Suddenly, I Am Rich

My name is Diana Cortez. I’m thirty-two years old. I studied Business Administration in college but had to stop during my final year due to family circumstances. Since then, I’ve been working in retail—starting as a part-time cashier, then moving to inventory, and eventually becoming a floor supervisor.”

She glanced down briefly at the folder she’d brought, then back up to the panel of interviewers in front of her.

”I spent the last four years at Megastone Market. I oversaw the day shift team and handled daily briefings. I also worked closely with the backroom team to manage stock discrepancies and weekly deliveries.”

She paused for a second, then smiled faintly.

”I guess what I really enjoyed the most while working there was being with people. Solving things as a team. I liked being in the middle of everything, where I could actually help.”

Gray nodded slowly as he listened, pen in hand. He jotted a short note next to her name.

”Can I ask then what made you want to look for another job if you’re already happy with your current one?” Gray asked.

Diana blinked at the question, caught a little off guard by how direct it was.

She shifted slightly in her seat and straightened her posture, folding her hands together neatly on top of the folder in her lap.

”To be honest, sir...” She took a small breath before continuing.

”I think... I stayed there longer than I planned because I felt a sense of responsibility. We were always short-staffed, and I got used to being the one people depended on. But I also reached a point where I realized I wasn’t growing anymore.”

Her eyes flicked up briefly, locking with Gray’s for just a second.

”I tried to apply for higher positions internally. I submitted proposals, asked for training opportunities, but... I was always passed over. Not because I didn’t do well, but because those decisions had already been made before I even got the chance.”

There was no bitterness in her tone, only a quiet sort of resignation and acceptance that she wouldn’t grow if she continued to stay there.

”I figured if I kept waiting for someone to give me permission to grow, I’d never move. So I started looking for places that actually meant it when they said they wanted people who could lead.”

A moment of silence followed, just long enough to let the weight of her words settle.

Gray didn’t speak right away.

He looked down and scribbled another note beside her name.

’She Wants to grow.’

Marcus, beside him, gave a small nod—almost to himself.

”Thank you,” Gray said finally, offering her a faint smile. ”That makes sense.”

Diana smiled back, just a little. It looked like some of the tension in her shoulders had eased at the compliment.

Gray then turned his attention to Caesar so he could continue.

”How about you, Mr. Hernandez? Please tell us something about yourself.” Caesar cleared his throat and motioned for Joel to start.

Joel adjusted his blazer slightly and offered a small nod, folding his hands neatly on the table.

”My name is Joel Hernandez. I’m thirty-six. I studied Accounting, but I didn’t pursue it long after college. I found that I preferred working directly with people rather than sitting behind numbers all day.” Joel’s voice was calm and measured as he answered.

It seemed like he knew this question would be asked, that he had already thought of what to answer.

”For the past ten years, I ran a local convenience store in our town. It was a small one—just two aisles, a freezer, and a small checkout counter. I handled most of the operations, from inventory to customer complaints to scheduling shifts for the helpers.”

He smiled faintly, the kind that carried a bit of fondness for what he was doing.

”Then last year, we had to close. My father passed away, and our family decided it was time to let go of the store. It wasn’t easy. But it also made me realize that I still wanted to work in this field. Just maybe... in a bigger place.”

He looked up at the panel, voice steady but gentle.

”I’m applying here not because I want a title. I just want to be part of something again. Something organized, something real. I don’t mind starting fresh. But I know what it means to manage people. I’ve been there.”

Gray listened in silence, pen idle between his fingers as Joel spoke. The man didn’t use any corporate buzzwords. Just quiet and honest words.

Gray appreciated that.

He looked down again and wrote a short line beside Joel’s name.

’Experience from the bottom up.’

”Thank you,” Marcus said from beside him. His tone was casual but observant. ”It’s not often we meet someone who’s handled everything from stock to scheduling on their own.”

Joel gave a modest nod. ”It teaches you a lot, sir. Especially patience.”

That earned a small chuckle from Ms. Lopez, who had been quietly observing off to the side.

”Alright,” Gray said, leaning back slightly in his seat. He glanced at his notes, then looked back up at both applicants.

”Let’s shift the conversation a little.”

He set his pen down and smiled at them.

”If one of your staff members had an issue with how you were running the shift, maybe they thought you were being unfair or making a poor call, how would you handle it?”

It was no longer just a warm-up question.

He wanted to see how they thought firsthand.

Joel spoke first this time.

”I’d ask them to speak to me after the shift,” he said, keeping eye contact. ”Not to delay it, but to give both of us room to think. Emotions can run high during work hours. But once things are calm, I’ll listen and understand where he was coming from.”

Gray nodded slowly.

”And after that?”

”I reflect. If I was wrong, I’ll apologize. And I’ll correct it. If I wasn’t wrong, I’ll still try to explain my side. Respect goes both ways.”

Diana followed right after.

”I’d ask them to speak with me privately,” she said. ”Even if I disagree, I won’t take it personally. I’ve been on both ends before. And I know how it feels when no one listens to you.”

Gray watched her carefully.

”So you’re open to criticism?”

”Of course,” she said without hesitation. ”It’s part of leadership.”

The room settled into another quiet beat.

Gray glanced at Marcus, who looked quietly impressed. Then, at Ms. Lopez, who gave a small approving nod.

Gray leaned forward once more and smiled politely. But he didn’t close his folder. Instead, he kept his gaze on them.

”One more thing,” he said casually as his fingers drummed once on the edge of the table. Then he reached into the inner pocket of his blazer and pulled out a new pen. It was simple and cheap.

He set it gently on the table, right in the center between Diana and Joel.

”Can you sell me this pen?”

Both applicants became speechless.