The early morning sun hadn’t fully broken through the clouds when Lena Carter’s phone buzzed on her nightstand. At 5:30 a.m., the call could only mean one thing—something was wrong.
Her sister Isabel’s voice sounded strained and feverish. She was sick, barely able to stand, and terrified of losing her most important client: a private household position at the Hart estate. If she didn’t show up, she risked losing steady income, healthcare coverage, and long-term job security.
“Please,” Isabel begged. “Just cover for me today. It’s basic house cleaning and light childcare. He’s a widower, works nonstop, and his son is five. I wouldn’t ask if I wasn’t desperate.”
Lena hesitated. She was a graduate student finishing her master’s degree in early childhood education, balancing tuition payments, student loans, and part-time work. But Isabel had helped her survive college, grief, and financial stress after their parents died suddenly years earlier.