When she went outside that evening, the rain had already turned to fog, and the old woman’s words rang louder than the roar of the traffic.
Suzanne stopped at the crosswalk, pulled out her phone, and, almost unconsciously, booked a bed at the nearest hostel.
She never returned home that night.
The next morning, Suzanne arrived at the old woman’s place earlier than usual. The woman raised her head, as if she’d been expecting her.
That night, while Suzanne was staying at the hotel, her fourth-floor apartment burned down completely—the firefighters said the door had been forced open, and the fire started in several places.
Then came an explanation that sent a shiver down Suzanne’s spine. The old woman said that the night before last, she heard two men following Suzanne as she was leaving work, discussing a plan to “finish things with her tonight” and “finish the apartment quietly.”
She was afraid she’d be chased away if she interfered, so she waited until the morning, when she could warn them privately.
Later, it turned out that the two men were her ex-husband and his friend, who had decided to get rid of Suzanne for the sake of her apartment.
And only thanks to the old woman, her concern and her courage, did Suzanne survive.
