The afternoon dragged on, and I found myself staring at the clock more often than not. My desk was a mess, papers scattered like leaves in a storm. Each file represented an incomplete task, a deadline I wasn’t sure I could meet.
At 4 PM, I decided to take a walk outside, hoping the fresh air would clear my mind. The office building loomed behind me as I stepped onto the sidewalk, the cold air biting at my cheeks.
My phone buzzed in my pocket. It was a message from my coworker, Anna.
“We should talk,” it read, cryptic but somehow reassuring.
I texted back, “Sure. After work?”
Her reply came quickly. “Let’s meet at the usual place.”
Anna and I often met at a small café down the street. It was our sanctuary, a place where we could speak freely without the weight of the office pressing down on us.
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