Prologue The day Grace was released from prison, two men were waiting for her. One of them sent her to prison, and the other one convicted her. The snow was very heavy that day. They looked like two snowmen waiting outside the prison. Grace vowed in her heart, she’d make everyone pay their price. *** “Grace, get yourself a job and be a good person out there.” The prison guard opened the gate and told her so. Grace nodded. Through the iron bar on the prison window, she saw two black cars parked out of the gate. Waiting for her. They were Jacob’s Benz G-Wagon and Sean’s Porsche Panamera. Heavy snow has caused total chaos on the roads. Jacob and Sean were standing quietly in front of their cars. Sean held a black umbrella and stared at the gate. Jacob kept looking at his watch. One of them was Grace’s ex-boyfriend, and the other one was her childhood best friend. How affectionate and caring they looked! If they hadn’t sent Grace to prison and told the other inmates to “take good care” of her, maybe she would be moved to tears. Five years ago, Grace went to confront Lily Atkinson, and her sister Jennifer Atkinson was also there. In an unfortunate turn of events, Jennifer Atkinson died. Although it was a terrible accident, the court still decided to sentence Grace to three years in prison. Lily dragged her sister’s lifeless body out of the car and called the police. Sean arrived soon after. “Sean, your girlfriend killed my sister!” Lily sat on the ground and cried out. Sean’s first reaction was to push Grace down onto the ground in case she ran away. But Grace was already too weak to resist because she’d also been hurt. What’s more… she was pregnant with Sean’s baby. “How could you be so evil?!” When Jacob rushed over, his eyes were blood shot as he questioned Grace. Before Grace could explain to the two most important men in her life, she was handcuffed by the police. In court, Lily’s lawyer was Jacob, Grace’s childhood best friend, another blow to her heart. Jacob blamed everything on Grace. She was convicted of reckless driving and involuntary manslaughter and was sentenced to three years of imprisonment. “Grace, you deserve this. People have to pay for their mistakes,” he said. When Grace first got into prison, she was beaten constantly. She was beaten in places without security cameras and had her nails pulled out. She was yanked by the hair and pressed into toilets. Her back was always being kicked, and it was bruised all the time. They even broke the bones in her finger, one by one. At first, Grace didn’t know why. She was always stubborn and didn’t cry when they hit her. But after a while, Grace found out why they picked on her exclusively. Grace sucked up to one of the female bosses in prison. She would wash her feet, give her massages, and even do her laundry. Finally, she gained the trust of the female boss, and she told Grace why. “Girl, you poor little thing. Someone paid us to beat you.” Grace knew who it was then in that instant. Sean. This was the man who ordered two hundred drones to spell out “I LOVE YOU” in the night sky when he was pursuing her. He said, “Grace, I will protect you from now on.” *** Upon seeing their cars outside the prison gates, Grace begged the prison guard to let her leave from the back door, to avoid seeing either of their faces. Besides, what if they were still angry with her and wanted to take their revenge? I am nothing compared to them. I can’t afford to provoke them, but at least I can hide. Grace thought to herself. In a trance, Grace remembered her confrontation with Lily. Lily stood in front of Grace while holding her dog and shouted, “My dog is worth 70,000 dollars. How much is your grandfather’s life worth?” When Grace was three, her mother died and her father remarried. He abandoned her so her grandfather raised her all by himself. Her grandfather worked night and day collecting junk and empty bottles for recycling. When Grace was in junior high, she moved to the city from the countryside and lived in a small rental apartment. Her grandfather told her that they could make more money in the city because there was more junk to collect. But Grace knew the true reason why her grandfather wanted her to go to school in the city. The children in the city had shiny hairpins, and Grace wanted them too. Grace’s grandfather once stood outside a small accessories store for hours, then he finally went inside to buy the expensive shiny hairpin for Grace. When the school offered financial aid to students from poverty-stricken families, Grace’s teacher Mrs. Green helped her apply for it. That’s when Grace met Jacob, Mrs. Green’s son, whom she asked to make friends with Grace. Jacob had the best scores at school. He occasionally helped Grace with her studies. She was clever and studious, so her grades improved very fast. Grace’s grandfather was very grateful to Mrs. Green, but he didn’t have any money, so he offered to help tend her garden. Mrs. Green lived in a small cottage. Her grandfather swept the garden while Jacob and Grace did their homework and played in the yard. Mrs. Green joked to Grace’s grandfather, “Your little granddaughter is so beautiful and adorable. How about she and Jacob make a cute couple?” “No, no, Jacob is too good. We don’t deserve him,” he rubbed his hands nervously and said. Jacob blushed so much that he didn’t even dare to raise his head. When Grace was accepted by a top university, her grandfather went back to the countryside. He didn’t let Grace go back with him, but she followed