009: Memories

Elodie stood frozen outside the hospital for a moment, staring at the receipt in her hands. After Williams left earlier, she had gone to find out about her hospital bill, only to learn that Williams had paid it in full, and while she felt a flicker of gratitude, it was quickly swallowed by the storm of her reality.

With a deep breath, she tucked the receipt into her pocket and began heading home.

The streets felt colder than usual, the biting wind cutting through her thin jacket. When she finally reached her building, the sight of her landlord waiting at the front door made her stomach churn.

"Elodie!" His voice was sharp and loud enough to catch the attention of nosy neighbors peeking from their windows. "Where’s the rent? You promised me yesterday."

"I....I was in the hospital," Elodie stammered, clutching her top like it could shield her. "Please, give me until the end of today. I’ll have it, I promise."

The landlord crossed his arms, his face hard. "This is your last chance. If I don’t have the money by tonight, you’re out. No more excuses!"

Elodie nodded frantically, her cheeks burning with humiliation. As soon as he turned away, she hurried inside, her heart racing. She had no time to waste.

She changed quickly, got ready, and rushed out the door to get to work. But as she stepped into the bar where she worked the cold greeting from her boss sent a chill down her spine.

"Elodie, in my office. Now," he said, not looking up from the counter.

Her legs felt heavy as she followed him to the small, cramped office at the back.

"You’re fired," he said bluntly, without preamble.

Elodie’s eyes widened in disbelief. "Fired? Why? I’ve worked so hard and....."

"You missed your shift last night, and I’ve been getting complaints about your attitude. Sam told me everything," her boss said, leaning back in his chair.

Sam. The name made her fists clench. "That’s not true!" she protested, her voice shaking. "Whatever Sam told you was a lie, sir. Please, don't fire me. I really need this job."

Her boss shrugged. "You’re done here. Now leave before I call security."

She stared at the man for a while and took in a deep breath, "Fine. Your disgusting brother tried to take advantage of me last night and I can sue him for it. Yes, I have my doctor's report which will prove what he did to me. Thanks to Sam, I spent the night at the hospital.

But I don't want to go through the hassle of making Sam pay for his crimes. I worked yesterday, and you know it. Pay me for the work I did and I will leave quietly."

Her boss scoffed and picked up his phone, calling security. Afterward, he added, "If you have something against me or my brother, Elodie, feel free to file a complaint with the police."

Tears blurred Elodie's vision as she stumbled out of her boss' office. She was tempted to go to the police but the little money she had was a part of her rent. She didn't want a situation where she would end up spending that money or not being able to complete it in time.

She dreaded being kicked out by her landlord. The man had already given her quite some time to pay up, and she knew his patience had grown too thin.

She called her second job, the one where she sometimes worked events, hoping for any sliver of hope.

But the voice on the other end was curt. "Elodie, didn't you get the termination email? And your last pay went toward replacing the mascot uniform you ruined. It wasn't even enough."

The line went dead before Elodie could argue.

She felt like the ground beneath her was crumbling. Everything was slipping away.

As she walked aimlessly through the streets, her mind was a storm of despair. When her legs gave out, she found herself sitting on a bench by the roadside. She rested her head in her hands, letting the weight of her thoughts press down on her.

Memories flooded in, uninvited and relentless.

She thought of her father’s warm smile, the way he used to call her his "little star." She thought of the day her life began to spiral.....her mother’s death, and her father’s business.

And then, the events of two years ago suddenly played vividly in her mind.

TWO YEARS AGO

“I’ve found a way for you to divorce Bryce,” Elodie's uncle, Greg revealed, his voice brimming with excitement.

"Really? Tell me!" Elodie exclaimed.

“Asset transfer,” Greg said confidently. “Transfer all your assets to me. Once you have nothing in your name, you can divorce Bryce without giving him a penny. After the divorce is finalized, I’ll transfer everything back to you, and you’ll be rid of him for good.”

But at the doors of her once-familiar workplace, the same men who had always shown Elodie respect blocked her way.

“What is this?” Elodie asked, shock creeping into her voice.

“We’re just following orders,” one of the men said, looking uncomfortable.

“Orders?” she demanded. “Have you all forgotten who I am? This company belongs to me! Who gave you such ridiculous orders?”

“I did.”

Elodie turned to see her uncle, his voice dripping with satisfaction.

“Uncle Greg,” she whispered, her heart pounding, “what’s happening?”

A sly smile spread across his face. “What’s happening is that you’ve lost everything. It all belongs to me now, as it should have from the beginning.”

She stared at him incredulously, "You lied to me?"

He laughed bitterly. “Oh, I did more than just lie. How do you think you were ‘diagnosed’ with cancer when you were perfectly healthy?

Who do you think sabotaged your company, leaving you no choice but to marry Bryce to save it?

I’ve worked hard for this, Elodie. Everything is mine now, just as it should be. And you? You have nothing. If you ever set foot in my company again, I’ll have you locked up for the rest of your life.”

He turned to the security. “Throw her out.”

Numb, Elodie didn’t even resist as the guards bundled her off the premises. She landed on the cold pavement, the enormity of her loss crashing down on her like a wave.

PRESENT DAY

Elodie’s eyes snapped open, the memory fading like smoke. She was still sitting on the bench, the sounds of the city around her grounding her in the present.

Her life had been shattered so many times, yet here she was, still standing, still breathing.

Her hands clenched into fists, her nails digging into her palms as she whispered to herself, “Uncle Greg, I’ll get my revenge and take back everything that was stolen from me. I promise.”

Her determination burned fiercely, but Her stomach growled, pulling her back to reality.

"First things first," she whispered, taking a deep breath. "I need to pay my rent."

As she stood, her thoughts wandered to Williams. The memory of his passionate kiss in the VIP room, and the way his hands had cradled her face, as if she were the most precious thing in the world. Her fingers brushed her lips unconsciously, the memory lingering like an old melody.

“Focus, Elodie,” she murmured to herself. “Williams deserves better. He’s moved on… and he has someone special by his side now.”

The thought stung, but she swallowed the pain. “It’s better if we never cross paths again, Williams,” she thought resolutely. “I wish you all the best.”