Amelia’s POV

My laptop screen glows in the darkness of my studio apartment, the only light source at 8PM.

Thank you for your application. Unfortunately, we’ve decided to move forward with other candidates.

I deleted the email without reading the rest. It’s the fourteenth rejection this week, each one a variation of the same polite dismissal.

My cursor hovers over the next job posting—receptionist at a dental office, minimum wage, no benefits. I click anyway, filling ...