Chapter 1: First Encounter

an extravagant restaurant filled with beautiful music, a pretty brown-skinned woman sat in silence, lost in her thoughts. She sighed repeatedly, her eyes occasionally glancing at a six or seven-month-old baby giggling and playing with his food nearby. She sighed again, gently brushing the baby's soft afro hair. 

Looking at his innocent face as he babbled in his high chair, she murmured, "Leon, don't grow up too fast, okay? Life gets tough and complicated as you get older. For now, just enjoy your little world, sleep well, and be happy." As she spoke, she cleaned the food stains from his clothes. 

Khali came from a respectable family in an African country. She had earned a scholarship to study business administration in Turkey. However, her father's death from cancer a few years before her departure had plunged her family into financial hardship. Khali had been optimistic about finding part-time work abroad to support her family, believing life would be easier and more prosperous. Yet, as she watched her nephew, she realized how naive her hopes had been. Silently, she resumed eating her meal while Leo continued playing with his food.

Her phone rang, breaking her reverie. She hesitated before answering. "Khali, are you going to work today?" the caller asked. Frustration welled up within her as she thought, "I just lost my job." She replied, "No, I'm not going to work today. I'm out right now. Why?"

Her friend Marqenzi, who had called, sighed and said, "Can we meet tomorrow? I left my job. That man is a scumbag." Khali and Marqenzi had become friends on a film set where they had played minor roles, only to be scammed by the directors.

Khali was taken aback. "Oh! What happened?"

"He didn't pay my salary on time," Marqenzi replied. "When I asked, he scolded me and called me ungrateful."

Khali laughed bitterly, thinking of her own misfortune. Her former boss had attempted to rape her. She consoled Marqenzi briefly and hung up, then glanced at the baby beside her. Deciding it was late, she prepared to leave.

As she stepped out of the restaurant, she looked up at the sky and whispered, "God, please help us who are struggling." She began pushing the baby stroller but soon bumped into a group of men. She apologized and tried to move on, but one of the men started berating her. 

Frowning, she glared at him. When she finally looked up, she was momentarily stunned by their handsome, well-dressed appearance. Recovering quickly, she masked her astonishment and retorted angrily, "Hey, what the hell? You saw me coming! You should have moved aside."

Before she could say more, one of the men stepped forward to calm the situation. "We're sorry. We didn't mean to hurt you," he said.

Khali took a deep breath. "I'm not hurt. Your friend just overreacted." She adjusted her bag, checked on the sleeping baby, and then shot another glare at the man who had scolded her. With a final snort of indignation, she walked away.

As she retreated, the man who had scolded her, Peter, tried to protest, but his friend, Simon, pulled him into the restaurant. "Why did you do that?" Peter demanded.

Simon sighed. "You were clearly in the wrong, but you decided to pick a fight."

They both glanced at Khali's retreating figure before heading into the restaurant. Would this encounter be their last meeting? Only time would tell