The rain poured heavily as I walked through the dimly lit streets, my thin jacket doing little to shield me from the downpour. I clutched the grocery bag tighter, feeling the cold water seep through the fabric. My shoes splashed in puddles, each step reminding me of how today had unraveled into a string of bad luck. The weight of it all pressed down on my shoulders like the gray clouds above.

CHAPTER 50
Chad was the late arrival at work on Monday morning, as he was busy dropping Vern off somewhere. I didn’t need to know whose place was involved, as long as the lad brought a smile into the office on his arrival.

Ronnie was already behind her desk, and in response to Maryam’s “Morning!” as the three of us walked in together, Ronnie simply said, “Very chipper this morning, Ms Rahman!”, before shutting her mouth more than a second after speaking.