Caitlin forced her legs to move, walking on autopilot back to the reception desk. Her hands felt numb as she placed the project proposal on the polished marble counter.

"I'm here to drop this off for Mr. Harrell's office," she said, her voice sounding distant to her own ears.

The receptionist picked up her phone, murmured a few words, and listened. A moment later, she hung up and pushed the binder back toward Caitlin.

"I'm sorry," the woman said, her professional smile not quite reaching her eyes. "Mr. Harrell's office has indicated that your firm does not meet the preliminary qualifications. They won't be accepting the proposal."

The words hit her like a physical blow. A hot, prickling shame washed over her face. It felt as if he had slapped her, right here in this cathedral of corporate power. She numbly stuffed the binder back into her tote bag, turned, and walked quickly out of the Zenith Tower.

The bustling Manhattan sidewalk felt alien, the sounds of the city muffled. Her phone began to vibrate violently in her bag.

She pulled it out. The screen displayed a number she knew all too well: Long Island Private Care Sanitarium.

Her thumb trembled as she answered. "Hello?"

"Ms. Knight?" It was the head nurse, her voice strained with urgency. "It's your mother. Sharon. She had an episode. A new orderly was assisting with her medication, and she became agitated. She's broken a vital signs monitor and an infusion pump."

A wave of dizziness washed over Caitlin. "I... I'm so sorry. Is she okay?"

"She's been sedated. But you need to come handle the damages."

"I'll be right there," Caitlin promised, her voice hollow.

She stumbled toward the subway, her mind a chaotic blur. The ride on the Long Island Rail Road was a purgatory of screeching wheels and fleeting landscapes. She stared out the window, not seeing the scenery, a single, hot tear finally escaping and tracing a cold path down her cheek.

From the station in Long Island, an Uber took her the rest of the way to the serene, manicured grounds of the sanitarium. It looked more like a country club than a medical facility.

She found her mother, Sharon, sitting in a wheelchair in the administrative office, her face a stony mask of defiance. Caitlin knelt by her side, murmuring a few soothing words before turning to face the nurse manager.

The nurse slid a long, itemized bill across the desk.

Caitlin's eyes scanned the list of damaged equipment. The final number at the bottom made the air leave her lungs in a painful rush. It was more than she made in three months.

With a shaking hand, she pulled out her credit card—the one that was already nearly maxed out. She handed it to the finance clerk. The machine beeped, the transaction approved. Just like that, next month's rent was gone.

After settling her mother back in her room, Caitlin began the long journey back to Manhattan. By the time she pushed open the door to her office, the sky was completely dark. Only a few dedicated colleagues remained, their faces illuminated by the glow of their monitors.

The door to Walter Price's office flew open. He stormed out, waving a piece of paper—a fax from Zenith's legal department, formally declining their bid.

"Knight!" he roared, his voice echoing in the quiet office. He jabbed a finger in her direction. "You couldn't even deliver a simple proposal? You made us look like amateurs! We lost the Zenith contract because of you!"

Caitlin stood frozen by her desk, her head bowed, as his spittle-flecked tirade washed over her. She clenched her fists so tightly her nails dug into her palms, the sharp sting grounding her, helping her fight back the tears that burned behind her eyes.

Walter finally ran out of steam, slamming his office door with a resounding bang.

A moment later, her colleague Nora Foster rolled her chair over, a silent offering of a tissue in her outstretched hand.

Caitlin took it, her lips forming a silent "thank you." She collapsed into her chair, the exhaustion of the day settling on her like a physical weight. She stared at the mountain of design work on her computer screen, and for the first time in her life, felt a suffocating sense of utter, complete despair.