Prøve GULL - Gratis
Remember?
Sunday Mail
|July 20, 2025
A short story by Naomi Williams
Water gushed from the tap, hit the basin and splashed upwards, speckling Petra’s shirt.
She closed her eyes and silently roared the very worst words she could think of. She wasn’t proud of it but since learning she was being expelled from the job she'd given 30 good years to, her internal monologue was mainly made up of expletives.
“All ready?” Belle’s smiling face appeared around the door of the ladies’ room. Petra wasn't ready. She never would be. She nodded and dabbed at her shirt with a chemical-scented paper towel. “Just wanted to make sure you know where we’re meeting,” Belle singsonged, as if she was talking to a four-year-old, not an erstwhile senior social worker.
“Yep, on my way.” She matched Belle’s cheerful tone, despite her bubbling rage. Of course she knew where they were heading. She’d worked in that building since Belle was in nappies.
She gave her shirt one last rub, then followed Belle out into the corridor, struggling to keep up with the younger woman's brisk walk, feeling like a toddler being led by an overenthusiastic nursery school teacher.
“What's going on here?” Belle came to a stop behind a group of people huddled around a computer in the open plan space their colleagues used for hot-desking. Petra hated the phrase hot-desking. It was probably meant to sound dynamic but it just made her think of seats warmed by someone else’s bottom. And it smacked of impermanence.
Petra disliked impermanence. She liked routine and purpose. That's why losing her job, aged 57, was so distressing. She saw her future self floating around in the empty hours of the day, like a discarded party balloon, untethered from the usual list of tasks that couldn’t wait.
Denne historien er fra July 20, 2025-utgaven av Sunday Mail.
Abonner på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av kuraterte premiumhistorier og over 9000 magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
FLERE HISTORIER FRA Sunday Mail
Sunday Mail
LENNON: WORLD AT OUR FEET
LENNON MILLER says nothing would beat going to the World Cup with Scotland.
1 min
October 05, 2025
Sunday Mail
CCV: WE NEED TO WIN UGLY
CAMERON CARTER-VICKERS says Celtic must start winning ugly if they want to be sitting pretty again at the end of the season.
2 mins
October 05, 2025
Sunday Mail
Show's Grant stand finish
ROBSON Green laughs with his Grantchester co-stars - but there were a few tears too as they filmed their final scenes this week.
1 min
October 05, 2025
Sunday Mail
HEARTS....1 HIBS....0 INCREDIBLE HALK
Craig's last-gasp winner is a dream come true as stopper helps Jambos stretch their lead at the top
3 mins
October 05, 2025
Sunday Mail
WE'LL NOT LIVE IN FEAR
TERROR survivors today issue a powerful message of hope and unity in the wake of the synagogue attack.
2 mins
October 05, 2025
Sunday Mail
Unhappy fans storm off as Dunhill halted after 20mins of play
THOUSANDS of golf fans were left questioning their treatment after Dunhill Links Championship chiefs went head-to-head with Storm Amy - and ended up with a bloody nose.
1 min
October 05, 2025
Sunday Mail
JUDGE DREAD
Russell: Fans are judging new regime too early..give us time to get it right
2 mins
October 05, 2025
Sunday Mail
MALY BACK FOR MORE AT KELSO
CONNECTIONS of Malystic are hoping it will be fourth time lucky in the £40,000 feature race at Kelso.
1 min
October 05, 2025
Sunday Mail
No snitches with Swift's new album
TAYLOR Swift has spoken about managing to keep her new album a secret.
1 min
October 05, 2025
Sunday Mail
The public will be absolutely outraged.. we must freeze her assets 13
Row over luxury property portfolio bought by family
3 mins
October 05, 2025
Listen
Translate
Change font size