Chapter 33

• Renee stepped out of the hospital lift and into the evening. The cold air hit her face, a welcome shock after the stagnant, warm silence of the hospital room. Her eyes felt gritty and puffy, but the desperate, chaotic energy that had driven her to see her mother was gone, replaced by a cold purpose. She had made a promise, and that promise required action.
• But the sheer weight of her situation—the treachery, the debt, the public humiliation—had drained her reserves to nothing. She suddenly realised she hadn’t eaten anything proper all day, just half a cup of cold tea and nervous energy. Her stomach gave a dull, grinding protest.
• The bus stop was directly across from a large, brightly lit supermarket. It was one of those enormous places that promised every kind of comfort and plenty. Renee stared at the automatic doors, mesmerised by the ordinary flow of people pushing their trolleys, talking about dinner plans. It looked like a completely different universe from her own. A universe where people bought food without calculating how many hours of work it represented.