EIGHTEEN - WYNETTE

That night, as the conference continued after supper, I did my best to pay attention to what was being said throughout the session.

In a normal situation, I would have found something like the discussion on guest engagement that I attended to be exactly up my alley. However, it was difficult to concentrate at this particular time.

After it was finished, I gritted my teeth and made myself go to the after-hours cocktail reception even though I didn't want to. As I networked with other hospitality professionals, I made my rounds of the room while keeping my self-assured professional façade firmly in place. Once more, I took a few sips of a mocktail without much enthusiasm, which was something that I was positive would have driven Teagan to despair.

My eyes were gritty and burning with tiredness when I eventually made it back to my room, and my body felt raw with the type of over-peopled burnout that is peculiar to introverts who have spent too long pretending to be extroverts without a b