Chapter 1
Too Many Yeses
Amelia Hart had already said yes seven times before nine in the morning.
The first yes was to covering Jenna's shift at the front desk because her cat had apparently developed emotional problems overnight. Amelia wasn't sure how a cat could have an emotional crisis before sunrise, but she nodded anyway.
The second yes was to helping Martin finish the presentation he had procrastinated on for two weeks.
The third was to bringing coffee for the entire office because someone joked that Amelia always knew everyone's order.
She did.
And by the time she stepped into the elevator with two paper trays of coffee balanced in her hands and her phone buzzing nonstop in her pocket, Amelia realized something.
Her day hadn't even started yet.
The elevator doors opened to the third floor and she carefully stepped out, trying not to spill the coffee.
"Amelia!" someone called.
Of course.
She turned with a polite smile already forming on her face.
It was Rebecca from accounting, holding a stack of files that looked heavy enough to collapse a small table.
"Could you help me review these before the meeting?" Rebecca asked. "You're so good at catching mistakes."
Amelia's brain whispered something dangerous.
You don't have time.
Her mouth responded automatically.
"Of course."
Rebecca beamed like Amelia had just offered her a winning lottery ticket.
"Thank you! You're a lifesaver."
Amelia nodded and walked toward her desk, her arms aching slightly from the coffee trays.
Her phone buzzed again.
Three new messages.
She set the coffee down and unlocked the screen.
Mom:
Don't forget to call your aunt later. She's been asking about you.
Lily:
Hey! I need your help with something. I'll explain later.
Unknown number:
Can you swap shifts on Thursday?
Amelia stared at the screen.
A strange heaviness settled in her chest.
Not sadness.
Not anger.
Just exhaustion.
The kind that quietly builds over time until one day you realize you're tired in a way sleep doesn't fix.
"Coffee delivery!" someone announced cheerfully.
Amelia forced another smile.
Everyone gathered around the desk, grabbing their drinks.
"Amelia, you're the best," Martin said.
"You always take care of everyone," Jenna added.
"You're too nice," Rebecca laughed.
Amelia laughed too.
Because that was the correct response.
But somewhere inside her, a quiet voice whispered something she quickly ignored.
When was the last time someone took care of you?
She glanced around the office for a moment — at Martin already back at his desk, at Jenna chatting with a coworker, at Rebecca tucking the files under her arm and walking away without a second glance. Nobody noticed the ache behind Amelia's smile. Nobody was meant to. She had spent years making sure of that.
Her phone buzzed again.
Another message from Lily.
Emergency. I really need you tonight. Please say yes.
Amelia stared at the word yes glowing on the screen.
For a brief moment, something rebellious flickered in her chest.
A tiny spark of a thought.
What if you said no?
The idea felt so unfamiliar it almost made her laugh.
She had plans tonight. Small ones — nothing dramatic. Just a quiet evening she had promised herself three weeks ago, when the exhaustion had first started settling into her bones like something permanent. A bath. A book she hadn't opened. The simple, selfish luxury of an evening that belonged entirely to her.
Amelia typed back without thinking.
Of course. I'll help.
She pressed send.
And just like that, the spark disappeared.
She set her phone face-down on the desk, picked up Rebecca's files, and got back to work.
The evening, like so many others before it, would have to wait.
