Violet

Another piece of clothing landed in my hands. I caught it automatically, adding it to the growing pile in my arms. At this point, I wasn’t an employee anymore, I was a walking coat rack.

They moved through the store at an unhurried pace, talking to each other as if I didn’t exist. The woman snatched up anything that caught her eye only to toss it at me. I trailed behind in silence, my arms aching, the growing pile wobbling with each new addition.

I took a deep breath, forcing the simmer in my chest to cool. The last thing I needed was to lose my temper. This was...