Rifana wasn't the type of person who liked meddling in other people's business. But over the past few weeks, that boundary had felt increasingly difficult to respect—especially when it came to Nara.
That morning, Nara arrived fifteen minutes late, slightly out of breath, her face pale and her lips looking paler than usual.
"Sorry I'm late. Traffic was awful," Nara said as she set down her bag, smiling as usual.
Rifana noticed the details—the slight tremor in Nara's hands as she put down her coffee cup, the slower pace of her steps.
"Are you sure it was just traffic, Na? You look really pale," Rifana asked, trying to sound casual.
"Yeah, I think I just haven't been sleeping enough," Nara replied quickly, turning her gaze toward her computer screen.
After the division meeting that afternoon, as everyone began to disperse, Rifana deliberately slowed her steps, waiting until the room was almost empty before approaching Nara.
"Na, can I be honest?" Rifana asked, her voice more serious than usual.
"I don't know what you're going through. But I've noticed you've seemed different these past few weeks. More tired, like you're holding something in more often. If there's anything I can help with, or at least listen to, I'm here."
A long pause followed. For a split second, Nara nearly opened her mouth and told everything to someone perceptive enough to notice things that even Arka or her own family had missed.
But then she slowly shook her head and smiled as usual. "I'm fine, Rif. Really. I guess I've just had a lot on my mind with the wedding preparations."
Rifana nodded, though she wasn't completely convinced. "Okay. But remember, if you change your mind, I'm always here."
That afternoon, as Nara hurried toward the meeting room, she accidentally crossed paths with Rifana, who was coming from the opposite direction. Nara's bag fell, spilling its contents across the floor.
"Oh, sorry, Na!" Rifana quickly helped pick up Nara's scattered belongings.
Among them, a brown envelope bearing a hospital logo fell partially open, revealing a small portion of a laboratory report.
Nara's heart pounded. She quickly grabbed the envelope before Rifana could get a clearer look. She slipped it back into her bag with slightly hurried movements.
"It's okay, Rif." Nara smiled, trying to sound as calm as possible even though her hands were trembling slightly. "Thanks for helping."
Rifana watched Nara for a moment, her eyes flicking toward the bag that had just been zipped shut. She hadn't had time to read anything clearly, but the hospital logo printed on the envelope was enough to add another piece to the puzzle she'd been trying to put together about Nara for a long time.
"Na..." Rifana ventured, "which hospital is that envelope from? It doesn't look like the clinic our office uses."
"Oh, that... It's just for health insurance. I'm filing a claim," Nara answered quickly—so quickly that it sounded a little forced.
"The process is such a hassle, so I've had to keep going back and forth to the clinic," Nara added.
Rifana nodded slowly, though Nara's rushed tone only made her more certain that something had been left out of that explanation.
"Okay. If you need anything, just let me know."
Nara nodded and gave her a faint smile before continuing on her way, her heart still pounding from how close she'd come to having her secret exposed—and she knew that the longer she hid it, the greater the risk that everything would come to light without warning.
To be continued in Chapter 7