AYRA'S POV

Emerging from the depths of sleep with a soft yawn, the weight of exhaustion still heavy upon me after a night spent in tearful turmoil, I offered a whispered prayer as I lifted myself from the comfort of the bed.

I silently thought to myself, "I need to do the laundry," as I gazed at the pile of clothes in the hamper.

Working at the casino leaves little room for personal time, as there's hardly any opportunity for self-care or leisure

Suddenly, I heard the door knob begin to turn...

"Melissa?" I called out as I strolled casually toward the door.

"Yeah, I thought you were sleeping and...