The first rays of morning light crept through the narrow gap in the blinds, casting shadows across Evelyn's room. She stirred beneath the thin sheets, her eyes still heavy with exhaustion but there was no time for rest. She hadn't slept properly in days, the stress of her mother's failing health and her father's violence hanging over her like a dark cloud.
Her body ached and her head was pounding from the restless night she had just endured. Her father had passed out on the couch after another long night of drinking. She could hear the faint sound of his gruff breathing from the other room, his snore filling the silence. She didn't dare make a sound as she slowly pulled herself out of bed, careful not to make a sound.
One wrong move and the chaos would start again. He was never predictable, especially after a night of drinking. Her father was a ticking bomb and she had learned long ago to tiptoe around him, to hide her vulnerability.
She had her bath and dressed quickly in the dim light, pulling on some faded clothes that had seen better days.
There was no time to care about appearances. Her focus was on getting out of the house without drawing his attention.
She stepped quietly over the cracked floorboards, her steps as soft as she could manage, praying that he wouldn't stir. The moment she reached the door, she paused, listening for any sign that he was awake. His snoring continued, steady and deep. She exhaled in relief and slipped out of her room, closing the door behind her as quietly as possible.
The house was silent as she made her way to the kitchen, trying to move swiftly. Evelyn didn't have the luxury of time, not with the pressures of her life constantly demanding more from her than she could give.
She quickly grabbed a piece of bread and spread a thin layer of peanut butter on it, barely tasting the food as she shoved it into her mouth. There was no time to waste. She had to get to the office, she couldn't afford to be late. Every minute of the day felt like it was slipping away from her, but it was the only way she could keep her mother's medical bills from piling up higher than they already were.
"Stay calm, Evelyn", she whispered to herself as she grabbed her purse. She had no idea how much longer her mother would last and the thought of her father's rage when she returned home was the last thing she needed.
The drive to work was longer than usual. Evelyn sat in traffic, her thoughts drifting as the radio hummed softly in the background. Her mind kept racing between the endless work piling up at the firm, her mother's health, and the constant fear of her father's violence.
As she pulled into the parking lot, she braced herself for another grueling day. Her exhaustion was palpable but there was no room for weakness. She had to push through, for her mother and for herself.
The day was already in full swing by the time she walked into the office. She was greeted by the usual disapproving gaze of her boss, Mr. Montgomery, who was already pacing in his office.
"Late again, Miss Hart?" he asked without looking up from his computer screen. "I've told you before, time is money. Get it together."
Evelyn sighed inwardly, but she didn't argue. She had heard this speech a thousand times. The pay was never enough, and yet she was always expected to work harder, stay later, do more. Her paycheck barely covered her mother's bills, and the financial strain was wearing her down. She tried not to think about it but every bill, every doctor's visit, every test, every emergency fee felt like another weight on her shoulders.
"Sorry, Mr. Montgomery," she said as she quickly sat at her desk, trying to mask the exhaustion she felt. "I'll make sure it doesn't happen again."
But it would. It always did.
As the day dragged on, Evelyn buried herself in work, trying to block out the gnawing worry in her chest. The Knight Enterprises case sat before her, a stack of documents that felt like a mountain. The legal jargon was dense but the pressure was even heavier. She had no choice but to dive into it headfirst. If she didn't deliver, the firm would crumble. Her mother's hospital bills were due next week, and she didn't know how she was going to cover them. The tightrope she was walking was getting thinner every day.
"Evelyn, I need those reports on my desk by this afternoon," Mr. Montgomery's voice interrupted her thoughts. He was already standing in her doorway, arms crossed, his impatience visible.
"I'm working on them, Mr. Montgomery. I'll have them to you by 4:00 PM."
His gaze hardened, but he nodded. "Make it 3:00. Knight Enterprises doesn't wait for anyone."
Evelyn swallowed hard as the pressure mounted. She couldn't afford to disappoint. She had worked too hard for the chance to prove herself in the firm. But the late nights, the long hours, the lack of pay were all starting to feel like too much. She had been working at the firm for over three years now and though she had been promoted to junior assistant, her salary hadn't budged.
It was never enough.
She barely had time for a proper lunch. A small sandwich, eaten at her desk while she scrambled to finish the legal documents for Knight Enterprises. Her stomach churned from the hunger, but she didn't have time to dwell on it. She couldn't afford to waste a single moment. The bills kept coming, her mother's condition was worsening and her father was still a ticking time bomb waiting to explode when she returned home.
Evelyn let out a quiet breath, pushing through the fatigue that clung to her like a second skin. She wasn't allowed to break. Not now.
The day passed in a blur, and by the time 3:00 PM rolled around, Evelyn felt as though she was running on fumes. She had barely made a dent in the Knight Enterprises case but at least she could say she had tried.
"Here you go, Mr. Montgomery," she said, her voice strained as she handed him the report. "It's ready."
He barely glanced at her, muttering a quick "Good" before turning back to his paperwork. Evelyn stood there for a moment, feeling a pang of frustration at how little recognition she ever received. She had been doing this work for months, working late, staying late, juggling a hundred tasks at once. But it was never enough.
The drive home felt longer than usual. Her exhaustion weighed on her like a physical burden, and the thought of going back to that house. But she had no choice. She had nowhere else to go and her father would be waiting.
As she pulled into the driveway, she could already see Charles Hart's figure in the living room window a dim light glowing in the darkness, and the sound of low music coming from the speakers.
Her heart skipped a beat. Her father. He was already waiting for her.