Chapter 4

Kristal Gillespie POV:

The first thing I did the next morning was ask Dozier to drop me off downtown. I needed to escape the suffocating opulence of the estate, the pity in his grandmother's eyes, and the barely concealed disdain in Dallas's. More than that, I needed to escape Dozier himself. Every interaction with him was a minefield.

"Downtown?" Dozier raised an eyebrow, a flicker of surprise mixed with what looked like relief in his eyes. "Finally ready to rejoin the world?"

I just nodded, keeping my gaze safely on a stain on his expensive rug. "Yes. I need to find work."

He seemed momentarily taken aback, as if the idea of me working was an alien concept. But then a small, almost imperceptible smile touched his lips. "Good. I'll have my driver take you."

His agreement was too easy. He thought I was finally "cured," accepting my place, no longer a nuisance. He thought I wouldn't cling. And in that, he was right. The old Kristal might have begged to stay, to be near him. The new Kristal just wanted to breathe.

The driver dropped me off in a busy commercial district, a cacophony of sounds and smells. It was overwhelming. People rushed past, their faces a blur, their lives a mystery. I felt like an alien. I walked aimlessly for a while, just trying to process the sheer volume of stimuli. The freedom was intoxicating and terrifying all at once.

Then I saw it. A small, struggling bagel cart, tucked between a bustling coffee shop and a dry cleaner. "Jett's Bagels & Brews," the sign read, hand-painted and slightly chipped. And in faded marker, taped to the side: "HELP WANTED."

My heart gave a tiny, almost imperceptible flutter. A job. Something to do. Something that wasn't about Dozier.

I approached cautiously. A man, rough around the edges with a kind face framed by a messy beard, was wiping down the counter. Jett, I presumed. He looked up, his eyes, the color of warm coffee, settling on me.

"Looking for work?" he asked, his voice surprisingly gentle.

"Yes," I managed, the word feeling rusty on my tongue.

"No experience, no degree?" he asked, a hint of something I couldn't quite place in his tone. Pity? Understanding?

I shook my head. "No. I... I was institutionalized." The truth, raw and unvarnished, came out without thought. Three years of my life, gone, along with my college education, my future.

He didn't flinch. He just nodded slowly. "Cash job. Twelve an hour. Early mornings. Can you manage that?"

Twelve an hour. Cash. It was a lifeline. "Yes," I said, my voice gaining a desperate strength. "I can."

"Alright then," he said with a decisive nod. "Tomorrow, 6 AM. Don't be late."

I almost cried. But the tears wouldn't come. They hadn't come for years.

My meager savings, returned to me upon release – a few hundred dollars from an old forgotten account – were still in my pocket. Cash. I knew what to do. I found a used car dealership on the outskirts of the city. The salesman, a man with too much gel in his hair and too little patience, looked me up and down with open disdain. He showed me the cheapest, most dilapidated car on the lot: a faded blue 1990s sedan, dented and smelling faintly of stale cigarettes and desperation.

"Cash only," I said, holding out the crumpled bills.

He visibly brightened, the disdain replaced by greed. He didn't care about my story, my past, my lack of credit. He only cared about the money. Perfect.

The car cost me almost everything. But as I turned the key, the engine sputtering to life with a cough and a roar, a strange, unfamiliar sensation bloomed in my chest. Ownership. It was a decrepit, ugly car, but it was mine. The stale air, the cracked dashboard, the worn seats-it was all mine.

I drove. Aimlessly at first, just feeling the rumble of the engine, the wind through the open window. The city lights began to twinkle as dusk fell, a million tiny stars mirroring the sudden, fragile hope in my chest. The world felt vast and overwhelming, but for the first time in years, it felt like my world.

But the euphoria faded, replaced by a stark reality. I had a car, but no home. Dozier' s penthouse, where he insisted I stay "until I get on my feet," was my only option. I couldn't jeopardize this job, this fragile new beginning.

I parked the sedan blocks away from his gleaming tower, tucked away in a dimly lit alley, a secret kept close. The thought of him seeing this old car, of him knowing I was trying to live a life separate from him, filled me with a strange sense of defiance.

I walked the rest of the way, the cold night air biting at my exposed skin. His penthouse was silent, cold. The past weighed heavy in every expensive piece of furniture, every polished surface. I needed clothes for work tomorrow. My old room, once filled with my things, was now an empty, sterile guest room. Nothing.

Then I remembered. The storage room down the hall. A place where forgotten things went to die. I found it, still locked, still dusty. Inside, amidst forgotten seasonal decorations and old luggage, was a box labeled 'Kristal - Misc.' I rummaged through it, hope flickering.

My fingers brushed against soft cotton. A simple, comfortable t-shirt, faded with time, but unmistakably mine. I pulled it out, a faint smell of old lavender clinging to it. It was a relic from a past life. I put it on, the fabric scratching slightly against my skin. It felt... familiar. Comforting.

But then, a sharp, unwelcome sensation. An itch. On my lower back, where the fabric rubbed. I ignored it, focused on tomorrow. Another day. Another chance.