Chapter 4
Before Mom passed away, she told me to stand on my own and be resilient.
Back then, her family forced her to marry a man she didn't love, and she was trapped in his house.
Having to depend on him for a living, she lost her dignity and was unable to protect me. Thus, she warned me to be self-reliant.
*****
I wrote William an IOU, promising I'd pay him back, no matter what.
William studied the IOU for a moment. "2,000 dollars is barely enough for dinner at a restaurant. Seriously, don't worry about paying me back," he said casually.
My hand hung in the air, clutching the note.
2,000 dollars was truly nothing to him, as I'd seen how he enjoyed himself at the hotel. He'd play golf out on the lawn with his friends, and just one shot could cost 10,000 bucks.
Even the owner of this luxury hotel chain, James Sterling, was friends with him.
I knew we were from totally different worlds. But I didn't want to owe anyone, and I was even more afraid of getting used to depending on others.
Just as I was about to ask him again to take it, a hand with well-defined knuckles reached out and took the note. "I'll hold onto it for him. Add me to your contacts," James said calmly, his voice casual as ever.
I added James to my contacts, finally feeling relieved. His social media feed was pretty sparse, and the most recent post was from yesterday. [Picked out a Christmas gift for someone special.]
His hands were big—he could lift all the shopping bags with just one hand. In the corner, I saw the gift bag I'd gotten. That gift must've ended up in his photo by accident.
I looked at James, but he didn't look at me. He just slipped his phone into his coat pocket and said, "Will, it's noon. Take her out for lunch."
William peeked out the door at the street, his brows furrowing.
"This place is a total backwater. There's not even a decent restaurant around. I can't eat here. Let's just head back to the city." he said, and then turned to me. "Emmy, get in the car."
"Wait, let me grab my stuff," I said. It was the last day of the vacation, and I was heading back to work anyway.
I arranged for someone to watch over Grandma, and left most of my cash at home. But when I grabbed my stuff and went to the door, William's car was nowhere to be seen.