I was nothing more than a secondary character in a very ordinary life.
An ordinary person… not distinguished in anything, not particularly skilled at anything.
My days were all the same; from work to home, and from home back to work—a repetitive cycle with no notable achievements and no great ambitions chasing me.
And yet…
I loved my life.
I loved it sincerely.
I had parents who were still alive, siblings who shared laughter and noise with me, and a home I returned to every evening.
But the best part of that simple life… was her.
My beloved.
A wonderfully beautiful girl—not only was her beauty captivating, but also her kindness, her smile, and the way she made my day feel lighter.
She was the most beautiful girl at our workplace, and everyone knew it.
And yet… she was mine.
I loved her deeply, a calm and sincere love—the love of someone who asked nothing more from life than what it had already given him.
That morning, I was on my way to work.
Walking with light steps, a smile never leaving my face.
I greeted everyone I passed, as if the entire world were made up of old friends.
If anyone had seen me then, they would have said without hesitation that I was the happiest person on Earth.
When I finally arrived, I stood in front of the massive building of our company.
A large apple juice production company, one of the biggest in the field.
From the outside, it looked successful and prosperous.
But from the inside… it was another story.
We worked without stopping.
Long days that stretched into weeks, with no real vacations and hardly any rest.
They treated employees as if they were machines—or slaves, nothing more.
Despite that, they paid high salaries, enough to silence any objections, enough to make everyone overlook the exhaustion, the fatigue, and the absence of the most basic rights to rest.
That was why… no one complained.
And no one dared to speak.
And me?
I was one of them.
I worked, I smiled, and I convinced myself that this was life…
An ordinary life, for an ordinary person, satisfied with what he had.
I entered the building, where a vast space made of metal sheets stretched before me—a high ceiling and cold walls reflecting the white light of the lamps.
Every time I entered, I was amazed by its size and noise; the sounds of machines, the whistling of moving conveyor belts, and the smell of fermented apples that never left the place.
I took only two steps before stopping instinctively in front of the reception desk.
It stood in its usual place at the entrance, separating administration from the production hall.
I stood there and saw Rokya, sitting behind the desk, busy reviewing some papers.
She was a beautiful girl, but her beauty wasn't striking—it was calm and easy on the eyes.
I paused before greeting her and spoke in my usual, unpretentious tone:
"Good morning, Rokya… how are you today?"
Rokya slowly raised her head toward me, as if she had just emerged from her thoughts, and our eyes met.
Her pen stopped moving, and a faint smile appeared on her face before she said:
"Zack… good morning."
I noticed her tone—it wasn't cheerful like usual, but it wasn't cold either.
She leaned back slightly and added:
"Honestly? I'm tired. The night shift was bad."
I laughed lightly as I placed my access card on the desk in front of her.
"When is it ever not bad? It seems exhaustion has become part of the job contract."
She nodded in agreement, then handed the card back after scanning it.
"You're right. But today is worse than usual… management is tense, and there's a surprise inspection."
I paused for a moment and raised my eyebrows in surprise.
"An inspection? On the production line?"
"Yes," she replied, lowering her voice slightly. "They said there's a problem with the last batch. The manager asked everyone to strictly follow the instructions."
I exhaled calmly as I took my card from her hand.
"Looks like today is going to be long."
Rokya smiled faintly and said:
"All our days are long here, but we get through them… like we always do. Right?"
I nodded, understanding her words.
Before I moved, I added kindly:
"Try not to exhaust yourself, Rokya."
She looked at me again, and this time her smile was more sincere.
"And you too, Zack… take care of yourself."
I turned toward the production hall, greeting a few employees passing by in the corridor.
After moving between departments for a while, I finally reached the place where everyone was fully focused on their work.
There, at the corner of the hall, stood a short figure shouting at everyone.
His body was bulky—fat, one could say—and his red face was shining with anger.
When he turned toward me, I saw saliva dripping from his mouth—a very disgusting sight, but nothing new in this place.
He shouted at me in a loud voice that echoed through the hall:
"You're very late! What were you doing to arrive at this time?!"
I raised my head toward him, trying to find something to say.
I wanted to tell the truth: that I was only one minute late.
But something inside me stopped me… a fear that he might deduct something from my salary, or humiliate me in front of my colleagues.
So I chose to remain silent for a moment, then spoke softly, avoiding any sarcasm or provocation:
"I'm sorry… I couldn't find a taxi quickly, so I was late."
He stared at me with sharp eyes, as if every word I said was being carefully examined.
Then he sighed, as if this delay was unbearable.
"One minute late? Just one minute?" he said, waving his hand nervously.
"Do you know what being late means here? Every minute of yours costs the company money. Every minute makes your colleagues carry your workload!"
I stepped back slightly, trying to appear confident, but every part of my body was tense with anxiety.
"I'm really sorry… I didn't mean to be late like this."
This time, his voice softened a little, though his eyes were still merciless.
