The days had blurred together, a suffocating loop of routine.
Wake up. Pretend her phone didn’t exist. Go to work. Come home. Sit in silence. Repeat.
It was easier that way. Easier than thinking about Devon, about Liz, about the betrayal that had broken everything she thought she knew. Easier than admitting that every look, every word, every lingering laugh he had ever shared now felt poisoned.
Jazmine wrapped her coat tighter around herself as she stepped outside. The chill of the evening air bit at her cheeks, a welcome contrast to the stifling stillness of her apartment. She walked briskly, her boots tapping against the pavement, the hum of the city around her both comforting and alien.
⸻
At work, the restaurant was alive with noise—clattering dishes, laughter, conversations blendi
