Chapter 4

I grabbed a seat by the window.

Outside, cars and crowds streamed past. Everyone was rushing around, chasing after their own lives.

I used to be just like them, even more disheveled and rushed than any of them.

Now, I was just another unemployed nobody.

A flood of loss and uncertainty washed over me. Was I really free? Or had I just traded one cage for a vast, empty wilderness?

The pasta arrived quickly.

Steam rose from the plate, and the rich aroma wafted over, making my mouth water.

I picked up my fork, blew on the pasta, and took…