Episode004
1096 Words
NINA'S POINT OF VIEW
"What's going on? He doesn’t normally make these early morning calls to us. My voice came out uncertain. A strange feeling settled in my chest.
"Unable to say," Marja replied as worry crept into her voice. Given the company's recent performance over the past few months... I think I have an idea. And I really hope I'm wrong." She exhaled sharply. "Come on, we should hurry."
I gave an affirmative nod while I picked up my phone and stored it in my pocket before exiting the room with Marja.
The hallway was eerily quiet. As we walked past the staff lounge, I quickly looked inside. Empty. Not a single person in sight. My pulse quickened. The meeting room had been fully occupied by everyone.
I felt my stomach clench into a tight knot when we arrived at the door. As Marja opened the door, my eyes scanned the entire room. Every chair was occupied. Faces filled with uncertainty.
Marja pulled my arm to lead me towards two vacant seats close to the entrance.
At the front of the room, Mr. Korhonen stood while his eyes roamed over all the seated attendees. His usual stern expression was absent. Instead, he looked... exhausted. Defeated. He took a deep breath which ended his silence before he began to speak
"You're all here," he said. "I won’t drag this out." I need to share difficult information with you, but I don't have any power to change what I am about to say. He paused to search for the best way to express himself. "Are you ready to hear it?"
Silence. Then a collective, hesitant, "Yes, sir."
The business will cease operations before the week concludes. His voice was heavy. Management chose to shut down the enterprise because of financial deficits and overwhelming debt. The company will remain closed unless another buyer takes over.
A sharp intake of breath. Murmurs spread across the room like wildfire.
You can start your job search right now. All pending work must be completed by each employee before leaving. Final month salaries along with employee benefits will continue to be distributed. That’s all. This is your opportunity to ask any questions you may have.
Silence again. No one knew what to say. The heaviness of his announcement weighed heavily upon each member of our group. I glanced at Marja. A thin line creased her lips while her hands remained tightly clenched into fists on her lap.
We spent five years in this location, which served as our second home. Without warning, they began to strip us of it.
Panic set in. What were we supposed to do now? The economy had collapsed and workers fought to keep their existing jobs. What hope remained when entire companies were closing their doors?
Marja grabbed my hand and held it firmly. As I gazed into her eyes, I recognized my own fear staring back at me.
"Do you have any ideas?" I asked her question with my voice so quiet it was almost like a whisper.
She shook her head. "No... I don't."
I wasn't surprised. Whenever we needed to make decisions, Marja always came to me for support. She wasn’t weak—far from it. But she carried so much already. Raising a daughter on her own. Taking care of her sick mother. She manages two jobs simultaneously to maintain financial stability.
"We'll figure something out," I assured her. "Let's not panic just yet."
We worked through the rest of the day in a fog while pretending everything was okay while it was anything but okay. Marja and I boarded the same bus to return to our apartments when it was time to leave work.
At the bus stop, we parted ways and I quickly went inside to have some time alone for myself.
"I'm home" came my voice through the door as I closed it behind me.
"Dinner will be ready soon!" Eelis shouted from the kitchen.
"I'm going to take a nap. You two eat without me."
Eelis peeked his head out. "Are you okay, Mom?"
"Yeah, just tired. Don’t worry about me."
I entered my bedroom and fell onto the bed. I endured a pounding headache while my thoughts continued to race.
I needed a plan. Fast.
Then, a thought hit me. Hanna.
Her family had connections—big ones. If anyone could help, it was her. There was no harm in trying.
I quickly took my phone and sent her a message. Exhaustion overpowered me and I fell asleep with restlessness.
As I opened my eyes, I noticed a blanket covering me. Mom or Eelis entered my room to check on me.
I reached for my phone. A message from Hanna.
My heart raced when I read her response.
An opportunity.
Her family’s network included someone who needed to hire staff. It wasn’t guaranteed, but it was something.
My fingers flew across the screen. After expressing my gratitude to her, I proceeded to read the following message from her.
I froze.
An interview. At his mansion.
Why his mansion?
But I pushed the thought aside. Being selective wasn’t an option for me at that moment. I would pursue any opportunity if it led to employment.
I texted Matias urgently to join me.
I took a moment to breathe freely that night after waiting for hours. Perhaps this day did not mark the end of all things as I initially thought.
The following morning, I waited in the apartment lobby. I entered Matias' car after he arrived in his vehicle.
Did all the staff members who applied for jobs at Salminen Company receive an invitation to visit the mansion? He asked, frowning.
"I don't know," I admitted. According to Hanna, Mr. Lassi wants me to meet him at his place. I didn’t ask why."
Matias glanced at me. "Weird."
"Why?"
He hesitated. "Never mind. Doesn’t matter. The priority now is securing your position in the company.
I gave him a nod but felt uneasy about his response.
After half an hour, we reached the mansion.
Two maids stood by the entrance when Matias parked our car.
One of them stepped forward. "Welcome, Miss. Please, come with us. Mr. Lassi is expecting you."
I swallowed hard.
Something about this felt... off.
Why did I have to come here? And why did Matias look so uneasy?
With a deep breath, I moved forward with the maids into the house.
I found myself unable to dismiss the sensation that I was heading toward an unknown situation.
What exactly was I getting myself into?
- Writer
