Chapter 41

**Chapter: The Morning Revelation**

I wake up with the sun glaring through the thin curtains of my room, casting a pale light across the disarray of clothes and papers scattered on the floor. It's another day at Joe's Diner. Another day of scraping by with tips, forcing a smile for customers who barely notice I'm alive. I sigh, sitting up in bed. I need to get out of there. I need a better job, better money—**something** that doesn't leave me exhausted and questioning my life choices every night.

Swinging my legs over the side of the bed, I take a deep breath. **Just get through today, Athena.**