He examined her face briefly before a slight smirk appeared.
“Feigning illness again? You expect me to believe that?”
His voice took on a cold edge.
“Even if you are sick, how serious could it be? Linda has just lost a child and is still in the hospital, while you’re here, perfectly upright! You’ll cope. It’s not the end of the world!”
Hadley reeled from his words, her face a picture of astonishment.
Eric paid her no mind, moving swiftly to the closet to retrieve the already packed suitcase.
“Leave whatever isn’t packed. Just buy what you need when you get there! It’s all coming from my family’s funds anyway. I can’t afford to linger here with you.”
With that, he grabbed the suitcase and stormed downstairs.
Hadley’s lip quivered as pain gripped her heart. Tears cascaded down her cheeks, which she wiped away with the back of her hand.
She might as well leave.
Whether here or somewhere foreign, did it really matter?
Isolated, unloved-her plight seemed invisible to others, her existence negligible.
At the airport, Eric was nowhere to be seen. Instead, his assistant, Phillips Brown, took care of the check-in process and walked Hadley to the security checkpoint.
“Have a safe trip, ma’am,” Phillips said as he handed her the passport and boarding pass. “Please call Mrs. Flynn upon your landing. Your living expenses will be forwarded to you each month.”
Hadley responded with a subdued nod.
“I understand. Thank you.”
She then proceeded through the boarding gate.
A month had passed. Now, deep into the night in an apartment in downtown Blathe, Hadley was hunched over in bed, too terrified to turn on any lights or make noise.
“Bang! Bang! Bang!”
The sound of forceful knocking jolted the door. Outside, her fat, middle-aged landlord shouted,
“Senorita! Are you there? Your rent is overdue! I know you’re inside! Respond!”
Hadley pressed her hands over her ears, squeezed her eyes shut, and shook her head, silently wishing the landlord would just go away.
After enduring the quiet for a while, it seemed the landlord finally gave up.
“Thinking you can avoid paying by hiding? Oh, sweetheart, that’s just naive! Are you really not there?”
He continued muttering to himself,
“It’s getting late. I hope she’s safe.”
The pounding at the door eventually ceased, and the sound of the landlord’s footsteps slowly faded away.
Hadley took her hands away from her ears, breathing out a lengthy sigh of relief.
She had managed to avoid the landlord today, but the question of what to do tomorrow lingered in her mind.
Gently pulling her phone from beneath her pillow, Hadley scrolled through her contacts to find Nyla’s number.
It had been nearly a month since she arrived in Blathe, yet the living expenses she was promised had not been sent. She had been trying to reach Nyla for days now, but all her calls had gone unanswered.
She inhaled deeply and pressed the call button once more.
Still, no one answered.
Feeling more isolated, Hadley wondered who else she could turn to.
Eric was her only option left.
With a moment’s hesitation, she found Eric’s number, dialed, and the call connected.
The familiar deep and slightly hoarse voice of Eric answered.
Nerves made Hadley’s mouth dry.
“It’s me.”
“What do you want?” Eric asked, his voice tinged with annoyance.
Surprised by his harsh tone, Hadley stuttered,
“I tried to reach Nyla, but her number seems to be disconnected.”
Eric responded coldly,
“Why do you need Grandma? You just left, and you’re already trying to pull her back into your problems?”
Hadley quickly clarified,
“That’s not it…”
Eric didn’t let her finish.
“Don’t bother trying to contact Grandma. I’ve changed her number to keep you from disturbing her.”
Hadley stood speechless, tears starting to form in her eyes.
She knew Eric couldn’t stand her, but wasn’t her leaving the country enough?
Did he really have to cut her off from Nyla too?
Nyla had always shown her kindness, and she cherished their bond.
“Anything else?” Eric’s voice was losing patience. “We sent you abroad to become more self-reliant, not to continue relying on us like you’ve done all your life. I’m going to hang up now!”
“Wait, please!” Hadley interjected quickly, desperation clear in her voice. “It’s regarding the living expenses… they haven’t been sent yet.”
“Really?”
Eric’s smile was cold, dripping with scorn.
“So, this is about money, isn’t it? Not even a month has passed. What’s the hurry? Rest assured, you’ll receive your due. Just be patient. Surely, you don’t think we’d let you go hungry?”
He paused briefly, his tone becoming terse.
“Avoid calling me unless it’s urgent. I’ll get in touch if there’s any need.”
With those final words, the conversation abruptly ended.
Clasping the phone tightly, Hadley’s shock was evident.
To such an extent, Eric despised her.
“Absurd.”
With a frail chuckle, Hadley’s face turned ashen. Requesting money from him had left her feeling profoundly demeaned.
In silence, she lifted her hand to her unchanged stomach, closed her eyes, and allowed tears to escape quietly.
Eight months had passed.
Hadley was sleeping peacefully in her modest room, her pregnant belly prominently displayed.
The arrival of her child was approaching. Despite the doctor’s recommendation for early hospitalization due to the baby’s breech position, Hadley merely smiled and remained silent.
Her pockets were empty.
Eight months earlier, following that call with Eric, he had spewed nothing but cruelty.
Yet, the financial support he promised never materialized.
Hadley had drained her savings. With no way to afford her apartment anymore, she ended up in a run-down neighborhood. She never reached out to him for financial help again.
The thought of being labeled a parasite was unbearable.
After moving, Hadley managed to secure some part-time work, balancing it with her studies.
Her earnings were limited, but through careful budgeting, she made enough to sustain herself.
As she drifted off to sleep, the night erupted with cries of alarm.
“Fire!”
The shout pierced the air.
“Escape!”
Roused abruptly, Hadley leaped from her bed and threw open her door to a scene of utter chaos. Smoke engulfed the corridor as flames danced violently.
Her complexion drained of color in an instant.
“Hadley!”
Her neighbor, a fellow student, was frantic with worry as he caught sight of her.
“Why haven’t you fled? It’s a fire! Get out now!”
“Right, got it!”
In a rush, Hadley spun around to grab her backpack.
She moved to venture deeper into her apartment, but her neighbor’s firm grip stopped her.
“Are you out of your mind? Why are you heading back in? Leave immediately!”
“I must!”
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