Episode2
673 Words
Chapter 2: The Last Crust of Bread
While Alexander Sterling was deciding which multi-million dollar company to buy, Lily Evans was counting pennies on a cold kitchen table.
$4.25.
That was all she had left. No, that wasn't true—she also had a notice taped to her door in bright, ugly neon orange. EVICTION NOTICE.
"Just one more week, Mr. Henderson," Lily whispered to the empty room, her voice trembling. "I’ll find the money. I promise."
But she knew she was lying. She had been fired from the diner yesterday because she had given a free muffin to a crying orphan on the street. Her boss didn't care about her heart; he cared about his inventory. In this city, kindness was a luxury Lily couldn't afford.
She stood up, pulling her thin, worn-out cardigan tighter around her small frame. She hadn't eaten a full meal in two days, saving the last bit of bread in the cupboard for whenever her stomach pain became unbearable.
"I need a miracle," she muttered, tucking her messy chestnut hair into a ponytail. "Or at least a job that doesn't fire me for having a soul."
She stepped out into the bustling city. The wind bit through her clothes, a sharp reminder of how unprotected she was. She spent the next four hours walking from shop to shop, her shoes thin and worn through at the soles.
"Not hiring."
"We need someone with more experience."
"Sorry, kid, you look like you’re about to faint. We can't have that behind the counter."
By 3:00 PM, Lily’s legs felt like lead. She wandered into the city’s central park, a green oasis surrounded by the towering glass skyscrapers of the rich. She sat on a secluded wooden bench near a cluster of thick oak trees, pulling a crumpled piece of bread from her pocket.
She was about to take a bite when she heard a sound.
Sniff.
It was a small, choked-back sound. A sob.
Lily froze. She looked toward a large bush a few feet away. A pair of tiny, expensive-looking leather shoes were sticking out from behind the leaves.
"Hello?" Lily asked softly. She tucked her bread away and knelt on the grass, ignoring the dampness seeping into her jeans. "Is someone there? Are you hurt?"
The bushes rustled. A small boy, no older than four, crawled out. He was dressed in a miniature designer suit that probably cost more than Lily’s rent for an entire year, but his face was smudged with dirt and his eyes were red from crying.
Lily’s heart did a somersault. Those eyes... they were a piercing, haunting green.
The boy looked at her with a mixture of fear and curiosity. He didn't say a word. He just clutched a small teddy bear to his chest and stared at her as if he were waiting for her to yell at him.
"Oh, you poor little thing," Lily whispered, her own hunger forgotten. She didn't see a rich heir. She saw a lonely soul. "Are you lost? Where is your mommy?"
The boy flinched at the word 'mommy,' his lip trembling again. He looked down at the ground, retreating back into his silent shell.
Lily realized she had said the wrong thing. She reached into her pocket and pulled out the piece of bread. It wasn't much, but it was all she had.
"I'm Lily," she said, breaking off a piece and holding it out on her palm. "I was just about to have a very lonely picnic. Would you like to join me? I promise it’s the best bread in the whole park."
The boy looked at the bread, then up at Lily’s kind, brown eyes. For the first time in his life, he didn't see someone looking at him as a "Sterling Heir" or a "problem." He saw a friend.
Slowly, hesitatingly, he reached out his tiny hand.
- Writer
