CHAPTER 25

With Allan now out of the country, Gillian didn't bother to come to work. So, her weekly pay was $2500, mine was $500. In all those weeks I worked alone, it meant she made $2000 by doing nothing. What a rich fucking life she had. Sometimes I'd send her the grocery list and I'd get no response. Mr. Callavan saw it all. One day he called me to his bed. 

He looked at me with a very caring and considerate expression.

"Do we have food in the fridge?", he asked.

"We have enough for the week.", I said.

"This evening, I want you to go to the supermarket and buy everything we need. I'll give you the money.".

The supermarket was a 6-minute walk from the condominium.

"But I can't leave you alone.", I said, concerned.

"I'll be alright. Just leave the phone on the bed. If someone calls, I'll tell them that you're in the shower.".

"Sounds good.", I replied.

That evening, I expected Mr. Callavan to take the money when I wasn't watching. But to my utmost surprise, he gave me the key. I was baffled when he took it out of his pajama pocket.

"What's that?", I asked, confused.

"The key to the safe.", he said.

"I mean, I can't open it. It's confidential _".

"It's okay. I trust you.".

We did need groceries and that was the only available time. I had to swallow a nervous gulp and take the key. He showed me where the safe was and I opened it. Stacks of money and jewelry were inside.

You might be wondering how they got so rich. So back in Iran, Mr. Callavan owned 2 carpet making factories with over 3,000 workers. He also used to be a film director for more than a decade. It was him who taught me how to write a captivating script, but I'm still learning.

I took $200 from the safe and closed it so fast. I returned the key to him. I'm not a thief. And I had no desire to steal anything in that safe. What scared me was that, if something were to happen and I already saw the key and the location of the safe, the blame would fall on me big time. I prayed to God for something like that to never happen.

I went to the supermarket and bought everything we needed. It was a great, successful day.

…

Gillian still tried to reach Allan for whatever fucking reason. She had refused to receive payment from Mr. Callavan, claiming that she signed the contract with Allan, so if Allan really wanted her to get paid, he should come back and do it himself. That's really fucked up if you ask me. Luckily, she did give me my $500 a week. 

One day she came and found food in the fridge. She asked what had happened and I told her that Mr. Callavan gave me the money. I kept the key and safe information to myself. What I told her was that Mr. Callavan asked me to stay out so that he'd go get the money from the hiding place. I didn't want to tell her the truth because I knew the real her. I knew that she wasn't a nice person. It was like I was protecting myself from her evil ways of thinking.

…

Allan and Vicky came back in October, also with an addition to their family. Vicky was pregnant!

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