Max, feeling his own poverty, disregarded Bella’s beauty and pressed on with his question, “The environment here is very, very quiet. Yes, it’s very nice. But I still need to know the salary. How much can I make per month?”
Bella sighed. Using enchantment in this situation wouldn’t align with her values, so she had to answer honestly, “$800 a month.”
She estimated that this would be the total monthly revenue of her shop. In the first two months, maybe even the first six months, it might just be enough to cover the employee’s wages and utilities. But after some time, when the reputation builds up, there might be some growth, and whatever money was left would belong to her.
Max thought it was too little and politely declined, leaving the store. But his high school diploma posed a problem. The entire country was affected by the economic crisis. A high school graduate couldn’t take on complicated jobs, and the prospects of a light job with good pay were slim.
After some hesitation, he returned that afternoon and signed the employment contract with Bella.
Weyland’s Magic and Curios store did offer a low salary, but it was a very relaxed job.
“The storeroom on the second floor is available if you want to live in it. I won’t charge you rent. Also, I’m leaving you a guide to the basics of mysticism. You don’t have to master it all, but when customers ask questions, you should be able to give a general answer. If you have any questions, feel free to ask me. I won’t charge you tuition. How about it? Although the pay isn’t high, the perks are quite good!” Bella explained.
“Just call me if anything comes up. Goodbye!” After these instructions, Bella left Max to run the shop. She hopped into her truck and drove off with a sense of relief.
Half an hour later, a short-haired brunette vampire, Alice Cullen arrived in San Francisco, driving a Porsche 911.
Alice’s appearance had changed dramatically. Her short black hair had turned into long auburn locks, and her wardrobe had matured significantly from her high school days in Forks. She now looked like a professional woman in her twenties.
Using her vague precognitive abilities, Alice was on a quest for passionate love.
She already had a vampire lover, but this new pursuit was different. As a being abandoned by God, worldly rules meant little to her. Her vampire lover was family, while this new love was a thrilling game, something more exciting and passionate, or so she believed.
Upon returning to Stanford, Bella sighed, realizing that impulse was indeed the devil. She clearly lacked a business mind and decided to focus on her studies.
By mid-September, Bella’s roommate finally arrived.
The first sight of this girl was overwhelming. Whether described in Chinese, English, Spanish, or Hebrew, the word ‘stunning’ would be used.
She had shoulder-length black hair, fair skin, and piercing light blue eyes. But it wasn’t just her looks that made Bella stare; her jawline wasn’t as perfect as Bella’s, and her nose wasn’t as high.
However, this girl had an undeniable advantage—she was exceptionally well-endowed.
Bella couldn’t help but be drawn to her. The girl wore an ordinary off-shoulder checkered shirt stretched to expose her midriff, not deliberately like Bella sometimes did to show off her abs, but because of her natural curves.
Even Natasha’s well-endowed figure paled in comparison to this girl, who seemed to surpass all conventional sizes.
While Bella unabashedly assessed her roommate’s figure, the girl also observed Bella’s appearance.
“Hi, I’m Isabella Swan. You can call me Bella.”
The girl offered a somewhat awkward smile. “Hi, I’m Heather Miller. Just call me Heather. You’re really beautiful!”
The genuine compliment delighted Bella. She felt that this well-endowed girl could indeed become a good friend.
Students who get into Stanford typically have good academic performance. They chatted briefly about their respective majors and interests. Bella had a clear goal, aiming to study history with a focus on religious symbolism. Heather, however, was less certain. She chose classical literature but lacked enthusiasm and felt lost about her future.
“Maybe do something you’re good at? Or something you enjoy?” Bella suggested.
Heather smiled wryly. “The only thing I’m good at is cutting meat in a supermarket. I’m clumsy with everything else.”
They didn’t delve deeply into their conversations. When Bella suggested eating out, Heather offered to cook and invited Bella to join her.
Heather’s cooking turned out to be excellent. The delicate and delicious crepes and custard she made earned Bella’s praise. Not only was Heather well-endowed, but she also had a talent for cooking—a truly remarkable combination.
Bella noticed that Heather’s clothes were simple, and she didn’t seem to spend much on daily expenses. Unlike Bella, who often bought shoes for a thousand dollars and clothes for eight hundred, Bella realized that she was relatively wealthy compared to Heather. She guessed that Heather’s limited money probably went towards paying for accommodation.
Heather subtly suggested that if Bella liked the meals, she could continue cooking for her.
Understanding her meaning, Bella readily agreed to cover half the food costs and pay a bit extra for her efforts.
While it was hard to estimate the exact expenses, Bella gave Heather five hundred dollars upfront.
Why did she haggle so much over paying Max eight hundred dollars yet give Heather five hundred so readily? Some details were best left unexamined.
Heather turned out to be a good-natured roommate without any bad habits, and they got along well.
Then the university officially began.
Stanford, like many universities in California, followed the quarter system. It divided the academic year into four quarters: spring, summer, fall, and winter. Each quarter lasted about two and a half months, for a total of nine months of study per year.
The fall quarter started in late September and ended in early December, with the longest break covering the Christmas period. The winter quarter ran from early January to mid-March, followed by the spring quarter from late March to early June, and the summer quarter from mid-June to late August.
The academic pressure was immense. How intense? There was a midterm exam one month after the quarter began, followed by finals after another month!
(End of Chapter)
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