Familiar in the Darkness | +18 | TEXTING

15 | The Power of Words

With trembling hands, I gripped my phone tightly, wrestling with the whirlwind of emotions inside me as I dialed Noah's number. The intense desire to hear his voice had pushed me to take action. My heart was racing, and my breathing was erratic. Sitting on the cold metal steps of the fire escape, alone with the city's skyline before me, all my emotions had suddenly come to a head. As Noah's phone rang, each ring only heightened the tension within me. Finally, the call connected, and I took a deep breath.

"Noah..." My voice cracked, and the words struggled to leave my mouth. "I'm sorry, but I'm in a really bad place."

Tears began to stream down my cheeks, and I found myself unable to hold them back any longer. "My boss..." I said, the words catching in my throat. "He belittles me every day, makes me feel worthless at every opportunity, and I'm just so tired." My voice shook, and the words were tangled in my throat.

Noah was silent on the other end of the line, but I could hear his steady breathing. His silence encouraged me to continue, knowing he was listening, knowing he was there for me, opened a door for me to pour out my heart.

"At first, everything was fine," I began. "I was really excited when I got this job. Working as a creative director was my dream. But over time, everything changed. At first, it was just criticism... 'This isn't good enough, Emma. You need to do more.' But then..." My words faltered, and tears continued to fall. "Then, he started to belittle me constantly. No matter what I did, it was never enough. It felt like he was trying to prove that I could never succeed, no matter how hard I tried."

My eyes burned, but I kept talking. "Once, after I'd spent months working on a project... he tore it apart in front of everyone. He ripped the pages, threw them away. I was so embarrassed that I wanted to leave the office and go home that day. But I couldn't. I was afraid. Afraid of losing my job, of failing."

Noah's breathing on the other end of the line was deep and patient. I could feel his presence, which encouraged me to continue speaking. "My boss criticizes me constantly, but it's never constructive. He only focuses on my mistakes. Every time he belittles me, it destroys my self-confidence. Every morning, as I head to the office, I feel a sense of dread, knowing that my boss will humiliate me again, draining all the enthusiasm I have left."

As I sat on the fire escape, my eyes fixed on the city lights, I realized that I wasn't really seeing anything. All I felt was a deep, overwhelming pain. "Even today... he humiliated me in front of everyone again. He said my presentation wasn't creative enough. All the effort I put in, the hours I spent working on those projects... it was all thrown away in an instant. I'm never enough, Noah. No matter what I do, I can never satisfy him."

There was a brief silence on the other end of the line, then I heard Noah take a deep breath. His presence was calming, yet it also made me feel more vulnerable, as if I was exposing everything to him, revealing all my weaknesses.

"But it's not just work, Noah," I continued, my voice breaking into sobs. "This has made me lose faith in myself. I've started to feel worthless. Every morning when I look in the mirror, I see a failure staring back at me. I didn't want my boss to see me that way, but over time, I started to believe what he said. It's like I'm really not good enough."

As tears rolled down my cheeks, my lips trembled. "Noah, I'm trying to be strong, but I can't take it anymore. Feeling this pressure every day, feeling inadequate every day... it's draining me."

The silence on the other end of the line took on a different meaning this time. I heard Noah take a deep breath, as if he was absorbing my words. Then his voice resonated, deep and powerful. "Emma..." he said, his voice gentle but serious. "What you've told me really hurts. You shouldn't let anyone treat you this way. You shouldn't let someone who doesn't see your worth affect you like this."

Noah's voice was deeper than I had imagined, masculine and captivating. In that moment, I realized how much hearing his voice was affecting me. The strength in his voice, combined with the kindness, completely enchanted me. His protectiveness and understanding stirred all the emotions within me.

"Emma, I can see how strong you are," Noah continued. "What you're going through isn't easy, but remember that you have limits too. No one should be wearing you down like this. Someone like you shouldn't be crushed under this kind of pressure. You need to know your worth because what you do matters. Don't belittle yourself."

Noah's words touched my heart. In that moment, I felt a warmth and sincerity in his voice. I realized that this was the first time I had felt such a deep connection with him. Despite being on the other end of the line, Noah made me feel so close to him that it surprised me. His presence gave me strength, holding me together.

"Noah..." I said, tears still in my eyes. "Talking to you really helped. I feel like you understand me, and that means so much to me."

Noah smiled softly, a smile that could be heard in his voice. "I'm always here, Emma. Whenever you need me, you can reach out. It pains me to hear you feel this way, but I believe you can get through this. You have to trust yourself."

Sitting on the fire escape, under the night lights of Chicago, I felt peaceful and relieved for the first time. Noah's voice had given me the strength to pull myself together again. His presence had become a light in this dark moment. As I ended the call, I felt a sense of relief, a lightness in my heart.

Noah's voice still echoed in my mind; deep, strong, yet gentle. Talking to him had illuminated all the darkness inside me. In that moment, I realized just how important Noah was becoming to me. This conversation had strengthened the bond between us even more. And now, with his presence, I was ready to stand tall again.