Chapter 2

" You are fired, Leigh-Ann. Please leave to avoid more troubles " Leigh-Ann recounted as she walked tiredly on the street which led to her house.

It’s been one hell of a hectic day tryna find a new ideal job. Just yesterday, she got fired by her boss because she refused to strip for some worthless man. She couldn't still believe her so-called boss had asked her to do that.

Before her dad died, he had made her promise to keep her dignity for the right person and so far they’ve been none because every guy who comes her way wanna see her in their beds.

Leigh-Ann is a high school student who is struggling to survive and is a workaholic. She has been fired and hired countless times and the rest of the time, she quits before anyone would notice.

She lost her mum when she was a baby, she died of ovarian cancer while her dad died six years ago in a fire outbreak. It’s not been easy taking care of herself especially when people who try to help her go after her body instead.

"Here, you're cold. You should take the hot tea" Catherine said and proffered a cup to Leigh-Ann who took it from her without hesitation. She took a long sip and closed her eyes slowly, savoring the mouthful.

"Thanks, Cat, I really needed this"

" Don't mention, my dear" Catherine said and waved her off. She got over to sit on the other side of the room, facing Leigh-Ann. "How did it go today? Did you find a job?"

She shook her head negatively before answering "No, I couldn't. Turns out that I've worked in all those places already"

A brooding silence stepped in and none of them uttered a word to each other as they both had different thoughts running through their minds. How was she going to survive? Leigh-Ann thought over the cup of tea. She still had a whole lot of debts to settle and more were piling up for her. The next school session was almost rolling in and she needed money so badly for it.

"Well, you should try as a maid then. You've worked at bars and clubs and coffee shops, you need a safer place to work in. You could be a nanny or a chef or maybe a babysitter"

Leigh-Ann sighed and rolled her eyes "I can't. I need a job I can keep and still go to school. You know I've always wanted to complete Senior year"

Catherine nodded and looked away. She was Leigh-Ann's only friend and the only person who looked out for her. Even in her early fifties, she still looked much younger than her actual age.

"You know I once worked as a maid, my dear. I worked in a mansion that was occupied by four boys with different personalities. They are quadruplets and they're identical. Working there newly, it was really hard cause I didn't know who was who but I did know that one was cold-hearted and heartless, he was feared by everyone in the mansion, including his brothers. The second one was my favorite among the four brothers. He was very friendly and lovely, unlike the rest of his brothers. The third one was arrogant and reckless. He did so many unspeakable things."

"Unspeakable things like what?" Leigh-Ann asked and leaned closer. She was enjoying the story and that was one of the reasons she loved dropping by to see Catherine. She always had the perfect story to ease her mood.

"He was a playboy who loved sleeping around with lots of girls. He'd have sex with them until they pass out and when they do, he'd order one of the guards to throw them out. He loved causing trouble and was always fighting his last brother. Those two never got along with each other and he made sure of that"

Leigh-Ann scoffed and shook her head. She always heard of sibling rivalry from her classmates but she never believed it was true cause she never had one herself. Even if she had one, why would she even take him or her as a rival?

"Then the last one had so many characters, combined in one soul. He could be cold, friendly, arrogant, grumpy, or a flirt but he was never reckless. He was the most handsome amongst the brothers and was also smart."

"So why would his third brother take him as a rival? He doesn't sound that bad to me"

"Yes, he doesn't but the third brother was just envious and I still don't know his reasons for being that way. He was always complete against him and guess what, the last brother was always the winner" Catherine continued and chuckled lightly "I guess that is what always made him mad and angry"

Leigh-Ann took a sip from her cup of tea which had turned warm already before turning back to Catherine "So what of their parents? Didn't they know about this? What did they do?"

Catherine took in a deep breath and shook her head "They didn't have parents. Just like you, they lost theirs when they were little"

It was now Leigh-Ann's turn to take a deep breath. Although she also lost her parents, her heart always went out to people who were like her. Who were also left in the world to suffer alone.

"I don't know how they grew but I guess it must've been tough. Whoever took care of them really tried cause it's not easy taking care of four boys with different personalities such as theirs"

"Sometimes I think I'm the only person in the world who lost both parents" Leigh-Ann joked and chuckled lightly.

"Oh dear, how can you be the only person huh? They're thousands of others all over the world, you never know"

"They're thousands in the world but none is like me. I have to work my ass out before I can get what I want" She sighed dejectedly and placed her chin on her palm "And did I tell you the reason I got fired last time? It was because I wouldn't let some random jerk smack my ass and go scot-free. Those punks, what do they really think of me huh?"

Catherine sighed and scrutinized the ash-haired girl in front of her. She was just a young girl who was yet to complete her Senior year but so far, life had dealt mercilessly with her.

"It's late, I should go," Leigh-Ann said and stood to her feet. Catherine did the same and got the cup which was now empty from her "Thank you so much for everything"

"Shush my dear, it's nothing." Samantha replied and watched as Leigh-Ann yawned tiredly "You should sleep here tonight. Your power supply was cut out even after all my pleas. I tried to pay so they won't cut it out but they said you've been owing for months now"

"Oh, goodness! Where do I get such money to pay huh?"

"Don't worry, dear" Catherine said soothingly and smiled "Just go to bed, everything is going to be okay"

*

Leigh-Ann yawned lazily and woke up the next morning. She stretched out of bed, feeling a lot better than the previous mornings. Maybe because she had a sumptuous dinner that Catherine had prepared along with a cup of hot tea for the night. And maybe because she slept on a comfy bed with the bright lights on.

She got into the bathroom and brushed her teeth before walking out to join Catherine in the kitchen. Catherine was a widow who lost her husband a year after their marriage. Since then, she couldn't remarry because she found it hard to forget what happened to her beloved husband.

She was Leigh-Ann's neighbor and acted more like a mother to her. She attended to her whenever she was ill and made sure she ate properly. Catherine took care of her like a daughter she never had. She tried taking full responsibility for her but Leigh-Ann didn't want that. She didn't want to be a burden to anyone so she insisted on working to get whatever she wanted.

"Good morning, my dear, did you sleep well?" Catherine asked once Leigh-Ann had walked into the kitchen "You know I came in twice to check if you were comfortable with the lights on"

"Of course. I had to enjoy it while it lasted cause it'll be a really long time before I had such an opportunity"

Catherine chuckled lightly and after preparing breakfast, they sat to eat together.

"You should take a day off today, you should rest"

"I know but I can't. Next school session is almost rolling in and I don't even have the money for my fees. I really need to get different jobs, Cat. It's disheartening how I stay without doing anything"

Catherine dropped her cutleries and excused herself to get something. She returned with a piece of paper and gave it to Leigh-Ann "A friend called early this morning. She said that they'll be hosting a party at some place she mentioned there. They need young girls like you as waitresses so I told her that I had a young girl who was willing to work, provided the pay is huge"

"And?" Leigh-Ann asked eagerly.

"Of course, the pay is huge. It's one of these well-known companies so you shouldn't expect less"

*