Alexandra noticed the envelope the moment she stepped inside the apartment.
It lay on the table, white and stiff, her name printed neatly across the front. Something about it made her chest tighten.
She hadn't been expecting anything.
She dropped her bag and picked it up slowly, turning it over once before opening it. The words inside were short. Polite. Official.
Final Notice.
Her fingers trembled.
The building management had raised the rent. Again. And this time, they weren't offering patience.
Payment was due within two weeks.
Alexandra sat down, the letter still in her hands, her mind already calculating numbers that refused to work. School fees. Food. Transport.
There was no space left.
"Mom?"
Mira's voice snapped her back. She folded the letter quickly, forcing a smile.
"Nothing," Alexandra said. "Just work things."
Luna studied her, eyes too sharp for her age, but she didn't push.
That night, after the girls were asleep, Alexandra spread her payslips on the table. The math didn't change no matter how many times she redid it.
For the first time in years, fear crept in.
Not for herself.
For them.
The next morning, as she walked the girls to school, she felt the weight of the letter still pressing against her chest.
At the gate, a woman stood watching her.
She was well dressed. Too well dressed for the neighborhood. Her gaze lingered on Alexandra, sharp and assessing.
Their eyes met.
The woman's lips parted slightly—like she recognized her.
Alexandra frowned.
But before she could speak, the woman turned and walked away, disappearing into the crowd.
Alexandra stood there for a moment longer than necessary, a strange unease settling in her bones.
Some problems announced themselves loudly.
Others arrived quietly…
and changed everything.