Charlotte stood behind the counter of her bakery, fingers dusted faintly with flour, though there was nothing warm or comforting about the moment. Bills, notices, and warnings, each one more suffocating than the last were spread out in front of her. She had just finished speaking to her landlord, and the conversation still echoed in her ears.
The rent had doubled.
If she wanted to stay, she would have to pay.
As if that weren't enough, another food and safety inspection was scheduled for the next day, the kind that could shut her down for good if anything went wrong. It felt as though everything was closing in at once, each problem tightening around her like a noose she couldn't slip out of.
Her life was spiraling.
And then… the sound of a soft chime, cut cleanly through the noise in her head.
