His words lingered long after he left her office, and that night she opened his personnel file out of restless curiosity. She saw notes about punctuality, glowing customer reviews, and zero complaints despite working the most demanding shifts.
Over the next few days she reviewed security footage from different locations in her chain, telling herself it was routine oversight. She watched Owen help overwhelmed coworkers, cover shifts without protest, and rush out each afternoon to pick up Lily, and she felt a strange emptiness as she compared his life to her own penthouse solitude.
Two weeks later, his fragile routine cracked when the neighbor who usually watched Lily broke her wrist and could no longer help. With no family nearby and no money for emergency childcare, Owen faced an impossible choice between missing work or bringing his daughter with him.
Victoria overheard his strained phone call in the manager’s office and authorized Lily to stay in the back of the restaurant for one evening. She told herself it was a practical decision, yet she remained in the building that night, unable to concentrate in her office.