Prologue

“Finally,” Addy sighed, the glass door swinging closed behind her.

She looked up at the dark, overcast sky. It was fitting for her mood. She began the long walk to the station, her feet slightly dragging beneath her. An idle thought that she might resemble a zombie to passersby flitted into her mind. Her shuffling pace, the dark circles and bags under her eyes, and her wrinkled uniform gave the impression of a corpse that had died at least a week prior.

She removed her hat and let her hair down, shaking it out as it fell. She kept it in a short bob so it would be easy to deal with. No sense trying to maintain long hair when it ended up smelling like grease and ketchup after every shift. The thought made her shiver. Not many would be nauseated by the smell of ketchup, she imagined.

Addy pushed through the turnstile and glanced up one more time before she headed below ground. The sky, while still dark, was turning dull gray. The sun would be up soon, which meant that she had about six hours until her next shift. 

Walking past people hustling in the opposite direction, she was briefly tempted with envy for their suits and briefcases. Although they were hurrying to work before the sun had even risen, they probably never had to work a double shift. 

She shook the thought away. It was pointless speculation. For all she knew, they were worse off, and envying their suffering would not alleviate her own, regardless.

A smoldering ember ignited in her chest, her thoughts turning to the sixteen hours she just worked as she descended the stairs. She indulged in her simmering anger for just a moment, savoring the simplicity of the emotion before allowing it to pass behind her, imagining the coal falling from her body and settling on the last step.

She leaned her back against a tiled pillar rather than using one of the benches positioned around the platform. She had performed this particular dance enough to know that sitting down would only make getting back up harder. This was far from the first shift she had to cover because her coworker was “sick.”

The train screeched into the station, the sound so routine that she barely registered the micro damage repeated exposure was likely doing to her ears. She worked to convince herself that Vanessa was really sick and needed to stay home. She should be grateful that Vanessa had at least called rather than simply not showing up.

She tried to convince herself that it was understandable that none of the other shift managers had picked up the phone when she called to find a replacement. Of course, there would be no answer—the third shift started at 9:00 pm. Addy would probably ignore her phone if it rang that late, too.

She boarded the train, grabbing onto one of the handholds near the door—a luxury that would become rare as the morning rush approached. The lack of crowds was one—perhaps the only—silver lining to her situation.

Of course, the store manager would also be unavailable. It was 9:00 pm when she called, after all. Again, Addy herself probably would not have picked up the phone.

Of course, she had to stay for the second shift. She was the only shift manager available, and if she left the employees on their own, the regional manager would have her hide. 

Sure, the store manager and the other shift managers would get their share, too, but if Addy deliberately abandoned the employees when no one else was available, even termination could be on the table.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

She shifted her body slightly, leaning this way and that with the train’s motion as she tried to convince herself that her exhaustion was inevitable. It may be unfair, but it was simply the reality of the situation. She made it to the shift manager position specifically because she did what needed to be done without being told. 

Sure, it was only a couple of dollars an hour more than a crew position at minimum wage, but it was still progress. Besides, the overtime pay would be nice—would make up for this lethargy she felt deep in her bones.