Chapter 11: These Tasks Are Hectic
By mid-morning, I already felt it.
That dull weight sitting behind my eyes.
The kind that doesn't go away no matter how many times you blink.
I shifted slightly in my chair, staring at the screen in front of me.
The numbers were starting to blur.
Not completely—
Just enough to make me read the same line twice.
I exhaled slowly and straightened up.
Focus.
"Freeda."
I didn't even look up immediately.
"I'm on it," I said, assuming it was about the report.
"It's not done yet."
That made me pause.
I looked up.
Clara stood there.
"I gave that to you an hour ago," she said.
My chest tightened slightly.
"It's almost ready."
"Almost doesn't help me," she replied calmly. "I need it done."
"I'll finish it now."
She held my gaze for a second.
Then placed another file on my desk.
"And this."
I blinked.
"For today?"
"Yes."
Something in me almost reacted.
Almost.
But I swallowed it down.
"Okay."
"Good."
And just like that, she walked away.
I stared at the two files in front of me.
Then back at my screen.
My head throbbed slightly.
"These tasks are hectic…" I muttered under my breath.
A quiet voice beside me replied—
"You're saying it like you're surprised."
I turned.
Cole.
"I'm not surprised," I said. "Just… feeling it."
He glanced at the files on my desk.
Didn't touch them.
Didn't comment immediately.
"You didn't rest," he said.
It wasn't a question.
"I'm fine," I replied quickly.
He didn't argue.
Just looked at me for a second longer than usual.
Then—
"Don't let it show," he said.
I frowned slightly. "What?"
He nodded toward the files.
"Not everyone here will take it as tiredness."
I understood what he meant immediately.
Weakness.
"I'm not weak," I said quietly.
"I didn't say you were."
That shut me up.
He stepped back slightly.
"Just don't give them a reason," he added before walking off.
I stared after him for a second.
Then turned back to my work.
The next few hours passed in a blur.
Typing.
Checking.
Rechecking.
At some point, I realized I had been staring at the same number for too long.
I blinked hard.
Shook my head slightly.
Focused again.
Something wasn't right.
I leaned closer to the screen.
Looked again.
My stomach dropped.
The figure was wrong.
Not slightly wrong.
Completely off.
I froze for a second.
Had I typed that?
I quickly opened the previous document.
Compared.
My heart started beating faster.
I had.
A small mistake.
But not one that could be ignored.
I leaned back slowly, running a hand over my face.
This was what Cole meant.
I fixed it immediately.
Carefully this time.
Slower.
More deliberate.
But my hands weren't as steady as before.
Across the room, I felt it again.
That quiet awareness.
I looked up.
Becky.
She wasn't smiling this time.
Wasn't pretending either.
She was just… watching.
Like she was waiting.
For me to slip.
I held her gaze for a second.
Then looked away first.
Because I couldn't afford to play that game right now.
By the time I finished the last file, my body felt completely drained.
But I still wasn't done.
I packed my bag slowly and stood up.
Another job was waiting.
And I couldn't afford to miss it.
As I stepped out of the building, the evening air hit my face.
Cool.
But not enough to wake me up completely.
I walked a few steps—
Then paused.
For a second, everything around me felt… off.
Too quiet.
Too still.
I frowned slightly and looked around.
Nothing.
Just people passing. Cars moving. Normal.
I shook it off and continued walking.
But the feeling stayed.
Faint.
Unsettling.
Like something was about to go wrong.
And this time…
I wasn't sure I had the strength to handle it.