Arthur froze for a beat after Valerie’s words sank in. It was the first time she’d ever admitted she didn’t like her job. Usually, she came off as fired‑up, never whining about office drama, even though Arthur knew damn well her work drained her energy and ate up her time.

While he was still trying to wrap his head around what she’d just said, Valerie spoke again.

“But what am I supposed to do if I don’t work?”

Arthur frowned, not really catching where she was going with ...