I put on my usual work staple of black trousers, teamed with a polka dot shirt, it looked a tad baggy but would have to do. After I added up exactly what I owed, sat on the carpet with my calculator, the future seemed a little clearer. The redundancy would cover all of my credit card debt and I could get a small loan from my mum for the council tax bill that I knew was coming. I’d change my electric and council tax bills to a manageable monthly direct debit in the hope I could turn things around. I had no phone contract, only a pay-as-you-go, so I only used what I could afford. As long as I stopped overspending, I should be fine. The weight of debt had been hanging over me for a while, the load getting heavier week by week, but for the first time in months, I felt positive about what lay ahead.

The rain drizzled, making my hair frizz, and I wrapped my coat around myself, missing the sunshine which now seemed a distant memory. I should have brought my umbrella. A black sky loomed overhead, threatening heavier showers to come. On my way to the office, I perused agency windows to see what job prospects were out there. Not much by the looks of it, but I wasn’t going to let it ruin my mood. When I arrived, Debbie was outside at the bus stop, puffing away. She didn’t seem her bubbly self.

‘It’s horrible in there, everyone is so down. It’s like we’re being pitted against each other. I’m worried I’m going to be pushed out in favour of her, yet I have more experience. Darren is worried, his company hasn’t been making a profit for a while. It’s just a blip, but we rely on my wage.’

I rubbed her arm, creating static to her satin sleeve, and pulled two cigarettes from my pack, handing her one. She sighed and took it, her eyes red-rimmed.

‘Do you want to get a coffee later?’ I sensed she needed to offload.

‘No, I can’t, hon, she’s in today and I’ve got to show her how to access the personnel data.’ That sounded ominous. ‘Anyway, there’s me moaning on. How are you?’

‘I think I’m doing a bit better actually. I’m going to go for the redundancy.’

‘Oh really! That’s a shame, although I think they’ll jump at that, hardly anyone has. I think they were hoping for more of a take-up, so choosing who stays wouldn’t be as messy.’