Chapter 1: Chapter 1: Calculation
"Bang!"
Cindy Clarke, her face pale white, rushed out of a hotel room.
She ran, frantically fixing her clothes as she went. The source of this material is novelbin★
The sky was still pitch black outside, and so was the room she had just left. She hadn't even gotten a clear look at the man who had been lying next to her.
Having rushed out of the hotel, she identified her location and decided that the only sensible option was to take a taxi home. Wandering around by herself in this state wasn't safe.
But when she reached into her pocket, her heart sank.
She hadn't brought her phone with her!
And the thought of going back to retrieve it was daunting.
Thankfully, she still had about seventy dollars in her pocket—enough for a cab ride home.
Cindy quickly hailed a taxi and gave her address.
As she sat alone in the backseat, she reflected on the events that led to her current situation.
The last thing she remembered was serving the last group of customers at her family's small restaurant the night before.
After clearing up the tables, her sister Wendy Clarke strode in. She was dressed stylishly, wearing high heels and carrying a Chanel bag.
Her model-like urban elegance seemed out of place in the small restaurant.
"Wendy, what brings you here?" Wendy and Cindy's mother, Christy Xenos, warmly greeted Wendy from behind the cash register. "After a long day at work, why did you come here?"
Cindy wondered why Wendy was dressed so elegantly if she just got off work.
Wendy gave a friendly smile and said, "Work keeps me busy, I can't look after our restaurant. So I thought I'd drop by after my shift."
Christy immediately said to Cindy, "Look at your sister, she's so busy with work and she still cares about the restaurant. You, on the other hand, are reluctant to help out despite being free most of the time. You've cost us a lot of money for your school fees. Think of this as paying them back."
"Cindy, you're complaining again?" Wendy rebuked her, "You're only a sophomore, it's not that busy. What's wrong with helping out? I don't think you even need to attend university. You're not looking for a job after graduation."
"Mom, let's talk this out calmly." Wendy signaled Christy with her eyes.
Christy withdrew her hand in disgruntlement.
Wendy placed the beers on the table, "Mom, Cindy, let's not fight. You didn't eat dinner yet, did you? I brought some new dishes from our restaurant for you to try. Maybe you can learn something, and our restaurant can improve."
Wendy set the to-go food containers on the table and poured Cindy a glass of beer, "Cindy, I know it's tough for you to help out at home. I have to work, and I can't help. You're doing a lot for our restaurant."
Christy wanted to interject but was silenced by Wendy's glare.
Wendy raised a glass, "To Cindy, let's forget the past and move on."
Having said that, Wendy downed her drink.
Cindy, suspicious, watched Wendy. She seemed to have changed, which was strange.
"What? Don't want to drink the toast I offered?" Wendy asked, raising an eyebrow.
Cindy glanced at her beer. She had a good tolerance, so one drink was no bother.
Still filled with doubts, she slowly finished her drink.
As soon as she put down her glass, her head started to swell, and she fell face-first onto the table.
This was the last thing Cindy remembered from last night.
Cindy clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms.
By now, was there anything else she did not understand?
She had likely been fooled by her own mother and sister.
According to her memory, though she didn't get a good look at the man's face.
He was young and had a good build, and his voice was attractive.
He wasn't the type who would need to resort to such a method to find a woman.
"Miss, we're here, that's 47 dollars," said the taxi driver, pulling over to stop.
Cindy quickly paid the fare and entered the building.