Chapter Five

Eliana Brown

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My jaw dropped at how casually he said fifteen thousand dollars and before I could say anything, he shook his head. “Sorry, I meant twenty-five thousand.”

My eyes widened and if I wasn’t already on a hospital bed, I was certain I would have fallen over. “Twenty-five thousand is cheap?” I exclaimed. “It was just the white shirt I spilled on, wasn’t it? I didn’t ruin the jacket or the pants?”

“The full piece costs a hundred thousand.”

F*ck me. What kind of man did I encounter? Why did he have to be so rich to wear a suit worth a hundred thousand? Hell, why were there even suits that cost that much? Who made them? Whatever happened to four-hundred-dollar suits?

If I had known I was going to encounter such an issue today, I never would have quit my job. I would have s*ck*d it up. But then again, if I hadn’t quit my job, I wouldn’t have run into him.

I was jobless, without parents or a partner. I didn’t have many people I could call for help. I didn’t have anyone that could lend me more than a thousand dollars. I couldn’t take out a loan since I didn’t have a job. Was the world playing some sort of joke on me? If it was, it was cruel as hell.

I almost broke down in tears again, but I remembered how I landed in the hospital. Wait, if he brought me here… “do I also owe you for the bills?” I winced. The room was very large, which meant each hour spent here was expensive as hell.

I couldn’t waste another second here.

I stood up at once and grabbed my bag and the new phone he bought for me. “Let’s continue our conversation outside.”

There was a hint of a smile on his face as he stared at me, not moving. “Relax. I brought you here so I’m responsible for this. I wouldn’t dump the bill on you.”

I relaxed. I didn’t even know whether to regard him as nice or not. He bought me a new phone and wouldn’t let me pay the bill (even if I couldn’t) but he wanted me to pay for his shirt which cost more than the phone and hospital bill put together. My savings couldn’t even cover it.

Then again, it was my fault for running into him and I didn’t want to owe him. However, I had to test how far his niceness stretched. “I just lost my job,” I informed him even if he didn’t ask. “I have some savings. I’ll pay you part of what the shirt costs for now, and after I find a new job, I’ll continue the rest monthly.” He stared at me blankly. “Can I?” I added.

“I guess that works as well.” He shrugged. “As long as you pay.”

“I will!” I promised him as I stood up to leave anyway. “Let me have your number so we can communicate better.”

“It’s in the phone already.”

My tongue poked the inside of my cheek. He had everything planned even before I woke up. What if I couldn’t afford to pay? “What’s your name though?” I questioned. He was kind enough to get me a new phone and I still didn’t know his name.

“Will. William Caddel.”

“Nice to meet you, Will. I’m Eliana Brown.”

He nodded once and kept his eye on me as I exited the room. I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding after leaving his sight. His stare was so intense. It was as though he was trying to figure me out.

William Caddel. The name sounded a bit familiar and I planned to search him up later.

I was on one of the top floors in the hospital reserved for VIPs. Was William a VIP? It seemed so as he was wearing a suit that cost a hundred thousand. The world was so unfair. There were a lot of things I could do with that amount of money but he spent it on a suit. Despite how hard I worked, I couldn’t get that amount in savings and someone else was squandering it so easily.

I usually took the subway but I was in no mood to deal with that, which was why I took a cab, despite how expensive it was. I was already in a lot of trouble. Might as well empty my pockets.

I got back home to see that the girl had gone and Harry was alone.

“We have to talk.” He told me immediately after I arrived.

“Obviously.”

“One of us will have to move out.”

My eyebrows furrowed. Why was he saying it like that? Did he… “Do you mean me?”

He nodded shamelessly.

I laughed. “You have got to be kidding me. Why am I the one moving out? I pay for everything around here. I also paid the rent for the last two years! The lease hasn't expired yet.”

“Well, either that or we live together until it does. You’re not chasing me out when it’s my name on the lease.”

I closed my eyes briefly to stop myself from swinging on this man. He had some audacity.

I’d been such a stupid eighteen-year-old, letting him put his name on everything even if I contributed more. I should have at least added mine and now, he was using it against me. He wasn’t even showing remorse. He didn’t care about me. He hadn’t cared for the longest time but the familiarity of our relationship made me stay.

Knowing I wasn’t going to win against him, I went inside to pack my stuff. I didn’t have many clothes because I focused more on making our lives better than spending my money on myself so it didn’t take long for me to pack my things.

When I was done, I asked him for his phone.

“Why?” He asked warily.

“I got a new phone and I want to get Catherine’s number. I need somewhere to stay anyway.”

Foolishly, he handed me his phone and watched as I took the number off his phone. After saving it on mine, I deleted it off his, as well as every one of my friends’ numbers he had.

“Aren’t you done?”

“I am.” I smiled sweetly at him, but instead of handing it back to him, I threw it against the wall and watched in satisfaction as it cracked and slid down the wall.

“You…”

Not bothering to hear what he had to say, I rolled my suitcases behind me and left the apartment.