Lily clicked the send button. It really was like any other afternoon. Her students were busy working on a class assignment and she had decided to pass the time by scrolling through the Weber app. What other way to stalk her old classmates than on one of the world's biggest social media platforms. She had to know if they were doing better than her.
Martha was now a fashion designer, Kelsey was a stay at home mom with three children. Lily's mom never let her hear the end of it. 'You should have your own children soon.' She would cry.
The only different thing about today was how while scrolling through her feed, the most random thing had popped up.
'Click here to apply to be Roman Dalmain's wife.'
"What?" She had chuckled.
Roman Dalmain was one of four Dalmain children. Everyone knew who the Dalmains were. They owned multi millionaire brands and one of the world's largest retail websites, shopdalmain- where one could literally buy everything. [Lily indeed ordered a frog hat there; so, everything!]
They had a share in a car making company. Their only daughter was part of a reality show with millions of followers and their oldest son was in fact the developer of the Weber platform so it was no doubt Lily was surprised to see an ad asking people to apply to be Roman's wife.
She did so anyway. Not because she thought she would be selected out of millions of girls, but because her students were still working on their assignments and she had extra time.
They had requested the most basic information. Just names, age, and one picture for which she selected an old image where she had lipstick on. Every other picture of her was boring and basic.
After clicking send, she looked up from her phone and saw her students passing notes to one another.
She banged her desk, a frown appeared on her face, "are you finished with your assignments?"
"Yes miss Johnson." They chorused.
"Fine, submit them."
*
Kim Wilson knew too well that she did not have to send an application. The person reviewing the applications was none other than Mark Powell, her friend she'd met during one of her modeling shoots two years ago, and luckily, he was working for the Dalmains.
After an hour discussion on how she would pay him a hundred thousand dollars monthly if he ensured she was selected, he had naturally agreed.
But Kim was applying regardless. That shoot for a brand with less than five hundred followers was all the motivation she had needed.
These were the only types of deals her management; star models, were getting for her. What an irony for 'star'. But that would all change because soon, she would be Roman Dalmain's wife and she'd get to work with multimillionaire brands.
"You ready?" James Bags brought her out of her thoughts.
"Hm?" She snapped back into reality and then shook her head positively, "yeah sure."
James had come to pick her up and drive her back home. He was a nice boyfriend, she thought. But nice was the last thing she needed at the moment.
*
Mark Powell sipped from his coffee and placed it back on his desk. He was looking through the numerous applications from women and men too. IThere were a total of six million plus applications before he had closed the form.
He couldn't believe he had been given such an important job. Working with the Dalmains was something he never thought would exist but then, here he was.
He wasn't going to accept any of these applications anyway, he just wanted to see if he could find a partner for himself.
Good thing Kim was beautiful, that was what his boss had specified.
The monitor stopped on a woman called Lily Johnson and he couldn't help but laugh. "What do these people even take the Dalmains for?" He shook his head and attempted to keep scrolling but that was halted when he knocked his coffee over with his elbow.
"Shit." He cussed and bent over to retrieve the cup. What Mark did not know was that the coffee spill on the laptop's mouse had caused the sensitive pad to malfunction and send the automated email to Lily Johnson with a click of the 'application approved' button on the screen.
He pulled his phone out and emailed Kim, telling her when she was supposed to show up.
Closing his laptop, he went to get a mop to clean the mess he had made. If only spilling the coffee was the only mess he made.
Lily placed her hand bag on her dressing table. Her cats were waiting by the door, as always. "Hi Sammie, Catrina." She greeted them and they followed her into her bedroom.
She lived in a small apartment, in a block with five other tenants and no one got in one another's business.
Her job as a middle school teacher was suitable for her. She couldn't be more-happier; that was a lie, she could.
Making herself a meal of toast and eggs, she ran through her emails, waiting for her toast to be ready.
"When the first two were reminders of the teachers' meeting, she thought the third unread message was spam and was about to move it to the bin when the subject of the email caught her attention.
'Congratulations, your application was approved."
"But I didn't even apply for a job." She said to herself. Her eyes widened and her jaw dropped after she read the body text. She had been selected as Roman's wife. She laughed in a shaky voice and shook her head. "This just has to be a mistake."
She sniffed burning toast and unplugged it with an immediate effect.
Propping herself on to the counter, she reread the email as though it were her first time.
She exited the app and dialed her only friend, her mother.
She drummed her free fingers against the counter, waiting for her mother to respond.
"If you are not pregnant or engaged, hang up right away." Her mother called into the phone in her Mexican accent.
"Mama Johnson I have even weirder news." She informed. "Today in class, I applied to be Roman Dalmian's wife and you won't believe this but I was selected out of six million applicants?
Even saying the words sounded too unbelievable to her.
"It's a scam!" Her mother responded, so certain of her words.
"I don't think it is, I mean it has their official Dalmain logo? I really don't know mama Johnson." Mama Johnson was how they; lily and her siblings, referred to their mother.
"Why would they select you out of everyone?"
"Are you calling me ugly?" Lily placed her hands on her chest.
"No, but you don't make any effort to look good. Even if you went there, they would turn you down after seeing you." Her mother continued to say.
"I get your point." Lily rolled her eyes, jumping off the counter and pacing back and forth. "But then they must have chosen me for a reason, don't you think?"
"Whatever, just be careful and update me! Your sister's daughters are with me for the week and I have to go on and watch them before they burn our house down." Mama Johnson excused herself from the phone call, and Lily only nodded.
She put her phone down and knew her mother was right. She needed to look presentable, if anything at all.
She picked her phone one more time and checked the address and date.
"This Friday." She had three days to prepare and to request permission from work.
Kim smiled at the email and texted Mark as soon as she saw it.
James came into the living room with a tray that contained their dinner. "Well you seem exceptionally excited, what with the excessive smiling?" He sat the tray on the table in front of her and sat across from her, pushing locks of hair away from his forehead although they managed to trail back to his face.
"I am indeed happy James, I just got the biggest dealer." She flashed a grin at him.
"Another modeling job?" He stood and came to sit beside her.
"Even better." She placed her phone beside the tray and hugged him. "You'll find out soon." She felt she was being wicked with her actions but she had no intentions of stopping now.
"Well, this calls for celebrations then, doesn't it?"
"It does." She chuckled and yelped when the tray on the top of her on their cheap leather couch.
"James kissed her nose and trailed down to her neck. "Whatever makes you happy, makes me happy," he said and resumed kissing her.
