The café felt different this morning.
Not because anything had changed around her—
But because something inside her had.
Nyra stood near the counter, her hands tightly clasped together, her fingers pressing into each other as if she was trying to hold herself steady. Her eyes stayed lowered, fixed on the floor, avoiding everything around her.
Josh stepped out from the back office, wiping his hands on a cloth.
“You’re early today,” he said casually, though his tone carried a hint of curiosity. “Everything okay?”
Nyra lifted her gaze slightly, then dropped it again.
“I… need to talk to you.”
Josh paused mid-step, immediately picking up on the seriousness in her voice. He nodded and leaned against the counter.
“Yeah, sure. What happened?”
Nyra inhaled slowly, as if gathering courage.
“I want to leave the job.”
For a moment, Josh didn’t react.
Then his brows pulled together.
“Leave? Suddenly? Why?”
Nyra’s fingers tightened again.
“I made a mistake yesterday… with a customer. An important one.”
Josh let out a quiet sigh. “Nyra, mistakes happen. That’s part of working. You don’t just quit because of one mistake.”
“It wasn’t small,” she said softly, her voice carrying guilt. “I ruined something important. Something they needed.”
“And you fixed it, didn’t you?” he replied, looking at her more closely. “I heard from Felix.”
Nyra looked up, surprised.
Josh continued, “He came by earlier. Said you stayed up all night to redo everything. That’s not something everyone does.”
Nyra’s eyes lowered again.
“That still doesn’t change what happened,” she murmured.
Josh crossed his arms, studying her.
“This isn’t just about the mistake, is it?”
She didn’t answer.
Her silence said enough.
Josh’s expression softened slightly. “You’ve been off for a few days. Tired. Distracted. If something’s wrong, you can tell me.”
Nyra forced a small smile that didn’t reach her eyes.
“I’m okay.”
The same answer.
Again.
Josh shook his head lightly. “You always say that.”
A pause settled between them.
Then he sighed.
“If you’re sure about leaving… I won’t stop you.”
Nyra nodded faintly.
“…thank you.”
“But listen,” he added, his tone gentler now, “if you ever need this job back, or if things get difficult… you can come back. No questions asked.”
For a brief second, something flickered in her eyes.
Gratitude.
“…thank you,” she said again, softer this time.
—
That evening—
Nyra pushed the door of her house open slowly.
And the moment she stepped inside—
Voices hit her.
Loud.
Sharp.
Unpleasantly familiar.
Her uncle’s family had returned.
Daniel sat on the sofa, leaning back with irritation clear on his face. Sera stood beside him, arms crossed, her expression already judgmental. Emma sat nearby, scrolling through her phone, barely looking up.
“Well, look who finally decided to come,” Daniel said coldly.
Nyra remained silent.
Sera’s gaze moved over her from head to toe. “Did you bring the money?”
Nyra’s grip on her bag tightened slightly.
“…I left the job.”
The words fell quietly.
But the reaction was immediate.
“What?” Daniel’s voice rose sharply as he straightened. “Say that again.”
“I said I left the job,” she repeated, her voice still low but steady.
“Are you out of your mind?” he snapped, standing up. “Who told you to leave?”
“I made a mistake—”
“And that’s your excuse?” Sera cut in, her tone harsh and mocking. “Do you think money just appears on its own?”
Emma let out a short laugh. “She can’t even handle a simple job. Not surprising.”
Nyra swallowed, her throat dry.
“I’ll manage—”
“With what?” Daniel interrupted, his voice filled with disbelief. “With your uselessness?”
“I’m trying,” she said, her voice trembling slightly now.
“Trying?” he repeated, laughing bitterly. “All you do is stay here and eat. What exactly are you trying?”
“I work—”
“Not anymore, you don’t,” Sera snapped. “And we’re supposed to just accept that?”
Nyra’s eyes lowered again.
“I’ll arrange the money,” she said quietly.
“You better,” Daniel replied coldly. “Or don’t expect to stay here comfortably.”
Emma added without even looking at her, “As if she ever deserved comfort.”
The words sank in.
One by one.
Heavy.
But Nyra said nothing more.
She simply walked past them.
Quietly.
—
Her room.
The only place that felt like hers.
She closed the door behind her.
And the moment it shut—
Everything she had been holding in broke.
Tears fell instantly.
Uncontrollable.
Her back pressed against the door as she slid down slowly, her hands covering her face.
“How… am I going to manage…” she whispered, her voice breaking apart.
Her mind raced endlessly.
Money.
Expenses.
Her sister.
Everything depended on her.
Always.
“I can’t… I can’t do this…”
Her breathing grew uneven.
Her chest tightened again.
But this time—
She didn’t try to stop it immediately.
She just cried.
Letting everything out.
Because there was no one else to hear it.
—
Three days passed.
Slowly.
Painfully.
Nyra didn’t return to the café.
She only went to the library.
Did her work.
Stayed silent.
Avoided conversations.
Her savings began to shrink.
Day by day.
And the pressure—
It kept building.
Quietly.
Constantly.
—
That evening—
Nyra sat on her bed, staring at the wall in front of her.
Her mind felt distant.
Exhausted.
Empty.
Then—
A memory surfaced.
A voice.
Calm.
Gentle.
“If you ever need anything… come there.”
Victor.
Nyra’s eyes widened slightly.
She sat up quickly, her heartbeat picking up.
She began searching through her bag.
“Where is it… I kept it here…”
Her hands moved faster, more desperate now.
Papers.
Books.
Receipts.
And then—
She found it.
The small folded piece of paper.
She froze.
Her fingers tightened around it.
“…I can’t…”
Her voice trembled.
“I don’t want to depend on anyone…”
Tears filled her eyes again, slipping down before she could stop them.
“But I need to…”
The words broke.
She pressed the paper against her chest, crying harder now.
“I don’t have a choice…”
For a long moment—
She just sat there.
Torn between her pride…
And her reality.
Her breathing slowed gradually.
Her grip loosened.
Then she wiped her tears slowly, her hands still slightly shaking.
Took a deep breath.
And stood up.
“…just this once.”
—
Because sometimes—
Even the strongest people…
Have to knock on a door they never wanted to.
" TO BE CONTINUED "
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Author's note..
Hey everyone 🙂 🙂
This chapter was a little emotional…
What do you think about Nyra’s situation now? 👀
And her decision to go to Victor’s house?
I’d really love to hear your thoughts, so don’t forget to leave a comment 💌
See you in the next chapter!
Good bye dear readers 👋 👋 👋
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