Ghost Writer

A woman was struggling in front of her computer writing a novel for a client who asked her to finish a chapter today. The beautiful woman who wore glasses was named Cassandra or commonly called Sandra. Her job is as a ghost writer who writes for other writers who also often pay her services for all her writings day and night every day. Not bad, every writing is paid for her needs even though the writing she wrote belongs to someone else.

"Can you speed up the writing a bit? It's taking so long," said the person behind the phone booth she had just picked up, who turned out to be Kimi Meow. The pen name of her client, Ayu.

Cassandra didn't bother. Her eyes stayed on the screen of her laptop and continued typing word after word that flowed through her mind. Across the room, Ayu grunted in annoyance as Cassandra ignored her call.

"Hey! On the phone and silent! Have we written today's chapter yet?" Ayu looked angry on the other side.

Cassandra was again silent, she was still busy stringing one word after another into a complete story especially since writing requires a lot of concentration so that her writing does not become chaotic. "Ayu, sorry. It looks like you contacted me at an inopportune time, I'm still writing your chapter today," said the woman still in front of her laptop.

"You're useless, how many words have you written, really?" asked Ayu while biting her finger.

Cassandra just snorted casually. Cassandra was used to experiencing things like this. Scolded by her own clients for sometimes being late in sending her writing to them for review. Her clients didn't know how hard it was for her to write and think of a story and string all the words into paragraphs. They can only get the finished product, while at the same time railing against her because sometimes there are typos scattered there.

"Patience a little more, yes, Ayu. I've only written 500 words here."

Cassandra replied casually while fixing her glasses.

"Hurry up now! Today I got a love letter from my editor, here. I have to send my new episode on the Perfect Writer platform as soon as possible, here. I don't want to know that I didn't get my earnings this month and didn't get a bonus either. I won't pay you, even if there's still money left in my account from last month," the woman explained casually.

Cassandra glanced at the clock on the wall of her room, squinting her eyes to see the hands of the clock. "Look, it looks like I'm going to write three chapters at once to make amends for my writing that you have to up in your novel late.

"You just realized, huh!" Ayu grinned behind the phone. "It's good that today you want to write three chapters at once in my novel. But remember not to be late again. Instead, my readers will protest and ask for more chapters.

Cassandra cleared her throat, "well I will do it happily without complaining in the slightest," Cassandra said then continued her words. "So can you pay me three times as much for this crazy up?"

"Pay you for crazy up?"

"Yes, today I need enough money, I seem to have insomnia after you promised your readers 50 episodes a day for the anniversary of your fifth novel," Cassandra offered.

"Oh... So you need more money, huh. Do I have to pay you for this?"

"Y-y-yes."

"Are you blackmailing me? After all, it's your obligation to be a ghost writer, and I already give 20% of my income to you as a salary," Ayu sneered at Cassandra for wanting to charge more.

"But ...."

"No buts for you Cassandra, this is my work not yours!" Ayu snapped at Cassandra with shameless confidence.

"That's it, I'm not going to charge you more for this. You'd better hang up right now. I have to write for your novel anyway. Never mind, yes, I'll continue my writing for your novel right now.

Cassandra immediately hung up the phone and resumed writing Ayu's novel in front of her computer.

"Cassandra, aren't you tired of your work, dear," said Lina's mother who suddenly came from behind her daughter.

Cassandra turned to her mother and smiled. "No ma'am, I really enjoy my job."

"Aren't you tired of being a writer for other people. You are talented, Cassandra. Why not write a novel for yourself? Who knows, your writing will explode in the market," said her mother encouraging Cassandra.

"I'm not confident in my own writing, Mom."

"Not confident? How do you mean you're not confident?"

"I'm more comfortable being a ghost writer, Mom, and it's not time for me to write my own novel. I feel that my writing is still lacking and I'm not ready to do it. I'll be a ghost writer for the rest of my life."

Cassandra continued writing on her computer and ignored the questions her mother would ask her.

"Cassandra what mom is talking about is true, do you want to depend on your fate as a ghost writer that doesn't pay much. After all, it will eventually become a job that makes you crazy because you have to create stories that you write for other people. it would be better if you write novels on a platform for yourself while earning a much more decent income than ghost writers."

"Enough mom! Enough! Stop your babbling right now! I hate it when you have to babble to me about this!" snapped Cassandra as she slammed her hand on the table.

A moment later, Cassandra picked up her laptop and immediately rushed from the dining table then went to her room to continue her writing so that she wouldn't be disturbed by her mother anymore.

***

Cassandra managed to send all the chapters of her story that had been written to Ayu along with a headache that gnawed at her head suddenly that somehow appeared without any warning. She put her head down on the table and wanted to get rid of her tiredness today. Suddenly, his cell phone rang on his desk. Adding to the headache that was getting more and more throbbing. Cassandra picked up her cell phone and saw a video call that turned out to be from her friend who seemed to be giving good news soon.

"Good evening, my dear friend."

A woman opened the conversation cheerfully pleased with herself for contacting her at such an inopportune time. The woman who had just spoken on her phone was Laura. Cassandra's college friend who now works as an editor at Perfect Writer.

"Why are you calling me at a time like this, anyway, and why are you wearing glasses that look so much like my model?" Cassandra rested her chin on her desk feeling a little angry. But, it wouldn't be Laura if she called Cassandra to give her some important news or information.

"It looks like I called you at an inopportune time, so I think I'll hang up and let you get some rest."

Cassandra gasped in surprise and eagerly sat on the chair while giving Laura her best smile.

"What new information are you going to give me, La?" Cassandra asked Laura hoping for a miracle.

"Well, Perfect Writer just announced yesterday that they're going to hold I Need Writer season 2 and the prize is really big, you know."

Cassandra gritted her teeth and snorted in annoyance at this. "Oh, so this is the information you gave me!" Cassandra said in an annoyed tone.

"Isn't this a great opportunity for you. To show the world how great you are," Laura encouraged Cassandra.

Cassandra picked her nose at her phone screen. "No, I don't think I'm interested in this. It's boring."

"Why aren't you interested, Cassandra?

"Just not interested. It's just that I'm comfortable with my job, a livelihood that I've been doing for five years."

"Being a ghost writer, oh my. You don't have to keep doing this, San," Laura said.

Cassandra had a pained look on her face and turned off Laura's boring phone call. This was Laura's worst and most boring piece of information, her friend never gave her any good news and even though she was an editor working for a famous novel platform that was now an editor of famous writers, every bad piece of information had to do with a novel writing competition to find famous writers, however, everything Laura told her sounded like nonsense. She wanted a big client to request her services, maybe... yes, maybe a famous writer who was suffering from writer's block.

"Cassandra, there's a contest for Melodrama novels, isn't that your specialty for writing sad novels. It's perfect for you darling, should I help you submit it. Come on, please."

"Cassandra, isn't your writing ability already good and has been growing rapidly. Should I help you so you can join. It pays well, rather than you being a ghostwriter. It's a l