The call never came.
The first day passed gently, hope still warm in Collins's chest. He told himself they were busy. Big companies took time. Good things required patience.
By the second day, he checked his phone more often than he prayed.
By the third, hope had thinned into anxiety.
Each vibration made his heart jump. Each notification that wasn't them felt like a small betrayal. He reread the interview notes in his head, searching for mistakes that weren't there. The interviewer's smile. The reassuring words. You should expect good news.
But heaven remained quiet.
By the end of the week, silence had become loud.
Collins sat at the small table in his apartment, his phone beside him, his laptop open but untouched. Slowly, almost unwillingly, he logged into his bank app.
The numbers stared back at him.
The last dime.
