Chapter 4

  This made her sob more. 

      " Why are you quiet?" they continued to poke her with their long fake nails.

     " Here is your food. Eat up" the female superintendent arrived and passed the tray of jello rice under the bars of the cell.

     As always, they took the tray to eat all the food. They never bothered to ask Val if she would eat or not. 

    But at this moment, Val took a deep breath and said for the first time in ninety-six hours she spoke.

    "I am hungry. Please can I have my own share"

    Agnes smirked at the newbie's confidence. Though she used please there was a sense of passive bellicosity in her tiny voice.

    "See who grew Wings?"

     Agnes stopped the others from eating despite being angry none dared to question her. She then leisurely sauntered to Val who had her head bowed as usual.

     " Are you hungry baby?" inquired Agnès in a baby's voice.

   Glaring into Agnes's eyes, she spoke in conviction " Yes! I am. Did I stutter? " 

    After this, Agnès poured the rice from Val's hair. 

     " There eat- eat"

     The other cellmates grumbled behind their roaring stomachs.

    Smiling, Val reached out for some rice on her hair and ate it. She picked some more and ate smiling.

    This annoyed Agnes who banged Val's head on the tiled walls. Blood streamed down her head yet there was a sweet smile on Val's lips and she continued eating the food which fell on her dress.

    The other cellmates eyed in amazement. Agnes kept kicking and punching Val yet she diligently ate the rice with a sweet smile on her face.

     " Agnes. Let her be, I think you have created a monster. She might be the new joker ..." 

     " Shut up " Agnès roared beating up the girl mercilessly.

    Seeing this, Agnes gave up. She had beaten up Val but she did not react nonetheless began again eating calmly.

    From there on they stopped disturbing Val. At night she cried silently as her entire body hurt a lot from all the beatings. 

    Three more days passed when she heard bars open up.

    " Valeria come out. You have been proven innocent. You are now freed"

     The manifestation on Val's face was cold. She stared lifelessly before leaving the cell. 

     " Sign this, Good to go. We apologize to you for every pain you went through"

    Val barely smiled, she stood up and took up fresh clothes to wear 

      After putting on the green gown. She glared at her lifeless expression from the mirror. She combed her hair murmuring to herself. Her eyes were big and swollen, and so were her lips. Her cheeks sunk in and her forehead had an indention. To conclude, she appeared not human.

     The policeman had given her some make-up which she applied there to cover the fingernail scratches on her face.

    Leaving the station she came across her boss.

     "I am very sorry Valeria. Please find a place in your heart to forgive me. I finally found out those bastards framed you"

    To this, Val smiled bitterly. All the words she prepared for this day were now meaningless. She just wanted to sleep on a soft mattress on her grandmother's thighs like before not this sad conversation.

     " Ma'am is fine. I have forgiven you .. perhaps if I was in your situation I would have done the same. Why trust a stranger? "

     Val meant every word, maybe if the roles had been reversed she might have done the same. Who could ever trust a stranger over her longtime employees?

    About exiting, the boss held her back and gave her money.

    " Find a hotel to spend the night and some spa treatment. You look terrible.."

     Initially, she wanted to refuse this to protect her self-respect however she needed something to use and convince her grandma she was faring well in this foreign country.

    In the next few minutes, She borrowed airtime and called her grandma.

     " Have you received the money?"

     " Yes I did"

     " Good. I hope you all are fine.." 

     " Why could we not reach you for six days? Girl, please stop making us worry "

     Val wiped the tears from her eyes. She screamed excitedly like someone who heard the good news.

    " What happened, dear? Why so happy?"

      " Grandma. I finally got a job at a company. So I could not reach out to you because of the field trip we took to city V, that city has no network"

     Val's rate of lying baffled her, this even convinced her. She was becoming an expert in lying to her family.

     Then the sad voice of her grandma came through " Take care dear but next time try and make a way to call -- your grandfather got sick because of this"

    Immediately, Val's knees got weak, tears fell off her cheeks. " Let me talk to him"

     That night Valeria slept at a mosque for she had sent almost every penny the woman gave her to her grandparents. It was the first night she felt safe ever since she stepped into this country.

    It was a few days to go before Olivia's flight to cube City. Olivia left the mall while on the phone, followed by Alfredo who had shopping bags with him.

    " Ma'am, will you not help me? These bags at heavy"

    To this, Olivia gave a deaf ear. She continued with her call.

     " Hey. Thief!" cried Olivia.

     A man on a bike had just run off with the phone. She shouted for help when everyone thought all hope was lost. 

    Valeria appeared with a pole which she used to hit the thief which led to him falling to the ground with the bike.

    Like a movie she expressionlessly walked over to Olivia.

    " Here is your phone ma'am. Next time be careful, this community is not the safest"

    For the first time in forever, someone else rather than Xander impressed her. This girl appeared out of thin air and caught the thief, she had to thank her.

     " Can I take you out for dinner?"

      " Thank you but I am not hun.."at this time her stomach betrayed her and grumbled loudly. Valeria smiled bashfully.

    After dinner, they exchanged contacts and went their separate ways for Valeria had insisted she had to go back home.

    On her way to mosque where she spent the previous night. At the bend, a white Lamborghini drove by.

    "Get in " the driver ordered.

    Hesitantly Valeria got into Olivia's car. Olivia was quite disappointed at the truth she found out. In the car, Val told her everything she had been through.

     " If you need a job. My aunt is searching for a housekeeper while she is away "

     Instantly Val hugged Olivia.

    " What? Thank you so much, Olivia "

   ***

    The villa was spacious both inside and outside. It was painted white and the furniture was exquisite and of the highest quality. Not only was the house spotless once could exaggerate you could see your reflection on the tile floors.

    Val wore a white knee-length dress, she had her hair styled in a ponytail. 

      " Sit. Are you going to stand the whole time?" 

  Val scanned the room like a thief, she mumbled to Olivia's hearing. " What if I get the couch dirty? "

    "Get the couch dirty? " Olivia kicked into a fit of laughter, placing her hands on her stomach.

    At this moment, a tall elegant lady strolled in. She wore a puff shoulder suit and a smile which lit up the room. The fragrance which she had on made one feel like they had entered the heavenly gates. 

    She had brown eyes and a maroon-colored bob hairstyle.

     " Aunt Esme. " After the short hug, Olivia added

" This is the girl I told you about last week"

    The woman by the name of Esme smiled charmingly, she stared at the girl who slightly raised her lovely eyes and then quickly turned away.

     " Don't be shy dear. I am like your mother aren't I?"

     To this, Val nodded vigorously. She felt lighter after hearing this. Val had been worried the lady might not like her, especially after she saw how elegant the house was.

     " Good. Come here, if you have selected her so..."

     " Thank you Aunt " 

    Val had just finished with the house chores. In these few months, things changed rapidly she had enough money to take care of her family nevertheless did she think all was going to change because of a single phone call? 

    At that moment, Valeria stood by the porch feeling heavy missing her family. Though they talked daily it was merely enough to console herself. 

    ' Ding beep '

     The phone in her breast pocket vibrated 

    " Hello"

     There came an anxious voice from the other side. "Val, I need a favor"

     It was at this time, Val checked the caller Id. It was miss Esme.

     " Y-yes ma'am anything. Is the problem"

     " Yes, Val. It's concerning my son. I need you to help me sleep and spy on him"

      As if it was a callous joke. Val found herself in the car towards the tallest skyscraper in the city to meet the madam's son. She was not worried about the new change but rather why the madam was so nervous. 

    Parking the car, she raised her head to take a look at her new workplace.