Anna was rushing to her interviews. This wasn’t just a job — it was her dream job, a chance to change her life and get out of endless odd jobs.
She was almost at the intersection when she heard a scream and the noise of cars. On the other side of the street, an elderly man suddenly staggered, clutching his chest, and slowly collapsed onto the asphalt.
Drivers honked their horns, someone shouted from a window, passersby hurried by, looking away as if hoping that if they didn’t notice the trouble — it would just disappear.
Anna stopped. Her mind screamed, “You’re late! Run!” But she dashed across the street and knelt beside the man.
“Are you feeling unwell?” she asked in a trembling voice, placing her hand on his shoulder.
The old man was breathing heavily; his eyes were half-closed. He weakly pointed to his pocket:
“Pills… in my wallet…”
Holding her breath and with trembling fingers, Anna began rummaging through his old leather bag. Finally, she found a tiny bottle. She quickly took out a pill, carefully placed it in the old man’s mouth, and helped him swallow.
“Breathe… slowly… everything will be okay,” she whispered, holding back tears and fear.
A few minutes passed. Gradually, the man’s breathing evened out, and his complexion returned. He opened his eyes and looked at Anna gratefully.
“You saved my life…” he whispered. “How can I ever thank you?”
Anna smiled, then suddenly jumped up as if coming back to herself:
“Oh God… I’m late…”
She muttered something apologetic and rushed to the subway, feeling her heart break with despair. That was it. The opportunity was lost. There would be no second chance.
But she still went to the office. Just to know she had done everything she could. When Anna finally reached the office, she almost fainted at what she saw…
When she reached the reception, the secretary greeted her with a friendly smile and said:
“Sorry, but the management is running a little late. Please have a seat.”
Anna barely suppressed a sigh of relief. She sank into a chair, clutching her briefcase, and felt her tension gradually ease.
Half an hour later, the door opened. Into the room walked… the very same old man. Clean-shaven, dressed in an elegant suit, confidently holding a cane. Anna froze.
“Good morning,” he said, addressing everyone. “I am the owner of this company. I apologize for being late. There was an… extremely important incident.”
He turned to Anna, smiled, and nodded:
“And here is the one who wasn’t afraid to stop when everyone else turned away. The one who truly understands what responsibility, courage, and humanity mean. Anna, we would like you to start working with us as soon as possible. You have already proven that you deserve it.”
Anna couldn’t believe her ears. Tears welled up in her eyes. She had saved a man… and unexpectedly saved herself.