him back secretly anyways. That’s when Grace saw him begging friends for money to cover her college tuition. Grace’s grandfather did his best to give her everything. Grace vowed in her heart that she would grow up to be a top lawyer so that her grandfather would never have to work again. He was the best grandfather that anyone could have asked for, but then… he died. *** The year after law school, Grace started dating Sean of the rich and powerful Stevens family. Suddenly, her father wanted to be in her life again, all because of who she was dating. “What a nice young man. Bless you two.” This was what her grandfather said the day she took Sean to meet him. “You are a big girl now. A big girl should have beautiful dresses. My pretty Grace should not wear shabby clothes,” her grandpa added. So he continued to collect junk to make money behind her back. Grace told him not to, many times. He was getting too old, and Grace was worried about his health. It was a winter three years ago. He was tackled by an unleashed dog in the park when he was collecting junk. He fell unconscious on the spot and was rushed to the hospital. It was Lily’s dog. She said it was worth 70,000 dollars. That day, Grace’s grandpa was sent to the ICU. Due to a fracture of the cervical spine and spinal damage, he became paralyzed. Grace needed to pay a lot of money to the hospital, so she went to Lily for compensation. It was her dog after all. Lily stood in front of Grace and said arrogantly, “You are Sean’s girlfriend? You didn’t get money from him, so you came to me?” Lily had always liked Sean, but he was dating Grace at the time. “My dog’s leg is broken because of your idiot grandfather, I should be the one asking you for money!” “You and your grandpa are just a bunch of country bumpkin. You both deserve to die.” Grace didn’t hold back. She really couldn’t. So, she slapped Lily across the face. Lily and Grace started to fight. Jennifer, who was Lily’s sister, saw this and came to help. Grace couldn’t fight two girls as she was pregnant and weak, so she got into her car and wanted to drive away, but Jennifer chased after her in her fancy convertible. That’s when the accident happened. Grace was arrested by the police. She didn’t even try to escape. Her grandfather was in the hospital, but no one would listen to a “murderer”. Grace kept shouting Sean’s and Jacob’s names. Grace hoped that at least one of them could save her grandfather’s life. But they were on the side of Jennifer and Lily. When Grace was detained, she heard that her grandfather had been in the ICU for 15 days and was discharged. But he became paralyzed for life, and he didn’t want to be a burden to Grace so he committed suicide. That day, Grace was lying on the ice-cold ground and had a miscarriage. She couldn’t save either her grandfather… or her baby. When Grace was locked up in prison, Lily went to see her. Lily whispered to Grace, “My dog has always been obedient. Guess why my dog tackled your grandfather?” The dog didn’t know anything, he only followed his owner’s orders, and his owner’s heart… was vicious. Lily hated Grace because she was dating Sean. Grace had a lot of time to think while she was in prison. She blamed herself for the death of her grandfather. Lily would’ve never harmed her grandfather if she didn’t date Sean. Grace had a dream that her grandfather came back to life, and he told her how she was a good girl. Grace knew then it was just a dream because she was not a good girl like her grandfather said, she was a piece of garbage. If she could turn back time, she wouldn’t want any shinny hairpins or any nice dresses, and she most certainly wouldn’t want Sean. The only thing she wants is just to have her grandfather back. *** “Aah!” Grace opened her eyes suddenly. Only then did she realize that she had been dreaming of what had happened all those years ago. She looked down at her calloused hands. After three years of imprisonment, and multiple fractures and broken bones, her hands would never look or feel the same way again. Her fingernails had grown back, but the prison doctors hadn’t gone out of their way to reset her bones. Her joints looked distorted, and she had residual pain. I was nerve damage. There were many fine movements that she couldn’t perform very well. Her fingers hurt more especially when it was cold or humid outside. Grace flexed her hands and breathed deeply. It’s okay. You’re okay. Today is a new day. She repeated the mantra as she stood up and resumed working. Sometimes, the memories threatened to consume her. She’d lost more than just her freedom in that accident. Her future. Her boyfriend. Her grandpa. Everyone and everything she’d cared about was gone in an instant. Jennifer Atkinson whom she’d accidentally killed was the daughter of one of the wealthiest and most powerful families in the country. What’s more, she was the fiancée of Jason Reed—the most powerful man in the city. It’s okay. You’re okay. Today is a new day. You don’t need anybody. Grace finished mopping the room. She was wearing the bright-colored work suit of a sanitation worker with her long hair tied into a simple ponytail. She caught a glimpse of herself in a mirror on the wall. Her delicate face was slightly reddish due to the cold weather, and her mouth was pressed into a thin line. If you were to only look at her face, you would think she was a student who had just graduated from college. But gone was that youthful ignorance. She’d seen how cruel the world could be. The eyes that stared back at