On A Rainy Night

When Ciri walked out of the office, everyone was left dumbfounded. The room was filled with awkward silence.

To break it, VP Brown suddenly spoke up.

“Oh, I almost forgot! My girlfriend and I are watching a movie tonight. I have to go now, or I’ll be doomed! We’ll have our meeting some other time. Bye for now, Mr. Gates—and you too, Mrs. Gates.”

Then, VP Brown left in a hurry.

Vicky stood there for a moment, trying to find the right words to say.

“It’s five o’clock already. Let’s go home now. If you’ll excuse us, Ma’am and Sir.”

Benj replied briefly, “Go ahead.”

Vicky quickly left the room, followed by VP Brown’s staff.

Inside the elevator, everyone was silent. None of them had the courage to speak. Then suddenly, Vicky broke the silence.

“What happened in the CEO’s office stays in the CEO’s office. Do you understand?”

“Yes, we understand,” the five staff members replied in unison.

Meanwhile, Ciri was still outside the Gates Inc. building. She wiped her tears and looked up at the towering skyscraper. It was magnificent, thirty stories high, the tallest building in the country. Gates Inc. was a powerful company, a symbol of influence and success.

Maybe it was wrong for a poor person like her to dream of working in such a place, a company built for the upper class. A few minutes ago, she had felt so small, as if her dreams had shattered before her eyes.

But no. Every person has the right to dream, rich or poor.

“One day, I’ll have my own company and prove to everyone that even someone from the lower class can become successful, as long as they have big dreams,” she whispered to herself.

Aside from her beauty, and intelligence, Ciri was also a very optimistic person. She didn’t easily get discouraged.

CRINNGG! Her phone rang.

“Where are you? How was your interview?” a familiar voice asked. It was her mother, Lily Xanders.

“It went well, Mom. I got hired, and I’m on my way home,” she lied softly.

“Congratulations, my princess! I knew you could do it. Hurry home, I cooked your favorite fish soup,” her mother said cheerfully.

“Okay, Mom. I love you,” Ciri replied.

She pulled out her wallet and checked her money. She still had enough to last a week, but after that, she didn’t know where to get more. So instead of taking the bus, she decided to walk.

As she walked, it began to rain. She wanted to run, but she knew she’d get wet anyway, so she just kept walking.

Ciri’s house was outside the city, about an hour away by bus. She and her mother lived in a small house near the beach.

After a long walk, almost two hours because of the rain, exhaustion, and disappointment, Ciri finally saw her house in the distance. The sight made her smile. She was tired, cold, and hungry, but the thought of her mother’s warm fish soup filled her with excitement. She decided to run the rest of the way.

Unexpectedly, she noticed a black car parked near the shore, and a man standing alone. She stopped and glanced at her watch. It was already past seven o’clock.

She was exhausted, freezing, and starving, so she tried to ignore what she saw. But as she continued running, she couldn’t take her eyes off the man by the shore.

The rain grew heavier; it was as if the heavens were crying. Lightning flashed, thunder roared, the cold wind blew hard, and giant waves crashed against the shore.

The man who had been standing in the shore suddenly began walking toward the raging sea.

Ciri’s instinct screamed at her: He’s going to drown himself.

“No way. Not on my watch. Not in my sea,” she said under her breath.

And with that, Ciri ran as fast as she could toward the water.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***