Dylan lowered his head, biting hard on Flora’s collarbone before slowly sucking on the spot. It took a while before he finally released her.
Flora’s fair skin now bore a bruise from his bite. She glared at the man in front of her, but feeling helpless, she fled from the car.
The staircase was pitch black, and Flora walked slowly, supporting herself against the wall.
The sound of her high heels in the dark and quiet hallway sounded even more piercing.
She wanted to get home quickly but didn’t know how to face her mother. Arriving at her doorstep, she realized she had left her clothes and bag at Desire. It was too late to go back, as the place would be closed by now.
She hesitated outside the door, as it was already three or four in the morning.
Flora was prepared to spend the night outside her door, but she worried that the neighbors might see her in this mess the next morning.
While she was having inner struggle, the door behind her was opened.
The room was pitch black. Monica hadn’t turned on the lights, perhaps not wanting to see Flora like this.
Flora locked the door behind her, feeling ashamed even though Monica couldn’t see her. She wanted to go to her room and put on a coat before turning on the lights.
“Hmm?” Monica’s voice seemed to be right behind her.
A soft sigh, heavy like thick ink, filled with melancholy.
Flora’s back tensed, and her throat choked up, “Mom, I’m sorry.”
The room was so quiet that the sound of a pin dropping could be heard.
“Flora, go to that place tomorrow and quit your job,” Monica said, her voice hoarse from crying.
Flora’s eyes welled up with tears, “Mom… I don’t want to go either, but I can’t find a job anywhere else. If…”
“Your mother is still here!” Monica cut her off, “You listen to me…”
Her voice broke, unable to continue.
Flora didn’t dare to approach her mother. She huddled her shoulders, trying to hold back her tears. She wanted to break free, but it wasn’t as simple as her mother thought.
“Mom, I signed a contract with Desire. I can only leave after one year.”
“Flora,” Monica’s tone became more assertive, “Starting tomorrow, I’ll go out and look for a job.”
“Mom, you’re not in good health, you can’t go out for work,” Flora said. She couldn’t bear to let her suffer again.
“It’s settled,” Monica said firmly. Struggling against discomfort, she stood up from her chair. As she fumbled her way to the bedroom door in the dark, her leg hit the table and she nearly fell.
“Mom…” Flora rushed forward, anxious.
Monica opened the door, dragged her aching leg into the room, and closed the door without giving Flora any chance to help.
Even separated by the door, Flora knew how heartbroken her mother must be. Their family had once been prosperous, and no one expected things to turn out like this.
Exhausted, Flora returned to her room and fell asleep without even taking a bath.
In her dream, she saw a man with amber-colored eyes, so mesmerizing and real. The man’s adoring smile was etched clearly in her mind. He said, “Flora, the only thing that can’t change in a person are their eyes. These eyes are one of a kind in the world. Babe, please, don’t forget me…”
“Flora, Flora…”
“I love you more than anyone else, Flora…”
When Flora woke up, her pillow was soaked with tears. Her eyes were red and swollen, and her head ached terribly.
It had been a long time since she had dreamt of Justin like this. She sat up in bed for a while before getting up.
After searching the house and not finding Monica, Flora went back to her room to shower and change before going to work at Desire.
Her hand on the front door, she tried to press down, but there was no response – the door had been locked from the outside.
Flora tried a few more times, but still couldn’t open it.
Checking the time, she realized she would be late if she didn’t leave soon.
Half an hour later, Monica finally came back and opened the door. She looked tired and her complexion wasn’t good.
“Mom,” Flora approached her with concern, “Where did you go?”
“I went to look for a job.”
Flora sighed, “Mom, we won’t find a decent job outside. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be stuck at home after graduating for so long.”
Monica, clearly having faced rejection, sat down on a chair in their makeshift living room. “Even if we can’t find one, I won’t let you work in a place like that.”
“Mom, I’m making an honest living. Besides, the dance event yesterday isn’t something I have to do every day.”
“That’s enough,” Monica didn’t want to hear it and cut Flora off with a rare stern tone, “Flora, that place isn’t for you. As a child of the Jones, you can’t debase yourself like that.”
Flora opened her mouth to respond, but knowing her mother’s temperament and lacking the energy to argue, she remained silent.
When Flora got back to her room, Tina rang just in the nick of time. Flora cautiously requested a few days off, and shockingly, Tina gave the green light without batting an eye.
For days on end, Monica kept Flora cooped up at home while she hit the pavement in search of work, but each time she came back empty-handed.
At supper, the vibes were far from the cozy atmosphere they once knew. Monica sporadically dished out grub into Flora’s plate but hardly touched her own.
“Mom, chow down.”
“I’m a light eater, you dig in.” Monica heaped another helping onto Flora’s plate.
Now both of them were jobless, and their nest egg wouldn’t stretch much longer.
After supper, Flora tackled the dishes. “There’s barely any left, should we chuck it?”
“Head back to your room, I’ll take care of it.” Monica grabbed the dish and bee-lined for the kitchen, shutting the door in her wake.
Seeing it was still early, Flora switched outfits and decided to stretch her legs outside.
As she breezed through the living room, she realized the kitchen door was still shut. Her mom never closed the door while doing dishes.
She tip-toed over and cracked the door open a smidge.
Inside, Monica scraped the last crumbles of bread into a plate, dumped the remaining veggies in, and wolfed down the food in a dash.
She hadn’t eaten her fill earlier, afraid there wouldn’t be enough grub. She had bided her time until Flora was done before scarfing down the leftovers like a ravenous wolf.
In just a few days, it seemed that more silver strands had sprouted on Monica’s head.
Flora quietly slid the door shut and retreated to her room, tears pouring down her cheeks.
She didn’t point fingers at anyone else for her current jam, only herself.
The next day, Monica rolled in early and on cloud nine, proclaiming she had snagged a job.
When Flora inquired about the gig, Monica hemmed and hawed, then said it was a janitorial position at some company, nothing too tough or draining.
Over the next couple of days, regardless of Flora’s vows to stay put, Monica still kept her under lock and key, not letting her step out.
In the afternoon, Flora caught some naps and vaguely heard the door lock click outside. She peeped at the time, and it was only two o’clock. Her mom wouldn’t be back so soon.
When Flora stepped out, she saw an unfamiliar guy sitting in their already tight living room. Flora was taken aback, asking, “Who are you?”
“I’m just here to take you to see some wild action,” the man said, getting to his feet and making his way out.
“Get out!”
“Don’t you wanna know what your mom’s up to?” The man chuckled and strutted out confidently.
Without missing a beat, Flora chose to tail him.
They strolled through the streets, crossed the road, and the rain came down harder.
Even with the rain clouding her sight, Flora instantly spotted her mom at the bus stop across the way.
Obviously, Monica wasn’t waiting for a bus like everyone else. She clutched a black trash bag, hovering behind two young girls in the downpour.
One of the girls took a swig of her drink, whirled around, and spotted Monica. “Can you buzz off? I aingt done drinking yet.”
Monica looked sheepish but didn’t budge. Her gaze was glued to the bottle, waiting for the girl to polish it off and toss it.
Flora clamped both hands over her mouth, tears cascading down her cheeks like a burst dam, her eyes filled with shock and unease.
Her heart felt like it had been hollowed out, empty and aching. Her entire body seemed to be tearing apart, blood seeping from every inch.
“Mr. Bowles said if you need help, you can hit him up,” said the man who had led her there before taking off.
Flora brushed off his words, feeling the raindrops pelting her like tiny stones. It was obvious Dylan had cornered them into this dire situation, yet he acted as if he was their knight in shining armor.
