Chapter 3

"Caro, it's been two months and not two years." Caro drew Rory in for an embrace after she replied.

She handed the medicine to her father and then clasped Rory's hand in hers. "Come with me." Rory was taken to Caro's room.

When Rory stepped into the room, the first thing she located was a chair to sit on. She sighed and Caro decided to walk to her.

How would she start the story about what had happened to her in the past two months? How she'd met Charlie in the large city and fallen back into his words just to be abandoned later? or how it's not simple to obtain work if you're uneducated?

When Caro noticed Rory's mind had wandered off, she cleared her throat loudly and spoke.  "If the bigger city was so amazing, why did you come back?" She moved closer to Rory and sat next to her.

Rory sighed, unsure of what to say. She boasted to a friend two months ago that she would not return to Section C, and that the next time she did, she would only come to take her family away from there. But it wasn't as simple as she had expected. She couldn't do anything advanced. She has no prior experience and, even as a child, she aspired to be a surgeon, but her family could not afford to send her through school to pursue her dream.

She had only ever worked as a nanny for little children and elderly people who could barely walk or stand, delivered meals to people for a lower price so she could survive, and sold coffee across the street to make ends meet.

"I warned you it wasn't going to be simple." Caro drew Rory's chin up and forced Rory to look at her. "You have that face that says things didn't go well in the big city, but I'm not going to say I told you that.  I'll simply do my best to assist you in any way I can."

"How?" To keep the tears from dropping on her cheek, Rory bit the inside of her lower lips very hard.

Caro rose up from her chair with a bright smile. She took a step forward and peered out the window. Of course, from where she stood, she couldn't see Section A. It was a whole different state. It looks more like a city. She instantly turned to face Rory, who was staring at Caro, waiting for her to reply to her question.

Caro inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly. "An interview was held at Section A this morning, and fortunately, it will continue tomorrow.  How about we go there?"

"Section A?" Rory asked as she stood up. Caro smiled and nodded. "I thought we weren't supposed to be on that property."

"That is correct, but if the wealthy require our services, we will go to them." Rory Anne, those are the rules."

"But what house needs people? Mr. Julians?  I'm out if he's the one." Rory stated bluntly.

Mr. Julians, as they have heard, does not pay his employee. Instead, if they refuse to leave his house when the deal is completed, he sues them or threatens to.

"Not Mr. Julians," Caro stated emphatically.

"Then who is it?"

Caroline smirked as she folded her arms. "Mr. Eren Cyrus,"

Rory's eyes widened and she let out a yell. "What?!  Did I hear you correctly?"

Caro nodded, her grin clearly visible on her face. "I heard he pays well."

"I assumed the Section C neighborhood despised him because he is arrogant and shows little regard for others," Rory said.

Caro stood with her back against the wall and her legs crossed as she nodded slowly. "I don't believe that is reason enough to despise someone."

"What are you trying to say?" Rory asked, returning to the chair to take a seat.

"They hate him because he was born into wealth.  His parents died when he was a child, and today he is the sole beneficiary of their fortune. He is the youngest billionaire. I heard from a source his parent's death was murder." She whispered.

Rory grimaced and shifted her gaze away from Caro. She picked up the book from the couch, studied the front cover for a few seconds, then returned her gaze to her friend before speaking. "I guess that is the reason he is arrogant. Did you get to thinking about that or just agreed with what other people said?"

Caro walked back to Rory after leaving the wall. She snatched the book Rory was holding from her. "That is not my own, and if something happens to it, I will die." She set it down on the table and took a white box from the table, opening it and placing a piece of the cigar to her lips. Caro fired it up and smoked. She offered it to Rory, who declined it with a shake of her head.

"I didn't know you smoke—was it Miles?" she asked.

Caro took a few more puffs before removing the cigarette from her mouth. She exhaled the cigarette and killed the light on the ashtray. "A lot of things happened when you left, Rory Anne, and you'll sometimes need a cigarette to get rid of your depression.  This is my medication because I'm depressed and can't afford to see a therapist." She made a gesture toward the ashtray, which held the cigar.

"Does your father know that you are suffering from depression? Or that you smoke?" she asked.

Caro sighed deeply. "It's not necessary for him to know.  Rory, this is my life, and I am free to do whatever I choose with it." She took a breath and paused for a few moments. "And Miles was completely uninvolved. We stopped seeing each other when you left, and I haven't seen him since. Maybe he's dead, or he's been kidnapped by the cult. I don't give a damn about him." She sounded angry, and Rory could tell she was lying about her feelings vanishing.

Miles was the type of guy she would never allow her friend to end up with. He had piercings all over his mouth and face, and the tattoos had to be the worst, which she didn't mind but Caro had been a victim of violence. Miles had physically and emotionally tortured her, and if Rory had a gun, she would have shot Miles to prevent her friend from having to go through those awful experiences again.

Caroline's irritation was palpable in her voice, but there was nothing Rory could do to help. When her friend was softly asking for aid, she was never there for her. Caro had called her two months before, begging her to return home, but things were going well for Rory. She'd never imagined everything would backfire on her in a matter of days.

"We'll be there tomorrow. So prepare yourself. This is the only way I can help you, Rory, and if you're still fantasizing about getting out of here, put that idea to rest since life is always cruel to people like you and me."

Rory leaped to her feet and walked away from the couch with her bag. She hung it around her arm and moved towards the door, looking back at Caroline. Rory wasn't going to let the hurtful words she'd heard from Caroline tonight get to her. She'd make sure she had enough money to finish her school and become wealthy, allowing her family to move out of Section C or purchase a home in Section A.

She pressed her lower lips together in a pout. "I'll come to pick you up tomorrow, so rest easy."

Rory walked out of Caro's house and into her car. She folded herself into the car. Something she hadn't gotten tired of yet.

She was driving home when she remembered her mother. At the very least, her mother will no longer reprimand her or threaten to marry her off to anyone's son. She came to a complete stop in her car and exited before reaching for the front door. When she entered the house, she noticed that it was strangely quiet. Her mother wasn't around and Noah was already asleep when she checked him in his room.

She was quite fortunate. She'd have to leave early in the morning to avoid her mother catching her in the house.

She didn't get a good night's sleep because she was worried about going to Section A the next morning and hoping she wouldn't run across the man she'd heard about. He may have had his reasons for acting the way he did, and she doesn't blame him. She hasn't seen him before and has no desire to do so. She simply wants to earn enough money to support herself while also feeding her family.

Rory had been jolted awake by Caro's constant phone calls. Morning had arrived earlier than she had expected. Rory sighed as she took the phone from under her pillow and placed it to her ear. " Rory, Rory,"   Caro said over the phone. Rory whimpered again as she tossed and turned. "Get up and get ready.  Mr. Eren despises people who aren't on time. So stand up." She yelled. When Rory dropped her phone on the bed after the call, she moaned and yearned. She got ready as quickly as she could and left Noah a note stating that she was leaving and he should be safe and wait inside the home until she returned.

She had parked her car in front of Caroline's house, where Caro had awaited her and also directed her to Section A.

When Rory arrived at the estate, she was astounded. Mr. Eren Cyrus' mansion was staring back at her.