Chapter 4
It felt like I wasn't just some broke girl who'd lost her job and was dragging a suitcase around.
Instead, I was a princess, and the butler was supposed to wait on hand and foot.
"Miss Miller, please." His voice was filled with a kind of respect that brooked no refusal.
Across the street, Emma was still watching me.
Her gaze was warm, encouraging.
That look in her eyes told me this wasn't a dream. It was real.
I took a deep breath.
It felt like my feet were barely touching the ground, like I was walking on clouds as I made my way toward that gleaming Rolls-Royce.
It was only a few dozen yards across the street, but every step felt like it lasted a lifetime.
Out of the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of Cameron.
His face wasn't just pale. It looked like every drop of blood had vanished.
He was as gray as a corpse, like all the life had been sucked right out of him.
He was shaking, and the cold sweat pouring down his forehead had turned his hair into a total mess.
Kaylee was completely losing it.
She pressed her hand tightly over her mouth, her eyes wide as dinner plates.
Regret and terror tangled in her gaze.
I bet right now, they were frantically replaying every moment in their heads.
Every single time they'd sneered at that invisible old lady over the past three years.
And every time they'd mocked me for being a bleeding-heart idiot.
Turned out, the one they scoffed at was a legend they'd never even come close to touching.
The one they stepped on without a care was a cloud they'd spend their whole lives looking up to.
It was a surreal feeling.
There was no thrill of revenge, just this almost ridiculous sense of calm.
Fate really had a sick sense of humor.
I stepped up to the car door.
The butler opened it for me, expertly placing his hand on the top of the door to make sure I wouldn't hit my head.
I bent down and slipped into the seat.
The door closed silently behind me.
It was like all the chaos and stares outside just disappeared, shutting me off from the world.
Inside, it was almost silent.
The engine was so quiet that I could barely hear it.
The air had this light, soothing sandalwood smell.
The seat under me was made of some fancy leather I couldn't even recognize.
The seat was soft yet firm, like it was swallowing me up.
I nervously placed my old suitcase at my feet.
Everything in this car made me feel like I didn't belong here at all.
"Sweetie, let him take your suitcase," Emma said.
Her voice wasn't the rough, raspy sound I remembered. Now, it carried a gentle warmth and a magnetic charm, seasoned by years gone by.
She gestured to the butler sitting in the front seat.
The butler immediately got out, came over to my side, opened the door, and respectfully took my suitcase, carefully placing it in the trunk.
I looked at Emma.
Her gaze met mine.
She reached out her elegant hand and gently took hold of mine, which was cold with anxiety.
Her touch was warm.
There were faint traces of calluses on her palm, but her skin was still smooth.
These were hands that had accomplished much and commanded authority.
Emma looked at me and said softly, her eyes filled with genuine regret, "You've been through a lot. These past three years must have been hard on you."
My eyes instantly welled up with tears.
It wasn't because I felt wronged by being fired.
It wasn't because I felt helpless after being kicked out by my landlord.
It was because of those words, "You've been through a lot."
In this unfamiliar city, I was like a stubborn weed, fighting for every inch of life, doing whatever it took to survive.
Not once had anyone ever said those four words to me.
Despite trying to hold them back, my tears finally spilled over.
One by one, my tears splashed onto the back of her hand.
She didn't say a word.
She just grabbed a clean white handkerchief from beside her and gently wiped away my tears.
Her movements were so tender, just like how my grandma used to comfort me.
The car rolled forward quietly.
I turned my head and took one last look at Vogue Place through the tinted window.
Cameron and Kaylee stood frozen at the entrance, still looking dazed.
The termination letter I once treasured was caught by the breeze, spinning through the air before landing forlornly on the pavement, only to be crushed beneath the wheels.
It was all over.
Or maybe Everything was only beginning.
The car melted into the flow of traffic, quiet and unnoticed.
I stared out the window as the city sped by, and slowly, my nerves began to calm.
I had so many questions I wanted to ask.
Who were you?
Why me?
What was really going on these past three years?
But I just couldn't bring myself to ask anything.
I just looked at Emma sitting next to me, her presence so graceful and dignified.
It all felt so surreal, like I was dreaming.
"Aren't we going home?" I asked.