The hallway outside the office was lined with motivational posters, each one extolling positivity and success. I found no comfort in them as I walked towards the exit. The numbers from the document echoed in my mind, refusing to be silenced.
« How did this happen? » I murmured to myself, stepping into the afternoon sun. The warmth did little to ease the chill that had settled in my bones.
My phone buzzed in my pocket. It was a text from my sister, Emma. « Did you sort everything out? » it read.
I hesitated before replying, unsure of how to explain the situation. « Not exactly, » I typed back. « There’s a lot more to deal with than I thought. »
Her response was immediate. « What do you mean? Dad said he covered everything. You should be fine. »
Should be fine. Those words felt like a cruel joke now. I pondered how to explain the reality to her without causing unnecessary alarm. My fingers hovered over the screen, caught between honesty and the desire to shield her from the truth.
« We need to talk, » I finally replied, knowing it was a conversation that couldn’t be avoided. The truth needed to be faced, even if it meant shattering the illusions we’d both held.
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