Mysterious Mrs. Pansy

Just as Jane was getting ready to leave, she received a call from Monica. “How long do you need to finish your task?”

“I’m done,” Jane replied.

“What? Have you double-checked everything? Are you absolutely certain there are no errors?”

Monica hadn’t expected Jane to finish so quickly.

“Yes, I’m sure. If you have nothing else to say, I’ll hang up and head home now,” Jane responded impatiently.

“Wait! There’s more. You can’t leave work just yet!” Monica suddenly raised her voice.

“Why?” Jane inquired, pausing at the door.

“I’ve just received a call. There’s another document that must be input into the system, and I’m on my way with it. Please wait.”

“Can’t you just email it to me? I can’t wait for you to come over at this hour.”

“No, it’s a complex task, and you haven’t done it before. If you make a mistake, it could lead to serious trouble. Please wait! Why are you complaining like a spoiled child? As an employee of this prestigious company, you should be prepared to work overtime. I’m already home, but I don’t mind coming back to ensure everything is set for tomorrow.”

“Ah, I understand,” Jane said. She didn’t think too much about it and assumed Monica wasn’t intentionally making things difficult for her. Given the late hour, Jane opted to wait at her desk and passed the time listening to music and playing games to unwind. After forty minutes, Monica still hadn’t arrived.

Feeling a need to use the restroom, Jane stepped away briefly. She resumed playing games for another twenty minutes upon her return, but there was still no sign of Monica.

Jane decided to call her. “Why haven’t you arrived yet? I’ve been waiting for over an hour!”

“It’s not my fault I’m running late. I took a taxi to save time, but I got stuck in a traffic jam due to an accident. I’m just getting out of the traffic now. Don’t worry; I’ll be there in thirty minutes. Can you believe the unlucky timing? The higher-ups should’ve given me the heads-up sooner. I can’t believe I’m rushing to the office at this hour! Hey, can you drive faster? I’m in a hurry.”

Listening to Monica’s complaints, Jane was starting to get a headache. Her patience was wearing thin. “Just make it quick.”

Unbeknownst to Jane, Monica was comfortably lounging at home in an oversized t-shirt. She tossed her phone aside after ending the call, heading to the bathroom. “What a fool! Jane, you’re going to wait here for a long time,” Monica cackled like an evil witch.

Another forty minutes went by, and Monica still hadn’t appeared. Jane’s patience was now dwindling.

She called Monica once more. “Do you want me to spend the entire night here? Where are you?”

Monica, meanwhile, was reclining on her sofa with a facial mask. “Why are you in such a hurry? I’m not enjoying being late, you know. Unfortunately, I’m stuck in a difficult situation. Just keep waiting. I’m nearly there. I’ll arrive in ten minutes. Get moving, would you? We’ll reach in ten minutes, right? Well, I…”

Jane finally interjected, “I’ll give you ten more minutes. If you’re not here by then, I’m leaving.”

Upon hearing the abrupt dial tone, Monica tossed her phone onto the couch, picked up a grape, and leisurely munched on it.

It wasn’t until now that Jane started to smell a rat. After some consideration, she forwarded Monica’s phone number to someone and sent a text: “Find the location of this number.”

A response arrived five minutes later.

Jane’s blood boiled as she stared at her phone screen. Monica was in a residential area and wasn’t moving.

Fuming, she slapped the desk. “This is unbelievable! How dare you play tricks on me, Monica? I must have been too trusting. What was I thinking, believing that you were actually en route?”

She grabbed her bag and headed to the door, devising a plan for revenge as she went. Just as she reached for the doorknob, the lights went out.

The office, previously empty but for Jane, was now plunged into darkness.

Startled, Jane glanced around with a mixture of fear and trepidation. Slowly, she retreated to her desk, fished out her phone from her bag, and turned on the flashlight.

From her childhood, Jane had always had a strong aversion to the dark. Her heart raced in her chest. Despite the cold chills running down her spine, her palms and forehead were slick with sweat.

As her fear deepened, she crawled under the desk, hugging herself with her chin resting on her knees. The flashlight on her phone provided little comfort, as it struggled to dispel the surrounding darkness.

What had caused the blackout? How long would it take to restore power?

Quaking with fear, Jane tapped on her phone screen, intending to call the security office. But she suddenly realized she didn’t have their number. Her anxiety had muddled her thoughts, making it difficult to think clearly.