As Vonda stood up from her chair, she noticed Max exiting his office with his work bag in hand. It was evident that he was ready to leave, which was not unusual since it was already the end of the workday. However, in her memory, Max had never left the office early. He usually waited until the office was a bit quieter before heading home. But that Friday afternoon seemed to be an exception.

Max looked at Vonda, who was tidying up her belongings, and proceeded to close the door. “I'm heading out first. Have a great weekend,” he said.

Vonda smiled. “Sure. Have a great weekend too.”

Perhaps it...