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CHAPTER NINE : Cracks In The Routine

Author: Steph stories
last update publish date: 2026-06-12 22:21:04

Work felt impossible the next day.

Helen called in sick, the lie sitting bitter on her tongue as she spoke to Marcus over the phone, her voice carefully steady.

The apartment closed in around her after the call, so she pulled on her oversized coat—the fabric heavy and concealing against the mild but damp Boston air—and walked the streets near Birch Street.

The pavement was still slick from overnight rain, carrying the crisp scent of wet leaves and distant coffee shops.

Her sneakers scraped rhyt
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