Working in the lab without any work-life balance was draining. The demand for deadlines and results was mind-numbing, and being known as the reliable researcher who always delivered had its own burdens.
However, it wasn't all bad.
There were times Penny felt alive—when she finally solved something she had been working on for months. Moments of quiet satisfaction when she answered even one question among the millions in the world. Occasions when she was rewarded for a job well done.
Still, the sadness, the loneliness, the numbness she felt while working in this very lab were often too overwhelming for her to even want to set foot in it. But she still did—despite how sickening it felt—for one simple reason: to close that chapter of her life.
Penny had never planned on returning to this lab as an adult. Not even for a visit. She could always ambush Professor Singh in his office if needed.
