The steady drone of the dial tone, weaving through the whisper of the rain, struck Yun Anan’s heart like a pair of muffled, heavy hammers. Each thud was a cruel, humiliating blow. Yun Anan felt the rain sting her eyes, a familiar ache that threatened to spill over. She pressed her lips into a thin line, forcing the tears back. She knew, with painful clarity, that it was never about the reception.