THE CEO'S REDEMPTION

"Bye Asteria!" I shouted, gently closing the door.

"Bye Lorey!" I heard her reply.

Lorelei Willams, the 24-year-old with a million and one problems. I genuinely want to cry, but I have to be at work in exactly twenty minutes or else.

On top speed, I made my way to my first job of the day with my eyes on the fuel gauge. After working six fluctuating jobs for the last four years, there's absolutely nothing to show for it, and now, to top things off, my father's health is failing even more.

"You are late!!" My boss yelled the second I stepped into the building. Flashing a glance at my wristwatch, it turns out I am two minutes late.

"I am sorry." I bowed, trying to scurry away to start working. My pay is per hour, so I cannot afford to spare a single idle second.

"Get back here." She hissed, grabbing my wrist. I staggered back with my eyes glued to the ground. "Look up."

I lifted my eyes, softly gazing into her eyes. I have a bad feeling about this.

"I have found your replacement." She breathed, piercing her hateful stare at me.

"My what?" I asked, astounded. I can hear my heart already thudding heavily against my chest. Am I getting fired?

"You work too slowly, Lorelei, plus you have too much to deal with. You come late to work, and you do not look healthy enough to stand before my customers. Understand? I'll cut you your pay check after your shift today. I wish you the best." She smiled, letting go of my wrist before walking away.

"You can't fire me; listen. Please wait... I...hey!" I shouted, running after her with tears running down my cheeks. She slammed her office door in my face. So coldly and without any remorse. How dare she throw me out like that?

I picked out my phone from my back pocket, annoyed at its incessant buzzing that just interrupted my thoughts. I checked the name, and it was boldly spelled,

'ASTERIA'. I am not an emoji person; I'll save your contact information with your government name.

Hesitant to pick up, I stared at the screen for a while, contemplating why she could be calling me; she may want more money or something stupid. I swiped it and put the phone in my ear, only to hear her shout and her voice shudder.

"Asteria? What's going?" I asked, my eyes widening in panic.

"Come home, Lorelei! I don't know what's wrong with dad again!" She continued shouting and crying all at once.

"Father? Fuck!" I ended the call immediately, sprinting to my car. Work can wait.

For the second time in an hour, I sat, driving at top speed back home. The wind blew harshly against me and eventually filled my eyes with particles of dust from a Monday morning in a busy city. With one thought in mind, I drove recklessly in shivers till I parked on the front porch.

I hurried down, stumbling on everything. Dashing into the house, I ran with him on my shoulders to my car. Slamming the door behind us, Asteria followed, and we were on our way to the hospital.

"What happened?" I asked, trying to catch my breath.

"I guess he was trying to get to the bathroom or something, but all I heard was a loud thud. I rushed there and found him on the floor, almost lifeless."

"Look at him," I panted, stretching to look at my father through the rear view mirror. "Is he moving now? Is he breathing?"

"Don't ask stupid questions, Lorey, just drive!" Asteria snapped, heavy with fear and stress.

I returned my focus to the road, increasing my speed until my eyes caught the hospital's logo some minutes away.

"Doctor!!" Asteria shouted, running into the hospital while I lifted my father to my shoulder for the one billionth time in three years.

A flood of nurses rushed towards me with a stretcher and whatever. As they wheeled my father into the emergency room, Asteria and I watched, with little or no faith in his return.

"I'm so tired, Lorey." Asteria sighed, suddenly throwing herself into my embrace. If she feels tired, then what am I to say? To me, tired is far from an understatement.

"It's going to be okay." I breathed, gently brushing her thick hair with my hands. These lies we keep telling each other are, by themselves, expiring without remedy. It's going to be okay? How?

After a ten-minute crying session in my arms, Asteria and I sat down, still hopelessly waiting at the reception.

"Has your rude boss paid you yet? She was supposed to pay you like three days ago, right?" Asteria started wiping her tears and drawing out more from me. I closed my eyes, letting the reality sit in.

"She fired me instead." I whispered with my go-to fake smile plastered brightly on my face.

"What?" Asteria shouted in hushed tones, her eyes lightening up, only for them to water again.

"No, no, don't cry. She said she'll pay me after my shift today, so let's hope I can make it back before my shift's over, or else I might not get paid." I nodded, closing my eyes to shut the tears off. Argh! Nothing is making sense.

"How the hell are you going to make it back on time? It's been an hour already." Asteria groaned as though she were the one under pressure.

"Oh, please, like you care." I laughed, nudging her. "The shift is three hours, so let's say I make it back an hour and forty minutes before it ends. I'll still get my pay check, and if not, so be it."

"I hate this." She heaved, resting her head on her palms and her hands on her knees.

I stared into oblivion, unable to comprehend how excruciatingly slow life is.

Hoping to doze off a bit, I positioned myself softly against the wall and closed my eyes, but whoever is calling my phone definitely has other plans for me. Grudgingly, I picked up the phone from my lap and answered it without looking at the screen.

"Hello?" I started, barely hearing myself.

"Miss Lorelei Williams?" The voice barked back, aggressively nicking into me. I sat up, suddenly noticing the familiarity of the voice.

"Who's asking?" I answered back, trying to sound tough.

"Oh, shut up! You thought switching phones would hide you long enough? Listen here; I will be coming over this evening, and you best have my money ready or else." The voice huffed before ending the call.

A heavy, cold, uncomfortable feeling sat in my guts.

"Mr Sam?" Asteria asked tiredly seconds after the call ended. I simply nodded, unable to speak.

Mr. Sam, the man I borrowed seven hundred dollars from about two months ago, is finally back in my life, just like the rest of them are.

"I can sell all my other..."

"Miss Lorelei?" A nurse intercepted Asteria's idea, approaching us with a blue file in her hand.

I stood up immediately, staggering with my blurry vision.

"The doctor will like to see you now." She said this, gesturing to the doctor's office.

All the leftover peace and sanity in me evaporated immediately.

"I'll be right back." I said, glancing over at Asteria, who stared back, worried, with her eye brows tightly squeezed together.

One deep breath after the other, I walked briskly to the doctor's office, scared to death.

"It's Lorelei; can I come in?" I asked, knocking on the doctor's office.

"Yes please." The doctor responded.

I walked into the cold, heavily scented office of this tall, handsome-looking, dark-skinned doctor.

"Doctor, straight to the point, please." I whispered, refusing to get comfortable.

"Miss Lorelei, I'm afraid there wasn't much we could do."