Loretta stood a few steps away from a pool. She had spent the last week visiting different tourist attractions. The next place she wanted to visit was a historic waterfall. It was said that the spring water had healing abilities.
Though no one believed such nonsense nowadays, they still wanted to visit it. Over the years, the government had built stairs in most parts of the mountain. Loretta had already learned a lot and wanted to visit the highest point, the seventh level. Going there without getting close to the water would be a wasted trip. Not being familiar with the place, she spoke with the hotel receptionist, who helped find a swimming instructor, as she wanted to learn some basics.
Yet, standing in front of the pool, her chest felt tight.
Even after days, the memory of her near-drowning experience had not faded, especially when looking at the pool before her.
"Throw her into the pool."
Loretta suddenly felt as if she was hearing Kevin's instructions again. The memories flooded her mind.
Cold water closing over her head. The helpless struggle. The suffocating panic.
Her fingers curled slightly.
Loretta exhaled slowly. It's all in the past, she tried to fight back her fears.
These words did not comfort her, but she kept repeating them, determined to learn. If I don't learn, I might really drown, she thought as she tried to practice her breathing to help her stay calm.
A few minutes later, the instructor that the hotel arranged came over—a man in his early thirties, she guessed. Calm-faced, patient, the kind of person who did not rush his words. Loretta was standing at the shallow end of the pool. She turned to look at him.
"My name is Mika," he introduced himself.
"Loretta," she replied with the best smile she could manage.
"You don't have to force yourself," Mika said, noticing the stiffness in her posture. "We can take it slow."
Loretta shook her head. "I am just a bit afraid. I am ready to learn."
"Alright," he nodded. "Then we start simple."
He stepped into the pool first, then gestured for her to follow.
Loretta hesitated, just for a second, then she stepped in. The water touched her skin. It was cool. Her breath caught slightly, but she didn't stop. She kept moving until the water reached just below her waist.
Her body tensed immediately.
Mika noticed. "Relax your shoulders," he said gently. "You're safe here."
Loretta forced herself to breathe. "I am safe," she reminded herself.
"Hold the edge," Mika instructed.
She did. Her fingers wrapped tightly around the poolside.
"Good. Now, we're just going to get used to the water. Nothing else." Mika could already guess that she had a bad experience with water, so he wanted to take things slowly. If she was scared, she would be unable to learn.
"Try lifting your feet one at a time," Mika instructed, seeing that her shoulders did not look so tense.
Loretta frowned slightly. "Just that?"
"Yes."
She hesitated, then slowly lifted one foot.
Her balance wavered. Her grip tightened instantly. Her heart jumped. The instructor was very patient. Seeing she was a bit more comfortable, he made her take a few steps deeper.
"Now, hold your breath and lower your face into the water," he said.
Loretta froze.
Her fingers tightened.
"No," she refused, reacting before her mind could process it.
The instructor didn't push.
"Alright," he said calmly. "Then we don't do that yet."
She looked at him, surprised.
"No pressure," he added. "You're learning to swim, not fighting."
Loretta swallowed. "…I'll try," she said after some time.
She took a breath.
Closed her eyes and lowered her face into the water for barely a second, then pulled back up quickly. Her heart pounded, and her breathing was uneven. Just those few seconds she had been inside made her feel like she was going to die.
Standing up and realizing she was still safe, she took in rapid, deep breaths.
"…Again," she whispered to herself after calming down and repeated the motion. The second experience was not as bad as the first.
Time passed. She was not sure how much.
She moved step by step—holding the edge, kicking lightly, and floating, only for a second at first.
By the time the lesson ended, her body and mind felt heavy with exhaustion, but her fear of water was greatly reduced.
"Would you still need me to teach you tomorrow?" Mika asked. She was not the first scared student he had taught, but her determination was the best.
Loretta thought for a while. She planned to go to the waterfall tomorrow before deciding her next actions. She shook her head. "If I need a follow-up class, I will ask the hotel to contact you," she said.
Mika nodded and left.
Loretta stepped out of the pool after, wrapping a towel around herself.
Water dripped from her hair as she reached for her phone.
The screen lit up.
Missed calls. Several.
All from the same contact.
"Mrs. Gladstone." Since she received the severance letter, she had changed her contact name.
Loretta paused, wondering what the woman wanted, before unlocking the phone.
Messages followed.
{Where are you? Call me back immediately.}
The next message came a few minutes later. {Why are you not calling me? This is important. Not time for your childish tantrum.}
Loretta smiled. It had been more than a week since they met at the hospital. This woman had not bothered to check on her, yet she was suddenly calling as if the sky was falling.
A faint, knowing smile touched her lips.
"…Something happened," Loretta knew this much.
Loretta closed the message. She had no plans to reply or call her back. If her mother could, she would chase her all the way here. She turned around and walked back to her hotel room.
Once inside, she bathed and changed into something new. Then she called down to order her lunch. After making the order, she decided to read the news to keep herself informed—a habit she had learned while working at the Gladstone company.
Loretta scrolled and read a few headlines. Seeing that nothing was important, she was just about to close the screen when her eyes caught a headline.
"The Reason Why Gladstone Shares Are Doomed to Fall."
Her hand paused, then she tapped it.
She took her time to read the entire article, line by line. This person seems to be a worm in the Gladstone family, she thought, seeing the analysis. Loretta did not stop there. She followed the trend and soon found out that the Gladstone company's shares had risen in the last few days because of her marriage to Kevin. She suddenly understood why her mother was blowing up her phone.
"…So that's it."
Loretta thought for a while, then gave the article a like. She was logged into her official account. Since this write-up had already become popular, she was certain it was only a matter of time before someone noticed.
Her eyes shone as she thought of the consequences. This alone would not be enough to bankrupt the company but even the slightest loss would be enough to make them bleed.