Let's see… clean the toilet…
Check.
What's next?
Oh, right. I still have to deliver Mr. Ramirez's letter to the post office.
Ah, sorry. That was just me talking to myself again. Making a to-do list helps me survive the day.
Anyway, where are my manners? I haven't even introduced myself yet.
My name's Ina. I'm thirty three years old, a single mom, and pretty much what everyone calls a workaholic.
I have a daughter named Ella. I got her name from my favorite princess movie, Cinderella. She's seventeen now and about to start college next week, so I'm working as hard as I can to support her education and the new life waiting ahead of her.
Ella's a smart and gentle girl, and she grew up surprisingly independent. I was always working overtime, so she learned to handle a lot on her own. Every year of her schooling, I'd watch her walk across the stage with a new medal or ribbon, and every single time, it made all the exhaustion feel worth it.
As for me, I work in a toy marketing company as the janitor and errand runner. I've been here since I was seventeen. I know it's not exactly a glamorous job… but honestly, it was the only door that stayed open for someone like me.
You see, I never finished my studies. Something happened when I was sixteen, something that changed everything.
Back then, I was the rebellious teen stereotype. My parents forced their broken dreams on me, so I pushed back. I partied, skipped school, hung around the wrong people, all the classic mistakes. And of course, all that did was make my life worse.
I ended up pregnant at the age of sixteen. The father ran away, and when my parents found out, they didn't even hesitate. They kicked me out like I was a problem they could just toss aside.
That was the moment reality hit me hard.
With no one else to rely on, I had to grow up overnight. I worked any minimum wage job I could find and raised my daughter on my own. And despite everything, I'm grateful this toy company took in someone like me, someone who never even finished high school. My job may not be impressive, but it's honest work, and it helped me give my daughter a decent life.
I'll gladly scrub toilets until I drop dead if it means Ella never has to suffer the way I did. I want her to finish her studies, build her own future, have a loving family, everything I never had.
Well… that's my life story. Nothing special, just ordinary and messy.
But today is special.
Ella just got accepted on a full scholarship to one of the most prestigious universities in our city. She starts college next week. I even asked Mr. Ramirez if I could leave work early so we could celebrate. And thankfully, he approved.
After dropping off the letter at the post office, I went back to the company to finish my remaining tasks. The faster I finished, the faster I could get to Ella.
While I stared at my to-do list, Johnny walked over with his usual bright smile.
"Good morning, Ms. Ina," he greeted kindly.
"Good morning, Johnny," I responded, sliding the paper back into my pocket.
Johnny's one of the company's newer employees, maybe six months in. He told me he stopped going to college because his family couldn't afford it anymore, so he started working instead. He wasn't able to get a scholarship like Ella, but he works harder than most people here.
He handles deliveries and heavy lifting, perfect work for someone his age.
He's tall, around six feet, with a toned body from all the physical labor. He has this cute round face, short blonde hair, and a surprisingly soft voice that doesn't match his sturdy frame. Honestly, with his looks, he could work as a model, but he's way too shy for that.
After we greeted each other, I raised a brow. "Why are you here? I thought you were out delivering."
"Oh, about that!" He brightened. "I finished early."
Then he blushed and looked away slightly. "A-actually, I hurried so I could… maybe have lunch with you."
"I see…" I scratched my cheek awkwardly. "I'm really sorry, Johnny. I can't today. I'm trying to finish everything early so I can meet my daughter."
"Oh! I can help you then. I'm already done with my tasks," he offered eagerly.
I shook my head. "It's okay. And you know how strict Mr. Ramirez is. If he sees you helping me, we'll both get scolded."
His shoulders slumped. "I… understand."
Ugh. Now I feel bad. He looks like a kicked puppy.
"Don't worry," I said gently. "We can have lunch next time."
His face lit up like a sunflower chasing the sun. "Really, Ms. Ina? I'll look forward to it!"
"Me too," I said with a small smile. "I have to go now. Later."
"I'll see you, Ms. Ina!" he called out cheerfully.
I waved and headed to my next task.
As you can see, Johnny's a great guy. He's confessed to me a few times now, but I always turn him down. It's obvious why. He's young, kind, driven, while I'm already in my thirties with a teenage daughter. Romance isn't exactly on my priority list.
He still has his whole life ahead of him. Someone like me shouldn't hold him back. With his looks and heart, he'll eventually find the right person, not a worn out single mom still trying to fix the mess she made years ago.
But I won't lie, every time he said he liked me, a small part of me felt something. He's the only man who's ever treated me so sincerely. Maybe in another life, things would've been different. But in this life, my priority is my daughter. I made a mistake once, and I'll spend my life making sure she doesn't pay for it.
After talking to Johnny, I continued cleaning the building, the floors, the comfort rooms, all five levels. Being the only janitress meant everything fell on me, but I managed to finish right on time. I clocked out, changed, and was heading out when someone blocked my path.
Megan.
One of the most hated people in the company. Her personality is terrible, she's awful at her job, and the only reason she's employed is because Mr. Ramirez is her uncle. She steals ideas, takes credit for work she didn't do, and no one can report her. So yes, seeing her walk toward me was a major red flag.
She rushed over with a folder stuffed full of papers. "Oh! Hey there, Auntie Janitress!" she called out. "Do me a favor? I'm in a rush, I have a date with my rich fiancé."
She shoved the folder into my hands. "Can you do the warehouse inventory for me?"
I froze. Warehouse inventory wasn't a simple task. The warehouse was huge, practically a basketball court, and inventory would take hours.
"I… I'm really sorry, ma'am," I said carefully. "But I have to go home early today. My daughter's waiting for me."
I hoped she had a bit of humanity left.
I was wrong.
"What did you say?" She snapped. "Do you actually think you can say no? My uncle owns this place. If I say one thing, you're fired. You want that to happen?"
Her words hit me like a bullet.
I swallowed hard. Anger simmered inside me, but I had no choice. Ella was about to start college. I couldn't risk losing this job.
"I… I don't want to get fired," I whispered.
"Good. Then don't ever decline me again."
She walked off as if the entire world existed just to serve her.
I headed straight to the warehouse. The moment I stepped inside, I froze. Towers of boxes surrounded me, stacked high on tall metal shelves.
I gulped.
I'm sorry, Ella. I'll probably be late. Please forgive me.
I worked fast, but the place was enormous. Hours passed and it was already dark outside. My anxiety grew and grew. Today was supposed to be special. Instead, I was stuck doing someone else's job.
I wanted to cry. Maybe this was punishment for everything I did wrong when I was young.
But things got even worse.
Without warning, the shelves began to tremble. At first, it was barely noticeable, then the ground started shaking violently beneath my feet.
An earthquake.
Fear shot through my body. This was the worst possible place to be, surrounded by towering metal shelves that could collapse any second.
I didn't think. I just ran.
Ella was waiting for me. I couldn't die here. Not today.
But luck wasn't on my side.
Before I could reach the exit, the shelves gave up. The entire structure collapsed, metal and boxes crashing down on me all at once.
Everything went dark.
Just like that, I died.