Journalist on Make-Or-Break Interview with Fire Victim at Burning Mall Learns Her Son Is Inside — Story of the Day

Gianna was all set to conduct a pathbreaking interview with a fire victim. But suddenly, she read a message on her phone that sank her heart. What she did next defined who she was - not just as a journalist, but as a human being.

"Blood red! Her audience loves that lip shade on their favorite field reporter," the producer's assistant, Jerry, told the makeup lady in the vanity van. Gianna didn't respond. She just wanted to get it over with so she could get to the part she was passionate about: reporting the news.

Gianna had struck a chord with her audience in a very short time at her new job as a correspondent. She was a driven, career-minded woman who was primed for success, from always being a straight-A student in school and college to starting her career in journalism at the age of 19.

But things slowed down when she married her college sweetheart, Jonathan. The couple welcomed their first child before their first anniversary. Neither Jonathan nor Gianna were prepared to become parents, but they loved their little boy, Tyler. But soon, the cracks in the couple's marriage started growing wider.

Jonathan struggled to find a steady job, and Gianna struggled to take care of Tyler and the house on her own. The couple could not cope with their individual stress levels and started having fights regularly.

Jonathan would get triggered when he returned home and found the house untidy, dishes not done, and food unsatisfactory. Gianna would get angry as Jonathan couldn't hold a job, let alone climb the corporate ladder.

Eventually, Jonathan and Gianna decided to split. For the sake of Tyler, they opted for co-parenting. Gianna was determined to resume her career and reignite her passion for journalism. She worked hard and wanted to succeed in life for her son.

"When you reach those heights you've been chasing, don't forget your humanity."

Gianna was so driven that she didn't even realize when she blurred the lines of morality. Her current job was not just because of her talent and skill. It had an element of malice. And as karma would have it, the office politics made her place in the network unsteady.

A couple of years ago, Gianna had been working hard to earn a correspondent's position at the news network. The competition was tough, so when she overheard that a rival journalist, Adam, was likely to get the correspondent's job, she did something unthinkable.

She framed her competitor by starting a controversy that linked him to unethical journalistic practices. He was soon sacked, and Gianna got the job instead.

Deep down in her heart, Gianna resented herself for crossing the line.

"It's for Tyler. It's okay. It's for Tyler," Gianna would comfort herself and move on.

Years later, here she was, sitting pensively in a vanity van, preparing to report on some fluff that nobody was going to really care about. She pondered over her career and her life with a hint of sorrow. She was really close to making a name for herself. But she was exhausted by the rat race.

"It wasn't supposed to be this way. My talent should've been enough. Why could I not have a steady family life so I wouldn't compromise my career? I need to make this better. I need to make this right. How would I face Tyler—"

"Gianna!" The producer's assistant, Jerry, broke Gianna's train of thought.

"There's been a massive fire in the city mall just five minutes away. I've arranged for an interview with one of the victims. Everyone's watching the news about the fire. If this interview goes well, you'll be a star!"

Gianna was disgusted at Jerry's opportunism. But she did not respond. She knew first-hand how the rat race changes you as a person. She quickly got ready as they drove to the burning mall.

The victim, a 21-year-old boy, was getting preliminary treatment in the paramedic's van. The young boy was shaking with fear and was unprepared for any cameras. "No…no camera, please!" the boy was crying.

Gianna calmed him and promised that she would only take five minutes and blur his face if he wanted. She then turned on the voice recorder on her phone and began empathizing with the scared victim and asking him questions.

Meanwhile, Gianna's phone was buzzing non-stop, interrupting the interview. "Who on earth is bothering me right now?" Gianna apologized to the victim and took a peek at the caller. It was Jonathan. 7 missed calls. 4 messages.

She had left her son Tyler with him before she went to work that day. She opened her messages, and her face turned pale.

"Answer the phone, Gianna. I don't know what to do. I had left Tyler in the mall's play area for a bit before all this happened."

Gianna froze as she felt the air being sucked out of her lungs. The next moment, she leaped out of the van and ran towards the burning mall. "TYLER!" Gianna screamed as she desperately ran through the crowded street outside the mall.

The police stopped her from going close to the mall. But with all her might, she tried to go past them. It took three police officers to restrain Gianna with their arms. When she couldn't do anything, she broke down crying.

Suddenly, Gianna's eyes moved toward the ambulance, where she saw Tyler with the doctors. She ran towards him, screaming, "Oh, thank God! Tyler!"

"Mama!" the toddler raised his hands to hug his mother. The doctors said that he was in no danger. The firefighters evacuated the kids in the play area first.

Soon, Jonathan arrived near the ambulance as well. He apologized to Gianna, and the troubled family embraced each other.

Gianna realized that she had lost her phone while looking for Tyler. The audio of her incomplete make-or-break interview was stored in it. However, she did not care anymore. The following day, she went to her office expecting to be fired by her boss.

"Sit down, Gianna," her producer, Mr. Greggs, said in a serious tone. Gianna sat down, awaiting the inevitable.

"I remember my first day as a reporter like it was yesterday. I believed I could change the world. And by the time I realized how I had neglected my own home and my own sons, all in the chase of the next big promotion, it was too late."

"That day, I learned a lesson that if you cared about a successful career, you couldn't care about much else. You had to lose your tenderness to be tough and last in this brutal world, I thought."

"But what you did yesterday…challenged that. You threw away your one shot at success in a heartbeat for the sake of your child's well-being."

"And if I choose to penalize you for showing an ounce of humanity, I won't be able to sleep at night..." Mr. Greggs said, pausing before giving Gianna the most unexpected news.

"So I've decided to reward you instead. I called you here to hand over your promotion letter. Just promise me one thing: When you reach those heights you've been chasing, don't forget your humanity."

Gianna had tears in her eyes. She nodded and accepted her promotion letter, knowing that the incident had changed something within her forever.

What can we learn from this story?

• There are things that matter more than money and career. Although Gianna did not show any redeemable qualities before, she let it all go when it mattered. Her love for her child guided her toward the righteous path.
• A mother's love trumps all. Gianna was immersed in getting her career-defining interview right, but she dropped everything to find her son when she learned he could have been in the building.

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If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about a woman who landed the promotion she had dreamed of, but it changed her into an angry, impatient woman. Things took an ugly turn for her when she lashed out at the old janitor who worked at the same store...

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