her were old, far older, and duller than they should be. She sighed and rolled the cleaning supplies toward the door. Sitting down for a few minutes had been foolish. She hadn’t meant to drift off to sleep. With an eye on the time, she moved quickly and efficiently to clean the rest of the building. The life of a sanitation worker wasn’t glamorous, but after she left prison, this was the only job she could find. When she was about to leave, she heard a colleague watching the news on her mobile phone. “Whoa! Lily is engaged to Sean Stevens! What a lucky girl Lily is! As a superstar and a daughter of a rich and powerful family, now she is going to marry into the wealthy Stevens family too.” Grace shuddered, and then she hurried out of the Sanitation Service Center. She took a deep breath. Then another. She repeated her mantra and pushed the thoughts of her ex-boyfriend and his new fiancée far from her mind. She swept the walkway as this was her routine. This time of year, the cold winter wind blew and it pained her hands terribly. She should’ve stopped to grab her coat, but she’d been too fixated on escaping her co-worker and any more ‘good news’ about the happy couple. A couple that had stood by and watched as she was savagely beaten. Suddenly, a Ferrari stopped in front of her. Three men and a woman got out of the car; they were obviously drunk. One of the men looked at Grace with a tipsy expression. He laughed cruelly. “I know you. What are the odds of finding Sean’s ex-girlfriend?” Grace paled. She wasn’t expecting to encounter anyone tonight, let alone someone she recognized. The man in front of her was a trust fund baby that she had once cussed out when he’d made a pass at her back when she was dating Sean. In hindsight, many of Sean’s friends were elitist creeps. She should’ve paid more attention to that, after all, birds of a feather flock together. “Aren’t you a great lawyer? Why are you sweeping the road here?” Christopher Peterson asked knowingly. Another man stepped forward after Christopher. Grace didn’t recognize him. “Can a woman who has been in prison be a lawyer again?” he questioned. The woman laughed. “Bah, a lawyer? Just a janitor now!” Christopher stepped closer. “Surely there are better ways for you to make money. Come with me,” he said. “I’ll pay you for a night, beats sweeping the streets.” He held out his big, fat hand and the other three burst into laughter. But Christopher wasn’t asking, he was already moving in on Grace. Grace dodged, but the building was right behind her and there was nowhere to run. He grabbed her arms and pressed her against the wall at the side of the road. It was late at night, and no one passed by this area. She screamed but she knew her coworkers inside the building wouldn’t hear. Christopher’s friends got back into the car. They didn’t care what Christopher did to her. He knocked her head back against the wall, and her vision dimmed. The hand around her throat tightened and she clawed at it. “L-let me go…” He used his free hand to pull at his belt, and Grace kicked out hard, kneeing him in the groin. “You bitch!” He backhanded her so hard that her ears started to ring. When she kicked again, he jumped backward, and it was just the chance she needed. Grace took off running. Christopher blocked the way to her building, so she had no choice but to run down the street. Construction on the road limited the traffic and the late hour ensured there was no one to help her—or to hear her scream. When the car roared to life and tires screeched, she knew he hadn’t abandoned the chase. She stuck to the sidewalk thinking she could evade them, but when she turned down a side street, the car jumped the curb and followed. When she came out the other side and circled back down the next street, thinking she could run back to the Sanitation Center for safety, the car cut around her and clipped her. She collapsed to the ground and struggled to get up. Christopher leaped out of the car and left it running. His two friends fanned out on either side. The headlights all but blinded her. She scrambled to stand as Christopher pulled off his belt. He shook his head at Grace. “You didn’t think I forgot the way you insulted me, did you, bitch? You told Sean to stop working with me, it cost my family millions!” He advanced on her like a predator. “Sean isn’t here to protect you now.” He coiled his belt around his hand like he meant to strike her with it. “Fight all you like, but I’m going to fuck you like the bitch you are, right here on the street.” Grace struggled to get up, she didn’t think anything was broken, but she was still slow and disoriented. When Christopher lunged, she tried to move, but his heavy body pinned her to the concrete. He fumbled at her clothes and she fought. “Stop! Get off me!” She thrashed even as he brought his hand down with the belt. It burned the skin along her arm and the buckle cut through her clothes and skin. “Stop it! Stop!!!” Grace cried at the top of her lungs. “I think you should listen to the lady.” A cold voice sounded behind her. Christopher froze. Grace turned her head to the man standing beside them. She didn’t know where he came from. “Fuck off!” Christopher told him. Christopher didn’t feel scared of the man, it was three against one. Grace whimpered. She had no reason to think this newcomer would risk himself for some stranger on the street.
