Tempted by Temptations

Epi Twenty One

I couldn't help but cry as Jannah wiped away my tears. It felt like such a relief to have someone who understood me and cared about me. "Thank you, Jannah," I said, trying to compose myself. "I really appreciate your support."

"Of course, anytime you need to talk, just give me a call," Jannah said, giving me a small chuckle to lighten the mood.

As the clock hit three in the afternoon, my best friend and I hailed a cab and headed towards Mactan International Airport. We were on our way to the embassy for an interrogation, which was making me feel quite anxious. Sir Ben had advised us to arrive early, and we took his advice seriously.

Upon our arrival, my best friend and I bid each other farewell and I made my way inside the airport.

I was taken aback to find all of the top executives from my company standing there, ready to assist me through the check-in process and the impending interrogation. To my surprise, there were three male bosses present, each representing different departments within the company - the accounting head, the production head, and the owner of the company. As I looked around, I noticed only one female boss among them, whom I had never met before. It was a unique experience to have such high-level support during a time of stress and uncertainty, and their presence made me feel more confident about the situation.

Despite their support, my hands were shaking with nervousness. Just then, my phone rang with a message, adding to my already heightened anxiety.

*One Unread Message*

Ahmed: How are you my lady? I will go back to Philippines, i just have something to arrange of. Love you!

As I read the message  from my phone, I hesitated to reply given the situation at hand. I opted to secure my phone in my bag instead. 

I then proceeded to greet the big bosses who were present, making sure to sound polite and respectful. "Hi Sir, good afternoon!" I exclaimed. 

As I finished my greeting, one of the big bosses - the accounting head of the company - responded with a stern tone. "Good afternoon. Come on now, let's proceed with your interrogation!" he said. I nodded in response, trying to hide my nervousness, and followed them while pulling my strolled luggage.

As we were walking, a female boss introduced herself, "Hi, I'm Tanya. Nice to meet you!" She extended her arm for a handshake.

Being respectful, I replied, "Hi, ma'am. I'm Khadija! Nice to meet you too, ma'am," and accepted her hand for a handshake and give her a sweet smile.

As we walked alongside the three bosses, a friendly woman approached us, chuckling softly. "Oh, don't call me ma'am," she said, "We're on the same level here. Just call me Tanya!"

I was carrying multiple bags and struggling to keep up with the group, but Tanya offered to help. "Let me help you with the other bags," she said kindly, taking one of the bags from me.

"Thank you so much, Miss Tanya!" I said, feeling grateful for her assistance. As we continued to walk, Tanya introduced herself as our guide for the rest of the way.

"That's great!" I replied, feeling relieved to have such a helpful and friendly workmate.

As we arrived at the interrogation counter, I felt a wave of nervousness wash over me. There were a lot of papers that needed to be submitted, and my turn was not until the other person had finished. As I waited, I tried to calm my nerves and prepare myself for the interview.

Finally, it was my turn, and I stepped forward to answer the barrage of questions that were thrown my way. Thankfully, the questions were not too difficult to answer, and I managed to get through them without any major issues. It was Dubai, after all, and I knew what was expected of me.