Married Before Midnight by Sienna Quinn - Chapter 6

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Married Before Midnight by Sienna Quinn


Chapter 6: A Spark of Hope


The crisp autumn air carried the scent of fallen leaves as Olivia Carter clutched Victoria Langley’s business card in her hand, her heart pounding with excitement. For the first time in weeks, hope fluttered in her chest like a bird finally freed from its cage. She skipped past the familiar streets of Maplewood, her worn-out shoes scuffing against the pavement, but she didn’t care. She had a job. A real, honest-to-goodness way to help her family. When she reached the front gate of their modest home, she spotted her mother, Eleanor, and her younger sister, Hannah, walking up the path. Eleanor’s shoulders were slumped with exhaustion, but her face brightened the moment she saw Olivia. Hannah, ever the sharp-eyed observer, noticed the grin on Olivia’s face and nudged her mother. “Someone’s in a good mood,” Hannah teased, her dark eyes glinting with curiosity. Olivia couldn’t hold it in any longer. “I got a job!” she blurted out, waving the business card like a trophy. Eleanor’s tired eyes widened, and she pulled Olivia into a tight hug. “Oh, my brave girl,” she whispered, her voice thick with emotion. Hannah smirked. “Let me guess—you wrestled a bear for it?” Olivia laughed. “Close. I tackled a thief.” The three of them burst into laughter, the sound ringing through the quiet street like music.


That evening, the Carter house was alive with warmth and chatter. The scent of Eleanor’s simple but hearty stew filled the air as the five sisters gathered around the dinner table. Their father, Henry, had already been fed upstairs, and though his absence was felt, the girls made sure to fill the silence with their lively energy. Eleanor set down her spoon and looked at Hannah with pride. “Before we hear Olivia’s story, I have to tell you all what your sister did today.” Charlotte, Lillian, and Emily leaned forward, their eyes wide with anticipation. “There was a mix-up at the bakery,” Eleanor began. “My co-worker, Brenda Miller, deceitfully stole a silver bracelet from a female customer and secretly hid it in my pastry box so I would take it home to my children — then she blamed me for the theft. But thanks to Hannah’s cleverness, she was able to clear my name and prove my innocence”. Hannah shrugged, but her cheeks flushed pink under the praise. “It was just logic.” Olivia grinned. “Our little detective.” The sisters erupted into cheers, clinking their glasses of water in a mock toast. Then it was Olivia’s turn. She recounted her afternoon—how she’d been turned away from every shop, how she’d seen the thief, how she’d acted without thinking. “You tripped him?” Charlotte gasped, her hands flying to her mouth. “And held onto his leg like a barnacle,” Olivia confirmed, laughing. Emily’s eyes sparkled. “You’re like a superhero!” Lillian, ever the practical one, frowned. “You could’ve been hurt.” Olivia squeezed her hand. “But I wasn’t. And because of it, Mrs. Langley offered me a job helping around her house.” Eleanor’s eyes shimmered with unshed tears. “I’m so proud of you, my girls.” For a moment, the weight of their struggles faded, replaced by the simple joy of being together. --- Later that night, long after the house had fallen silent, the five sisters gathered in the dim glow of a single lamp in the living room. Their mother had left for her night shift at the docks, and the girls had pretended to sleep until they heard the front door click shut. Olivia sat cross-legged on the floor, her sisters forming a tight circle around her. “We have to do more,” she whispered. “Mom’s working herself to the bone, and my job with Mrs. Langley won’t be enough.” Hannah nodded, her sharp mind already turning. “Working for other people will never get us ahead. We need to think bigger.” Charlotte tilted her head. “Like what?” Hannah’s eyes gleamed. “We start our own business.”