Chapter 6

The afternoon sun cast long shadows across the glass window of Zeyd’s office in the H Summit Holdings boardroom. It was 1:00 PM in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Zeyd sat, a picture of sharp efficiency in his tailored blue suit, reviewing documents, the occasional smile and sigh escaping him as he exchanged brief messages with Samantha. The world felt a million miles away from Asia.

It’s 8:00 pm in Asia, the digital glow of Samantha’s phone illuminated her face in the darkness of her apartment. A wave of despair washed over her as she typed a simple, “Hello. How are you?” The casual greeting belied the storm raging within. A fleeting thought, sharp and cold, pierced through her despair: He’ll never understand.

Zeyd’s reply was prompt, polite, but ultimately unhelpful. Their exchange, a rapid-fire volley of messages, laid bare Samantha’s carefully constructed facade. She couldn’t bring herself to reveal the true source of her distress – a soul-crushing day at work. Zeyd, believing her a simple housewife, offered well-meaning but ultimately irrelevant advice: talk to your husband, see a therapist. Each suggestion chipped away at Samantha’s already fragile composure. She felt misunderstood, a chasm opening between her reality and Zeyd’s perception.

The tears started to fall, hot and silent. She flinched, her hands flying up to frantically wipe them away before a shuddering breath escaped her lips. Rising, she moved silently towards the bathroom, the closed door a momentary shield against the turmoil within.

In the stark white of her bathroom, the mirror reflected her tear-streaked face. More than just her reflection stared back; two distinct personalities seemed to battle for control, their internal voices a cacophony in the silence. One, a harsh, accusatory voice born from past hurts, urged her to end the friendship with Zeyd, predicting rejection and abandonment. The other, a softer, more reasoned voice, whispered a defense of Zeyd, suggesting his silence stemmed from simple busyness. Her own face, contorted in the mirror, seemed to mock her indecision. This internal conflict intensified as she reread Zeyd’s messages, her finger trembling over the delete button. Accidentally activating her phone’s camera, she saw a softer version of herself reflected in the screen—a stark contrast to the turmoil mirrored in the bathroom glass. The intense, quickly fading image stilled the storm within, only for the harsh voice to reclaim its dominance.

Suddenly, a sharp rap at the door shattered the internal conflict. Maita, her friend, stood in the doorway, her concern evident. The brief interaction, a simple question and a carefully constructed lie, served as a lifeline, pulling Samantha back from the brink of emotional collapse. The crisis passed as quickly as it began, leaving Samantha exhausted but grounded. A lingering unease remained, a subtle tremor beneath the surface calm.

Meanwhile, in Bosnia, Zeyd waited impatiently for a reply, his annoyance growing with each passing minute. The silence was deafening, fueling his frustration. He fired off a terse message, his words laced with a mixture of concern and irritation, a final attempt to bridge the widening gap between them. The message hung unanswered, a stark reflection of the distance that had unexpectedly grown between two friends.

Hours passed. It’s 5:00 PM. The office hours at H Summit Holdings, Inc., end, but Samantha still hasn’t replied to Zeyd’s message. A familiar ache, like the one he felt after losing Esmeralda, settled in Zeyd’s chest. Samantha’s continued silence fueled a terrifying thought: would he suffer a similar loss if their friendship ended?

Samantha falls asleep when she returns to her bed from the bathroom. Before she falls asleep, she is unable to reply to Zeyd’s message because her psychological disorder manifests. Her mind raced, a whirlwind of conflicting emotions. One moment she felt a surge of anger, the next a wave of self-pity. She was torn between wanting to lash out and wanting to be understood.

The negative side of her personality, stronger than ever, pushed her towards a decision.

As a result, her reply to Zeyd’s message says: “I just want to make it clear, Sir, I’m not making a drama. What makes you think that I oblige you to reply to my messages as quickly as possible? I never said that you have to reply to my messages as often. Yes, I’m sending a message to you, but you can answer it if you have time. Or you can simply ignore it if you want.”

5:30 PM, in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Zeyd sits inside his car. It’s a new Ferrari 488 GTB. He is going home now. It’s already the end of the office hours at H Summit Holdings, Inc.

Engine started. Brakes checked. Mirrors adjusted. Music plays. Go!

For it’s late afternoon, it’s already sunset,

The sky starts to turn a nice shade of pink as Zeyd turns onto the highway. A lovely mix of colors. His GPS gives him directions.

On his way home, he passes a small wedding chapel. He stops for a while to watch the couple walk out of the chapel.

He sees the couple walk out of the chapel, smiling happily at the crowd with hands entwined. Happiness. Love. Trust. Everything is wonderful.

He stares at the couple and imagines himself walking down the aisle with Esmeralda. Tears start to flood his eyes. He mumbles, “Why did you leave me, Esmeralda?”

He watches the newlywed couple for a little while longer, feeling a bit envious. For sure, if Esmeralda hadn’t passed away, he would marry her someday. He shakes the thoughts out of his head and walks back to his car. He knows those things are impossible to happen, and he needs to continue his life accepting that Esmeralda is gone a long time ago.

When he gets back inside his car, his phone vibrates. His face lights up when he sees that the message comes from Samantha. He reads the message. A wave of unexpected relief washes over him, followed by a flicker of curiosity. Before replying, he considers her words carefully. He understands her anger, and a part of him feels a strange sense of connection to this new, assertive Samantha. He thought of his own grief, his own struggles with silence. Perhaps, he understood more than he thought.

“Okay. Alright.” Zeyd replies.

That’s all he can say right now. But he feels glad now, even though Samantha shows a different attitude.

“At least she understands me now,” Zeyd concludes.

Then Zeyd gets back to driving his car. He goes home with a smile on his face. Not knowing that in the next few days he will feel annoyed with Samantha again.

Samantha starts to show the other side of her personality to Zeyd. And Zeyd notices it this time. What will happen next if Zeyd completely sees the different side of Samantha?

Samantha is unwell this time. What she does next will surely annoy Zeyd. Will that situation make their communication end in the next few days?