Esther’s POV
The job notice was little more than a scrap of paper, tacked crookedly to the tavern door, the ink already bleeding from rain.
At least it was something. It was the only lifeline thrown into the chaos of my life.
I pulled the hood of my jacket lower, hiding my face as I scanned the words: Help wanted at the apothecary. Laborer. Urgent. It wasn’t glamorous or rewarding for someone like me, but it was legal and reliable.
It was a way to keep Carl’s treatment and medicines coming without interruption.
My stomach tightened. Carl’s treatments weren’t cheap. Miss a payment, and the hospital might pull back entirely. The thought made bile rise. I couldn’t let my son suffer because of my failures.
I stepped off the muddy curb, ignoring the drunks spilling into the streets. My
