7. A Conditional
1103 Words
Caitlyn was too upset to accept the offer from Evans. She continued to walk on regardless of the call from the rich man.
"Hey, are you deaf? I'm calling you!" Evans screeched.
Caitlyn was getting annoyed with Evans' attitude. He did not have a gentle demeanor at all. Caitlyn quickened her pace. But a sudden rumbling sound brought her steps to a halt.
"Damn!" Caitlyn cursed in annoyance. There was no way she would suddenly say yes to Evans' invitation. She was too embarrassed to do so.
Suddenly, water dripped from above. Caitlyn raised her head.
"It's raining," she muttered with resignation.
Suddenly, someone grabbed Caitlyn's hand. Caitlyn was surprised that it was Evans. He led her into his car.
"Hey! Don't touch me!" Caitlyn screamed.
"We don't have much time. The rain is going to get heavier." Evans quickly got into the car after making sure Caitlyn was safe inside. They promptly drove away from the area.
On the way, Caitlyn deliberately did not want to look at Evans. She directed her gaze outside even though she could only see raindrops.
"Where should I take you?" Evans asked. He didn't want to stay silent like this. It felt like there had to be a topic of conversation so they wouldn't feel awkward.
"You can take me to the bus stop. I can go home by myself," Caitlyn replied curtly.
Evans snorted. He did not want to escalate their feud.
"I want to talk about this job contract. I'll drive you to your house," Evans did not give up trying to persuade Caitlyn.
"But I'm not interested in doing that anymore. You can just find another woman," Caitlyn replied.
Evans pulled the car over suddenly, then braked. Caitlyn fell over and hit her head on the dashboard.
"Are you nuts, sir!" screamed Caitlyn. "Do you want to kill me!" She held her aching head. "Fuck."
Evans' breathing sounded harsh. He was silent, but the look in his eyes showed anger.
"Can't you see how much my daughter wants you?" snapped Evans.
"Oh, you care about your daughter, but you don't care about me. I understand that you're paying me to be Daphne's surrogate mother, but I can't accept you putting me down!"
Evans rubbed his face roughly, feeling the frustration of facing Caitlyn. There had never been anyone who dared to stand up to her. Everyone had always bowed to Evans. But this woman. She did not know that Evans was a person who could not be treated like this at all.
"You're too much, Miss. I'm not trying to look down on you. I'm just a father who takes great care of my daughter. And what I'm telling you is a fact. Why would you call that condescending?" Evans argued. He was sure that what he had in mind was the truth.
Caitlyn could not understand Evans' arrogant attitude. Evans was the one who needed her. Evans should have listened to Caitlyn instead of arguing, making Caitlyn even angrier. Her life was already too complicated with all her problems. She didn't want to add to that complexity by trying with Evans. Caitlyn knew very well she could not win.
"Yes, I am a poor person who needs a lot of money. I have debts. I'm broke. My boyfriend betrayed me. Yes, that's a fact. But you shouldn't have emphasized it in front of me. I'm just reprimanding Caitlyn's teacher, and you're overreacting!"
Evans tried to remain calm. Maybe he really did not care about Caitlyn. She was not a woman worth prioritizing in his life. But this was about Daphne. He couldn't let his daughter be sad because she was looking for Caitlyn.
"I'll increase the fee. Come back to Daphne," Evans persuaded.
But Evans' offer only made Caitlyn more offended. "Sir, it's not about money. I really need it, but I don't want my pride to be hurt like this."
"Daphne doesn't have a mother. She wants you. What else am I supposed to do? You..." Evans looked deeply into Caitlyn's eyes. "I've never seen Daphne smile before. Do it for her."
Evans began to change the way he spoke. At least it was more polite now, although it still contained arrogance. Why do rich people always behave like that? Treating people experiencing poverty as the fulfilment of their desires.
Even Caitlyn couldn't bear Daphne. The little girl thought of Daphne as her mother. She hadn't done anything wrong to feel sad about losing Caitlyn, who made her laugh after all these years of Daphne being a moody girl.
"Tell me your home address. We'll talk about the contract more seriously," Evans said.
"I have some additional conditions." Caitlyn eventually gave in.
****
Eventually, Evans drove Caitlyn to the public library. Evans was surprised that Caitlyn didn't take her to the house.
"Why are we here?" Evans asked. "Where exactly is your house?"
"I don't have one. My ex-boyfriend sold my apartment. Now, I'm a midfielder. I know a friend who let me stay temporarily in the library. Once I get my money, I'll look for a boarding house," Caitlyn replied.
Evans rubbed his chin. He knew some people in the world lived in poverty, but Evans had never had any contact with poor people. She had no idea that Caitlyn's life was so miserable.
"How about you move to ...."
Evans had not finished his sentence, but Caitlyn had already interrupted him. "No! I know what you're thinking. I'm not going to live in your house. I know Daphne will always look for me, but I still don't want to live there."
Evans decided against giving her a place to stay. "Then let me give you a gift. I'll give you a house if I agree to the contract."
A very tempting offer. In her heart, Caitlyn felt very happy. But she didn't want to get a new house.
"I want my old apartment. My parents left it. I don't want to have another place to live. If not, I'd rather just live in a boarding house." Caitlyn is stubborn.
Evans realized that she could not impose her will on Caitlyn. At the moment, she needed Caitlyn for Daphne. For the first time, Evans chose to give in.
"Alright," Evans said. According to him, the important thing was that Caitlyn agreed to the contract. After that, he could adjust everything. "I will try to get your old apartment back after you sign the contract. Before I can get the apartment, I will rent a house far from my residence. Deal?"
Caitlyn waited for a moment before she finally replied. "Deal."
- Writer
