familiar grounds of her home city. After completing her Master's degree in Business Ad

ng airport. Alex turned to see her parents, Richard a

nd rushing into their arms. The warm family reuni

road. She narrated her experiences, from her struggles to the trium

xandra," Richard said, a h

another surprise. Her friends, who she hadn't seen since she

d as she pulled her into a tigh

me without you," Mark, anothe

her friends. "I missed you guy

skyline serving as the backdrop to their grand celebration. As she danced and laughed the nigh

t 5'5", with a lithe, dancer's body that speaks of grace and agility. Her hair, a torrent of vibrant ch

lling the air. Alex found herself surrounded by her frien

, Alex," she began, a twinkle in her eye, "You've told us all a

, intrigued. "And what

cy exclaimed, earning a chorus

hift in topic. "Oh, there wasn't much to tell,

ex, "You're telling us that you lived abroad

riosity. "Guys, I was too busy studying

l," Lucy said, raising her glass, "Here's to hoping th

ng with their banter. Little did she know how soon her friends' playful wish would come t

The words jumped out at her, words like "foreclosure," "liquidation," and "bankruptcy." A chill ran down her spine. She flipped through more papers, each one a dreadful echo of the

lation was a gut punch, leaving her breathless. Alex had no idea what this would mean for their future