Terrence Klein shifted in the front seat of the car and considered his options. His boss, Jason Reed, had approached the group near the sports car. The headlights showed the woman on the ground and the three men. He better not go crazy… Terrence had seen his boss Jason lose it before. It was terrifying. He glanced around, gauging if there were any traffic cameras on this deserted stretch of road or if there were any other bystanders who might witness Jason killing somebody. He prayed it wouldn’t go that far. But he knew Jason and what he was capable of. This was going to be bloody, and brutal. Tonight, the road had already been closed, so who would have expected that five people and a Ferrari would break in here? They’d disturbed Jason, who wanted to be alone. Every year on this day, Jason always closed this whole road and stayed on it alone, wearing old clothes. No one dared to ask the reason as if it were taboo. Terrence who had worked for Jason all these years didn’t know the reason either. At this moment, as he watched his boss lift a heavyset man with ease and slam his head against the wall over and over, he did not know whether he should stop him. He got out of the car. Beating up some would-be rapists was one thing. Killing them… wouldn’t be so easy to overlook. Or clean up. And the men on this road were driving a Ferrari not a Ford. Which meant, like Jason, they had money. He started toward Jason and then paused when just as suddenly, his boss stopped fighting the man. “Stop. Please.” Grace touched the stranger’s arm. “If you punch him again, he’ll die.” “So what?” the man said. He balled his fist as Christopher slid down the wall. Grace was stunned. It wasn’t until this moment that she really was able to see the man clearly. He was handsome. With dark eyes and a strong jaw. Full lips and a strong body. His hair was longer on top and stylishly messy. When Christopher shuffled back and got to his feet, the man took a menacing step toward him. “Don’t,” Grace said. “He isn’t worth it.” The man’s dark eyes cut into her. He looked deadly and still as if people’s lives meant nothing to him at all. Grace took a deep breath and said, “It is not worth being imprisoned for a lowlife like him.” The man didn’t nod nor move, but she sensed him relaxing. Christopher took advantage of the pause to grab his friends and get back into his car. “You’ll pay for this!” he screamed. Grace didn’t know if he was addressing her, the stranger, or maybe both. Whatever there wasn’t much Christopher could do that she hadn’t already experienced in prison. The woman who’d been with these bastards stuck her head out of the car. “Holy sh*t! Is that Jason Reed!?” The other three men looked at her with shock as they climbed into the car and one asked, “Jason Reed, the richest man in the city? No fucking way.” Grace understood their confusion. The man—her savior—wore old clothes. He looked… as broken as she did. This was no billionaire. His jacket was threadbare, and his face was haunted. Christopher peeled out with his asshole buddies. Grace watched the car tear up the street. When the road was once again quiet, she looked back at the man. Grace hesitantly said, “Thank you… for saving me back there.” He grunted, but beyond that, didn’t say anything. When he walked across to the other side of the road, he sat down with his back against the wall. It was cold and windy. And the temperature was due to drop even lower. If he were to sleep on the road for the night, would he be alive tomorrow morning? After considering that the man had saved her, Grace started walking over to him. “Hey, it’s been a rough night. Aren’t you going home now? Where is your family? Do you have their phone number? I can help you call them and ask them to pick you up.” He slowly raised his head and Grace saw… death. It was the same darkness she’d seen in her own eyes too many times when she’d been in prison. The kind of darkness that spoke of nothing to live for. No hope. “If you have nowhere to stay, you can stay with me,” she said. *** Grace did not expect to bring a stranger back to her apartment. She wasn’t impulsive by nature, and she certainly hadn’t dated anyone or even considered hooking up with a man since her experience with Sean. But this man had saved her from rape, maybe even death. She shuddered at the thought. Those men, the three of them were soulless… and how could that woman watch on while she was beaten up? As an attorney, she would’ve fought hard to see all of them in prison for their crimes or complacency in it. But life had taught her that the innocent rarely prevailed. And life was never fair. So why did she bring this man home? Hmm. Perhaps she wasn’t ready to concede just yet. Her apartment wasn’t large. It was just one room with a small kitchen and bathroom. She grabbed a blanket from the closet and laid it on the floor. She took her pillow from the bed and placed it on the ground. “The bathroom is just through there,” she said. He crossed to it and closed the door behind him. The water kicked on a moment later. When the man came out of the bathroom, his hair was wet. He had washed his hair and face. His sleeves were rolled up. Looking at the man’s wet hair, Grace fetched a towel and said, “Bend over, please.” The man fixed his eyes on her. “I just want to help you dry your hair with a towel. I have no bad intentions,” she said. “If you don’t dry your wet hair, you could easily catch a cold.” He still gazed at her but slowly complied. After a few minutes, he asked in a deep voice, “Are you concerned about me?” “Yes.” Grace did not avoid eye contact with him. “After bringing you to my home, I don’t want you