Days slipped by until the following Monday arrived.
"The River Swan, an old family play—every daughter in our bloodline had to memorize Scenes 1 through 143 by heart. Grandmother used to drill them into us as bedtime stories back when we were still in the cradle. I was always praised for my expressive acting, but my dance technique was another matter entirely. I was scolded constantly for using the wrong posture."Adeline used her free time to finish coloring her new illustration.
The result came out far more striking than she expected: a vivid depiction of a spider leaping into the sunlight. The soft orange light spilling through her office window signaled that dusk was fast approaching. She carefully rolled up the artwork to bring it to Ms. Cill later. After checking each floor to ensure nothing seemed out of place, she headed down to the factory. There she found Brian and five other workers finishing their daily shift.
Brian was working with full focus, yet something about him was clearly off. He was sweating more than usual, looking pale and uneasy. His eyes were bloodshot, the veins pooling red across the whites. Concerned, Adeline stepped closer.
"Brian, you look strange today. Yomi told me you didn't order lunch. Is everything alright?" she asked.
"Yes…"Brian smiled, but his reddened eyes looked like those of someone who had been crying—though no tears fell at all.
"Your eyes look much redder than usual," Adeline said, narrowing her gaze.
"Oh, I just didn't sleep enough. Spent too much time at a friend's place last night. Haha…"But Adeline could tell from his eyes alone that he wasn't being entirely honest.
"Well, don't overdo it next time. And if you feel unwell tomorrow, you can take a sick day."
"I'll be fine," he muttered, nodding—then avoided saying anything more.
As evening reached six o'clock, Adeline returned to her office for one final inspection before heading home. By then, all the workers had already left. Her robotic secretary, Yokumi, was sitting in the center of the hall. Upon detecting her, the robot activated and greeted her.
"Madam Adeline, one of the workers turned in a lost wallet. Someone must have dropped it on their way out," Yokumi said, retrieving a brown leather wallet from under the round table.
Adeline took it for inspection. On the front was an engraved inscription—"Prezlee 50s."
"Thank you, Yomi. I'll contact the owner myself."She opened it, looking for any identifying items. Inside was a torn photograph of a bald middle-aged man with a well-kept beard—someone who resembled one of the workers—and beside him, a middle-aged woman standing close.
Adeline froze for a moment, as if recalling something.
"…Could it be?"Continuing her search, she found ten coins tucked inside, along with a white card in the side compartment. The information on the card read:
Medication: Paroxetine 60 mg
Patient: Mr. Brian W. DixonDiagnosis:
Severe Stress Disorder
Total Cost: 62 $