Episode 1

Alana

5:00 am, I wake up and go for a run like I do every day. It's very good for me, helps me when I'm sad, and even when I'm rarely happy.

After two hours of running – yes, I need to keep the pace, as I take part in marathons, the closest ones, and thanks to them, I was able to buy my car, which I love! And the only thing that makes me happy since my mother passed away, besides my love for speed and cars – the only thing I wouldn't sell and wouldn't sell to help my father.

After having coffee at 8:00 am, I go to Central Park to walk with my friends, which helps me a lot at the end of the month. Cacau is a Golden Retriever, Rambo a German Shepherd, Simba a Bulldog, Meg a Pitbull. Every day, from Monday to Friday, I take them for a walk. I started doing this when I was 15, after winning a training course. I went to buy food for my dog, Bill, and at the vet's there was a contest for a food brand. I signed up and won. After my mother passed away, what I did the most was study and win contests, which helped me a lot.

My family has always been humble, we never went hungry, but almost! Everything was always very difficult, always. My clothes were the ones my mother received when she went to do cleaning jobs, and some women had daughters and ended up giving away clothes that no longer fit them, many clothes that were very new. Those were the clothes that me and my sister had when we were little.

The worst was when my mother died. I was 15 years old, a cheerful, spontaneous, messy girl, but I always stood out in numbers, which made me win many scholarships. At the time my mother passed, I had just entered my junior year of high school. Yes, I skipped some grades because they made me take some tests, and I aced all of them from 6th grade. I jumped to 8th grade, and then from 1st grade, they moved me to junior year. I was happy until my mother Regina found out she had cancer and didn't tell anyone. She took out life insurance, and a few months later, she left us. Me, my sister, and my father.

I reacted by burying myself in my studies, to the point that today, at 24 years old, I have only been to one club, which was when I turned 19. My sister, Celina, or as my mother used to call her, "little warrior", was 13 at the time. Unlike me, she didn't study anymore and lived in clubs; that's how she dealt with it. And today she's married. Thank God, she found a good guy, they're almost the same age, he's very responsible, he takes good care of her. They have a garage, I like him because we have a passion in common: cars. And he modifies cars for some rich people, helps me with mine, and takes care of Ce!

My father didn't deal well with my mother's death. I think he died with her because he just drinks. In the beginning, it was on the weekends, but when Ce turned 16 and got married, I was 18, he didn't stop anymore. He drinks every day, lost his job, and last year we lost our house. It had been bought with the life insurance my mother had left us.

To this day, he hasn't told me how we lost the house, and since I was 18, I've been supporting him. And since last year, I've had to pay the rent too! My sister helps me when she can, but it's difficult for them too, they don't have much, and they had a baby. So I avoid asking for help, that's why I work in everything I can, walking dogs in the morning, sometimes in the afternoon they call me too, and sometimes I tutor math to children and teenagers. And at night I work at the college, which saved me without a doubt, it was my facility with numbers, learning, studying, and dealing with it.

Since I'm 24, but I have a lot of baggage, I do what I can to look older. My sister and a friend, who is not really a friend, but the only one I have because I see her very little and met her in a very strange way, they keep telling me that I look like an old lady! And that's the intention. I'm a finance professor at the college, I do very well, and last year they opened a course for businesspeople, which I'm part of the teaching team, and there are many men of all ages. So yeah! I need to look older, not attractive, and get attention for intelligence and competence.

I put on my college uniform, which is pants and a dress shirt, I put on my fake eyeglasses, which are horrible, I tie my hair, just an eyeliner pencil, and no makeup. I take my executive bag with my materials and go to another new class. In addition to this course, I teach economics and accounting. I have classes every night, which is a good thing because otherwise, I wouldn't be able to keep the house.

Alana, as my mother used to say, "the one who conquers." I think she got the name right.

I take a deep breath before entering the room, as I learned in a meditation course, and there we go. The first day is always terrible because they judge me by my age, size, and appearance, especially considering there are high-ranking businessmen from NY.

I'm 5'3", light brown eyes, some say they are greenish, long light brown hair, very fair skin. As I run, I have a nice body, but I try to hide it as much as possible for two reasons: one, catcalls, and two, I need to look unattractive to avoid harassment and problems at college.

Actually, I got used to not caring much about clothes, mine are loose and comfortable, or uniform. Only the ones I sleep in, not these, I have a passion, a need to feel good. But no one sees that, at least not yet.

I walk in and take a look around. The room is full, mostly men, almost all in suits, a few women, but very well dressed in very high heels. Some of them look at me.

I look at the clock, three minutes to go before class starts, I just walk towards the table and hear some comments as usual.

"Is she a student?" "Teacher's assistant?" "She can't be the teacher, she looks like a kid."

"No way, I refuse to let a little girl teach me something she probably doesn't even know."

"How can this college, being the best in NY, open a course with this standard of teacher?"

I just listen and give a little smile.

I look at the clock and wait a few more minutes for the latecomers to arrive, as always, the younger ones.

A few more guys and a girl arrive. So I decide to start.

"Good evening, my name is Alana, finance professor."

At this moment, I hear several insinuations and comments.

And before any pre-judgments, I ask you to kindly allow me to present my background, so I put it on the screen in the room.

Alana Milli.

Graduated in Economics, note: one of the youngest to graduate, honors student.

Postgraduate degree in Finance, Foreign Trade, and Financial Strategies.

Master's in Finance, honors student, participant in a Central Bank project.

Currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Finance.

"Well, moving on. If you have any questions regarding my qualifications, I'm at your disposal. Otherwise, we can start because we have a lot to cover."

The best part was seeing the expressions of most of them who seemed not to believe it, but soon in the first classes, they realized my capacity, and the classes flowed, they were great. Only the first ones were never!

One gentleman said "Wow, young lady, I'm impressed," and he smiled.

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