009: Stripped Of Everything

Elodie sat on the hospital bed, staring at the door Williams had just walked through. Her fingers trembled slightly as she pressed them against her lap. Why did it feel like she had let him down?

A sharp sigh left her lips. 'No. This is for the best.'

She shook off the lingering emotions and pushed herself up. There was no point in thinking about him. She had other problems to deal with...like the fact that this was a private hospital, and every second she spent here was adding to a bill she couldn’t afford.

She needed to leave. Fast.

She reached for her folded clothes, but as she moved, something heavy slid from the chair and landed on the floor.

She looked down.

Williams' coat.

She quickly bent down and picked it up. The fabric was warm against her fingers, his scent lingering in every fiber—clean, crisp, expensive.

She hesitated for a second before shaking her head. 'I’ll return it to him. It’s just a coat.'

After changing into her clothes, she went to the front desk to check out.

The receptionist barely glanced at her before saying, "Your bill has already been settled."

Elodie froze.

"What?"

"Someone paid for it this morning."

She didn’t have to ask who.

Her grip tightened around Williams’ coat as an unreadable expression crossed her face. 'Why? Why would he do that?'

But she pushed the thought away, telling herself that it didn’t matter.

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 before six in the evening, you’re out. No more excuses!"

Elodie tried to reason with him, her cheeks burning with humiliation. However, he turned away and disappeared from her sight. Afterward, she sighed and went inside.

While in her small apartment, Elodie sat on the floor, hugging Williams' coat close to her chest.

It was ridiculous.

She shouldn’t be doing this...clinging to something that belonged to a man who wanted nothing to do with her.

But she couldn’t help herself.

She brought the coat closer, inhaling its scent with her eyes closed. It filled her with warm memories of the good times.

Her fingers brushed against a small stain on the fabric. Frowning, she got up, filled a basin with warm water, and washed the coat carefully by hand. She hung it up to dry, smoothing out the wrinkles with delicate hands.

She had no right to keep anything that belonged to him.

Afterward, she pulled out an old storage box from beneath her bed.

She hesitated before lifting the lid.

Inside were old photographs, tucked away in neat stacks. She picked one up..a picture of her and Williams, looking into each other's eyes, their faces beaming with happiness.

Before everything fell apart.

She traced the outline of his face with her fingertips.

'He already has someone better by his side now. I should wish him happiness.'

Her eyes stung as she shut the box.

Her fingers brushed against the chain around her neck, finding the small pendant resting against her skin.

A ring. She kissed it tenderly.

Afterward, she curled up on the bed, exhaustion washing over her.

'It’s over, Elodie. Move on.'

But even as she told herself that, she fell asleep with Williams' name lingering in her mind.

Three hours later, the bar was already packed when Elodie walked in, tying her apron around her waist.

She hadn’t forgotten about Williams' coat. She planned to return it to him on her day off. She had already found his company’s address...she would just drop it off and leave. No awkward encounters, no unnecessary conversations.

Just one final goodbye.

She was wiping down the counter when the door opened, and someone walked in.

Elodie turned.

A well-dressed woman in dark sunglasses entered, her heels clicking against the floor.

A colleague greeted her. "Welcome, ma’am...oh!" The woman removed her sunglasses, revealing strikingly familiar features.

"You look just like my coworker!"

Elodie gasped. 'It’s her.'

Williams' girlfriend.

Mandy's gaze landed on her, cold and unreadable.

"Indeed," she murmured. "We do look alike."

Elodie swallowed hard.

Mandy took a seat at the bar. "A glass of your finest red wine."

Elodie exhaled slowly before nodding. "Coming right up."

She poured the wine, carefully setting the glass in front of Mandy.

Then, as she looked at her again, a memory came back to her. Mandy had helped her a lot at the festival.

Elodie hesitated, then spoke. "Thank you for helping me at the festival that night. If it weren’t for you..."

Before she could finish, Mandy picked up the wine glass and dumped its contents over her head.

Gasps erupted across the bar.

Elodie froze.

The deep red liquid soaked her hair, dripping down her face and onto her white blouse. The scent of wine filled her nose, mixing with the cold shock coursing through her veins.

The room fell into a heavy silence.

Then....

"Elodie!" Her boss stormed over, eyes blazing. "What the hell have you done now?"

Elodie blinked, still dazed. "I...I didn’t..."

He turned to Mandy, his voice suddenly much softer. "Miss, I apologize for whatever happened. Did she offend you?"

Mandy placed the empty glass on the counter, her lips curling into a smirk.

"Your employee is a homewrecker."

Elodie’s stomach dropped.

"A person lacking morals shouldn’t be employed," Mandy continued, her voice loud enough for everyone to hear.

A murmur rippled through the bar.

Elodie’s boss didn’t even hesitate. He turned to her, eyes sharp with irritation.

"You’re fired."

Elodie’s heart pounded. "What?"

"I’ve been looking for a reason to get rid of you for a while," he said coldly. "Now I have one. Change out of your uniform and leave."

Elodie clenched her fists, swallowing the lump in her throat. She turned to Mandy.

"If you’re referring to the night I was drugged and taken to the hospital by your boyfriend, then I apologize. There's no need to resort to things like this. Between Williams and me, there exists no relationship."

Mandy smirked, leaning in slightly.

"This is just a warning," she whispered. "Stay away from my boyfriend, or losing this cheap job will be the least of your worries."

Elodie met her gaze head-on.

"Don’t worry," she said evenly. "Williams and I are already strangers. I wish you both happiness."

She untied her apron and walked out.

Elodie reached her apartment building, her body heavy with exhaustion.

She just wanted to lie down. Just breathe.

But when she arrived...

Her belongings were scattered outside.

Her stomach twisted. Her hands trembled as she reached for the door, only to find...

Her key no longer worked.

A sharp gust of wind blew past, rustling the eviction notice taped to the door.

Elodie’s heart sank.

She had lost everything.