to get sick.” With his eyes taking her in like she was some oddity, he slowly bent over. Toweling his wet hair, Grace asked, “What’s your name?” He remained silent for a long time, but finally answered, “Jay.” “Jay,” Grace repeated his name. It was a very common name, so Grace didn’t think much about it. “My name is Grace. Where do you live? What about your family?” “I don’t have any family,” he responded. She suddenly stopped. How sad. No one should be alone. She had people before—but they’d turned their backs on her. “Looks like we’re in the same boat,” she said with a bitter smile on her face as she continued to towel his hair dry. She rose and got a comb and came back to him. These were small gestures—intimate ones—to touch his hair and smooth it away from his face. But this stranger—Jay—had risked his life for her. It was the least she could do. As she pushed his hair back, the true features of his face were revealed. He was a devastatingly attractive man. Strong jaw. Full mouth. Dark eyes. Eyes that were inches from hers and searing her in the place where she stood.
“Are you hungry?” His dark eyes studied her and he tilted his head. “What?” When he still didn’t reply, she wrung her hands together. “I’ll get you something to eat.” Grace moved to the tiny stove and threw some noodles and eggs into the pot to make a simple bowl of noodles for him. She didn’t have any meat, but she chopped what vegetables she had and added them too. She set the tiny table and poured them both a glass of water from the sink. He moved cautiously to take a seat when she set the bowls down. “Eat, but don’t eat too fast. It’s quite hot,” she said. She didn’t mean to treat him like a child, but his presence made her nervous even as there was something incredibly calming about him. He lowered his head and ate his noodles quietly. Grace also stared at him in silence. Normally, she’d come home and hate the feeling of being alone, confined in a tiny space. For some reason, the loneliness that she’d usually feel seemed to have disappeared. Could it be due to the presence of another person in the room? After he had finished eating, Grace cleaned up the plates. “I usually sleep with the lights on. I hope you don’t mind,” she said. Ever since she was released from prison, she had gotten into the habit. “That’s fine.” Grace took her pajamas into the bathroom and shut the door to brush her teeth and change. Was it weird having a man alone beside where she’d sleep? Yeah. Probably. But she didn’t feel triggered by his presence of fearful. If he’d wanted to hurt her, he wouldn’t have defended her on the street. When she exited and lay down on the bed, he took his position on the floor. The room was silent save for the sound of the heater. If she listened hard enough, she could hear each breath he took. It was a steady rhythm, peaceful even. Grace closed her eyes and focused on sleeping. This was her routine every night because it was almost impossible for her to relax. Even being out of jail, at night she would always dream of her time in prison. She would be beaten, shamed, and abused… and every finger would burn with the pain of being broken and the nails being torn off… She’d wake up screaming, fingers curled, terrified, and heart pounding. However, oddly, that didn’t happen tonight. She slept until sunrise and was not visited by her usual nightmares. As she awakened, she rolled over to look at the figure lying on the ground beside her bed. Still here. Was it because of him? Because she was no longer alone in this room? Before she even knew it, she had gotten out of bed, squatted down, and placed her hand on his cheek. Her hand felt warm. He was real, and not something from her imagination. Last night, she really had taken a strange man into her apartment. When she came to herself, she found that he was already awake. His beautiful eyes were fixed on her. “Sorry.” Her face heated with embarrassment. “I… I just… that… If you don’t have anywhere to go, you can also live here.” She spoke in a hurry, but after she had said it, she felt relieved. His eyes widened with a trace of surprise. “If you don’t want to, just pretend I didn’t say anything,” she added, biting her lip. His mouth finally opened and he spoke quietly. “Do you want me?” If this had been said by some other man, it would’ve sounded like they were flirting with her. But when the words came from him, it was like he was just asking a simple question of “want” or “don’t want” and she assumed he meant it to mean his presence here. She didn’t read any ambiguity into his words, even if there had been, she realized her answer would be the same. Grace pursed her lips. “Yes, I do.” He stared at her, and a smile slowly formed on his lips. “Good.” This was the first time she had seen him smile. Although it was very light… it looked extremely beautiful to her. *** Jason remained at the tiny table while Grace got ready to go back to work. When she left money on the table for him to buy himself some food, he sat staring at the twenty-dollar bill for a long time. With her gone, the room was eerily still. None of her light vanilla scent or somewhat nervous energy filled the space. He rolled up the quilt that he’d slept on and then washed out the coffee cup he’d used. Normally he’d be tempted to look around, maybe snoop a bit. But he didn’t want to intrude on her space. When he finally left the apartment, there were already people waiting for him outside. After seeing him come out, they respectfully greeted him, “Mr. Reed.” “Let’s