Chapter 5 A Harassing Call
1338 Words
When Orelia opened her eyes again, she held her child close, her gaze lowered, remaining silent.
The nurse stood nearby, giving her a pitying look. She was there to remind Orelia to settle the hospital bill. Although Orelia had paid what she could, it was nowhere near enough.
Head bowed, Orelia had no words to offer.
She knew it was shameless, but she was truly out of money.
She dug into her bag and pulled out her phone.
Eight months had passed since she'd last dialed his number, but she called Kyle again.
The call connected, and Orelia opened her mouth to speak—only to hear a familiar female voice on the other end. It was Sally.
"Orelia?"
Sally's tone was light, with a hint of amusement. "Are you looking for Kyle?"
Before Orelia could speak, she continued, "He's not available right now. But if there's something you need to say, you can tell me."
Would Sally really be this considerate?
But Orelia had no other options.
She couldn't care about anything else!
Swallowing her pride, she hesitantly asked, "I... I was hoping he could... lend me some money?"
She could no longer bring herself to ask outright; she framed it as a loan instead.
"Please, I'll pay it back. As soon as I have the money, I'll return it to him!"
"Oh, I see." Sally chuckled softly. "Alright, I'll let him know. Bye now."
"Thank you—" Orelia began, but the line went dead.
She held onto her phone, a sense of uneasy hope filling her.
On the other end, Kyle had just come out of the bathroom. He casually asked, "Whose call was that?"
Sally remained calm and smiled. "Oh, nobody. Just a spam. I blocked that number."
Kyle always trusted her, so he didn't doubt her words.
Meanwhile, Orelia was still hoping that Kyle would lend her some money.
Maybe for the sake of Zoe or the fact that they were still married...
But day after day passed, and nothing came.
Two days later, Orelia was forced to leave the hospital.
She had been turned out, unable to cover the bill, with only a bag slung over her shoulder and her child in her arms.
Standing outside the hospital doors, she looked up at the winter sun, its harsh brightness stinging her eyes. She closed them, tears spilling over.
"Don't cry." She gritted her teeth, a silent vow to herself.
"You have no right to cry. You're a mother now, and you have a child to raise. So don't cry!"
She was penniless. Her home in the slums had burned down. She had no place to go.
*****
Two weeks later...
Orelia clutched her baby to her chest, running as fast as she could.
"Stop! Thief! She stole something!"
"Quick, catch her!"
The footsteps behind her grew louder.
She was running out of options.
With a stumble, Orelia tripped and fell. In an instant, she twisted midair to shield her baby, landing on the ground with her back.
"We got her!" Before she could stand, store employees had pinned her down.
"Where do you think you're going? What did you steal? Hand it over!"
They grabbed her bag, dumping its contents onto the ground.
"Formula? Diapers? Why on earth would someone steal these?"
"Oh my gosh, she's holding a baby!"
Orelia squeezed her eyes shut in shame. At that moment, she wished the ground would swallow her whole.
She had hit rock bottom; her dignity was in tatters.
And yet, hugging her baby close, she realized she didn't even have the luxury of dying.
*****
Three years later...
At Bridgestead International Airport, Orelia pushed her luggage cart through the security checkpoint.
She wore no makeup, something she'd grown used to.
The summer heat only added a slight flush to her pale cheeks.
She scanned the crowd, finally spotting the Ludwig family driver, Peter, holding a sign with her name on it.
She walked over, offering a polite smile. "Peter."
Peter looked at her, momentarily taken aback. "Ms. Cruz, you've changed a lot over these past years."
Taking her suitcase, he led her toward the exit.
Orelia smiled lightly and nodded.
She knew she looked different now—thinner, her figure more slender. She'd also grown a bit taller.
"This way, please." Peter led Orelia out of the airport.
After she climbed into the car, they drove off, and she realized they'd only sent a driver. Kyle hadn't come...
The car finally stopped in front of a private care facility on the south side of the city, Southside Restorative Care.
Zoe was ill, suffering from a heart condition, and was due for a risky surgery.
This was why she'd been brought back after all these years.
Zoe feared that, in the worst-case scenario, she might not get a final chance to see Orelia.
Peter knocked on the door. "Come in!"
Orelia entered, calling out, "Grandma."
"Orelia?" Zoe craned her neck, catching sight of her in the doorway.
"It really is you!" Zoe extended her hand, unable to hide her excitement. "Come, come closer! Let me have a good look at you."
Orelia let Zoe pull her closer, quietly indulging her inspection.
They chatted for a while, but Zoe was visibly tired and needed to rest.
"I won't keep you long. Let the driver take you back so you can settle in and get some rest."
After saying goodbye to Zoe, Orelia asked Peter to drive her to Silver Beach Estate—the place she and Kyle had once called home.
Entering the foyer, she opened her suitcase, pulling out her toiletries and a change of clothes. She was only staying temporarily; as soon as she found a new place, she'd leave.
Zoe had reached out to her so suddenly that she hadn't had time to secure housing.
After taking a shower downstairs, she went to the kitchen and found some pasta and eggs in the fridge.
It was clear that someone had been living here, though the food looked old as if no one had restocked in a while.
She had just taken her first bite of pasta when she heard the sound of the door opening in the foyer.
Kyle was back?!
As he stepped into the entryway, Kyle was greeted by the smell of cooking.
He frowned, his expression darkening. "What's that smell?"
The lights were on in the living room and the kitchen. Someone was in his house? How? Could it be a thief?
That couldn't be. Nobody would dare break into this house. And what kind of burglar only made a meal instead of stealing something?
Not to mention that Silver Beach Estate had the best security in the area—if a mouse from next door tried to sneak in, it'd think twice.
"Who's there?" His sharp voice echoed as he stepped into the living room. "Come out now!"
"Coming!" At his call, Orelia quickly emerged, standing in front of him with her hands folded.
"You're back," she said softly.
He reeked of alcohol, his tie loosened, and his suit unbuttoned. After setting his things down, he unfastened his shirt collar and turned toward her.
Instantly, his expression froze.
The woman before him was tall and slender, though thinner than he remembered.
She was stunning, with clear, lake-like blue eyes that seemed both familiar and hauntingly beautiful.
Kyle was stunned. He wasn't sure who this girl was, but he found her utterly familiar, and this weird feeling kept surging up.
Kyle's face darkened further. Silver Beach Estate had high-grade security—yet somehow, a woman had managed to slip inside.
He already despised it when people entered his personal space uninvited, and now this.
"Who are you?" he demanded, his brow furrowed. "How did you get in?"
Orelia hesitated for a moment, letting out a faint scoff. He didn't even recognize her.
Suppressing a bitter smile, she replied softly, "It's me, Orelia Cruz."
"Mmm..." Kyle nodded absently, but suddenly, he froze in realization.
She said her name was... Orelia?
- Writer
