The payday stretch that never lasts as long as it should

Council tax, card minimum, the usual. Then LuckyVibe sent four hours of hope that felt like 2019 all over again—only this time I didn't misread "business days" as "days" and watch £2,400 evaporate while I refreshed Monzo. Small mercy. The breathing room's real, don't get me wrong. But I'm already calculating how many sessions until I'm back to calculating. Same seat at the pub, same barman, same crossword half-done while my thumb hovers over something that'll undo Tuesday by Thursday.

The hot run helps. Not chasing helps more. But I've been in this exact stretch—green, straight, bills cleared—enough times to know the shape of what comes after.