Chapter 64: The next city.

Where would I even go from here?

I sat on the edge of the bed, feeling defeated. I had no family who wanted me, no friends I could trust anymore, no money of my own... Just nothing.

Suddenly, I remembered the paper Victoria had given to me earlier, telling me to call her if I needed anything. But she had left for an emergency I didn’t even know what kind. Was it fair to call her now, on top of whatever she was already dealing with?

But what else would I do? I had no one else. It was either I called her for help or remain here with that monster. I didn’t want to.

So, I dug out the paper from my pocket and dialed the number.

Shortly, she answered the phone.

"Ma’am? Is everything alright?"

"Victoria... Are you okay? Did everything get handled?"

"Yes, ma’am, it’s fine," Victoria said, letting out a breath. "It was a false alarm at my building. They thought there was a fire, but it was just a small electrical spark. It was already fixed when I got there. I’m in a taxi on my way back to the house right now. I will be there in ten minutes."

"Oh... Thank God..." I breathed. "Okay, I’m waiting for you."

Before she could respond, I ended the call.

I don’t know how long I sat there after that. I just kept staring at the wall, my mind too tired to think about anything at all. Eventually, the door opened, and Victoria stepped inside. The moment she saw my red and swollen eyes, she quickly closed the door and rushed up to me.

"What happened?" she asked quietly. "I saw master drive out. Did he do something?"

I opened my mouth to explain everything, but no words came out of my mouth. I didn’t have the strength to relive it out loud, especially not now. It still hurt so much.

"I can’t talk about it right now," I said. "I just need to get out of here. Please."

Victoria didn’t ask any more questions or try to stop me. She hesitated for a second, looking at me with pure worry, but then she just nodded as though figuring out what I wanted from her, and had decided to help me.

She pulled her jotter from her bag, tore out a page, and wrote something down before handing it to me.

"This is a contact in the next city. Once you get to the bus stop, call this number and tell them Victoria sent you. They will know what to do."

I stared at the paper, then at her.

"Don’t worry about how," she added gently. "Just trust me."

I still found it difficult to fully trust her. But right now, she was the only person I could count on. So, I had to trust her completely. I didn’t think she would hurt someone who was already in misery, anyway.

Victoria reached into her bag again, and this time, she pulled out a folded stack of bills. Before I could realize what she was doing, she pushed the money into my hands.

"That’s about a thousand dollars. It should be enough to get whatever you need for now. Don’t worry about anything else. I will handle it."

"Victoria... I... I can’t take the money," I protested, trying to give it back. If Alexander found out that she helped me escape and also gave me money, I couldn’t imagine what he would do to her. She was just a maid, she would lose her job. And it would be hard for her to survive with all that money gone. I didn’t want to be responsible for any of that.

"You are already doing a lot by helping me leave... Just keep the money, I will be fine."

Victoria placed her hand on my shoulder. "You worry too much, ma’am. You’re very kind, and I would do what I can to help you."

I didn’t think I was ever kind to her, she was the one who had always treated me with kindness. The fact that my own family never showed me kindness or even cared if I died or lived, and here was a stranger I barely knew caring for my survival and my well-being. It warmed my heart intensely.

"Thank you," I muttered. "I will find a way to pay you back."

"You don’t owe me anything, ma’am," Victoria said softly, gently squeezing my shoulder. "Go get ready, so that you can reach the next city before evening."

I changed into the clothes and boots I wore the night Claudia chased me off the cliff. They were the only things that belonged to me here. Then, I took my medicine and hid the money Victoria had given me inside my boots.

When I was done, Victoria walked me down the back stairs so that I wouldn’t get seen by anyone. Ethan wasn’t in the mansion, I didn’t have to worry about surveillance.

By the time we reached the main gate, Victoria paused. Her body seemed as though she wanted to hug me goodbye, but didn’t. "Be careful," she said. "Call me when you get there."

"I will." I nodded with a small, grateful smile.

With that, I opened the gate and walked into the street.

Outside the gates of the mansion felt like I crossed into a different world. The cool sun felt warm against my skin and the gentle breeze made me breathe again. I was finally out of the prison.

Nothing had felt better.

After a few walks, I finally found a cab. I gave the driver the name of the bus station Victoria had mentioned. And in less than forty minutes, we arrived at the bus station.

The station was crowded and loud with people pushing back and forth just to be on the line. I just stood quietly at the back, watching them in awe. I couldn’t understand how adults could act like that.

Finally, it was my turn. I bought a ticket for the next city and found a seat near the back of the bus, by the window.

As it pulled out of the station, I pressed my forehead against the glass. Watching the city blur past in a flash, everything that had happened from day one began to replay in my head. The hard lump in my throat felt so tight, making it difficult to breathe. I wanted to cry, but the tears refused to come out. I had already cried them all out.

I would never forgive Alexander Vaughn. Not in this life, not in the next life to come. Never in eternity would the hatred I had for him wane away. I hoped he rot in hell.

The bus ride took about five hours. By the time we reached the next city, the beautiful afternoon sun was already setting.

Getting out of the bus, the first thing I did was to call the number Victoria had given to me.

"Hello?" I said quietly, the moment the person at the other end answered the phone.