Chapter 4:
She almost stayed in bed that morning. The disappointment from the day before still pressed heavily on her chest. But hunger didn't care about discouragement, and neither did the unpaid bills scattered across the table. She stood up slowly, breathed deeply, and decided to try one more time.
The streets felt quieter than usual as she walked, her steps uncertain but steady. She stopped at a small shop near the corner, one she had passed many times without noticing. The owner looked at her briefly before asking simple questions — nothing complicated, nothing promising.
The job wasn't much. Just a few hours of cleaning and helping around the shop. The pay was small, barely enough, but it was real. When the owner handed her the money at the end of the day, she stared at it for a moment, surprised by how much it meant to her.
That night, as she sat in her room again, she realized something important. The opportunity wasn't a miracle. It was imperfect, tiring, and small — but it was hers. And for the first time in a long while, she went to sleep knowing that waiting was no longer her only option.