Avalon City

Ring... Ring... Ring!

The alarm blared for the third time that morning, but Ava still lay buried under her blanket. She groaned, rolling over and slapping the snooze button once again. The warmth of her bed was too tempting to leave, but reality hit her like a thunderclap she was already an hour late for work!

"Holy crap!" she yelped, eyes darting to the clock.

Throwing off the covers, she stumbled out of bed, moving sluggishly like a log of wood. Her entire body ached from exhaustion, and she wished she could call in sick. But she couldn't afford to lose her job not when she had bills to pay.

Ava was a stunning young woman in her early twenties, with golden blonde hair cascading down her shoulders, striking blue eyes, and full, plum lips that gave her an effortlessly alluring charm. Her straight, slender legs added to her elegance, and though she lived alone in a small apartment, she remained close to her mother and younger sister, who resided in the same city.

After rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she dashed into the bathroom, freshened up within minutes, and hurriedly dressed. Thankfully, she had laid out her outfit the night before. Pulling her long hair into a sleek ponytail, she grabbed her bag and rushed out the door.

Mrs. Pat's wrath was something she could never escape.

As she booked a cab and made her way to the restaurant, her heart pounded with anxiety. The moment she arrived and stepped out, she spotted a familiar figure at the back entrance. Madam Pat.

Before Ava could even plead for mercy, a loud smack! echoed through the air.

"You lazy miscreant!" Mrs. Pat fumed, her hands planted firmly on her hips. "Do you have any idea how long I've been waiting for you? Two whole hours! Where have you been?!"

"I'm so sorry, ma'am," Ava winced, rubbing her stinging cheek. "I was exhausted from yesterday's shift. We closed really late, and-"

"Enough of your excuses!" Mrs. Pat cut her off. "Now get inside and get to work before I lose my temper even more!"

Ava swallowed her frustration, wiped the forming tears from her eyes, and slipped on her apron. She had been working at the restaurant for seven grueling months, enduring everything from insults to outright abuse. But she had no choice; the pay wasn't great, but it was better than nothing, she has a dream of having her own bakery so she has been saving heavily for it, loosing her job would be really bad for her

As the evening drew closer, she and her colleague Lola began cleaning up, preparing for closing time.