6 - Down Payment (1)

Alethea nervously wrung her fingers. She glanced at the old black suitcase sitting in one corner of Callie’s living room. As already decided—albeit reluctantly—Alethea would finally work for Helen Bishop.

After her conversation in the kitchen with Callie and her mother, Alethea had been unable to sleep all night, preoccupied with countless possibilities regarding her new job. By morning, she was forced to pack while her mother kept a watchful eye, endlessly lecturing her not to cause trouble and to ensure her employer was pleased with her. Deep down, Alethea hoped that whoever her employer would be, they would be kind and refrain from any physical or verbal abuse. At the very least, she wished to move from her mother’s dictatorship to a place that felt more comfortable—mentally, if nothing else.

Alethea anxiously waited in the living room, which doubled as the office of Imelda Osborn—Callie’s mother. Meanwhile, Hera paced back and forth near the doorway, visibly uneasy. It seemed the woman feared that the person coming to pick up Alethea might suddenly change their mind and cancel.

"Are you sure they're coming?" Hera turned toward the living room and looked at Callie, who was engrossed in her phone, with a worried expression. Callie raised her head and glanced at both Alethea and Hera before nodding.

“Don’t worry, Mrs. Zorba. Mrs. Bishop is on her way. She’ll probably be here in a few minutes. You know, this is her first time coming to our village, so she might have trouble finding the place.” Callie tried to offer a logical explanation, but Hera responded with a scoff.

A few minutes later, the sound of car tires crunching over gravel reached their ears. Unlike Alethea, whose heart pounded painfully with anticipation, Hera sprang up enthusiastically to greet Callie’s guest.

"Welcome, Mrs. Bishop," Alethea heard Hera’s cheerful greeting. "I’m Hera Zorba, the mother of the girl you’re going to employ,” Hera continued after a brief moment of silence.

Alethea stood next to Callie, clutching her friend’s arm tightly. Her palms were clammy, and she couldn’t hide her nervousness. Imelda Osborn entered the living room and greeted their guest with her professional, warm smile.

“Welcome to our village, Helen,” Imelda said calmly, in stark contrast to Hera's overly enthusiastic demeanor.

“Honestly, I didn’t expect the journey here to take so long,” Helen Bishop remarked. Her gaze, sharp and assessing, shifted to Alethea and Callie.

Alethea swallowed hard, her throat dry as she caught the evaluating look from the woman. Helen Bishop was, without a doubt, stunning and poised, likely just a few years older than Alethea’s mother. She wore a knee-length black dress with long sleeves, simple yet undeniably elegant. Her neatly tied black hair rested in a bun at the nape of her neck, complemented by understated, natural makeup. But what truly caught Hera Zorba’s attention was the bag in Helen’s hand—its luxury unmistakable. Hera’s eyes widened, clearly recognizing its worth.

“You, Alethea?” the woman asked after a few moments of silence.

Alethea nodded timidly. In stark contrast to Helen Bishop’s polished appearance, Alethea’s attire seemed shabby and worn. Her once-white shirt had long since dulled, and her black pencil skirt showed its age. Even her loafers were peeling at the edges, with thinning insoles that betrayed heavy use.

“Y-y... yes, Mrs. Bishop. She’s my daughter, Alethea,” Hera interjected before Alethea could respond. “She’s a diligent girl and, of course, a hard worker. She—”

Hera’s words were cut off when Helen raised a hand, a silent command for her to stop speaking.

“I need a private space to speak with her,” Helen said, addressing Imelda—Callie’s mother. Imelda nodded and gestured for them to move into her office.

Hera tried to follow, but Helen stopped her. “Just me, the girl, and our family lawyer,” she said coolly. Her tone left no room for negotiation, and although Hera appeared irritated, she complied, stepping back begrudgingly.

Just before the door closed, Alethea caught her mother’s sharp, warning glare. It seemed to scream, Don’t mess this up, and don’t even think about backing out. The weight of the silent command made Alethea even more uneasy.

“I’m Helen Bishop, you can call me Helen. And this is Wendy Brooks,” the woman said, introducing Alethea to a slightly overweight man with thinning hair. “He’s our family lawyer, and he’ll explain the terms of your contract while working with us,” she added, causing Alethea to swallow hard.

The man pulled an envelope from his bag and began detailing the clauses Alethea would need to abide by, as well as the compensation she would receive.

The terms were mostly what Alethea had already heard from Callie. However, despite being aware that there would be penalties for breaching the contract, she was stunned to see a clause stating that not only she but also her entire family would face consequences if she violated the agreement.

“Why would my family have to be imprisoned?” Alethea asked, confused.

“Because we don’t want to be taken advantage of,” Helen replied with a faint smile. “Originally, that clause wasn’t included. But after your mother suddenly demanded ‘quite a lot’ from us, we decided to add it.”

“What do you mean?” Alethea looked back and forth between Helen and the lawyer, her confusion deepening. “I’m confident I can work for you for the next six months,” she said, recalling her mother’s earlier insistence on that specific term.

The lawyer cleared his throat, suppressing what sounded like a chuckle, while Helen raised one sharp eyebrow at Alethea.

“Did your mother not tell you anything?” Helen asked rhetorically. Alethea shook her head hesitantly.

“Imelda called me and said your mother requested that we pay you for a full year in advance because she was certain you’d last that long with us,” Helen said coldly, leaving Alethea in shock.

“A-a year?” Alethea squeaked in disbelief. Helen nodded. “B-but…” Alethea glanced toward the door, longing to confront her mother and Callie for answers.

Yet, what good would that do?