Chapter 1
Chapter One: Late Nights and Lost Dreams
The neon light outside Old Mill Pub and Grill flickered, buzzing like a tired old man grumbling to himself. Inside, the smell of coffee, grease, and the faint trace of cheap air freshener clung to the air.
Stella wiped down the counter for what felt like the hundredth time that night. It was past midnight, and the diner was nearly empty except for a trucker nursing his fourth cup of coffee and a pair of college students deep in conversation about an exam paper.
Her feet ached, her back protested, but she wasn’t done yet. Just a few more hours, and she could finally go home.
“Hey, Stella,” called her coworker, Jen, as she leaned against the soda machine. “Ever think about quitting this place?”
Stella snorted. “Every damn day.”
Jen laughed, but Stella wasn’t joking.
She had spent years working toward her Bcom degree, believing it would be her ticket out of dead-end jobs and financial struggle. But reality was harsher than she had expected. Degrees didn’t guarantee opportunities—not when you didn’t have the right connections.
Her phone buzzed in her apron pocket. A message from Lisa:
Lisa: Mom called. You gonna pick up this time?
Stella sighed. Her mother had a way of reaching out at the worst moments.
Not tonight.
Not when she barely had the energy to get through her shift.
She tucked her phone away and forced a smile as a customer approached the counter. “What can I get you?” Life was all about survival. Dreams never come true.
Stella collapsed onto the couch, kicking off her converse with a relieved sigh. The apartment she shared with Lisa wasn’t much—a small two-bedroom with creaky floors and mismatched furniture—but it was theirs.
Lisa, sprawled on the other end of the couch, gave her a look. “You didn’t call her.”
“Not this again,” Stella groaned, rubbing her temples.
Lisa sat up. “She keeps trying, Stell. Maybe hear her out?”
Stella shook her head. “What’s there to hear? She didn’t believe in me when I needed her. She only calls now to remind me of how much I’ve failed.”
Lisa sighed but didn’t push further. She had been Stella’s best friend since college, the one person who had stood by her when things got tough. Their friendship was the only steady thing in her life.
“You working tomorrow?” Lisa asked, changing the subject.
“Morning shift. Then I’ll drop off your lunch at the office.”
Lisa grinned. “Good. I need a distraction from that soul-sucking place.”
Stella chuckled, but deep down, she envied Lisa’s stability. A corporate job, a steady paycheck. Maybe she should’ve taken the safe route instead of chasing a dream that refused to materialize.
As she lay in bed that night, staring at the ceiling, she wondered if things would ever change.
