Page 15 - LSFlipFinalV7

NICHOLAS BOOTHMAN
nightmare, a tangled web of deadlines and demanding
clients.
She skimmed the email. More problems. More
fires to put out. More pressure.
The buzzing in her head was now a full-blown
alarm. A red alert.
This was her life now, a constant state of low-grade
panic, occasionally punctuated by spikes of full-blown
dread. At twenty-eight, Billie had once envisioned a
vibrant career, a life filled with creative pursuits and
genuine connection. Instead, she found herself an
Associate Marketing Manager at Veridian Solutions,
a rising star in the tech landscape, or so the glossy
company brochures proclaimed. Her initial
enthusiasm had long since been eroded by the sheer,
unyielding volume of work, the impenetrable
corporate jargon, and a creeping sense that something
was fundamentally off.
She thought back to last night. Dinner with
friends. Supposed to be relaxing. Instead, her mind
had raced a mile a minute, ticking off to-do lists,
replaying conversations, anticipating tomorrow’s
disasters. She’d smiled and nodded, but she hadn’t
truly been present.
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