*Lena*
My heart raced as I rode the elevator, rehearsing my resignation speech in my head. The fabric of my blazer felt constricting as if conspiring with Zara to keep me trapped in this life I so desperately wanted to leave behind.
“I know it’s short notice, but it’s a family emergency,” I repeated over and over again. I had to get this right.
The doors slid open, and I strode purposefully towards Sylvie’s office. I took a breath, my hand hovering over the partially open door. It was now or never. I knocked once, pushed the door open, and walked in. The sight that greeted me, however, made my jaw drop.
Sylvie’s office, which was always in order, looked like a tornado had torn through it. Papers were strewn across every surface, some fluttering to the floor as if caught in an invisible
