I went to bed, but sleep didn’t come.

Every time I closed my eyes, I heard the sound of my sister’s voice, cold and demanding, threatening to strip away my livelihood.

At 6:00 AM, my alarm went off.

The sky outside was a pale, icy gray.

I dressed quickly in my best flannel shirt and clean jeans, leaving my work boots by the door in favor of a pair of leather shoes.

My phone showed no new messages from Megan, but there was an email notification.

It was from Vance & Associates.

“We have reviewed your inquiry. Can you be at our office at 7:30 AM?”

I grabbed my keys, my folder of documents, and my phone, and walked out into the freezing morning.

The van’s windshield was covered in a thick layer of ice, and I scraped it off with furious, rapid strokes.

The air was so cold my breath came out in thick white plumes.

I drove through the quiet streets, the city slowly waking up around me.

When I arrived at the office building, the lobby was warm and smelled of lemon polish.