Tangled Fate

CARL IS MINE!

CLARA'S POV

I groggily woke up to my phone buzzing on the table beside me. My hand slipped out from beneath the covers and fumbled around. I searched for the device until I finally located it. Glancing at the screen, I noticed the call was from an unknown number.

"Argh... What is it?" I muttered, my voice still heavy with sleep. I answered the call, the third ring echoing in my ear. "Hello?" I said, my voice laced with a touch of annoyance.

“Am I speaking to a Ms. Clara Copper?” a familiar female voice asked on the other end of the line. I couldn't quite place where I had heard that voice before, but it sounded oddly familiar.

I sat up almost immediately.

"Yes, this is Clara," I replied, rubbing my eyes to clear away the remnants of sleep. “Who is this?” 

“This is F&B Enterprise. We’re pleased to inform you that you’ve been offered the job as a secretary. We expect you to start on Monday.”  

A delighted chuckle escaped as I realized my desperate wish to get the job had come true. I was mainly able to keep my cool other than a bit of stammering.

"What? You mean... I’m hired? Thank you!" I exclaimed, the shock of the news finally sinking in. 

“You’re welcome. We can’t wait to see you on Monday.” 

I then ended the call, my heart pounding with excitement.

"Yes! Yes!" I shouted in jubilation, overjoyed that I had secured the position. 

I was so eager to share the good news with James that I immediately tried calling him. Surprisingly, he didn’t answer the phone. I persisted, dialing his number a few times before he finally picked up the phone. 

"Hey, James, I have some wonderful news. I got a job working at F & B Enterprise. I start on Monday!" I screamed into the phone, unable to contain my excitement.

“Oh, wow. Did they call today?” James replied, his voice filled with surprise.

"Yes," I informed him with a broad smile.

A beat or two passed between us before James cleared his throat.

“That’s wonderful. When do you start?” he inquired, his voice tinged with curiosity.

"Monday," I answered happily, my voice brimming with anticipation.

"This Monday? Wow!" James exclaimed, clearly impressed by the swift turn around.

I squealed and twirled around my room, barely able to contain my excitement. James didn’t sound as excited as me, but I didn’t care. I was over the moon. I pressed the phone back to my ear.

"Oh, James, I'm so happy. My parents won't have to worry about me anymore," I said, feeling a sense of relief wash over me.

As usual, James had to pop my bubble.

“Adopted parents, Clara. Adopted,” he reminded me, emphasizing the word "adopted" to clarify that they were not my biological parents.

They never referred to themselves as my adopted parents. They always told me that I was their daughter. It didn’t matter if I wasn’t their flesh and blood. They never treated me any differently. 

Still, I rolled my eyes.

“Oh, whatever, James. I'm still thrilled. I should call Anna immediately," I said, determined to share the news with my best friend.

"Okay, bye," James replied simply, and I ended the call.

Without wasting a moment, I dialed Anna's number, and she picked up on the first ring.