Chapter 3 3

She dropped the tabloid onto the floor.

"If I'm going to be the future Mrs Chris Montenegro I need to look gorgeous. He has to notice me." Maddison spoke.

"It's Montenegro," Her friend corrected her.

Maddison rolled her eyes.

There was my chance to leave the room and help out Ivy. I could do it now while she was distracted.

"You, blue eyes," Maddison shouted.

I stopped in my tracks. I turned behind me to see who she could be talking to.

"Is there anyone else here, I need you to come here?" She pointed at me.

"Where are my dresses?" She asked.

The dresses, now we were really screwed. How were we going to get out of this one?

"In your bedroom ma'am." I stuttered.

She rolled her eyes again. She surely had a habit of doing that. My mom used to say to me that if you roll your eyes, they will stay that way, which is why I never did.

She stormed off walking to the bedroom. Both Susan and Madelyn followed behind her.

I needed to follow her, that way I'd be able to cover up with some lies once she noticed the dress was gone.

Maybe she wouldn't even notice it wasn't there.

I waited outside the door as I pretended to dust off some furniture.

Maddison laid out all the dresses on the bed as she thought of which dress to wear.

"Didn't I ask to have five of these delivered?" Maddison spoke.

Her assistant looked at her dumbfounded.

What was I going to do? I could claim it was never delivered but that might get someone else fired. I needed to think of a way to get out of this one alive.

"I think you are better off wearing the blue one ma'am," I said.

"Excuse me," Maddison spoke, turning her attention towards me.

Both her assistant and her friend looked at me with their brow raised. This was probably the moment I got fired for speaking out of turn.

"I mean, a woman like you, the blue one perfectly highlights your curves. It shows your elegance, that you are different and not like the other girls. It says 'irresistible', you need to make him imagine what he could have. You will be the envy of them all." I spoke, staring at the dress. "Besides, black is last year's season," I added.

She eyed me before turning her attention to look at her figure in the mirror. "I suppose you are right," She said, tucking her hair behind her ear.

I had just fed her ego.

"Maybe she should take your job," Maddison spoke to her assistant.

I sighed, that was a close one. I hope Ivy can take the dress off before either one of us gets into trouble.

As luck would have it, Ivy walked out of the bathroom.

Everyone turned their attention to her as they looked at the dress in her hand. I hope she came up with a good lie to cover this mess.

"Where were you the whole time?" Maddison asked.

"I was just cleaning up your bathroom ma'am." She answered anxiously.

"What were you doing with that?" Maddison demanded.

"I'm sorry ma'am, I was just looking for some closet space to put it," Ivy answered.

The closet was on the way to the bathroom, she just couldn't get out without anyone in the bedroom noticing.

Maddison dismissed her, taking the dress from her hand.

"Do you need anything else, ma'am?" I asked.

"No, you can go." She shooed us away.

I nodded before walking out of the suite.

Ivy followed behind me, running on her short legs.

"Don't ever do that to me again, you know my heart can't take it," I whispered to her.

"Trust me, I leant my lesson." She answered.

My shift ended at nearly five a.m. By the time my shift had ended, my feet were arching, I could barely stand without feeling like I was walking on hot lava. I slept through the short break I had but right now I could barely keep my eyes open.

But as of next week, things might be better, I was switching to the day shift.

I kicked my shoes off as I entered the house with my eyes half closed.

Mom and Katy must be preparing to leave the house now.

I slowly closed our front door; it made a loud sound as it always does.

"Hi honey," I heard my mom's voice in the living room.

I followed her voice.

She was lying on the couch. Usually, she was up and going, trying to get Katy ready for school.

"Morning mom," I kissed her cheek. "Aren't you preparing to get to work today?" I asked.

Mom worked at a local shoe factory. She has worked for them for the last ten years; I've consistently told her to find a new job, but it is especially tricky at her age.

She sighed.

"Yesterday on my way to work, someone pushed me on the subway, and I sprained my ankle badly." She paused. I could see the tears whelming up in her eyes. "The manager fired me; they said I couldn't work anymore. And because of my age, it didn't make things better either." She sobbed.

"It's okay mom, it's going to be okay." I pulled her in a hug.

"How? You are already working so hard. You are supposed to be studying and following your dreams like all your other agemates, instead, I'm just a burden to you." She cried.

I hugged her tighter. "You could never be a burden to me," I answered.

Katy joined in on our hug as the three of us stayed like that for a while.

"I'm so sorry I can't give you two the life that you deserve," she whispered.

"You couldn't have done better," I answered.

Mom was the first to break away from the hug. "Katy, you need to get to school. I know you are only joining in so you can avoid going to school." Mom spoke.

I chuckled.

"Come on, you know I Studied the whole year's work during my summer break. I already know everything they are teaching; school is a waste of my time." She answered.

Katy was our little genius; she was always reading books way ahead of her age.

Mom glared at her; mom didn't have to say anything else for Katy to know how serious mom was.

"I'm going to go and lay down for a bit," I spoke.

"I had some food prepared for you in the oven," Mom spoke.

"I'll just eat when I wake up," I rubbed my eyes.

I walked upstairs to my bedroom.

"Katy, you need to prepare for school. The bus will be here any moment!" I heard mom yell downstairs.

That was my family.

I sighed leaning my back against the wall. I don't know how we were going to get by this month, we were already a month behind on our rent. We are lucky that the landlord was nice enough to understand.

I placed the last bit of my savings that I got from my tips at the restaurant into a jar, three-hundred and fifty dollars I counted. If things kept progressing this way, maybe I wouldn't be in debt by the time I'm forty. I'd have to find another part-time job for us to get by.

I was going to make this work, I had to.