💔😤 29 EUROS ON THE CARD, MY SON IN OLD SHOES AND THE TESCO CHECKOUT GIRL WHO QUIETLY SAID: 'TRANSACTION DECLINED'" I thought long and hard about whether to write this. Because I'm still ashamed to remember that night. My name is Amaranta Astudillo. I'm 33 years old, living in Dublin, in the Liberties area, and raising my son alone. His name is Leo. He's eight. For tourists, Dublin is the pubs, the river, the historic streets, the coffee in Temple Bar and the photos in front of the old buildings. But for me, Dublin is the bus that's late again. The rent that eats half the wages. The queues in Tesco after work. And the constant fear that my child will ask for something normal and I'll have to say again: — Not today, love. Next time. I work as a sales assistant in a clothing store near Grafton Street. Not a fancy boutique. Just a regular shop. I fold t-shirts, hang jackets, tidy the fitting rooms after customers, smile when inside I'm already empty. My salary is €1,280. The rent for the s
