Story for tonight…Zara almost smiled herself to sleep that night.
Almost.
The meeting with Mr. Liu kept replaying in her head like a scene from somebody else’s life.
“You understand this business better than many people we have spoken to.”
The words refused to leave her mind.
For years, she had lived like someone constantly apologizing for existing. Apologizing for dreaming too big. For trying too many things. For failing publicly.
But tonight felt different.
Tonight, she felt seen.
Her phone vibrated suddenly beside her pillow.
An incoming call from her aunt.
Zara hesitated briefly before answering.
“Good evening, Aunty.”
“Hmm. Zara.” The older woman’s voice carried its usual sharpness.
“Your mother told me you had some foreign business meeting today.”
Zara sat up slightly. “Yes… it went well.”
A dry laugh came from the other end.
“These internet businesses again?”
The excitement inside Zara weakened immediately.
“It’s export business, Aunty.”
“My dear, listen to me carefully.” Her aunt lowered her voice as if preparing to deliver wisdom.
“At your age, stability matters more than all these risky dreams.”
Zara remained silent.
“You left a proper job because you said you wanted freedom. Since then, what have you really gained?”
The words landed harder because part of her feared they were true.
Outside, rain began tapping softly against the window.
Her aunt continued.
“Do you know how many people are being scammed by international buyers every day?”
“Aunty, this is different.”
“That’s what everybody says before disaster comes.”
Zara closed her eyes slowly.
“You need something stable,” the older woman continued.
“Something predictable. Even if the salary is small.”
Predictable.
The word wrapped around Zara’s chest like chains.
Because predictable was exactly what she had tried to escape.
Predictable was waking up every morning already exhausted.
Predictable was spending years building somebody else’s dream while her own slowly d!ed quietly inside her.
Still…
Fear began creeping back in.
“What if this doesn’t work?” her aunt asked finally. “What will you do then?”
The question lingered long after the call ended.
Zara dropped the phone beside her and stared into the darkness.
The room suddenly felt smaller again.
The confidence from earlier began dissolving piece by piece.
What if Mr. Liu was only being polite?
What if she embarrassed herself later?
What if everybody was secretly right about her?
She pulled her knees closer to her chest.
It was strange how one conversation could rebuild a person… and another could completely undo them.
Around 1:13am, her phone lit up again.
Daniel.
“You survived the meeting?” Zara smiled faintly.
“Barely.”
His reply came almost immediately.
“So?”
“So what?”
“How did it go?”
She paused before typing.
“He said I understood the business well.”
Three dots appeared.
Then: “And you sound surprised.”
Zara stared at the screen quietly.
Because she was surprised.
Deep down, she had become so used to doubting herself that praise now felt unfamiliar.
After a while, another message entered.
“You know what your problem is?”
Zara rolled her eyes slightly.
“Here comes motivational speaker Daniel.”
“I’m serious.”
“Okay. Tell me.”
“You keep waiting for permission to believe in yourself.”
The message hit something raw inside her.
Before she could respond, another message followed.
“Everybody already sees your potential except you.”
Zara swallowed hard.
The room became painfully quiet again.
For years, she had blamed lack of money. Lack of connections. Lack of opportunities.
But maybe the biggest battle had always been the voice inside her own head.
The voice that whispered: Who do you think you are?
The next morning, Zara woke up exhausted.
Her eyes burned from lack of sleep.
By noon, reality returned aggressively.
Her landlord had sent another reminder about rent.
Her bank balance looked insulting.
And two different suppliers were already asking for upfront commitments she could not yet afford.
Pressure surrounded her from every direction.
By evening, she sat alone in a small café staring blankly at her notebook.
Numbers filled the page.
Container costs. Local transportation. Inspection fees. Documentation. Unexpected expenses.
Everything looked overwhelming.
She rubbed her forehead slowly.
Maybe her aunt was right.
Maybe she was chasing something too dangerous.
Maybe survival was wiser than ambition.
Her phone buzzed again.
An email notification.
From Mr. Liu.
Zara’s heartbeat quickened immediately.
She opened it carefully.
“Dear Zara, Thank you for the productive discussion yesterday. Our team would like to proceed with a small trial order discussion…”
Zara stopped breathing.
A small trial order.
Not a rejection. Not silence. Not false promises.
A real opportunity.
Her eyes filled slowly with tears before she could stop them.
Not because she had succeeded yet.
But because after years of rejection… life had finally answered back.
Yet deep inside, another fear quietly remained.
Because opportunities could change lives. But they could also expose people.
And as Zara stared at the email again… she realized something terrifying:
If this deal succeeded, her life would never remain the same again.
Zara had prayed for an opportunity.
But she never imagined the opportunity would come with pressure, enemies, and decisions capable of changing her entire life.
And by the next chapter… someone unexpected would enter the story.
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