THE DOOR WAS OPEN
The room was already tense before Wayne even stepped inside.
What happened next would leave everyone questioning who was really ready to walk away — and why Dinisha was the only one left behind.
The podcast room was unusually quiet. The cameras were ready, the microphones were positioned, but nobody looked interested in starting the conversation.
The door opened.
Wayne
“What’s going on? Why everybody looking so serious?”
The women exchanged glances. Finally, one of them stood up.
Woman
“Wayne, we’re going to tell you right now. We don’t agree with this argument.”
Woman 2
“We came here to work. We’re not going to accept being pushed around because somebody wants to argue.”
Woman 3
“We’ll work here, and we’ll work outside too. Nobody is going to stop us.”
The room became louder, but Wayne remained completely calm.
Wayne listened without interrupting. His expression remained calm, but his eyes moved from one woman to another.
Wayne
“So that’s how everybody feels?”
The women nodded.
Woman
“Yes. We’re not okay with this.”
Wayne took a slow breath. For a moment, nobody spoke.
Wayne
“Alright. If you don’t like working here, nobody is forcing you to stay.”
Wayne
“If this isn’t the place for you, you can get up and leave.”
The women were stunned. Then, one by one, they started getting up.
Chairs scraped against the floor. Bags were picked up. Some women looked angry, while others looked disappointed.
A few looked like they were holding back tears.
Wayne
“The door is open.”
One after another, the women walked out of the podcast room.
Their footsteps echoed through the hallway.
But Dinisha stayed.
Dinisha stood quietly near the wall, watching everyone else leave.
Wayne noticed.
Wayne
“Dinisha.”
Dinisha
“Yes?”
Wayne looked around the room. His eyes stopped on the pictures hanging across the wall.
Wayne
“You see those pictures on the wall?”
Dinisha
“Yes.”
Wayne
“Take them down.”
Dinisha
“Take them down?”
Wayne
“Yeah. Every single one.”
One by one, the pictures came off the wall.
Dinisha reached for the first picture.
Then another.
Then another.
Soon, the wall was almost completely empty.
Dinisha
“What do you want me to do with these?”
Wayne
“Put them down there.”
Dinisha placed the final picture on the floor.
She stepped back and looked at the empty wall.
Wayne
“Sometimes you have to clear everything out before you can start again.”
Dinisha
“But everybody just left.”
Wayne
“Everybody made their choice.”
Wayne looked directly at Dinisha.
“And that’s exactly why I need to know something.”
Wayne
“Before those girls walked out…”
He paused.
The silence suddenly felt heavier.
Wayne
“Did they tell you why they really wanted to leave?”
Dinisha froze.
Her eyes moved toward the open doorway.
Dinisha
“They didn’t tell you?”
Wayne
“Tell me what?”
Dinisha looked toward the hallway one more time.
Her voice became quieter.
Dinisha
“Wayne… there’s something you don’t know about what happened before you came into this room.”
Wayne stared at her.
“What happened?”
“What happened?”
Dinisha opened her mouth to answer.
Then suddenly — she stopped.
Her eyes widened as she looked past Wayne toward the doorway.
Wayne slowly turned around.
Someone was standing just outside the room.
But it wasn’t one of the women who had left.
And whoever it was…
HAD HEARD EVERYTHING.
TO BE CONTINUED…
And whoever it was…
HAD HEARD EVERYTHING.
TO BE CONTINUED…