
The city around him buzzed with morning energy. Office workers rushed along the sidewalks with coffee cups in hand. Taxi horns echoed through the narrow streets. The sharp wind coming off Lake Michigan tugged lightly at Daniel’s tie as he began walking toward the towering building that represented everything he hoped to become.