"Fine… just make sure it doesn't happen again. Understood?"
I nodded quickly, then hurried away to my usual place.
When I sat down, I noticed a young man in his mid-twenties sitting at the opposite table.
It didn't take long before he raised his hand and waved at me with a friendly smile, as if the manager's anger didn't exist.
I approached him calmly, trying to look normal despite my heart still racing from the earlier encounter.
"Hello, Aron… how have you been lately?" I said with a smile, trying to keep my tone warm.
I added after a moment:
"Have you finally recovered? And I'm sorry… I couldn't visit you recently. I've been busy with many things."
He looked up at me, and a wider smile appeared on his face.
"Zack! It's totally fine, I understand. And yes, thank God… I'm much better now."
I sat in front of him, thinking about what to say next.
I thought it would be good to reassure him and let him feel that I was still there for him.
"Thank God… I'm happy you're better now," I said, watching his facial expressions closely.
Then I added in a softer tone:
"I was really worried about you… I know the illness was hard."
He nodded and looked at me with sincere eyes.
"It really was hard, but having you guys—my friends—your support helped a lot. Without it, I might not have been able to continue."
I smiled inwardly, feeling an unfamiliar warmth.
Sometimes we forget how much a simple presence can lighten everything.
Then he turned his head toward the window, his gaze thoughtful, before saying in a calm but sincere voice:
"Let's talk about you… how have things been progressing lately with Aris?"
I felt a hint of embarrassment creeping in, my cheeks flushing slightly.
I tried to find the right words and appear natural, even though my heart began to beat faster.
"I…" I began, then paused to gather my thoughts.
"Our relationship has gotten better," I finally said, swallowing my nervousness.
"We've started holding hands… and that makes me happier than I ever imagined."
Aron smiled gently, looking at me with understanding eyes.
"Wow, you've reached that stage already? I didn't think you'd progress this fast—you really surprised me."
I nodded, trying to look confident despite my inner embarrassment.
"Yes…" I said, catching my breath. "Every day I feel that our relationship is getting stronger, and that we trust each other more than ever."
Then I quickly changed the subject:
"Let's get back to work before Khazan comes and gets angry."
Aron smiled and laughed lightly.
"You're absolutely right… we don't want to make him angry today!"
I smiled to myself briefly, then we headed to our station on the production line.
The familiar sounds of machines rose around us, the conveyor belts moving nonstop, and the smell of fermented apples filling the air.
I took my place in front of one of the machines, while Aron sat beside me, watching the process with sharp eyes, yet remaining calm.
We began sorting the boxes, checking the quality of the bottles, and ensuring everything followed the strict standards imposed by Khazan on everyone.
"Be careful not to drop any bottle, Zack," Aron said calmly, with a subtle warning.
I smiled inwardly and replied, "Don't worry… I don't want to pay for it anyway."
We worked at a steady pace, trying not to attract Khazan's attention as he occasionally walked between the machines.
I watched the bottles pass along the belts, checked the labels, and carefully arranged the boxes…
Until we heard Khazan's booming voice echo through the hall:
"You may take a break, but you must return after thirty minutes. Do you understand?"
All the employees nodded, most of them exhausted, but none daring to object.
I looked at Aron, who smiled as if the break were a chance to escape the work routine for a moment.
He leaned toward me slightly and said:
"Shall we go grab something together?"
I stammered for a moment, then quickly replied, feeling a slight heat rise to my face:
"Sorry, Aron… I have an appointment with someone."
Aron looked at me, a gentle smile on his face, and said playfully:
"Good luck with your date, Zack."
I felt a bit embarrassed and smiled awkwardly before adding:
"Thank you."
I quickly headed toward the cafeteria, trying to calm myself and avoid drawing attention to my nervousness.
When I arrived, I noticed her sitting there alone, under the daylight streaming through the large windows.
She was beautiful—more than words could describe.
Her shiny red hair flowed naturally over her shoulders, glowing under the light as if it had a life of its own.
Her large green eyes, full of warmth and curiosity, were watching the surroundings…
Her simple smile was enough to lift all the weight off my day, as if it were telling me without words: everything will be fine.
I stood for a moment at the cafeteria entrance, trying to find the right words to start the conversation.
My heart fluttered intensely, as if merely looking at her filled me with warmth and nervousness at the same time.
Finally, I walked over and sat in front of Aris.
I felt a slight tension in my chest, but I had to remain calm.
I smiled at her and said lightly:
"Hi, Aris… how has your day been so far?"
She raised her head and looked at me with eyes full of warmth and curiosity, then said:
"Hi, Zack… honestly, the day has been very long. The morning shift wasn't easy, and the pressure was endless."
I nodded, trying to be understanding.
"I get it… work here is always exhausting, but at least this break gives us a chance to breathe a little."
She smiled slightly and said sincerely:
"Yes… even a minute or two of calm makes a big difference."
