"You don't know who you're dealing with." Oliver looked frustrated looking at Sheina. Meanwhile, once back from Atlanta, Sheina found a stack of case files on her desk and she started with the most urgent one.
"Boss, She is a victim of human trafficking who is demanding her rights." Sheina threw the dossier in her hand on the table.
Oliver took the dossier, "You did it for the sake of humanity, but your demands will never be processed, understand."
"At least I tried." Sheina was adamant.
"You don't know what you dealing with, better to stop now." Oliver looked at Sheina, half-pleading, but Sheina still stood up with a waist-to-waist, indicating that she was still very emotional.
A case in which a mother wanted to follow up the disappearance of the princess who had been reported to the police but there was never a bright spot. And now her mother is trying to take the case to the media so that the news is bigger until it gets the attention of the relevant parties. Because without blowing up this news to the media, the voices of small people like them will only be ignored.
"He has evidence, and all the evidence is there. Even the license plate of the vehicle used to carry his daughter was recorded, but the police had never handled the case."
"Because some people are in the institution and off the record, both you and I understand that very well." Oliver assured.
"Maybe with the blow-up of this case, it's going to be clean." Sheina raised her eyebrows.
"No, this system has been formed for years or even decades, you will only make yourself happy by helping that woman, standing behind her and blowing up the case to the media." Oliver tried to keep Sheina from all those crazy ideas of hers.
Sheina circled the table, she lowered her body and with both hands resting on the side of the chair where Oliver was sitting, "Imagine if it were your sister, you would just shut up?" Sheina asked through gritted and emphasized teeth.
"It's precisely because I know what it's like, I don't want you to do that stupidity." Oliver returned Sheina's gaze and got up to his feet, he said all of it was stressful, just as Sheina did to him a few seconds ago, even more threatening.
Oliver walked out of Sheina's room angrily because this wasn't the first time they had an argument, but this time Oliver was mobilizing all means to forbid Sheina from backing up the old woman named Jovanca to bring her daughter's case to the media.
Sheina threw herself to her seat, for a while she thought of what was said by Oliver, but the old lady came to her two days ago crying, she told Sheina. "You'll know what it's like when you raise a princess you're proud of and the only one you have and then someone takes it from you just like that." The old lady said with tears in her eyes and a trembling voice.
Even the last two nights, Sheina had a nightmare about a kidnapping. Like when she was held captive by Mala and Nic even though they ended up talking fine, what if Mrs. Jovanca Bill's daughter went through the same thing, maybe worse. This incident happened a month and a half ago and there has never been any clarity from the police and even a re-report has been made by Jovanca.
The single mother went to great lengths to find her daughter, she also desperately paid the lawyer who had previously helped her take care of everything needed to make a report and lawsuit over her daughter's case and there was no follow-up even until Jovanca almost lost everything she had. The woman had even sold the car and the money from the sale of the old car was brought in with an envelope and given to Sheina on her desk saying, "Take this, if even for the down payment alone you feel that it is not enough, I will try to find it. Just mention how much I have to pay to get your favor." The woman said, and Sheina felt torn apart.
For him all cases are the same, whether they can pay a high price or not. Although Sheina had asked Jovanca to bring back the money and promised to help her, but after Oliver found out about the case, he refused to give permission for Sheina to advocate for the woman.
***
At four o'clock in the afternoon, Sheina carried the coffee cup she had just made and walked to her boss's room. She stood in the doorway and chose not to knock, watching Oliver busy with the files on his desk.
Realizing that someone was watching him, Oliver stared towards the door and sighed deeply without saying anything. Sheina walked into the room and put her coffee cup on the table.
"I don't have much time to argue, say it quickly." Oliver said while doing his job, so much work was delayed during the time he spent a week in Atlanta for the sake of the girl sitting opposite him.
Sheina swallowed, "I will still help that woman." She whispered softly. Oliver had already guessed that his lover would not give up so easily, he must have been just waiting for the right time to do his intentions, with or without his knowledge.
"They're mobsters and you don't know how terrible it is." Oliver put his pen on the table with a bang.
"I have promised him." Sheina replied.
"You also promised me that you won't cause any harm to you." Oliver folded his arms together and looked at Sheina. "For whatever reason."
Sheina squeezed the bridge of her nose, "The last two nights I slept with the same nightmare, a young girl screamed for help in a dark room." She whispered with a pale face.
"Believe me that the police are doing their job well, they are still searching." Oliver assured Sheina.
"What if they're not?" Sheina tried to deny.
Sheina sighed deeply, "I was once in that position, kidnapped by Mala and Nic." Sheina said.
"What?!" Oliver looked surprised, he didn't even think that it was a kidnapping.
"Why did you just say it just now?!" His protest.
"You're going to kill them both, and you won't help their case if I tell you." Sheina replied.
Oliver shook his head, "I can't believe you've been hiding it from me all these years."
"Listen, the point is not about Mala and Nic, but about kidnapping. I've felt it and right now maybe the girl is in need of help somewhere and there has to be a wistleblower."
"And that person is not you." Oliver shook his head, "They'll know who you are and easily find you, then harm you and I don't want that to happen, not under my watch."
"Oliver, this hasn't even happened to me yet. What are you afraid of?!" Sheina asked in frustration.
"Have the woman seek help from a private detective, who I know is the best that can be done now. Blowing up this news to the media will only end badly, you throw a wild ball and a lot of people will be affected, those whose business does not want to be disturbed by you will be disturbed and attack you."
"Ok." Sheina got up from where she was sitting and carried her coffee cup out of Oliver's room. But in him, he the fire was still blazing. He is still standing on his feet and ready to step up to make this matter an issue worthy of attention by people with power. And the power they have should be used by them to help the weak, not the other way around.