As Kattie continues to speak, her words filled with stress and exhaustion, my phone suddenly pings with a new message notification. I quickly put Kattie on speaker, glancing at the screen. It's a text from Mona.
"Got some room for fresh ideas to make money?"
I feel a pang of conflict as I read it. On one hand, Kattie's pouring her heart out to me, clearly needing my support more than ever. On the other, Mona's message stirs a mix of curiosity and excitement about something new, something different from all the drama and tension I've been caught up in with Kattie. But how can I think of money-making ideas with someone else when my best friend is going through all this?
Kattie's voice pulls me back into the moment, and I force myself to focus on her words, telling myself to ignore Mona's message—for now.
Her voice shifts, a hint of suspicion cutting through the stress as she asks,
