Hey Ingrid, it's James. I know you're home and that you're not picking up the phone on purpose. But we really need to talk. Whatever it was I said or did, I'm sorry. Don't worry about me though, I stayed at Kyle's last night again and I'm flying up to see my parents this week. Please call me soon. I love you.

Beep.

I lay there in my bed alone listening to the message James had left on my phone a week ago. To be honest, I don't think I've moved from this spot for three days. My pillow is soaked with tears and stained with black mascara. I had listened to his message over a 100 times and each time just brought me to more tears.

I sat up and wiped my eyes, took in a deep breath and picked up the phone and dialed my boyfriends numbers. One ring, two, three, four...

"Ingrid? Babe!" I can heard his concerned voice come from the phone to my ear. "Babe? Are you okay? I'm flying home tonight. We really need to-"

I hang up the phone before he can say more and slowly place the phone back in it's spot so it can recharge the 23 seconds of energy it's lost.

"Meow?" I see my cat come into the room and watch as she joins me on the bed.

"Hi Dakota." I force a weak smile for her as I pet her and she purrs.

"Mrrooow?"

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry baby!" I say realizing I hadn't fed her in three days. I bring her to the kitchen with me and pour her some food when my phone begins to ring.

Seeing the caller ID not saying it's James, I pick up the phone. "Hey."

"What the fuck! Ingrid!"

"Hey Aly." I say in reply to her shout.

"Where have you been? I called the model agency and they said you no longer work there! What happened?"

"I quit." I said, feeling the tears start to flow again.

"Why?"

"I'm too fat." I say to her.

"What the fuck, no! I thought you got over this when you met James? Have you eaten? I'm coming over." and with that she hung up the phone.

"Yuck." I said as I touched my greasy, non washed hair. I moved to the bathroom and removed my jeggings and underwear, then my shirt and unhooked my black lace bra.

I turned the shower handle to the left and felt the water to make sure I was satisyfied and then stepped in. I squeezed the blue bottle of my face soap and scrubbed my face, then moved to my auburn hair and shampooed and conditioned it. Quickly shaved my armpits, legs and then stepped out.

I cleared the steam off my mirror to take a look at my body. My ribs were showing, and that made me feel a bit bad. So I quickly covered my body with my purple bathrobe and stepped out.

"Hey girl." Aly greeted me and held out a box. "I brought chinese."

"Thanks." I say as I take a seat next to her on the tan couch. Aly is pretty, a bit on the chubby side but she rocks it. She has long blonde curly hair and blue eyes.

"So, it's been a week. You should talk about what happened."

"I honestly just..." I stop myself. "Aly, they let me go."

"They fired you?" she asked, shocked. "You were the best they had!"

"Guess I was getting too old and fat. I didn't fit the new dress they ordered."

"Okay, for one, you're 25. That's not old. And two, you're not fat. Models are just...too skinny for healthy."

"What am I suppose to do?" I ask, taking a large bite of noodles. "James can't support the both of us with just one job."

"You'll have to go job hunting." Aly said getting up and ripping two paper towels from the roll and coming back to sit down, handing me one. "How is James? Have you talked?"

"He said he was visiting his parents, and I called him. He's coming home tonight, but we didn't talk long."

"That's good, I think you need him more than ever right now." Aly said putting her empty noodle box on the chestnut table and pulling out the newspaper from her bag. "I got your mail." she said, pulling out more stuff.

"Thanks." I say as I look at the huge stack of envelopes now taking over the table.

"Job hunting starts now, with the Sunday paper." she says, smiling and unfolding it. "McDonalds?"

"No way."

"Starbucks?"

"Ehhh."

"Pet grooming?"

"Already got one to groom."

"Nursing home?"

"Not me." I say finishing my noodles.

"Fashion magazine editors assistant?" Aly peeks around the newspaper at me. "Nah, not you."

"What! No! Seriously!"

"100% serious." she says, highlighting it for me then handing over the paper.

"Why...interviews are today. Oh my god. Aly!"

"Girl, you better get ready!"

"What time is it?"

"11:30. Let's get you ready!"

"Ingrid Eisenbeis?" a tall skinny woman calls from the desk.

Hearing my name, I stand up and fix any wrinkles in my black skirt. "Yes?"

"You're next." she says, pointing down the hallway towards a glass door.

"Thank you." I say and make my way down. I knock on the door and enter.

"Don't knock! It leaves smears on the glass!" a girl snaps as she guides me towards another glass door. "In there." she says and walks back to her desk to answer the ringing phone.

"Hello." I say walking in about to sit.

"Please, you can stand." says a white haired woman, not even looking up from her book.

"Um, okay." I say and remain standing.

"Why are you here?"

"To interview for this job, I-"

"Of course. And what makes you different than any other girl that has ever walked in here? You're all the same; clothing, looks, makeup."

"I, well, you see-"

"What makes you different?"

"I used to model."

The white haired woman closed her book and looked up at me, removing her glasses. "Oh?"

"Yes, I worked for Banana Republic."

A long silence followed.

"Um, but I, well, I was fired."

"That's all." the woman says, waving her hands. "Tell Emily to teach you the neccesary things to work in my office."

"Okay, thank y-"

"Thats all." she says again.

I leave quickly, a smile forming on my face.

"I got it." I tell the Emily girl.

"Well." she snaps "Good for you. Come first thing in the morning tomorrow, you've got a lot to learn." she looks me over once more, glares, and continues typing on her computer.

And little did I know that today was the start of life working for a devil...that wears prada.