She looked at her reflection in the obsidian table. It was the face of a woman who was "not promoted enough, not rich enough, not beautiful enough". Even at the pinnacle of material abundance, she was starving for something that couldn't be bought—a feeling of "enough".
She walked to the dining room—a space large enough to hold a town council meeting—and sat alone. A team of people had prepared a three-course meal, yet she felt no hunger. The exquisite food felt… heavy. She thought of a story she’d read, the "paradox of affluence," where having too many rewards eventually steals the capacity to enjoy them. affluence
Julianne looked at the empty, immense room. Then, she looked at the text. She looked at her reflection in the obsidian table
She took her jacket, left the curated quiet of her apartment, and stepped out into the chaotic, noisy, uncurated city. She walked to the dining room—a space large