Leah 's eyes burned, fighting back tears.She had grown used to dealing with the mess of people around her. They always said, "If you want to succeed, you need to know how to play the game—who to flatter, who to follow."But Leah was never that kind of person. Maybe that's why she was still stuck here—just surviving.
She knew every corner of this dialysis ward by heart.The peeling white walls, the flaking paint, the damp patches growing bolder each day.She let out a long breath.Today feels exactly like yesterday.Same emails. Same files. Same routine.
And the company policies? They kept changing—without warning.Even the patients noticed. On good days, they'd nod and accept it. On bad days, they'd snap—and Iman would take the hit.
She was exhausted. Really exhausted.
"I'M TIRED OF THIS. I NEED A CHANGE IN MY LIFE."The scream echoed only in her head.
Her heart was growing restless. Before Iman could get lost in her thoughts, Abang Syam approached her. The dialysis center driver, always neat with his hair and a little mustache. He always smelled so good.
"Hey, Leah, open Facebook for a sec."Abang Syam's voice snapped Leah back to reality.
"Why don't you open your own?" Leah muttered, giving him a quick side-eye before turning back to her computer screen.
"I don't have Facebook." he replied briefly.Leah chuckled a little, almost mockingly.
"What? You've got four phones in your pocket but no Facebook?" she said sarcastically.Abang Syam leaned in closer, his gaze almost demanding.
"Come on, just open it," he pressed again.
Leah sighed and finally gave in. As soon as she opened the app, Abang Syam snatched her phone from her hand. His fingers typed something quickly. Leah didn't care. If he wanted to snoop, go ahead. There's nothing interesting in my life anyway. Everything's boring, she thought bitterly.
"Leah, don't you want to buy some perfume?" Abang Syam suddenly asked.Leah furrowed her brow at his unexpected question.
"No, I'm good. I already have some," Iman replied shortly.She was honestly too tired to deal with Abang Syam's antics today.Right now, he was busy promoting his products to her.
"That perfume you have is cheap. The scent's nothing special. Try this one," he said, showing her an ad on her phone screen. Iman gave it a quick glance before continuing with her work.
"It lasts longer. It's a little more classy," he added, trying to convince her to buy it.Leah exhaled slowly, trying to stay patient.
"It's fine, Abang. Even if it's cheap, I bought it with my own money. I use it for me, not for you," Leah replied, a little irritated, but mainly tired of hearing her favorite scent be criticized.
"You really don't know how to take care of your personal brand, do you?" Abang Syam laughed lightly, as though he was joking.
Leah clenched her fists. Her breath hitched as she tried to hold back both her patience and her anger.
God, if I could just smack someone in the head with all these files, the first victim would be the guy standing in front of me, Leah thought, imagining herself smashing Abang Syam with the dialyzer.Her fingers flew across the keyboard. Her eyes occasionally darted over to the patients receiving treatment. The dialysis center was filled with the hum of machines, but the nurses preferred to gather in the back, chatting amongst themselves. When a machine beeped, the patients were blamed.
Leah was exhausted by all of it.She started thinking... she needed to find another job. She was so, so tired.
THAT NIGHT..
That night, Leah opened her laptop and browsed through job vacancy websites. A heavy sigh escaped her lips. This wasn't the first time she had done this, but this time, Leah was truly determined. She felt like she couldn't stay in a place that made her feel trapped.
"Customer Service Officer..." Leah read through the job listing. The duties were almost the same as her current job, but the salary was much better.
This is good! she thought excitedly. Without a second thought, she filled out the application and sent her resume via email.
A few days passed since that night. Every time her phone rang, her heart would race. She was hoping for good news for once. However, most of the responses she received were rejections. Leah sighed deeply. Same old story. REJECTION.
Just as she was about to lose hope, a new email popped up in her inbox. The subject read: INTERVIEW INVITATION.
Leah's eyes widened. She felt a wave of excitement. Her finger hovered over the email, almost trembling as she clicked it. She began reading the details carefully, a smile spreading across her face."Yes!" she whispered, feeling her excitement grow. Finally, her efforts had paid off. She had landed an interview.
Leah quickly replied to the email, confirming her attendance. In her head, she was already planning to buy new clothes. First impressions mattered, and looking good was one of the tips she had picked up from career coach.
THE NEXT DAY
Leah walked over to the nurses' station with a leave request form in hand.Afiya, the head nurse, was laughing softly with a few others while sipping hot tea and nibbling dry biscuits. The atmosphere? Peaceful. Too peaceful.
"Excuse me, Kak," Leah said quietly, placing the form on the table.
Afiya glanced at it, her smile fading. She didn't pick it up right away. Instead, she sighed—loud enough for everyone to hear—before snatching Leah's pen.
"When exactly are you taking this leave?" she asked sharply.
Afiya hated when Leah took time off. No one else wanted to be stuck babysitting the dialysis room like Leah always did.
"Next Friday. I've got... some personal stuff," Leah replied vaguely.No way was she telling them about the job interview. Not yet.
Afiya stared at her like she just asked for a whole month off."Suddenly need a break on Friday? Everyone else works their butt off and you just wanna rest?"
Her words were sharp—like always. But only toward Leah.
Still, she signed the form in the end. Her face was tight with disapproval.
Iman gave a small, forced smile.
"What, cat got your tongue?" Afiya snapped.Leah just shook her head and took the form back silently.
That interview was getting closer.She couldn't afford to mess this up.She had to get out.
FRIDAY !
The day Leah had been waiting for—finally here.With hope blazing in her chest, she made her way to the interview location.It wasn't far—just a few kilometers from her current workplace.
That's when it hit her.She forgot to check how close the place was to her current job.
Seriously, Leah? Now of all times?
Anxiety began to creep in.What if someone from work sees me here?Please, please, don't let anyone recognize me...
She entered the waiting area—and her eyes widened.So many candidates?!Her heart sank a little.Leah quietly sat down next to a girl glued to her phone. They didn't speak. Everyone seemed lost in their own world of nerves.
One by one, people were called in for interviews.And one by one, they left barely a minute later.
Some looked confused.Some were straight-up fuming.Others just looked... blank.
What the heck happened in there? Iman thought, confused.
"Miss Leah," a voice called out.
Soft, yet firm.She turned—and froze.
A woman stood before her.
Dressed all in black.Hair sleek and neat.And her face... there was something about her face that Iman couldn't look away from.Elegant. Almost... inhuman.
She didn't look like the other staff at all.She looked like she belonged to another world.
"Please follow me," the woman said calmly.
Iman nodded and stood.As she walked behind her, she could feel it—that strange aura.It wrapped around the woman like shadows clinging to moonlight.
Who is she...?Why does she feel so... different?