I walked into the house, my body aching as if I\u2019d been carrying the world on my back. Work had drained me, and all I wanted was to collapse. But laughter echoed from the garage, pulling me in.<\/p>\n
Inside, Mark and his friend Greg were covered in grease, still tinkering with the same car they\u2019d been \u201cfixing\u201d for weeks. When I asked why they were still at it, Greg suggested Mark could work two jobs until he found something. My patience snapped. I fired back, and Mark, rather than defending me, just shrugged.<\/p>\n
One week later, I was exhausted from working two jobs, and when I came home to find the place a mess, Mark complained about dinner. I snapped. He suggested that maybe I should just handle everything because \u201cthat\u2019s a woman\u2019s job.\u201d I told him I was done.<\/p>\n
Later, Mark promised to take a job if offered, and sure enough, he got a mechanic job. But instead of relief, I felt cold\u2014his smugness made me question his sincerity.<\/p>\n
At work, I had a tense conversation with Jake about some new hires. Then, I stepped outside, only to see Mark and Greg among them. Mark\u2019s face turned pale when he realized I was their boss. Greg\u2019s confusion turned to realization, and Mark, finally acknowledging how much he\u2019d taken me for granted, muttered an apology. I didn\u2019t rush to forgive him. I told him, “Let\u2019s see if you mean it,” and walked away.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"