Chapter eight: Come with us.

"You can leave now, I'll handle the rest," the woman said to Irene.

"No it's alright, you can go, I'll lock up, consider it as my thank you for giving me this job," Irene said with a forced smile.

"Are you sure?" the woman asked hesitantly and Irene nodded.

The woman handed her the keys and showed her where to keep them when she's leaving.

Irene walked the woman out and halved a sign when the woman left, Irene had no place to stay but she couldn't tell the woman that, so she decided to stay in the restaurant if she was careful enough she won't get caught.

Morning

Irene woke up early and had her bath in the restaurant bathroom. She quickly hid her things and fixed up the restaurant getting it in the right shape. She sat down patiently waiting for the woman who gave her the job.

The woman arrived and so did the other employees and they started the day's activities.

"Serve table 14" an order came and Irene nodded, she took the tray and headed for table fourteen, she held her stomach as she made her way to the table, she hadn't had anything to eat and her huger was catching up on her.

The table was occupied by a young guy and a young girl, one could tell they were out on a date

The girl glared at Irene for moving slowly with their food and Irene rolled her eyes at the girl, she dropped their food on the table and left.

She walked back to the kitchen taking deep breaths. She served some food in a bowl and sat down to eat, ignoring everyone's gaze.

Irene looked at misses Julie, the woman who gave her the job, and smiled helplessly, the woman just nod at her and ordered everyone back to their duty.

The restaurant closed but Irene stayed back like before, she gathered her things after taking her bath in the restaurant bathroom.

She served the leftover and sat on a couch, she looked out the window deep into her thought, reliving the events that took place after she left the orphanage. This isn't what she planned, working in a restaurant and eating leftovers.

She washed the dishes, took her bag along with a pocket knife, and locked the restaurant, keeping the key where misses Julie instructed.

She walked mindlessly through the street not knowing where to go the air was cool and refreshing to breathe. She knew she had to leave this city only then would she be free, working in a restaurant would get her caught in no time. She heard noises coming from a dark corner nearby without thinking much she walked in that direction.

She saw a couple standing together and a masked man holding a bag and pointing a knife at them. The incident when Viola stole her pendant came to her mind and she decide to help.

Slow steps she walked towards the masked man, she held the knife with her hand and used her other hand to hold the man's neck, her blood was dripping down but she paid no attention to it and applied pressure on the man's neck, the man fell unconscious due to suffocation.

Irene looked at the couple who had a surprised look

"He's not dead, just unconscious,s," Irene said and picked up the bag, she dropped the bag close to the couple and also ensured some distance between her and them.

"Thank you" the woman bit Irene chooses to ignore and walked away.

The couple came out of the dark ally and saw Irene sitting on a bench not too far from where they stood, they walked up to her

"Where do you leave? our car is nearby so we could drop you off" the man offered to Irene

"I'm an orphan,n" Irene said wanting to end the unnecessary conversation.

"Come with us, we could adopt you," the woman said, her gaze not leaving Irene's bleeding hand.

Irene looked at the couple suspiciously, who offer a stranger they just met a place to stay?

"You're injured because you helped us, think of it as a thank you gift," the woman said.

"We don't leave in this country, we only came here for a business trip. You can stay with us and when we leave for our country you can decide to come with us or not". The man said trying to convince her.

Irene looked at the couple, that's exactly what she wants to leave the country not to spend her life as a waitress.

"If I come with you guys I'll go to school," Irene said, she really wants to complete her education, at the orphanage everyone at eighteen would be done with high school, so their learning process was fast.

"You would complete your education, so would you come with us?" the woman asked and Irene nodded

"I'll come with" she stood up and followed the couple to their car.

Irene sat in the back seat leaving the couple in the front.

It started raining and Irene looked outside through the car glass, she looked lost in the rain. She always loves it when it rain, the coldness it comes with it always comforts her, it's like the rain is helping her shed her unshed tears, the last time she cried was when she lost her pendant, ever since then she couldn't cry even if she wanted to, maybe it's because she learned that crying wouldn't solve the problem and sometimes wonder where her tears went.

"Does it hurt?" the woman asked bringing Irene out of her thought.

"Yeah, a little" Irene said mindless, she was no fool to tell people that pain doesn't affect her.

"Thanks for helping us back there," the man said a little embarrassed

Irene just hummed and continue looking out the window

"What's your name?" the woman asked the girl who was quiet all of a sudden.

"I'm Irene," she said with a little smile, the name was given to her by whoever left her at the orphanage, maybe there's a reason they left her with a name tag.

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