Emily rushed into the room, her voice light and cheerful. "Mom's fine. She asked me to call you over."
Alex followed her into the director's room. Director White was half-lying on the bed, covered with a warm blanket, her face much more relaxed than before. As soon as she saw Alex enter, she smiled gently, gesturing for him to sit in the chair next to her.
"I'm sorry for letting you see me like that," she said.
Alex shook his head, waving off her apology. "What are you talking about, sister? You don't need to apologize for anything. We're family. There's no need for formalities between us."
Director White let out a small sigh, "When I mention my brother, I can't help but think about everything. The truth is, I'm very emotional, but I've gotten so good at hiding it. You probably don't notice because I put on a strong front at work, in public, everywhere. But that's not the real me. It's just a facade I've learned to wear to survive. It's how I've been able to succeed, but it's exhausting."
She paused for a moment, her gaze drifting towards the window.
"People envy me. I know they do," she continued, "They see the career, the stability, the success—but they don't see what's behind it. They don't see the long hours, the sacrifices, the loneliness. Honestly, it's a very draining life. I suppress everything inside. When my husband is at home, at least I have someone to talk to. But when he's away, like now, it's… it's unbearable sometimes."
Alex could feel the sadness in her voice. Director White rarely opened up like this.
"I try calling him sometimes," she confessed, "but with the time difference, it's always inconvenient. When I'm free, he's not. And when he's free, I'm usually caught up with something. So I just bottle it all up, pretend everything's fine, and keep moving. But it takes its toll. There are nights when I come home and feel so overwhelmed that I can't sleep. And I don't want Emily to see that. I don't want her to feel my stress, so I hide it. But sometimes, I just can't help it, and I end up venting my frustrations on her."
She lowered her head slightly, a trace of guilt crossing her face. "She's suffered a lot because of it. I get angry at her for no reason sometimes, and then I feel terrible afterward. It's absurd, really. That's why she's so happy when you're around, Alex. First of all, I stop getting angry at her when you're here. And second, you bring this light, this energy, that she feeds off of. There's laughter in the house again, and she has someone to play with. I feel lighter, too, because I have someone to talk to."
Tears glistened in Director White's eyes as she took Alex's hand, "Thank you, Alex. Really, thank you so much for being here. You don't know how much it means to both of us."
Alex's heart swelled with warmth. He squeezed her hand back, "I'm happy to be here," he said. "You're someone I've always looked up to, Director. You're so strong, and you've achieved so much. I really do admire you."
She gave a weak chuckle, shaking her head slightly. "What's there to admire, really? Being a woman is hard enough, but being a woman with a career—it's a different kind of struggle. Behind every strong woman, there's a lot of pain and sacrifice. The stronger she seems, the more she's holding inside. Sometimes I envy people who don't have to carry so much. Sometimes I envy you, Alex."
Alex raised his eyebrows, taken aback. "Me?"
"Yes, you," she said, a small, wistful smile on her lips. "I imagine what it's like to be carefree. To not have the weight of the world on your shoulders. Sometimes, I wish you could stay this way forever. But other times, I want you to grow up faster, take on more responsibility, become someone who can handle everything thrown at them. It's all so contradictory, isn't it? I'm constantly torn between wanting to protect you and wanting to push you forward."
Alex nodded quietly, understanding the complexity of her emotions. He admired how she could open up. She was right—it was a contradiction, but that was life. It was messy, complicated, and full of contradictions.
Director White was silent for a moment, lost in thought again. Then, without warning, she looked him directly in the eye, her expression serious. "Alex, what do you really think about your relationship with Sarah?" she asked. "Be honest with me."