Echoes of the Rain

Sense of relief

After seven hours of endless meetings and running around, I finally found a quiet moment to call Yohan. I dialed his number, my fingers trembling slightly as I pressed the phone to my ear.

"Hello, Yohan...?" I began tentatively.

"Yuri," his voice was sharp, filled with worry and something else - disappointment. "Where are you? Are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm alright," I reassured him quickly. "Something urgent came up at work, so we had to come to City C, and..."

He cut me off before I could finish. "Oh, I see... you're so busy you couldn't even call your husband earlier."

"Yohan, it's not like that..." I tried to explain, but the words felt stuck, inadequate.

"When are you coming home?" His tone was tight, controlled, but I could sense the frustration underneath.

"Tomorrow," I whispered, feeling a lump form in my throat. I wanted to tell him everything, to make him understand the impossible pressure I was under, but I didn't know how to put it into words. I could hear his heavy sigh on the other end, and I knew I had hurt him.

He was angry, and I felt the weight of his disappointment settle like a stone in my chest.

Our relationship seemed to unravel a little more with each passing day. Every morning felt heavy with the tension of the arguments from the night before, and every evening brought new misunderstandings and endless excuses. The silences between us grew longer, filled with things left unsaid, words we were too afraid to speak.

Yet, despite the storm raging between us, neither of us was willing to let go. We held on tightly, clinging to the fragile threads of what we once had. Sometimes, it felt like we were just two people standing at the edge of a cliff, desperately reaching for each other, afraid that the next misstep would send us both falling into an abyss.

But deep down, I knew - we both knew - that there was still love buried beneath the frustration and pain. And that was the one thing we were not ready to lose.

In the Office...

Boss: "Yuri, I've been observing your performance for a while now. I thought you might be a bit slow, but at least capable of doing your job. Clearly, I overestimated you."

Yuri: "What happened, sir? Did I make another mistake?"

Boss: "Mistake? That's putting it lightly. You've made a blunder."

Assistant: "Yuri, are you out of your mind? Didn't I tell you to send the ABC file to Mr. Jinyao? You didn't send it!"

Yuri: "Ma'am, but you never told me-"

Assistant (cutting me off): "What? Are you blaming me now?"

Boss: "Yuri, pack your things and leave. Now."

For a long time, I had held it all in-the insults, the constant blame for things that weren't my fault, the feeling of being cornered day after day. My hands shook as I gathered my things, the room around me spinning in a blur of frustration and pent-up anger.

I felt a bitter laugh escape my lips, almost a reflex.

Yuri (laughing softly): "Haha..."

Boss: "Did you just laugh?"

The entire office went silent, and every eye turned toward me. I could feel their judgment, their anticipation, as if I were an animal in a zoo, doing something unexpected, something out of character. Whispers floated through the air, and I heard someone mutter, "Serves her right."

I paused, gripping my things tightly. A wave of frustration and injustice washed over me. Was this what I deserved? To be treated like I was nothing? To be blamed for everything that went wrong? I had endured it for too long.

Without thinking, my hand flew up and landed a hard slap across the boss's face. The sound of the slap echoed in the room, and gasps filled the air. Everyone froze, stunned by what I had just done.

Boss (in shock): "How dare you-"

Yuri: "This is what you deserve."

I turned on my heel, my heart pounding. I could feel everyone's eyes on me, their shock and disbelief palpable, but I didn't care. I grabbed my bag and walked out of that office, leaving behind all the resentment and humiliation, feeling a strange mix of fear and freedom.

As I stepped out into the fresh air, I took a deep breath, feeling the weight slowly lift from my shoulders. I knew there would be consequences, but for the first time, I felt a sense of relief. I was free.