Their Eunoia

Sonder

"Life is a captivating book, where every page unfolds a different story". -Zimal

She stepped out of her rented house, locked the door, and looked for a taxi. The city buzzed with energy as car horns blared and people chattered. She hailed a yellow cab, got in, and greeted the driver. Sharing her destination, the taxi merged into traffic. Lost in thought, she admired the cityscape and checked her reflection in the mirror. As they reached her stop, she paid the fare, thanked the driver, and stepped out with anticipation. Ready to embrace the day, she walked away, leaving the taxi behind.

Standing in front of the Starlight Hotel, she prepared to begin her day as a manager. Despite her background in medicine, she had pursued a management diploma at her father-in-law's request. Two years ago, she faced a challenging period, battling depression and enduring false assumptions about her character. In an effort to heal, her parents and in-laws sent her to London. Now, she was determined to embrace her new role and make a difference at the hotel, leaving behind the past and focusing on a brighter future.

Having worked at the hotel for the past five months, everything had been running smoothly for her. At twenty-four and a half years old, her routine in the city was fairly straightforward. She would go to work, return to her rented house, and occasionally spend time with her friend, who happened to be the daughter of her landlord—or at least, that's what she had been led to believe.

As she walked down the corridor, her heels clicking against the floor, she maintained her usual attire of a decent abaya with her face covered. This was the customary dress she had adopted since arriving in this new city, where she didn't know anyone. It provided her with a sense of anonymity and security.

Upon reaching her office room, she was greeted by her assistant, who had been hired just the previous month. The assistant, with a warm smile, welcomed her and began discussing the day's tasks and any updates. The two of them quickly got to work, focused on their respective responsibilities, striving to maintain the smooth operation of their office.

She searched the web and discovered suspicious news about her hotel, leaving her confused and uncertain. Determined to clarify the situation, she planned to discuss her concerns with her assistant and seek the truth.

"Sherry?" she called out, her voice firm and commanding. "Come to my office now!"

"Yes, Captain," he responded, arriving promptly in her office. He attempted to lighten the mood with a joking remark, but her anger and panic were palpable.

"What is this? An underworld meeting in this hotel? What the hell is this?" she demanded, her emotions escalating.

Taken aback, he quickly composed himself and assured her that he would handle the situation and take down the news himself. He attempted to divert her attention, emphasizing that someone was simply playing a prank.

"It's not that simple. Do you even realize what this can lead to?" she questioned, her concern evident.

"It's nothing, believe me," he hastily replied, attempting to reassure her.

He couldn't help but wonder why he was so terrible at hiding his emotions. As she walked past him, determined to review the security camera footage herself, he couldn't stop her. Unfortunately, like with other underworld meetings, there were traces left behind.

She entered the security room and began examining the recordings. Initially, she couldn't spot anything suspicious, but during the midnight footage, she noticed a brief interruption where one of the cameras stopped for a second and then resumed.

"What is this?" she questioned herself, perplexed by the anomaly. The scent of cigarette smoke lingered in the air, even though smoking was strictly prohibited in the hotel. Something was amiss.