Understanding the Weight of Exhaustion
He reached out and gently touched her shoulder. “Sophie?” he whispered, his voice low to avoid startling her.
Her eyelids fluttered open, fear shadowing her face as she shot up, gripping the mop tighter. “Please, don’t fire me!” she blurted out, her words spilling like a broken dam.
Jonathan took a step back, his heart tightening at the desperation in her voice. “I’m not going to fire you,” he said, though he was aware that his initial instinct had been to do just that.
She blinked at him, confusion washing over her features. He felt a pang of empathy as he noticed the dark circles under her eyes, the way she looked both terrified and grateful all at once.
“What happened here?” he asked, gesturing to the bucket on the floor and the mop still resting in her grip. “You look like you haven’t slept in days.”
