tood in front of the crack

ick liquid over the dark purple bruise blooming on her forearm. She h

e sink. A sharp ding e

It was an automated

eceived:

hat was double the usual amount Dewitt tran

ther text popped up

rk. Increasing th

corners of her mouth slowly curled up. A warm

he wasn't completely heartless. H

emoji. She grabbed her worn canva

the lobby of Finch Tech. The small tech company sat on the dusty edge of Long Island City, Queens, tucked between a warehouse and a shut

t for her desk. It was shoved into a dark corner, rig

s the power button on her computer, a he

da j

He wore a tailored suit that d

put into a PowerPoint by five o'clock," Preston o

stack. It was easil

d, trying to keep her voice steady. "I still have to wr

He leaned down, placing b

tendance bonus for the mo

. Complaini

ach dropped.

other-in-law of Frieda's sister, Cora, str

Finch family didn't take pity on you, a trailer-park girl lik

heir typing. They watched the scene with mock

it hurt to breathe. The humiliati

rising in her mouth. Sh

urned away from them and aggressively

the concrete stairs in

She chewed on a dry,

d her sister Cora's number. She ju

on the third

. In the background, a baby was

Marge is on a rampage today.

h panic. "Just do whatever she says. Please. If you fight

-chewed sandwich turne

aw terror in he

r throat felt like it was closing u

g up th

wall. The weight of her toxic family pressed down on her c

y, the image of Dewitt's tex

a bo

ptive father, calling for another "loan" to cover his gambling debts. He always called

le, hostile world, her fake, cold husband was the onl

y. She shoved the rest of the san

en and walked back into the snake