2 Worst Monday Ever (1/2)

Mina continued to wrack her brains to find any clue on what just happened. In the last few seconds before the explosion, she only remembered a voice warning her to move away. Before that, she had the worst day of her life. She couldn't help but feel bitter recalling the worst Monday morning of her life.

She has been looking forward to straightening things out with the tax bureau before heading off the work.

It was a regular Monday morning, and she explained her concerns after an officer asked her to have a seat. But what she thought was an error, turned out to be an unexpected nightmare.

She shuddered at the memory of just how awful that day has been. She could still hear the straightforward explanation of the tax officer. His voice was modulated but to her ears, it seems to have echoed all over the hall -- catching the attention of roughly a hundred people inside the bureau.

”No mistake has been made on your tax assessment. Miss, you owe roughly $15 million in back taxes.”

Other people in the room peered at her when they heard how much she owes the government. The girl whom the assessor spoke to is fairly young – someone who seems to be fresh out of university.

The young lady wore a skirt and a formal blouse and seems to have rushed out of her office. While the girl looked pleasant enough, her clothes were serviceable and unbranded. Hearing how much she owed surprised everyone in the tax bureau.

After a few seconds of shocked silence, the people in the bureau were back to milling around and going on with their business.

”These days, you can never trust a person's appearance,” chirped in a business owner waiting for her number to be called.

An old man reading a paper beside her reverted his gaze from the young lady to the woman who just spoke. ”Yes, she could be a scammer who tried to pull one over the assessor.”

A lady who received an assessment for $500 quickly shut her mouth when she heard the assessor beside her. She stopped in the middle of berating the officer entertaining her when she heard how much the young lady owed in back taxes. She immediately requested for details on how to pay the penalties and graciously thanked the officer, thankful that she only had to pay $500.

Everyone had an opinion on what they just heard. Some pitied the girl who would most likely end up in jail if she can't find enough cash to cover what she owes. Others thought she was just pretending to be pitiful and is doing a lot of illegal dealings on the side.

Mina was too shocked to process everything she heard from the people in the bureau. She took the documents the assessor handed to her with shaking hands. After a deep breath, she glanced at the papers before her. A quick look at the documents told her everything she needed to know.

Her grip loosened on the documents and papers fell on the ground. As if drenched in cold water, she shot out of her seat and picked up the documents scattered all over the floor.

Skylight Corporation. The company Hans created before he disappeared.

Seeing the proof before her, she knew she was doomed. She can't deny her involvement in this company. After all, she signed the papers to establish the business. She trusted that man with everything and she felt the searing pain of betrayal. She hated the man with a passion.

Now, there's another reminder of how brutal he can be – leaving her $15 million in debt. She found herself in a daze and without a word she walked out with a bunch of documents on her hand.

---

”HAHAHAHAHA” Mina let out a shaky, hysterical laugh. After leaving the tax bureau, she found herself walking without any direction. She had no idea where she was headed or where she was.

Eventually, she found herself outside her workplace -- the five-star Empire Hotel. She did not feel the tiredness after walking for hours under the scorching sun, but she felt her legs give way and she slumped on the ground. She slumped on the stairs without a care in the world. Oblivious to her surroundings, she buried her face in her arms and let out a wail. Still, no one paid attention to her. People were rushing in and out of the hotel --it's always a venue for meetings and conferences and even a young woman looking up to the sky as if the heaven dealt her a fatal blow is the least of their worries.