The next morning, Evelyn woke up before her alarm, feeling drained. The past week had been the most gruelling of her career, and she was counting down the hours until the weekend. After a short night, she dragged herself out of bed and began her morning routine. She brushed her teeth and then stepped into the shower, hoping the warm water would wash away some of the stress and fatigue.
As the warm water cascaded down her body, Evelyn felt some of the tension melt away. She closed her eyes, letting the soothing sensation calm her frazzled nerves. For a brief moment, she forgot about Daymian, the loan, and the pressure from work.
But as she stepped out of the shower and wrapped herself in a towel, reality crept back in. She glanced at her phone, noticing a text from her best friend, Rachel: "Hey, girl! How's it going? Need to vent about work?"
Evelyn hesitated for a moment before responding. Maybe talking to Rachel would help her process everything. She typed out a response: "Actually, yeah. I need to talk."
Rachel responded almost immediately: "Girl, I'm free tonight! Let's grab dinner and catch up. I'll meet you at Bella Vita at 7?"
Evelyn smiled, feeling a sense of relief wash over her. Talking to Rachel always helped her gain perspective. She typed out a quick response: "Sounds perfect. See you then!"
Evelyn prepared for work, dressed, and headed out to her car without stopping for breakfast, planning to grab a coffee at the office instead. The short drive was uneventful, and she soon arrived at work. She made her way to her desk, set down her belongings, and let out a deep sigh before diving into her tasks. The rest of Evelyn's day flew by in a blur of meetings and paperwork. But she found herself looking forward to dinner with Rachel, eager to share her story and get her friend's insight.
As she got ready for dinner, Evelyn felt a sense of anticipation. She hoped Rachel's calm and rational perspective would help her navigate the chaos that had been swirling around her.
When Evelyn arrived at Bella Vita, Rachel was already seated at a cosy table by the window, sipping a glass of wine. Evelyn smiled warmly as she settled into her seat. "Hey! Thanks for meeting up on short notice," she said, signalling the waiter for a drink menu.
Rachel leaned in, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. "So, what's going on? You said you needed to talk about work?"
Evelyn took a deep breath, launching into the story of Daymian's loan approval and how it had put her assistant manager position at risk. She explained the pressure she'd faced and her meeting with Mr. William, where he'd reassured her that he still believed in her potential.
Rachel listened intently, her expression empathetic. "That sounds incredibly tough," she said. "But it sounds like Mr. William is on your side. What are you worried about?"
Evelyn hesitated, "I'm just scared that this might still affect my career. I don't want one mistake to define me."
Rachel reached out and put a reassuring hand on Evelyn's arm. "You're not defined by one decision, especially when it was made under pressure. You're a talented and capable person, and this too shall pass."
"Thanks, Racheal, speaking of Daymian, he doesn't even seem like he would pay back the loan. Mr. William claims he owns the street." She said as the waiter brought the menu to her. She politely collected it and requested a herbal tea to ease her tension.
Rachel's eyes widened in surprise. "He owns the street? What does that even mean?" she asked, her curiosity piqued.
Evelyn shook her head. "I have no idea. Mr. William seemed hesitant to discuss it further. But honestly, I'm more concerned about covering my own back. I don't want Daymian's loan defaulting to reflect poorly on me."
The waiter returned with Evelyn's herbal tea, and she took a grateful sip, feeling the soothing warmth spread through her body.
Rachel leaned in, her voice taking on a more serious tone. "You need to be careful, Evelyn. If Daymian's financial situation is as shaky as you say, you don't want to get caught in the crossfire."
Evelyn nodded thoughtfully, taking another sip of her tea. "I know. I've been trying to stay one step ahead, but it's hard when I don't have all the information. Do you think I'm overreacting?"
Rachel considered her friend's question before responding. "No Evelyn but I think you're right to be cautious. You've got a lot on the line, and you can't afford to take unnecessary risks. Maybe it's time to do some digging and see what you can find out about Daymian's business dealings?"
"Honestly, nothing will change with Daymian, he's not going to pay back the loan. My worry is that his actions will tank my chances of getting promoted to assistant manager." Evelyn's voice was laced with frustration. "If he defaults on this loan, it'll be another black mark against my name. I've worked too hard to get where I am, and I won't let Daymian's recklessness ruin my chances of moving up to assistant manager."
Rachel nodded in understanding. "You need to distance yourself from this situation, Evelyn. Maybe there's a way to flag the loan for review or get someone else to take over?"
The waiter approached their table, menu in hand, but Evelyn waved him off. "Not yet, please."
Evelyn sighed, "Flagging the loan now would just make them point fingers at me for approving it in the first place. And who'd want to take on this risk? If it were a smaller amount, I'd consider covering it myself, but a hundred thousand is out of my league."
Rachel nodded sympathetically. "I get it. You're between a rock and a hard place. Maybe we can brainstorm some other options?"
Evelyn shook her head, feeling overwhelmed. "I don't know...I've been racking my brain, but every solution I come up with seems to have its own set of problems."
The waiter returned, noticing the tense atmosphere. "Everything okay? Ready to order?"
Evelyn forced a smile. "Just give us a few more minutes, please."
The waiter nodded and discreetly retreated. Rachel leaned in, her voice low. "Let's think this through. If Daymian defaults, what's the worst-case scenario for you?"
Evelyn hesitated, then spelt it out. "I'd likely face disciplinary action, maybe even get demoted or fired. My reputation would take a hit, and my chances of becoming assistant manager would be ruined."
"Hold on isn't Mr. William on your side, why would he let that happen?"
"It's not up to him to fire me, it's not even up to him to make me assistant manager, it's up to our head office."
"Wow," she whispered, Rachel's expression turned determined. "We'll figure something out. We always do."
Evelyn appreciated Rachel's optimism, but she couldn't shake off the feeling of impending doom. "I hope so. I really do. But I have a bad feeling about this."
Rachel reached out and put a reassuring hand on Evelyn's arm. "We'll figure something out. I promise."
That reassuring phrase hung in the air, offering a glimmer of hope in an otherwise uncertain situation.
After a long day, Evelyn trudged home, exhausted. She went straight to her room, stripped off her clothes, and took a refreshing shower. Changing into her nightwear, she lay on her bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. Later, she sat up, grabbed her laptop, and started searching online for any information about Daymian. Given Mr. William's claim that Daymian "owns the street," she expected to find plenty about him online. However, her search yielded nothing notable about Daymian, leaving her with more questions than answers.
Evelyn's eyes scanned the search results, her fingers flying across the keyboard as she typed in different keywords. Suddenly, a forum thread caught her attention. The title was vague, but the username "Lilstreet43" seemed out of place among the other results.
She clicked on the thread and scrolled through the comments. One post in particular made her heart skip a beat:
"Stay away from Daymian's Empire and the shadows, you don't want to get caught in the crossfire."
The words sent a shiver down Evelyn's spine. What Empire? what shadow? And what crossfire? She read the comment again, wondering if it was just a paranoid rant or a genuine warning.
The anonymity of the internet made it impossible to discern fact from fiction. Yet, the warning resonated deep within her. She felt a growing sense of unease, as if she had stumbled into something much bigger than herself.