Chapter 5 The Day That Tested Her

Alayna drove her car with a sense of urgency, the speedometer pushing the limits as the engine groaned under the strain. The wind rushed through the open window, tousling her hair and brushing against her face. Her hands gripped the steering wheel tightly, her knuckles turning white as she navigated through the winding roads.

Despite the fast pace and the thrill of the ride, Alayna couldn't ignore the pain that slowly started creeping into her chest. It was like a vice tightening around her heart, causing her to flinch with each sharp pang. Her frustration mounted, and she thumped the steering wheel in an attempt to alleviate her discomfort.

As if to add insult to injury, a voice echoed in Alayna's mind, taunting her, "Tell me your price? I can buy you." The words struck a nerve, igniting a fiery rage within her. Her pride had been trampled on, and her anger grew more intense by the second.

"How rude! My price is infinite, note that!"

Suddenly, the sound of blaring car horns disrupted her train of thought. Alayna instinctively glanced in her rearview mirror, only to see a car rapidly approaching from behind. At first, she assumed the car was simply in a rush, trying to overtake her. So, she tapped the brakes, intending to slow down and make a way.

To her surprise, the car behind her showed no signs of decelerating. Panic washed over Alayna as she realized the impending danger. Without any warning, the vehicle crashed into the back of her car with a jolt, sending her car swerving off the track. Her heart raced as she fought to regain control.

"What the heck are you doing?" Alayna shouted, her voice filled with a mix of anger and confusion. Her eyes shifted from the broken road to the guilty black car that had caused this chaos. Her hands continued to grasp the steering wheel tightly, her knuckles now slightly trembling.

Summoning every ounce of strength, Alayna managed to steady herself and guide her car onto a more stable path. Curiosity piqued, she eased off the accelerator, allowing the vehicle that had collided with her to catch up. As they drove side by side, Alayna stole a glimpse of the driver—a man with long hair wearing a bandanna—who stared back at her with a cynical look.

"Don't go around driving a car without rules," he sneered, his tone dripping with arrogance.

"You can politely tell me, why do you keep colliding with my car?"

"That's a lesson for you!"

A surge of adrenaline coursed through her veins. Swiftly, she reached into her bag and retrieved her cellphone, poised to capture a photo of the man's license plate. "Do you think I'll just let you off the hook?" she asserted, pointing her phone at the man.

The man glanced at the phone aimed at him and let out an amused chuckle. "Are you trying to intimidate me with a picture of my license plate?"

Alayna remained undeterred, displaying unwavering courage. "This could serve as evidence that you caused the accident we just had!"

"Oh, good luck with that!" the man retorted before hastily driving away.

Alayna stood there, fixed on the disappearing vehicle, and released a sigh of relief before hastening her steps toward the office.

Her cell phone rang, prompting her to pull over and park her car at the side of the road.

With a tight grip on the steering wheel, she took a deep breath in an attempt to calm her racing heart.

"Hello, Alayna, where are you? Everyone is searching for you. Your morning news reading session is about to begin."

"I'm on my way."

"Alright. Drive safely."

With her heart still pounding, Alayna resumed driving, her concentration unwavering. Approaching an intersection, she noticed the red light and gradually slowed down. After a few seconds, the green light illuminated, urging her to cautiously proceed.

Meanwhile, her phone's screen continued to display text messages from her colleagues. Alayna swiftly responded, typing with precision while keeping her attention on the road:

"I'm almost at the office. Will be there shortly."

Within minutes, Alayna finally arrived at the news studio. She meticulously parked her car and swiftly made her way to the office.

"Good morning, everyone!" Alayna greeted with enthusiasm as she stepped into the newsroom.

The entire crew turned their attention towards the arrival of the dynamic twenty-five-year-old woman.

"Oh, Alayna, you've finally graced us with your presence. It almost felt like a rookie had taken over your spot," one colleague stated.

"No one can ever replace me. And if they had to, they'd better be seasoned professionals," Alayna confidently replied, even though a rookie journalist stood right in front of her.

With determined strides, Alayna took her designated position. The lights illuminated her figure, and a makeup artist rushed towards her, styling her long, black wavy hair while wiping off beads of sweat from her forehead. For the first time, she felt her hands quiver as she settled into the newsroom chair.

"We're running out of time. The morning news starts in a minute!" the director exclaimed with a sense of urgency.

The makeup artist swiftly departed, and Alayna nodded briskly. She glanced at the monitor screen before her, scanning the latest headlines she was about to deliver.

As the countdown began, Alayna felt her professional persona take over. She took a deep breath, her heart steadying as she observed the red numbers ticking down in front of her.

With the transition to green, Alayna raised her chin confidently, her voice clear as she delivered the first piece of news. The words flowed smoothly from her lips, captivating the viewers.

The director motioned with his hand, signaling the shift to the next story. Alayna swiftly averted her gaze, adhering precisely to the director's instructions.

At first, Alayna could read the news fluently. But for some reason, in the middle of the news, her concentration broke so she misspelled the running text in front of her. Several times she had to repeat her words.

The crew members, on standby, held their breath as Alayna misread the news. Tense expressions revealed their anxiety, yet they remained silent to let Alayna regain her rhythm and concentration.

Intense pressure mounted on Alayna as her eyes remained fixed on the text she needed to read. Beads of cold sweat formed on her temples as she struggled to overcome her discomfort. Each word felt like an enormous weight she had to lift.

With a slight tremor in her voice, Alayna continued reading the news. Despite some chaos, she fought to maintain a sense of calm and corrected her mistakes.

As the news segment finally concluded, Alayna felt relief. The surrounding crew, filled with appreciation for her efforts, bestowed a quiet round of applause, offering support and encouragement, even though Alayna knew her performance was far from perfect.

When the camera ceased recording, Alayna suddenly realized that the editor-in-chief had made his way directly to the newsroom upon witnessing her struggle with the news delivery.

"Alayna, what happened? Today, it seemed like you were lacking focus," the editor-in-chief inquired, his tone tinged with concern.

Alayna could feel her heart race faster within her chest. She realized that her performance had been noticed. She tried to explain the situation, "I apologize, I lost my concentration."

"Perhaps you would benefit from taking some time off?" he suggested.

"What do you mean, Sir? Did you just fire me because I made one mistake?" Alayna looked at the editor-in-chief with confusion that was visible on her face.