go,” Jason responded faintly. A black Bentley was parked in front of him. Jason got into it and looked at the twenty-dollar bill in his hand. It had been many years since someone had given him money like this. On the contrary, for as long as he could remember, people only wanted to take money from him. Terrence met his gaze in the rearview mirror. “The woman who was with you last night is a contract worker of the Sanitation Service Center. She started renting her current residence here a month ago, and was just released from prison two months prior.” “Prison?” “Yes, her name is Grace Cummins. She’s the ex-girlfriend of Sean of the Stevens family. She was convicted of reckless driving and killing Jennifer Atkinson. She was sentenced to three years of imprisonment and had her lawyer’s license revoked,” Terrence said as he carefully observed Jason’s reaction. Jason kept his expression bland. “Grace…” he whispered. “Well, this is interesting.” Back then, considering how Jennifer Atkinson had been set on marrying him and that she was also a good political marriage candidate, he thought that if he had to marry someone, then she wouldn’t be that bad of an option. However, who would’ve thought that Jennifer would end up dying in a car accident? If Grace knew about his past relationship with Jennifer, how would she react? He considered that twenty-dollar bill again. When had someone cared for him? Taken his hand, brought him into her home, and said she’d wanted him—just for him. “Terrence. I want all the information you can find on Grace Cummins on my desk today.” “Yes sir.” Then… “Sir, are you interested in this woman?” *** When she got off work, Grace got a call from her father asking her to go home. He said that since she had been released from prison, she should go home to pay her respects to her mother. Grace’s mother died when she was three. Dad had remarried only a few months after mom died, and her stepmother gave birth to another daughter, Evelyn. It was always clear that Grace’s father favored his “new” family, which led to her being sent to live with her maternal grandmother in the countryside. Grace’s grandmother cared for her until third grade, but had to leave her. Fortunately, her paternal grandfather stepped in and kept her by his side. As she’d been in college and at the top of her class, her father finally warmed to her. He eventually started to show off to others that he had a smart daughter. When she and Sean started dating, her home life became the best it had ever been. Her father regarded her as an honor, and her stepmother cared about her well-being, even if only out of pretense. Even her half sister tried to get on her good side—something that had never happened before. From the moment Evelyn was born, she’d taken the role of the favorite child, and she’d scarcely bothered to even acknowledge Grace. Dating Sean had been the one act that had finally made her worthy of love in her family’s eyes. She knew it was only because he was the heir of the Stevens Corporation. However, at that time, she still couldn’t help but long for familial affection. She’d just wanted to be accepted by them. To be loved. After the car accident, she realized that everything was just her wishful thinking. Coming home, she stepped into her father’s house. The decor was mostly the same. Pictures of the three of them. Not a single photo of her in sight. Same couches and tables. The living room had been painted a bright red, and the kitchen was redone with all-white cabinets with stainless steel appliances. Grace joined her “family” in the kitchen. Her stepmother, Melinda Riley, smiled at her. That was something, she supposed. But no hugs or kisses or welcome’s home, around here. She listened patiently as her father and stepmother made small talk. Evelyn sipped her tea and remained silent. After a few minutes, the conversation turned toward Evelyn’s career. “It’s not easy for your sister to get roles these days,” her stepmother said. Grace took a sip of tea. “Oh?” Truthfully, she’d had more important things to think about these last three years—like surviving and serving out her time, and staying sane while she’d been wrongfully prosecuted, imprisoned, and beaten. “It hasn’t been easy to re-enter the entertainment industry in the wake of … things,” her stepmother continued. “And it’s vital that your sister only accept good roles.” “Hmm,” Grace replied absently. ”You know that our family isn’t very rich, but your sister just happens to need money right now. How about… you lend some money to us first, and when your sister becomes a big star in the future, we will return it to you after she makes a lot of money?” The real reason for being summoned home presented itself… “I don’t have any money,” Grace answered succinctly. Her stepmother’s expression turned stiff, but then she smiled slightly and said, “You don’t have money, but Sean does. You dated him before, but as soon as you had an accident, he broke up with you. Shouldn’t he make it up to you somehow?” Were they really expecting her to beg the man who’d deserted her for scraps of money? She couldn’t believe their audacity. Grace pushed back from the table. “I’m sorry, didn’t you, Father, and my sister pretend like you didn’t know me back then and avoid me the entire time I needed my family?” Her father said angrily from the side, “So what? Are you here to get even with me? If you hadn’t killed someone back then, your sister would have already been cast as a main actress a long time ago and would’ve