Chapter 2
TWO YEARS LATER
“Mama.” I sigh for the fifth time today. Candace has been bugging me to play with her, even though I’m trying to get our finances – well, my finances together. Having a child at 23 with no father in sight has its ways of limiting you, I look down at my little bundle of joy and smile as 1 pick her up, but I’ll never trade her for anything
Over the past two years, she’s become my life in the midst of everything I went through, the betrayal, the hurt, the loss – she smiles at me and I choke on a sob
“Well, mama’s gonna play now!” I blow a raspberry into her cheek and she giggles in elation, the sound making me forget that my rent is due in again and the landlady will be throwing us out this time.
After a couple of hours playing around, Candace is out like lights and I can finally work. I’m half way asleep myself but I shake my head to dispel the sleep induced haze.
No one wants to hire me, and the ones that do can’t pay me enough to cover rent and baby expenses, let alone give me enough time with my daughter a sacrifice I’m not yet willing to make.
I gave birth to Candace with complications and she was barely breathing when I pushed her out, she needs to be monitored. and looked after closely, no 9 to 5 will give me that opportunity, and worse, I can’t find someone to look after her so when I get a suspicious pop-up notification of someone looking for a house cleaner with great pay, I bounce on it.
A couple thousand to just clean! Flexible hours, feeding… What the hell?” I whisper to myself. It sounds too good to be true
and I have the gnawing feeling it’s a trap, you can never trust anyone these days.
That feeling comes back up, burning into my chest and I push it back down. They’ve moved on, you should do the same. I think to myself.
I lay down beside Candace and stare at her, instead of looking up at the ceiling of our rundown apartment, thankfully we had no mold growing there.
My eyes finally drift close as I hold on to my baby, my safe haven
I surprise myself when I actually consider the job again, I take a quick look at Candace who’s playing around with her food.
“You should eat you know, we don’t have a lot of money lying around.”
“Wa’s moon..?” She blinks at me, her face scrunched up in question. For an almost two year old, she is incredibly perceptive and tries to speak like an adult. An involuntary smile pops up on my face and I think long and hard about the question.
“Mo-ney” I emphasise when I see she’s struggling with the word, but she doesn’t repeat after me.
“Well, its some made up stuff that everyone gets crazy one, you can’t live without it, you can die because of it…” She just lights up watching my lips move and giggles, clapping her spoon with her hand.
“What do you think I should do Dace? Apply for the job? What’s lie worst that could happen?” I shrug and think long and hard. I could make my location public and let the world know where I’m going just in case something happens,
Candace just nods along to what I’m saying.
“Well you convinced me honey”
Before I know it, I’m opening up my laptop and applying for the position. Almost immediately, I get a response and it
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Wed, Oct 16 BG
Chapter 2
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“Okay. I don’t feel good about this.” I say as I read details. I already have it in my head that I’m not going to be meeting with anyone in no d****n dark, at night so I’m sort of relieved when I’m asked to come to Broad Street, a pretty popular street known for its high rise buildings.
1 find myself frowning at the screen, it’s a long shot but it wouldn’t hurt to try.
I clear my throat as I introduce myself to the receptionist on the ground floor. I take one look at the building and it feels as though I’m falling backwards.
“What do you want?” There’s a snark to her tone that is very hard to miss but I keep a smile on my face, after all, I’m here for a job application and beggars aren’t choosers.
“I have an appointment.” I hand out a printed letter I was emailed to show to the receptionist when I arrive.
She takes one look at the paper, scans my face and outfit, and scowls at me. For once, I’m glad Candace is not with me as 1 bite down hard on my tongue to keep myself from saying something wrong. A few minutes after her phone call, she directs. me to the penthouse.
I marvel at the building but more at the fact that I would have to clean such an enormous space,
I knock and the door opens slightly. I push it open and call for anyone “hello?”
“Wow.” I say to myself as I fully walk in, it’s a beautiful, well furnished apartment and I’m halfway across the living room, over to the side where the floor length glass window is when I hear a voice, the one voice that has hunted my dreams for the past two years.
“Did Renee send you up?” I turn around, fear asheen on my face and a tremor rocking my spine.
A whoosh of air leaves me and I swallow hard as I see his face, it’s not one I completely recognise because I was drunk that night but that voice, it’s the unmistakable voice of Candace’s father.
“I’ll go straight to the point. This man gives me no time to recover as he shows me a chair to sit on. Whether he seems to remember me or not, he doesn’t show it.
I mean, what does a one night’s f***k mean to him? He’s obviously f**g wealthy and has so many girls to pick from. I was a rando that night, or was he my pick? Either way, I’m so much more glad I didn’t bring Candace here to see that her father is just some p***oy who doesn’t recognise her mother.
“This isn’t about some cleaning job.” My head c***ks to the side in complete confusion.
“That’s why I’m he “He holds up his hands to silence me and I reel back in shock at his rudeness.
“I’m still speaking.” Who the ***k does he think he is? I decide to shut up and hear what he has to say regardless. He grabs what looks like a manila envelope and hands it to me, I eye it suspiciously as I collect it and open it
“It’s a contract.” He nods and motions for me to keep