CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE – A HELPING HAND

Over the next couple hours, Jenna refilled both their glasses frequently as Mara unburdened herself of every frustration she'd been bottling up - the mounting debt, the sleazy loanshark Vinny's threats, and now this devastating blow to her professional reputation. Purging it all felt incredibly cathartic, a much-needed venting of toxic negativity. "Ugh, I'm just so...so angry all the time!" Mara growled helplessly after relaying the disastrous interview follow up. "At Andy for being such an oblivious ass about everything. At those corporate douchebags holding one mistake over my head indefinitely. But mainly at myself for letting it all blow up like this in the first place!" She drained her glass and immediately refilled it, needing something to cling to amid the sea of despair crashing over her. Jenna watched her with concern, slowly shaking her head. "Mara, Mara...you beautiful, brilliant dumbass. When are you gonna learn that you can't keep carrying the entire world on those de