Surviving As The Villainess's Attendant

"I’ll get going now. Good night."

"Yeah. Don’t be late tomorrow."

"I won’t."

After exchanging those final goodbyes with my coworkers, I finally managed to get the hell away from the construction site.

Yeah... I’m a laborer. Working on the site all day, covered in dust and sweat, hauling materials like some disposable background character in someone else’s story. It’s not glamorous, but it pays enough to survive.

And right now? Survival is all I can really aim for.

I walked a few blocks with my boots dragging against the pavement, the streetlights flickering like they were just as tired as I was. My shoulders ached. My back was killing me. Every step felt heavier than the last.

Finally, I spotted the bus pulling up at the stop.

I hopped on, tapped my card with a half-dead beep, and collapsed into the nearest seat by the window. The city lights blurred past as we rolled down the road. I leaned my head against the cool glass and closed my eyes, just for a second.

Buzz.

My phone vibrated in my pocket. I sighed and pulled it out.