already become a big star by now!” Grace smiled sarcastically. Back then, when Evelyn had been chosen as the leading actress in a television drama, it was because the Stevens Corporation had been one of the investors in the TV series, and Sean had specifically asked for Evelyn to be the leading actress. Later, after Sean broke up with her, Evelyn’s role naturally went up in smoke. “Sis, are you still resentful that we didn’t do anything for you when you were in jail?” Evelyn asked quietly. Her features were perfect, her skin smooth. Her long manicured fingers tapped on the table. “Because I think that’s very selfish of you. Your actions damaged our family’s reputation. The Stevens family. The Reed family. The Atkinsons, Epsteins, Changs. Even the Westons. Every prominent family in this city wanted your blood for what you’d done. What could our family even do? If back then, we had really stood by your side and helped you file a lawsuit, our whole family would’ve also offended them.” Because powerful, wealthy families were above the law and enabled to abuse whoever they wanted on a whim? To hell with justice and the entire judiciary system. Grace shook her head. She wouldn’t waste her words or even attempt to make these people see how their actions had pained her. In their eyes, she was the villain, not the victim. “How could an ordinary family like ours withstand their retaliation?” Evelyn asked. “You’re right,” Grace said coldly. She was nothing to them. A means to an end. They cared nothing for her pain, her suffering. Her heartbreak. It wasn’t just her trial and sentencing to prison. This disconnect had been there from the moment her mother left this earth. She was through with trying to please them. She’d never strive for their love again because they didn’t have it to give. Not to her, anyway. Her eyes burned, and she had only to squeeze her fingers for the pain of her assault to give her strength. Grace rose from the table and smiled gently. She looked straight at her sister. “Since you couldn’t stand by me when I was at my lowest, why should I bother helping to make you rich?”
Evelyn’s face contorted with rage just as her father’s vicious slap connected with Grace’s face. “What are you talking about!” her father screamed. “You drove a car into someone else and were locked up in jail because of it. Our entire family was shamed because of you. You don’t have a future anymore. Do you want to ruin your sister’s future as well?” His eyes were full of disgust for her. “The one thing you did right was dating Sean Stevens and then you destroyed it all. We had so much respect from other businessmen and our relatives from that connection…” Grace nodded, understanding that her father, Tony Cummins had been embarrassed. Her relationship with Sean had afforded her dad the chance to claim a higher social ranking. When she fell… he did too. And her father resented her for it. Her face burned and she knew she’d likely bear a bruise. But her expression remained calm as if she didn’t care at all. “I originally just wanted to say a prayer for my mother—that was why you invited me back home, wasn’t it?—But now it seems there is no need for me to do it here. I won’t step foot in this house ever again.” After saying this, Grace walked out of the house without looking back. This place had never really been her “home,” and she should’ve stopped hoping for it to be a long time ago. When Grace got to her apartment, the place was dark and the lights were off. When she turned on the lights, she was greeted by cold silence. She could tell at a glance that there was no one else in the room. Was Jay gone? Her heart suddenly felt a little empty. Which was silly, she knew. The man was a stranger. He’d helped her out, but he didn’t owe her anything, and she was very foolish to think he’d want to stay with her. Grace let out a bitter laugh. She was alone. Again. Something in her chest ached painfully at the thought as if acknowledging that even out of prison, she was still constricted, and destined to live out her existence without anybody. Just as she was about to close the door, she saw a figure slowly walking towards her. She was stunned. It was Jay. He was still wearing those worn-out clothes of his from yesterday while he held a bag in his hand. His longish hair almost covered the entire upper part of his face, making it difficult for people to see him clearly at a glance, but she knew that under that mussed hair was a face that could easily take over people’s hearts. If not for the clothes, she would’ve thought him an actor like her sister might work with on one of the TV series. He was that powerfully handsome. Such a man… was he really a homeless person? And if he was… why? Drugs, mental illness, violent tendencies? There were a number of causes that could set someone on the streets, and most of them carried elements of instability. She knew that taking him in like this was an impulsive decision and could put her in danger, but… she couldn’t stop herself. Perhaps humans were tribal animals after all. They needed company. “I’m back.” His voice was low and indifferent, but to her, it was the sweetest sound. Her throat suddenly felt tight. “I… I thought you wouldn’t come back.” He stared at her. “I just went out to buy something.” She quickly leaned to one side, pulled him into the room, and closed the door. Then, she saw two white steamed buns in the bag he held. She smiled gently and felt that her whole body seemed to be much more relaxed now. Sad, wasn’t it? Her