Every day, she left home bright and early and didn't return until the dead of night. Her working hours exceeded 14 hours a day, and she worked seven days a week without any real rest. After finishing her shifts, she always looked utterly exhausted as she boarded the bus. Even though she was dead tired, she didn't dare fall asleep on the ride—she forced herself to stay awake for the 40-minute late-night bus journey home. Day by day, her face grew paler and more worn.
Seeing Sophie toil so relentlessly every single day broke Archibald's heart. He was genuinely afraid that one day she might collapse from overwork and die.
Today, Archibald could no longer hold back.
Around 1:30 p.m., after the lunchtime rush at the convenience store had died down, the automatic door slid open with a chime of "Welcome!" He strode in confidently.
