AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“... You know, that may be the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me,” Finn jokes, but I know he’s flattered. Good. He deserves it.
I get back to business. “And you’re making sure no one sees you checking up on Nia? And that no one knows that you and I are connected in any way?”
“Yes, yes,” I can practically hear Finn rolling his eyes over the phone. “I thought we were having a moment there.”
I give him a considerate chuckle before getting serious again. “You’re sure Nia’s safe?” I ask.
“Yeah, man. Don’t worry. I’ll pick up my surveillance if you want?”
“Yeah,” I mumble. “Keep up the good work. Is there anything else?”
“Nothing I can think of.”
When Finn hangs up, I’m left alone with my thoughts again. I believe him about Nia being safe, but I wonder if she’s truly doing better. Has she figured out that it was me who paid off her nursing school debt?
It’s been the biggest risk I’ve been willing to take to help her out. I went through multiple shell companies and charities just to get it done, but I felt like I had to do something for her. I know she’s going to be mad when I show up again, but if I can explain everything, and point to my donation as a sign that I’ve never stopped worrying about her, then maybe she’ll forgive me.
Still, my heart clenches when I think about our reunion—if we ever even get one. She’s going to be so mad...
I’m almost more nervous to face Nia than I am of the goons who will be left over after the war’s done. They can all try their best to come after me, but I’m only chasing one thing now: her.
20
Nia
“You’re fired.”
I’d been expecting to hear those words, but still, they rip through me like a callous bullet.
&nbs
p; Ms. Lindsey has caught wind of my little morning routine, which often involves bending over the bathroom toilet and emptying out my insides. I don’t know how I managed to last this long, but now that I’ve been ratted out by both customers and my ‘fellow’ employees, I’m being asked to take a hike.
I mean, I get it. It’s not exactly pleasant. But how can you fire a pregnant woman? How cold-hearted do you have to be, especially in this climate?
“Ms. Lindsey, please,” I try to beg. Even with the savings I’ve managed to build up from selling off my bracelet, I still need this job to get me through the next year. I won’t be able to go back to nursing school if I have to burn through my savings just to buy the essentials.
Things were going so well, too. One mention that I was expecting was usually enough to get me a bigger tip than normal from a customer. I have a feeling that may have also been my downfall, though. Betty and Agatha were getting jealous.
Bitches.
Ms. Lindsey shows me the palm of her hand. “You’re lucky I’m not bringing a lawsuit against you. Do you realize how unsanitary what you’ve been doing is? Any one of our customers could have sued this place into the ground because of your carelessness.”
I want to snap back at her that being pregnant isn’t the same as being careless, but the truth is, I’m only pregnant because I was careless; because I wanted, for once in my life, to let myself be careless.
A lot of good that did me.
I don’t know what else to say. The milky, middle-aged woman shows no signs of sympathy for my plight. Her ear-length, dyed-blonde hair is brushed to the side, revealing a stone-cold face with beady eyes and thin, pursed lips. She’s dressed in a smart, dark-blue blazer with matching dress pants. There’s nothing to indicate that she has any interests outside of business, and I know that there’s no pleading with someone who’s all business. I’m just a number to her—or, in this scenario, a liability.
“It can’t last for much longer,” I try to explain. Still, I can’t imagine she’ll buy it. Ms. Lindsay doesn’t have kids and if she’s ever been pregnant before, it was long enough ago to not remember the symptoms. “The doctors say that it almost never lasts beyond 3 months, and I’m almost at that point. Just give me another week, please?”
I don’t like groveling, but I don’t have much of a choice. If I did have a choice, though, I’d tell this bitch to eat shit. The way she’s looking at me—like I’m already a forgotten ghost—just makes my blood boil. If I wasn’t so desperate, I still might try to give her a piece of my mind, but the fire inside of me is being squashed by her cold, uncaring gaze. I’m completely at her mercy, and I know my only hope is to convince her that I’m good enough to keep around.
“We can’t risk another week of your disgusting habit,” Ms. Lindsay sneers, showing some emotion for the first time. Is she actually angry at me? For being pregnant? “We’ve already started booking interviews for your replacement. It’s too late to change. You’re fate has been decided. I’m sorry, but I’m going to have to ask you to leave now.”
I don’t want to go. Well, I do, but not like this. I can’t leave the money behind; it’ll be the end of me.
Ms. Lindsay steps aside and points me towards the door. I look around for anything that might get me out of this worst-case scenario, but no one’s coming to my rescue. I’m almost glad. If Carlos knew what was going on, I’m sure he’d be cursing out Ms. Lindsay and quitting his job in protest. I can’t let him do that. He needs this paycheck almost as badly as I do.