family abandoned her, but some homeless stranger was the one to keep her company. “We’ll eat together, but before that, I… wanted to light a candle for my Grandpa and mother. Today is the anniversary of his passing…as well as my mother’s.” Fate was cruel to her. Her beloved grandpa and mother died only a few days apart. Jason’s dark eyes followed her movements as the took the prayer candle from her bag that she’d bought on the way home along with a framed photo. It was a black-and-white photo of a man. The man in the photo was about sixty years old. His eyes crinkled up in a smile that looked kind. Grace lit the candles and channeled her thoughts. She kissed the photograph gently. “Grandpa, I’ve started a new life now. I’m living a good life. I have a job that pays well enough for me to feed myself. You can rest in peace, and in the future, I will only live a better and better life…” Jason stood to one side and looked at the woman in front of him with a smile on her lips. However, her almond-shaped eyes looked misty. The light of the candle and the light of the lamp in the corner of the room mixed together and caused shadows to dance across her face. She had arched eyebrows, a small nose, and pink lips. She was not at all bad-looking, but he’d seen countless women more than Grace. Back then, Jennifer Atkinson, his fiancée, had been a rare beauty. To Jason, Grace’s looks were only ordinary. He had seen her information and naturally knew that today was the anniversary of her Grandpa’s death. He understood her to need to say some kind words and to acknowledge her Grandpa’s passing, but fresh out of prison and working in a sanitation center, to say she was ‘doing well’ …was one hell of a stretch. “Also, grandpa, there’s another person here who’s staying with me,” she said softly. She then turned her head and looked at him. She smiled. Under the light of the candles, she seemed to glow from within. It was like his presence in and of itself was enough to bring her joy. After a moment, she turned to look at the man in the photo again. “So, I am doing really good, grandpa. You can rest in peace.” After saying this, she respectfully bowed to the photo. She closed her eyes and though her lips moved, whatever words she said were between her and her grandpa or deity. It was several minutes before she nodded and opened her eyes. “Alright, I’ll clean up and make some soup. Let’s have dinner together.” “Sure,” he responded easily. He offered to help, but she bid him sit. He washed his hands and set out plates and utensils before sitting at the small table and watching her move around the kitchen. Her movements matched her name—graceful. And while she didn’t hum and there was no sound in the room, there was a rhythm to her motions as if she moved to some languid melody. When she set a pot of soup on the table between them and a plate of some egg frittata she’d mixed up with leftovers from the refrigerator, he inhaled deeply. It smelled delicious. She thanked him profusely for the buns he’d brought back and rather than eat them out of the back she set them out formally on dishes. His lips twitched at that. She’d been the one to give him the money. He was the guest here. He should be the one thanking her if anything. They both quietly ate, and after a few minutes she asked, “Jay, what kind of work did you do in the past?” “I did all sorts of work,” he said vaguely. “If there was work to do, then I would do it. If there wasn’t, then I would just find a place to rest,” he said. “Rest? I hope you had comfortable places to rest.” From the way she said it, he assumed she was thinking of how she came upon him—wandering the streets on a cold winter night. Hardly a ‘comfortable place to rest.’ “How old are you?” she asked. “Twenty-seven,” he replied. “We’re the same age,” she said in surprise. “Which month were you born in?” “November.” “It’s July for me. In that case, I’m a few months older than you.” Grace took a bite of food. She dabbed at her mouth with her napkin. “You don’t have any family, and neither do I. Why don’t you treat me as your sister from now on? I will also regard you as my younger brother.” “Sister?” He smiled lightly. There had never been anyone who had dared to be his family before, and yet this woman still insisted on being his sister? If she knew who he was, would she still dare to say such a thing? However, it was exactly because she didn’t know that it was so interesting to him. “Can’t you?” Her eyes darkened. “You look sad,” he said. “This was your idea, adopting me.” Her lips twitched and then she gazed back to the small candle still burning on the countertop in memory of her grandfather and mother. “When my mother passed away, I was only three. I don’t have many memories of her, to be honest, but I know she loved me.” He’d have to think very hard to recall his life at that age. And for a child grieving, the trauma would probably overshadow the good memories. “How did she die?” “Miscarriage. The baby was six months along.” She glanced back at him. “My brother. But he only lived for ten minutes after entering this world. It would’ve been so wonderful, I think. Having him with me.” A tear slipped down her cheek. “I like to think that they’re together.” He grunted. So… a brother. “Are you sure you want to be my sister?” he asked suddenly. She nodded. “But, neither do I have a permanent home nor do I have an actual job. I can’t even provide for myself properly. Why do you want to be my sister?”
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