It was another quiet morning at the cafe, Ayla tied her apron behind her back, her fingers still sore from scrubbing the dishes at home
The cafe smelled like warm pastries and burnt coffee which she found weirdly comforting.
The staffs carried out their jobs diligently, afraid of being scolded by the manager.
Cora stopped by the desk where Ayla was working, glancing around every few seconds clearly on the lookout for their boss.
"Hey, girlfriend, what's up?" Cora whispered with a playful grin.
Ayla smiled, pausing what she was doing. "I'm good. You?"
Cora leaned in a little, still scanning the room. "Better now that I escaped dish duty."
Ayla chuckled. "You always find a way to sneak off. You'd better get back before Rennie sees you."
"Ugh, that mean manager," Cora muttered as she scurried off.
The early rush continued with orders of lattes, espressos, iced whatevers. Ayla stayed focused, carefully taking down orders.
But peace only lasted for a while
A woman in her mid-forties stepped up to the counter, neat hair, bright lipstick, sharp eyes. She ordered a caramel oat milk latte and waited by the pickup side, scrolling through her phone. She was one of the regular customers.
Ayla made the drink like she always did oat milk, two pumps caramel, extra foam. She double-checked the label and handed it to the woman with a polite smile then left to continue her duties.
The woman went back to her seat and took a few careful sips from her drink."
A few seconds passed then suddenly she slammed the cup on the counter and barked, "What is this?"
Ayla, who was nearby, heard the woman and quickly walked over. "Oat milk latte… as you asked," she said gently, a little confused.
"This isn't oat milk!" the woman snapped. "This has dairy in it. I have an allergy, young lady!"
Before Ayla could respond, the woman's breathing changed. Her face went red with spots on it, Her voice shook as she held her chest and started coughing a lot.
"Oh my God," someone whispered from behind. "She's reacting!"
The café turned to chaos, and curious people gathered around already. Cora rushed to get water. Another customer shouted for someone to call 911.
Ayla stood frozen for a moment her heart pounding, looking confused, still couldn't comprehend what was going and how the oat milk she had carefully selected turn out to be dairy milk.
An ambulance came within minutes. The paramedics helped the woman onto a stretcher, gave her a shot, and wheeled her out while she muttered something about "suing the place ."
Everyone was shaken.
By the time things quieted again, Ayla's hands were still trembling.
After lunch, her manager, Renée, called her into the back. Her face was tight and unreadable.
"I checked the label. It was the oat milk pitcher," Ayla said. At this point, she had started to sob, "It must've gotten mixed"
"The customer wants compensation," Renée cut in. "She said she had to go to the ER and she's threatening to go public unless we take responsibility."
Ayla swallowed. " I'll pay her. I mean, I don't have anything now, but if she just gives me time, I will look for the money i just need time please''
Renée sighed. "She's not interested in time. She wants a compensation. And she's demanding someone be held accountable."
Ayla's stomach dropped.
"I'm sorry," Renée said, voice flat. "But I have no choice. You're being let go."
Ayla stood there, frozen. "You're firing me?"
Renée didn't answer right away. She just reached for an envelope and handed it over.
It held her final paycheck.
Cora tried to catch her on the way out.
"Ayla, I'm sorry for what happened, but how come "
"Cora, I checked the label before giving it to the woman. I'm just as confused as you are."
Ayla's voice trembled, and despite trying to stay strong , her tears spilled.
Without another word, Cora stepped forward and pulled Ayla into a soft hug.
"I know you wouldn't lie about this," she said quietly. "You've always been careful."
Ayla nodded against her shoulder, holding on for a moment, even though she still felt sad inside.
After a moment, Cora gently pulled back.
"I have to get back to work, i will call you after work," she said, her eyes full of
concern ."But if you need anything just call me, okay?"
Ayla gave a small nod and tried to smile, but it didn't reach her eyes.
She turned away and stepped outside.
Outside, the sky was gray and heavy. Her phone buzzed in her pocket.
A message from her aunt:
"Don't be late. You still have laundry."
Ayla didn't reply. She sat on a park bench near the café, the world rushing past her like she wasn't even there .
Her world felt like it had just crumbled.
She had blurted out a promise to pay the hospital bill not because she had a plan, but because she was scared, caught off guard. The words came out before she even realized what she was saying.
Where was she supposed to get that kind of money? She had no savings. Her paycheck always went straight into her aunt's account.
Then she heard footsteps on the soft grass. She looked up.
The woman was back. "There you are," she snapped. "You nearly got me killed, and you've got the nerve to sit here like nothing happened?"
"I'm sorry," Ayla whispered. "I didn't mean for any of this to happen. I swear it wasn't on purpose. I just lost my job, but if you give me a little time, I'll pay you back. I promise."
"Time?" The woman scoffed. "I spent over $1,200 between the ambulance and the ER. Do you think I'm made of money? You're lucky I haven't called a lawyer already."
She stepped closer, her voice low and sharp. "You have one month. That's it. One month to pay me back or i get you arrested for attempted murder . I'll make sure that you don't come out of the jail."
She'd walked off, leaving Ayla shaken and small.
Ayla stared at her lap now, her knees pulled close, hands clenched.
A month.
She had a month to fix her life.
That night, Ayla lay curled up on her small bed, arms tucked under her pillow, thoughts running through her mind.
Everything felt like it was falling apart.
As she turned to face the wall, her hand brushed against something under the bed. Frowning, she reached beneath the mattress, and her fingers touched something hard
She pulled it out slowly it was the card
Liam Cross.
His name shone in soft gold under the glow of her bedside lamp.
She'd forgotten all about it.
Or maybe… a part of her hadn't.
Her chest tightened as she stared at it. She remembered how he'd looked that night sharp suit, unreadable eyes, he was cold but yet she could see a bit of kindness in those eyes
She didn't even know him. He didn't know her. Not really. But here she was, alone, jobless, and desperate for a way out.
Ayla reached for her phone and typed his name.
Liam Cross – CEO of Lumina Technologies.
Photos, articles, and interviews filled the screen. He looked powerful, serious, untouchable. But in one picture , she saw something in his face something lonely. Something tired. Like he was carrying the weight of the world, too.
She kept scrolling.
And then she saw it.
"Job Openings Lumina Technologies Careers"
Position: Executive Secretary to the CEO.
Her fingers froze.
She read the details once, then again. Competitive pay. Confidentiality required. New York City. Full-time.
It felt… impossible.
Yet something fluttered in her chest. A flicker of something small but stubborn.
Hope.
She didn't hit "Apply."
Not yet.
But she didn't put the card back under the bed, either.
Instead, she placed it gently on her pillow and looked at it like it was a doorway one she'd been too scared to open until now.
Maybe her life was about to change.
She didn't know how. Or when.
But something told her… this was only the beginning.