I got to the office before everyone else.
That alone felt like a personal victory.
The cleaners were still moving around with their carts, the air smelling faintly of disinfectant and coffee that hadn't been brewed yet. I checked the time twice just to be sure. Ten minutes early. Not late. Not rushing in with my hair half-done and excuses forming in my head.
Early.
I dropped my bag on my desk and went over the file again. "Presentation of a Brief Summary for Department 4D2." The title stared back at me like it was daring me to mess up.
My hands were slightly cold.
This wasn't even my report. I was summarizing another department's work. But somehow it felt bigger than that. Loretta had called it my "first test." The way she said it made it sound like an entrance exam to survive in this building.
When the board meeting started, I could feel my heartbeat in my ears.
