Ember and Fiona Put on Display!

The day began like a twisted art exhibition. Fiona, encased in a transparent glass enclosure right at the center of her workplace, felt like a specimen. The unforgiving spotlights intensified the shame, casting stark shadows on the lab floor. Her coworkers began trickling in, their shock evident. Whispers spread, eyes lingered longer than they should, and Fiona could feel her heart race with every passing hour.

Midway through this seemingly endless ordeal, a voice pierced the thick atmosphere. "Fiona," Jasmine's voice dripped with feigned sympathy, "seeing as you're suffering so beautifully, I'll offer you a gift."

A panel slid open, revealing a pair of shiny handcuffs. "Wear these and escape or stay and continue being the day's entertainment. Your choice."

The idea of freedom, even with such humiliating terms, was too tempting. After sharing a brief, understanding look with a still-encased Ember, Fiona locked the cuffs behind her, feeling the cold metal against her skin. The door to her transparent prison slid open.

Stepping out was far from a reprieve. The lab's atmosphere felt thick with suppressed laughter, shock, and more than a few sympathetic looks. But freedom called, and she made her way out, her steps echoing her heightened state of panic and embarrassment.

The journey home was a gauntlet of shame. Main streets turned to back alleys as Fiona tried to avoid the densest crowds. Yet, every so often, she'd turn a corner and find herself face-to-face with groups of pedestrians, their shock giving way to amusement and more than a few smartphones being raised to capture the moment.

Even as she neared her home, a final hurdle awaited her — a group of college students, cameras ready, laughter unrestrained. Their catcalls and jeers were almost drowned out by the rapid beat of her heart.

Upon reaching her doorstep, Fiona took one last look behind her, the city sounds now muted, her breaths ragged. With a final push, she entered the safety of her home, letting the weight of the day's events truly sink in.