Witness to My Breaking Point

Lisa, my coworker, had barely clocked in when she spotted the couple. Their presence was impossible to ignore—an oppressive energy that seemed to pull the entire café into their orbit. She glanced my way, her brows knitting together. I must have looked like a wreck—fear and frustration etched into my face like a map of the battle I’d been fighting all morning.

I could tell she’d never seen me like this. Always quick with a sarcastic quip, she stayed silent unusually. Her gaze flicked from the couple to me, her expression tightening as if she could feel the malice radiating from their table.