Zoe wiped her hands on her apron as the kitchen began to quiet down for the night. The clang of pans and the hiss of stoves gave way to idle chatter among the staff, and for the first time all day, she allowed herself to breathe. Being one of the chefs meant stability, better pay, steadier hours but it also meant long stretches where her phone stayed locked away in the staff lockers.

She tugged off her apron, retrieved her phone, and unlocked it with a weary swipe. The screen lit up, and her ...