Annabelle's POV
"Arghhh! I can't believe I'm late again!"
I've been rushing since the moment I woke up—at exactly 5 a.m.—just to make sure I got to work on time. This is the first job I've managed to keep for more than a week, and I really don't want to lose it. I can't afford to mess this one up.
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About Annabelle Heyes:
Annabelle is clumsy. That's the one word everyone uses to describe her. Nothing ever seems to go right for her, no matter how hard she tries. So when she got this café job, she promised herself she would hold on to it no matter what.
She's 21 and lives with her mum and grandma. Her dad passed away when she was really young, and all she knows about him is that he was rich. But after he died, everything in their life went downhill. She has an older brother, Stephen, and a younger sister, Bertha—each three years apart. Funny thing is, both of them are doing great in life, while she feels like she's just… stuck. Sometimes she says, "I was born to suffer," and deep down, she really believes it.
Annabelle has long golden hair, ocean-blue eyes, and soft, pale skin. She's beautiful, but she doesn't feel that way. She doesn't see herself the way others do. Her self-esteem is very low, and that's something people often get annoyed with. They don't understand why she can't see her own worth.
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Annabelle's POV
"Mum! I'm leaving now! See you later!" I shouted, running out the door as fast as I could.
I was already super late. I was supposed to be at the café by 6 a.m., and it was already 6:45. My heart was pounding, and I felt like crying. Why does this always happen to me? I woke up so early, I planned everything, and still… I'm late. Again.
My head was full of thoughts as I ran down the street. People were staring at me, but I didn't care. I was used to it by now. I probably looked crazy—hair flying everywhere, bag slipping off my shoulder, face in a panic—but I didn't stop.
When I finally got to the café, I pushed the door open hard and ran inside—only to bump straight into someone.
"I'm so sorry, sir! I'm really, really sorry!" I said quickly without even looking up. I didn't stop to hear what he said. I just ran to the back to change into my work clothes as fast as I could.
But before I could finish changing, I heard the voice I'd been dreading.
"You're late again, Annabelle!"
I turned around quickly, heart racing. "Sir, I can explain—please," I said with a shaky voice.
Mr. Bones crossed his arms and frowned. "Of course you can explain. That's all you've done since you started working here. Every day, it's something."
He wasn't wrong, and I knew it.
"Sir, I promise I woke up early today—"
He cut me off. "Don't bother, Annabelle. You're fired."
Just like that, my world fell apart. Again.
I stood there in silence, trying to stay calm, but I felt like someone had punched me in the stomach. This was the fourth job I'd lost this year—and it's only July.
I slowly took off my apron, blinking back tears. My throat felt tight, but I refused to cry in front of him.
Not here.
Not now.
Not again.