Chapter 002
1159 Words
Chapter 002
Elena's POV
My shaking hand buzzed with the phone. The name Mila flashed across the screen, and I stopped for a breath too long before picking up.
"Mila! I snapped, my voice tight and harsh from holding back tears, for the last time: no way am I selling my body to anyone. Despite my throat tightening from the argument, I couldn't let her prevail this time.
"Elena, you speak and speak . Could you please share where you are aiming to secure a job for Cove Dad's treatment? Such money doesn't just fall from the sky! Her voice echoed mine, sharp and annoyed, with an undercurrent of concern.
I leaned against the frigid wall of my small Novgorod City apartment and swallowed fiercely. My gaze strayed to the ceiling, as if it might open and shower me with miracles.
"I understand your predicament, particularly in a town such as Novgorod," Mila said. "But what choices do you have unless magic is real and cash rains down from the clouds? I'm thin too; don't expect me to keep lending you money.
She had nothing incorrect it Heit.The certainty that she was correct infuriated me.
I exhaled deeply, the weight in my chest getting heavier by the second. "You would find ignorant of that? Every day feels like I'm drowning, Mila.
Silence for a beat, and I could almost see her on the other side of the queue tapping her nails against her kitchen counter, scowling at the mess I had created.
She then said softly, "Look, there's this family looking for housekeepers. I really didn't want to bring up this alternative. pays six five fifty a month.
Blinkin wasn't sure if I heard her correctly. Six hundred and fifty seems right. Are you messing about with me?
Dead serious is what I mean. Mila responded quickly, stating, "I wouldn't play around with something like this."
"Who pays that much for house cleaning?” My mind was filled with suspicions. Nobody in Novgorod City tossed money at maids without some kind of catch. At the thought, my stomach turned.
"I have heard that this is a wealthy family truly private individuals." Mila stated, "They are looking for someone who is trustworthy and discreet." ""You may even be able to pay for the treatments if you stick with the job for a few years."
Ideas crashed into one another, a noisy, terrified mess. Though not glamorous, housekeeping was better than the other choices Mila had been suggesting for weeks. To help me quiet the storm in my head, I pressed the heel of my hand towards my eyes.
three years. Could I survive that long?
"How soon do they want some of mine?" … my voice thinner than usual? Id.
"Right away," Mila declared. "It appears that their previous housekeeper abruptly departed."
I came to a stop.? "Why?!"
"I'm not sure," she said, looking tense. "That is the peculiar aspect. Nobody is discussing it; thus, I wonder..."
"Wonder what?"
"Maybe something's off in that household."
A shiver slid down my back. "Are you asking me to enter some mystery just because the pay is decent?"
Hey, you requested answers for problems. I have this right here," Mila shot back. Indeed, it is dangerous. Still, it's better than the other things you turned away from.
She was right once more, which infuriated me even more.
"What should happen if they are dangerous? If my situation worsens, what would be the next course of action? I lunged back.
"Dangerous? Please come on, Elena. "You have faced worse than vacuuming eerie hallways," Mila said, but her laugh was hollow.
There was a stop, and I let out a dry, humourless, breathy chuckle too.
Fair enough, I said silently.
I considered my father weak, lying on that rigid hospital bed. His eyes had been clear and alive, then veiled in suffering. Every second I hesitated felt like robbing him of more time.
"I don't particularly have a choice, do I?" My voice gave way.
"No, you don't," Mila said gently. But listen; promise me you will be careful.
Under my breath, I murmured, "Careful doesn't pay the bills," staring at the battered shoes by my door. But fine. I'll try it.
"gGoo." I will forward the address to you. Elena, please do not flake.
The call finished, but the words kept playing in my head.
Not flake.
I reached for my coat the one with the ripped sleeve I intended to sew. The frigid air stung my cheeks as soon as I left. Novgorod City always felt like it was reminding you not to get too comfortable that is, with its sharp cold.
As I strolled down the cracked pavement, a thousand ideas swirled in my head. These folks were: who? Please explain why the cost for a maid is so high. Could you please clarify the reasons for the departure of the most recent maid?
My feet kept moving even though deep inside I screamed to turn back.
"Stop yourself from overanalysing. Despite the doubt tearing at my chest, just go there and see for yourself.
As soon as I reached the mansion's gate, I halted abruptly.
It was significant. Dark iron gates and ivy crawling over stone walls like veins make this house taller than any I have ever seen. Watching me, the place seemed alive.
"You definitely know about this?" I murmured, unsure exactly whom I was speaking to myself or maybe the house itself.
There was no response. The wind whispered secrets I shouldn't have known.
I opened the gate, and it moaned under its weight, loud enough to send chills down my spine.
"Creepy", I said softly.
My heart thumped so hard it hurt as I strolled up the gravel road. Under my boots, gravel crunched underfoot, each step resonating more than the last.
Its swing opened before I could get to the door.
Standing there was a tall man in a black coat, his keen eyes locked on me as though he had been expecting me for years.
His voice was deep and consistent, but there was something unreadable in his eyes. You must be Elena.
I nodded and coughed the lump in my throat. "I do indeed," I replied. I started working in housekeeping.
"Come in."
No greeting. There was no smile. He uttered only two words.
I entered, and the air changed. Inside was colder than outside; the scent of old wood and something faintly metallic assaulted my nose.
I swear, closing the door behind me felt as if it sealed my fate.
Though he had mentioned it already, he asked, "What's your name?"
"Elena", I said, trying not to shake my voice.
"Good," he said, his eyes darting over me as though he were sizing a pawn on a chessboard. "Lead me."
And I did as well.
But as I went deeper into the house, one question stood out.
In what have I become involved?
- Writer
