RIVER

“Sorry, your card has been declined.”

My head goes up too quickly to meet the eyes of the cashier at the bookshop. There is a line behind me, and that statement from him is enough to start gossip.

“If she can’t afford it, why is she holding up the line?” “Oh gosh, I hate poor people.”

I murmured an apology to the cashier, who threw me a sorry expression. I returned the books to the shelves and made my way out of the store. The eyes of the people on the line follow me as I ...