I hesitated for a moment before asking, trying to sound natural:
"By the way… are you free tonight? We could spend some time together, away from all this pressure."
Aris looked at me, her eyes sparkling, but she gently shook her head.
"Zack… I'd love to say yes, but I can't tonight. I have work I need to finish—a small project that's urgent."
I felt a slight disappointment, but I smiled, trying not to show it.
"Oh… I understand. It's okay, work comes first. Sometimes we can't control everything."
She smiled at me and said softly:
"I promise, we'll meet soon… I just need to finish what I have to do now."
I nodded, trying to calm myself.
"Alright… I'll wait for that moment. Let's do something fun together."
She smiled sincerely and said:
"It will come, Zack… don't worry."
I sat there for a moment, gazing at her, enjoying the rare calm around us in the cafeteria, and thought to myself:
Even if we can't meet tonight, just having her here… makes all the exhaustion and pressure at work bearable.
We stayed there chatting for a while, exchanging conversations and smiles, trying to forget work stress for a moment.
But time passed quickly, as it always does, until the break alarm signaled the end of the rest period.
I stood up and tried to end the moment nicely:
"Let's meet tomorrow, alright?"
Aris smiled and replied warmly:
"Alright… we'll find time, Zack."
I nodded, feeling slightly relieved, then returned to work, where I saw Aron sitting by one of the machines.
He looked at me and asked with a tired smile:
"How did things go with Aris?"
I felt a strong inner disappointment and replied softly, full of frustration:
"It wasn't good… nothing happened."
Aron simply nodded, as if he understood my feelings, and said nothing more.
Long hours of continuous work passed.
I moved between machines, sorted boxes, and checked quality, but everything felt slower than usual.
My body ached from constant movement, but my heart was more exhausted than my body.
Finally, the work hours ended, and I told myself:
"It's over… I can go home now."
Aron had finished his shift early. He was still sick, so the manager allowed him to leave.
Outside, the weather was cold. A winter breeze stung my face as I walked toward my home.
Suddenly, I saw Aris walking on the opposite side of the street.
I wanted to rush toward her, but before I could move, I saw something that completely shattered my heart.
A man in his twenties was holding her hand.
His face was familiar… it was Aron!
I watched them laughing, clearly happy, as if they were lost in their own world.
I felt a real shock, something inside me breaking apart.
I tried to control myself, but my curiosity pushed me to follow them silently.
They entered a small nearby restaurant, sat at a table, laughing and exchanging intimate conversation, warmth surrounding them…
Despite the freezing cold outside.
I sat far from them, watching in silence, my heart full of sadness and jealousy, feeling deep injustice.
After an hour, they left the restaurant, still holding hands.
They walked slowly, as if each wanted to savor the calm moment before reaching Aris's home.
Their laughter mixed with the cold evening breeze.
They stopped at the door, smiling at each other with sincere looks full of affection and comfort.
Then, in a very natural way for two lovers, they exchanged a kiss on the lips—a short but sincere kiss that reflected the depth of their relationship and love.
Aris went inside afterward, while Aron stayed at the door for a moment, smiling before finally walking away.
I stood there for a moment, watching them from afar.
My body was frozen in place, the cold biting my face, but all my focus was on them alone—as if the world around me had disappeared.
My thoughts began racing endlessly, heavy with sadness and regret:
Why am I here alone?
What am I lacking?
Why couldn't I do anything?
Will I always remain someone who watches others' lives from afar?
Is happiness not meant for me?
I was so lost in those thoughts that I lost awareness of my surroundings.
I could no longer see the road clearly, nor properly distinguish the sounds of cars.
My mind was stuck on one single image… Aris and Aron together, while my body moved automatically, without true awareness.
And suddenly… everything happened in an instant.
I didn't feel the truck coming.
I didn't hear its engine.
I couldn't step back even once.
The impact was violent.
My body was thrown into the air before crashing hard onto the ground, sharp pain exploding all at once.
I screamed inside—not with a voice, but with pain.
Everything around me began to darken rapidly, as if the air itself had become heavy and suffocating in my chest.
Only then did the sounds reach me, broken and unclear:
"Call an ambulance! Quickly!"
"Oh my God… is he still alive?!"
"Don't just stand there—move!"
I saw faces above me, their features blurred, eyes filled with fear and concern, but I felt as if I were far away from them all… very far.
Cold began creeping into my limbs, and my thoughts faded one by one.
I tried to open my eyes wider, to cling to consciousness, but everything became hazy.
I wondered weakly, as if even the thought was exhausted:
Am I… am I going to die like this?
I heard hurried footsteps and the sound of an approaching ambulance, but my heart was weakening, and my body no longer responded.
I felt myself giving up… without resistance.
And in those final moments, only one thought remained in my mind, repeating endlessly:
Aris… wasn't I supposed to be with her?
Why did it end like this…?
Then the sounds disappeared.
The light faded away.
And I took my final breath…