Chapter 22

Lucy had finally agreed to Alyson's decision for her to take a job but Alyson hadn't informed her about the nature of the job. Since she wouldn't be able to cope mentally and emotionally in any work environment and owing to the fact that Alyson had agreed to split her salary in half, she allowed her to work.

Out of the hundred dollars Alyson had received, she had spent twenty dollars already in restocking the house. Left with eighty dollars, she gave her mother Thiry dollars to tend to her own needs keeping the remaining fifty dollars for herself.

As early as five in the morning the following day, Alyson began her day. She neatly made her bed before proceeding to brush her teeth and take her bath. Alyson opened her closet, scanning the racks for the perfect outfit.

She knew she had to look her best for her first day at work even if it wasn't necessary since it was the job of a chef she was taking on, despite the modest pay, the hundred-dollar gift from the agency provided a sense of financial sufficiency, giving her the confidence that she even if she couldn't save enough to go to college she would be able to meet her needs, so she wanted to find the perfect combination of style and comfort. After a few minutes of searching, she decided on a pair of dark-wash jeans and a pink blouse. She slipped on a pair of black ballet flats and took one last look in the mirror.

She adjusted her hair and added a few accessories, then smiled. She knew she looked great, and she felt confident and ready to take on the day.

At 5:45 am, she entered the kitchen to prepare her breakfast. Contemplating the idea of going directly to the old man's place on an empty stomach, she envisioned making breakfast for both of them there and serving her portion. However, considering it was her first day, she wasn't certain about how the man would react to her helping herself from his pot without permission. Alyson didn't want to create a negative impression on her first day, so she chose to forgo that and opted to make her breakfast in her own kitchen, without risking

After finishing her coffee and munching on some crackers, she grabbed her phone and bag before taking her leave.

She hadn't taken out the paper the old man had given to her out of her bag yet. She searched for the paper in the corner of her bag. When she couldn't find the paper, her heart sank.

She hadn't gone too far from the house so she went back in, switched on the flash of her phone, and emptied the contents of her bag. She searched frantically for the paper. She checked the time on her phone. It read. 6:12 am. Luckily for her she found the paper. She sighed heavily as she tucked it into her pocket. She grabbed the apron that atop a cabinet. "Ma, I'm borrowing your apron." She yelled hoping her mother was awake and had heard her before she took her final leave.

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Nervously, Alyson walked up the front steps of the large Victorian house. She took out the spare key and opened the door, clutching her apron and bag in her hands, she went into the house.

The house wasn't what she had anticipated. It was well-furnished, adorned with numerous paintings gracing the walls.

She turned as she heard the sound of a door opening from inside. The old man walked into the living room from what Alyson assumed to be his bedroom. The old man looked grumpier than before as she was quick to observe that he was not a morning person.

"You're late," he said, scowling at her. "I said to be here by 6:30."

"I'm so sorry," Alyson stammered. "I got a bit lost on my way here."

"Well, I'm not going to wait around for you to dawdle," the man said. "Get started on breakfast.

Before Alyson asked for directions to the kitchen, she couldn't help but want to satisfy her curiosity. "Aren't you supposed to be at work?"

"Why do you suddenly want to be up in my business?"

"Cause you told me that....."

The old man cut Alyson off. "Forget what I told you and go make me breakfast."

It was as if the old man had read her mind as he pointed her in the direction of the kitchen immediately after he finished talking.

Alyson hurried into the kitchen, trying to remember everything she had learned in culinary school. She found the ingredients for eggs Benedict and got to work, trying to stay as quiet as possible. As she cracked the eggs, she could hear the man stomping around upstairs, muttering to himself.

When the eggs were ready, she carefully plated them and brought them into the dining room. The man was already seated at the table, a newspaper in front of him. He glanced up at her, his expression unchanged.

"Place the food on the table and leave," he said brusquely.

Alyson did as she was told, placing the plate in front of the man and leaving the room as quickly as possible. As she returned to the kitchen, she wondered if she had made the right decision to take this job. The man was difficult and demanding, and she wasn't sure she could handle it. But she reminded herself that this was a big opportunity for her to make enough to feed herself and her mother, and she needed to make the best of it.

As the day went on, she cooked and cleaned, trying to stay out of the man's way as much as possible. But every time she saw him, he seemed even grumpier than before.

By the time it was time for dinner, Hannah was exhausted. She had spent the day on her feet, cooking and cleaning, and she was ready to go home. But when she looked at the clock, she realized it was only 4:30. There were still hours left in her shift.

With a sigh, she started on the man's dinner. This time, she made chicken cordon bleu, which she later discovered was his favorite dish. She hoped it would put him in a better mood. But when she brought it to the table, he barely glanced at it.

"You're dismissed for the day," he said, not even looking at her. "But I want you to be here early tomorrow. And I expect everything to be perfect."

Alyson felt a wave of relief wash over her. She quickly gathered her things and headed for the door. As she left, she heard the man muttering to himself again.

She let out a sigh of relief as she walked out to the road and flagged down a taxi. She couldn't believe how difficult he was, but she was determined to do her best. As she drove home, she began to wonder if she could really handle this job. But she knew she had to least for the sake of her mother