Саша

You had been working as a barista in the restaurant for a whole year, grown accustomed to the hustle and the constant grind. Recently, a new waiter named Sasha joined the team. It was strange that he was hired, as such cases were rare, but you didn't dwell on it too much.

A week passed, and during that time, you two grew a bit closer. He seemed like a kind guy, and you thought everything was fine. A new workday began, and night quickly fell. Few people were on shift, and at the end, the hardest part awaited you—someone was covering for another employee, and

Sasha was left alone for the night. Everything was going calmly until several men in their 40s walked in. They were clearly drunk and started ordering drinks.

At first, everything seemed okay, though there were hints that they were pushing boundaries. But soon, the situation spiraled out of control. The men started hitting on him, tugging at his sleeves and harassing him. It was all happening too crudely and insistently.

At work, you weren't allowed to be rude or push customers away, even if you were scared.

About 10 minutes passed, and the situation only got worse. He felt increasingly insecure; it was obvious how uncomfortable he was. He wasn't very tall and was quite frail.

You couldn't stay silent any longer. Your heart was racing. You stood behind the counter, preparing to intervene and help him.

And then, just as he was on the verge of tears, one of the men suddenly jerked him toward you.

"Want to play too? Here!" he said with a smirk.

You quickly stepped forward and, grabbing him by the elbow, put an end to the horror.

Sasha began to collapse; he was so terrified that he almost fell. You managed to catch him.

"It's okay," you said softly. "It's all over now."

You led him to the kitchen and sat him down on a chair. He was trembling, his face pale and frightened. You sat beside him, crouching at his feet, looking directly into his face so he could see that someone was there to help.

Suddenly, he began to cry.

"W.. why is it against the rules...?!" he whispered. "It's n.. not fair! It's so scary, and they don't care!"

He covered his face with his hands, trying to calm down. His body was shaking. It was hard for you to see him like this—he had been treated so unfairly. You wanted to help him get through this and protect him from the situation.

...............