I lost everything in one day—my job, my home, and then my father. At his will reading, my sister took the house and shut me out. I was left with nothing but an old apiary… and a secret I never saw coming.
Routine.
That was the foundation of my life. I stocked shelves, greeted customers with a polite smile, and memorized who always bought which brand of cereal or how often they ran out of milk.
At the end of every shift, I counted my wages, setting aside a little each week without a clear purpose. It was more a habit than a plan.
And then, in a single day, everything crumbled like a dry cookie between careless fingers.
“We’re making cuts, Adele,” my manager said.
“I’m sorry.”
She didn’t wait for a response. There was nothing to discuss. I took off my name tag and placed it on the counter.
I walked home silently, but as soon as I reached my apartment building, something felt off. The front door was unlocked, and a faint trace of unfamiliar female perfume lingered in the air.
My boyfriend, Ethan, stood beside my suitcase in the living room.
“I am listening.”
“Adele, you’re a great person, really. But I feel like I’m…
evolving. And you’re just… staying the same.”
“Oh, I see,” I muttered.
“I need someone who pushes me to be better,” he added, glancing toward the window.
That “someone” was currently waiting outside in his car.
I didn’t argue.
I didn’t beg. I picked up my suitcase and walked out. The city felt enormous, and suddenly, I had nowhere to go.
Then my phone rang.
Mr. Howard. That’s what they called him.
What happened next changed everything… FULL STORY on the next page.
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