Sunshine in Asheville

Knock knock knock.

There was a knock at the door. I looked up and saw a tall, slender man standing outside.

"Miss, are you okay? Do you need help?" The man appeared to be in his thirties, wearing casual athletic clothes, his posture tall and straight.

I propped myself up and stood, reminding myself that this was a public place, and I shouldn't delay the normal flow of things.

I shook my head and said, "I'm fine, sorry to take up your time." I turned to leave.

A few seconds later, I heard the man calling from behind, "Miss, you dropped your card!"

I waved my hand, not turning around.

What use could he have for the card? To remind me that I'm a complete fool? To remind me that I've been living in lies all this time?

I walked aimlessly down the street, surrounded by bustling crowds and the endless flow of cars, but I felt completely detached from it all.

Just then, my phone vibrated.

Since I started working, my phone had never been set to ringtone mode.

The caller ID displayed "Manager Jason."

It might be the result of the year-end evaluations.

I had worked diligently all year, taking no more than 30 days off, with countless overtime hours. Manager Jason had promised to help me apply for the year-end evaluation and possibly earn me a bonus.

Considering my empty wallet now, any bonus would at least provide some comfort.

I took a deep breath to steady myself and answered the call, "Hello, Manager Jason."

"Amelia, there's something I need to tell you," Manager Jason's voice was calm, but I had a bad feeling.

"What is it, Manager Jason?" I feigned calmness.

"About the evaluation. you didn't make it," Manager Jason sighed. "The boss's nephew got selected."

"Amelia, we can see your effort, but unfortunately, it didn't work out this time. Keep at it, and next year's evaluation will definitely be yours."

"Okay, Manager Jason. I'll work hard," I said, calmly hanging up the phone.

What else could I say? Argue with Manager Jason? What difference would it make?

It was just... a little sad.

Family was a disappointment, and now work was a disappointment too.

Thinking about how I'd have to go back to work tomorrow, I felt an overwhelming sense of frustration. I decided to indulge myself for a moment and pulled out my phone to send Manager Jason a message:

"Manager Jason, I've finished all the work I had on hand. I'm thinking of taking my annual leave. Do you think that would be alright?"

Within three minutes, Manager Jason replied: "Amelia, take a good rest. When you come back, we'll get back to work. I have high hopes for you."

I gave a bitter smile and quickly submitted a leave request through the company system. Despite many overtime hours going unapproved, I found that I had 15 days of leave plus compensatory time off.

I clicked submit without hesitation.

Three minutes later, the notification popped up: Manager Jason had approved the request.

For a moment, I wasn't sure whether to feel happy or sad.

Happy that I now had so many days off. Sad because it became clear that I wasn't as indispensable as I thought.

The reason I hadn't taken leave earlier was because I had always believed that the company wouldn't run without me. But now, I realized it didn't really matter.

I suddenly felt a pang of sympathy for the version of myself who had worked tirelessly.

At that moment, I didn't know yet that this wasn't the worst of it.