Abigail Taylor took the water and drained it with one gulp. Having been busy all night without a moment to spare for a drink, this glass of water was the most refreshing thing for her at the moment.
"You know, have you ever thought about moving out of here? With your salary, there really is no need to live here; I feel pretty bad for you," Abigail tried to persuade Sophie relentlessly.
Sophie shook her head, "I want to accumulate money as quickly as possible to pay back Justin Battleson and sever ties with him."
"The rent is cheap and it’s close to Blue Tone, which is the best choice for me. If I move somewhere else, I would have to spend more on rent and then who knows when I would finally become financially independent from him."
"I’ll just put up with it for now. After all, I’ve been through hardships since I was a child, this is nothing."
Knowing her stubborn nature, Abigail didn’t persist in trying to persuade her, and let out a yawn. "Alright, you go rest. I need to get some sleep too, otherwise, I won’t have the strength to work tonight."
After seeing Abigail off, Sophie took a shower and then crashed onto her bed. The second her back hit the mattress, she felt her exhaustion melt away instantly.
She didn’t have time for aimless thoughts as she quickly fell asleep after closing her eyes.
In the following days, she maintained this routine, going in a straight line back and forth from her apartment to Blue Tone for work.
Abigail tried her best to take care of her, commuting together daily, and occasionally sharing a few jokes with her.
It added a bit of sweetness to their hard days.
After a week, Sophie thought she would get used to this kind of work. However, for some reason, she only felt more and more tired day by day, and her back began to ache.
Her sleepiness worsened. Everyday, once she got back to her basement home, she’d fall asleep as soon as she lay down.
One night, after serving drinks to a few private rooms, Abigail invited her for a late-night snack—a cake with cream, Sophie’s favorite. She ate one piece and was reaching for another with eager anticipation when suddenly, a wave of nausea washed over her. She covered her mouth and ran towards the nearby restroom.
Seeing this, Abigail quickly followed, patting her on the back and handing her tissues, "What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"
Sophie, with burning eyes, didn’t have time to answer Abigail. Despite sheathing over her mouth, she felt as if she was going to throw up her entire stomach. Discover more novels at novelꞁire.net
"Are you getting sick? Let’s go to a doctor," Abigail offered.
Before she could finish her sentence, Sophie began retching to the side again.
After a few more minutes, she was drenched in cold sweat.
"Why don’t you go home and rest? Consider it as taking a sick leave," Abigail suggested. Sophie wanted to decline the offer, but feeling powerless, she could only respond with a nod.
Abigail would have liked to accompany her but, unfortunately, new customers came in and she couldn’t step away. As a result, Sophie had to leave alone.
Stepping out of Blue Tone, a breeze blew, alleviating Sophie’s discomfort slightly. Just as she reached for her phone to call a ride, she was suddenly silenced by a hand over her mouth from behind. She struggled for a few moments before everything went black.
Several men carried Sophie into a van and drove towards the outskirts of the city.
Sophie woke up in pain, squinting in the sharp glare of a light overhead.
Before she fully regained consciousness, a slap landed on her left cheek, quickly followed by one on her right.
Both of her cheeks throbbed painfully.
"This little bitch, let’s see how long you keep pretending you’re unconscious."
No way, that voice...
Sounded like Emily Allen.
At last, she had found an opportunity against Sophie.
Sophie chuckled bitterly in her mind.
Suddenly, someone pulled her hair harshly, "Now that you’re awake, say something instead of playing dead."