Chapter 2

To secure the winter supplies, I cleared out my small brick room at the school for them to stay in.

Caleb sat on my wooden plank bed, layering several old newspapers beneath himself in disgust.

Chloe touched up her makeup beside him, complaining non-stop.

"What kind of hellhole is this? There isn't even hot water."

"Caleb, let's just leave. I don't want to stay here another minute."

Caleb ignored her, his eyes fixed darkly on me.

"Didn't you want to make amends? Go cook."

"If it tastes bad, forget about the supplies."

I nodded, turning to head into the makeshift kitchen built against the wall.

There was barely anything in the kitchen—just a bag of sprouting potatoes and half a bin of rice.

I struggled to light the wood stove, coughing relentlessly from the smoke.

Yet I didn't dare stop, terrified that if I took too long, this wealthy patron would change his mind.

Half an hour later, I carried two plates into the room.

On the plates were roasted potatoes.

Because I couldn't control the fire well, the skins were completely charred, looking like two chunks of coal.

I set the plates down on the three-legged wooden table propped up by a brick, my hands trembling slightly.

"Sir, this is all we have... Please make do with it."

Chloe took one look at the plates and covered her mouth in dramatic horror.

"Oh my god, is this even fit for human consumption?"

"Nora, are you doing this on purpose?"

"Trying to disgust us with pig slop?"

With a sudden sweep of her hand, she sent the plates crashing to the ground, shattering them into pieces.

The charred potatoes rolled across the dirt floor, coated in dust and dirt.

"Sir, it's not pig slop! It's really good. Even if you don't want to eat it, please don't waste food!" I crouched down to pick up a potato.

"Oh, so you know not to waste food? Since you say it's so good, you eat it!"

"If you can pick it up and swallow it, then I'll believe it's not pig food!" Chloe sneered.

I opened my mouth, just about to bring the potato to my lips.

Suddenly, a hand shot out and knocked the potato straight out of my grip.

The potato flew across the room, smashing against the wall into several pieces.

Caleb stood over me, his chest heaving violently.

"Nora, have you no shame at all?!"

"Are you really that desperate for a few supplies?"

"For money, you'd even eat garbage, wouldn't you?!"

He roared so loudly that my ears rang.

I didn't understand why he was so furious.

Didn't she tell me to eat it?

When I tried to, he got mad.

The tempers of rich people were truly impossible to comprehend.

Caleb let go of me, seeming to realize he had lost his composure.

He took a deep breath and pointed down at his boots.

"Clean my shoes."

"If they aren't spotless, I'm pulling the donation and leaving right now."

He extended his foot toward me. A speck of mashed potato clung to his black leather combat boots.

I knelt on the ground and began wiping the boot bit by bit, but my hands started disobeying me, shaking more and more violently.

A flicker of unreadable pain crossed his eyes, yet his voice remained harsh:

"Nora, when you dumped me back then, did you ever imagine this day would come?"

"This is your karma."

I said nothing, merely clamping down hard on my trembling wrist.

Only one thought remained in my mind:

"Stop shaking. Please, stop shaking."

"If I clean them, the children will have coal for the winter."