When I finally stepped out of the library, my hands were still trembling and my chest felt tight in a way I could not explain, and even though I tried to walk normally, it felt like every step I took carried the weight of what had just happened behind that closed door. I did not look back, because I did not want to see him again, not after standing there in front of him and feeling like I did not even exist, not after realizing that he could make me feel so small without even raising his voice or looking at me properly.
The hallway outside was quiet, almost too quiet, and for a moment I just stood there, trying to remember which way I had come from earlier, trying to find something familiar in a place that all looked the same to me. The walls were long and clean, the lights were soft but bright enough to show every corner, and yet nothing felt welcoming, nothing felt like a place I could belong to.
I started walking slowly, choosing a direction without being sure if it was the right one, because I did not want to stand there like someone who did not know where she was going. My head was still filled with too many thoughts, and the more I tried to calm myself down, the more everything replayed in my mind. His voice, calm and cold, telling me what to do, the way I begged and he did not respond, the way he kept reading like I was nothing more than a distraction that would pass.
I swallowed hard, trying to hold myself together, but the feeling of embarrassment and anger kept rising inside me, mixing with the pain I had already been carrying since I left my father's house. I felt like I had lost everything at once, not just my home, not just my family, but even the little dignity I had managed to hold on to.
As I kept walking, I realized something slowly, something that made my steps slow down even more.
I did not know where I was going.
I stopped.
I turned slightly, looking behind me, then ahead again, trying to recognize anything, any door, any corner, anything that looked familiar, but everything looked the same, and that only made the feeling inside me worse.
I was lost.
In a house that was not mine.
In a life I did not choose.
The frustration built up quickly, and before I could stop myself, I let out a shaky breath and leaned lightly against the wall, my fingers pressing against it as if it could somehow steady me. My vision blurred as tears filled my eyes again, and this time I did not try to stop them.
I slowly slid down until I was sitting on the floor, my knees drawn slightly closer to me, and I covered my face with my hands as the tears finally fell freely.
Why… I whispered to myself, my voice breaking softly, why is this happening to me?
There was no answer.
There had not been an answer for a long time.
I stayed there like that, crying quietly, letting everything out because I did not have the strength to hold it in anymore, and for a moment I forgot where I was, I forgot about the house, about the rules, about him, and all I felt was the pain of being rejected over and over again by the people who were supposed to care about me.
I did not even notice the footsteps at first.
It was only when I felt a light tap on my shoulder that I froze slightly, my body going still before I slowly lifted my head.
A man was standing in front of me.
He was dressed in a neat uniform, and unlike everyone else I had seen so far, there was something calm about him, something that did not feel cold or distant. He looked at me with concern, not judgment, and that alone surprised me.
Why are you here crying? he asked gently.
I did not answer.
I just stared at him, my eyes still filled with tears, my mind too tired to form words, my heart too heavy to explain anything.
He crouched down slightly so he could look at me better, his expression softening.
Hey… why are you crying? he asked again, his voice quieter this time.
I blinked slowly, more tears falling down my face, and before I could think about what I was doing, I spoke.
Can I… I hesitated, my voice shaking, can I cry on your shoulder?
For a moment, he looked surprised.
Then he nodded.
Yes… it's okay,he said.
That was all I needed.
leaned forward and held onto him, my hands gripping his uniform as I buried my face against him, and the moment I did, everything I had been holding back came out all at once. I cried harder than before, my shoulders shaking, my breath uneven as the words spilled out without control.
I did not realize how tightly I was holding onto him until I felt his hand gently resting on my back, not pushing me away, not pulling me closer, just there, steady and calm, like he understood that I needed that moment more than anything else. My tears would not stop, and my voice kept breaking as I spoke, my words coming out without control.
Why is life always like this? I cried softly. Why does it always feel like I don't belong anywhere… like I'm always the one being left behind?
He did not interrupt me, and that made it worse in a way, because it allowed everything I had been holding in to come out all at once. I held onto him like he was the only thing keeping me from falling apart completely, my fingers gripping his uniform as if letting go would make everything real again.
I didn't do anything wrong… I whispered, my voice shaking. So why does it always end like this for me?
For a moment, the hallway was quiet except for my crying, and I almost forgot where I was, almost forgot that this was not a place where I was allowed to feel anything freely.
Then suddenly
"Hey!"
The voice was sharp
Cold
Loud enough to cut through everything
My body froze immediately
The crying stopped
The air around me felt different
What is going on here?
Slowly, I pulled away, my hands dropping from the man's uniform as I turned my head
He was standing at the end of the hallway
The CEO
I did not even notice when he got there.
But he was there now.
Watching.
His expression was unreadable, but his presence alone was enough to make my chest tighten again. The man in front of me straightened immediately, his posture changing as if he had just remembered where he was.
"Sir ... Sir " he began.
"Step back."
The CEO said and