Chapter 1

A man just parked his motorcycle in front of the shipping office at exactly 7:00 PM. He took off his helmet, revealing his head, then immediately went inside the office. A slightly chubby man who had been standing among the stack of packages for tomorrow's delivery gave Franklin a sharp look.

"Where have you been, coming home at this hour?" his boss snapped. His voice was so loud that even the employees who hadn't left yet and were still packing goods turned to see what was wrong.

"Don't you know the time? The deliveries were supposed to be finished today, but you're late, and there are still four packages left to be delivered. What if they complain and get angry because the courier is incompetent, then who do you think will be blamed? Of course, the shipping company, and it affects all of us!" he snapped again.

In front of him, Franklin dared not reply, he just remained silent in front of him. Because if he ever dared to resist, his boss would scold him twice as terrifyingly as now.

"Sorry, Sir. I was really wrong. Next time, I won't make this mistake again," Franklin said politely. His face still remained down, unsure of what to do.

"Your apology won't change the anger of the package recipients. If you keep doing this, our office will get a bad reputation. You know if that happens, our office might be at risk of closure," his boss yelled, as if unwilling to listen to Franklin's words.

Even though this was the first time Franklin was late, there was no mercy for his boss if any of his employees made the slightest mistake. His eyes glared sharply, while his hands were on his hips, intimidating Franklin.

The office, which was previously bustling with the sound of tape being pulled or employees bustling around arranging packages, now felt empty. No one dared to do anything while the boss was angry.

"I will never forgive you if this happens again. Your name is Franklin, right? I've noted it down very well. Your name has already entered the red list, if it reaches the black list, don't expect to still be able to work here.

Franklin nodded faintly. His heart ached.

"Really disappointing. If our office gets a one-star rating, I'll make sure it's because of you!" he snapped again. This time, he began to walk away, leaving Franklin still frozen in the front room.

"The rest of you, get back to work, don't just watch. There's no entertainment here. Work, work, and work. I won't tolerate any slacking off!" he shouted at the other employees before leaving the office.

"Oh, here goes the Boss again," commented one employee while lifting a package weighing about five kilos and placing it in the corner according to the regional order.

"He's quick to jump to conclusions," remarked another.

"But Franklin is also at fault. What the Boss said is true, if our office gets complained about, it's the fault of one courier. You know, nowadays even a small mistake can go viral." Another man chimed in.

"Sure, he's at fault, but the Boss should still listen to Franklin's reasons for being late, not just get angry right away. Otherwise, it seems like he doesn't appreciate other people's efforts. Besides, if it's not us, who else would want to work here? Many have already resigned."

Franklin felt too lazy to respond to these comments, knowing that there would always be pros and cons. Eventually, he decided to head straight home. It was almost time to leave anyway, and since he couldn't send the package now, he would do it tomorrow. He had convinced himself that he had to finish yesterday's package tomorrow.

He rode his motorcycle quickly back home. Feeling uneasy after being scolded by the boss, he decided to stop by the sugarcane juice vendor to buy one. Besides quenching his thirst, he also intended to cool down the heat in his heart from being reprimanded in front of his colleagues. His self-esteem felt like it was plummeting now. It's not a secret anymore that the boss at his workplace has a sharp tongue, he would never hesitate to fire employees who don't fit his way of working.

After handing over a few banknotes to the vendor, he decided to head home. Just a twenty-minute ride, and now he was already home. He parked his motorcycle in the yard and walked straight into the still-open house. "It's unusual for Mom not to close the door, especially since it's already seven o'clock," Franklin whispered.

For a moment, the house felt eerily quiet, even the TV, which was usually on, was now off. It felt lifeless, as if no one lived here. But as Franklin was about to call his mother, he heard her coughing loudly, echoing throughout the house. Franklin immediately ran to his mother's room, where he saw a middle-aged woman lying on her shabby mattress. She looked extremely weak, with a pale face.

"Mom, Mom, what's wrong?" Franklin asked as he approached. He touched his mother's forehead and was shocked by the intense heat. It must have been around 28 degrees Celsius.

"Oh my, Mom, when did you get sick? Why didn't you tell me? We need to go to the hospital now," Franklin hastily placed the sugarcane juice on the table and helped his mother sit up.

"No, dear. There's no need. We don't need to go to the hospital. It will cost a lot. Let's just stay home; I'm sure I'll get better on my own. Don't worry," his mother replied weakly.

Like most mothers, she understood her son's financial situation and didn't want to burden Franklin any further.

"Mom, don't worry about that. Money can be earned again, but if something happens to you... Why are you still thinking about money when your health should be the priority? I don't care if you don't want to, I will insist. So, let's go to the hospital, you need to be examined there," Franklin's voice became more forceful this time. He looked genuinely panicked.

"Son, I can just drink herbal medicine and get better later, or if you want to help, just buy some tablets from the store, that would be better. Going to the hospital requires a lot of money, I don't want that. Besides, I can recover faster at home, why bother going to the hospital," his mother stubbornly refused Franklin's insistence.

"Enough, Mom, you're going to the hospital now, no matter what you say." Franklin immediately helped his mother up and escorted her to the hospital. If he didn't force her, she probably wouldn't want to go there because of the expenses she had in mind.