Alpha Wants, Alpha Gets.

Chapter 9 – Get to work!

 Taylor took the opportunity with Dominic away to go to the hospital to check in with her mother. She was desperate for a positive update for a change, it had seemed to be so long since she had had one of those about her mother’s declining health.

As she arrived, Rayne was there visiting too. “Where have you been? You not know how to answer your phone Miss?”

I didn’t answer her, she was staff at the end of the day. I could not explain why anyway. I had not answered because Dominic was nearby, I did not want him speaking and then having to explain who he was or why he was there if they recognised his voice. He was well known after all. It would simply cause far too many complications. I was afraid Mum would notice something was wrong so I thought it would be easier to simply stop answering their calls. As terrible as that made me feel, I thought it was for the best. I knew if it was urgent they would message.

“Hi Mum” I greeted my Mum, putting the things down on the chair next to her bed. “How are you feeling?” I smile at her.

She smiles gently at me. Her eyes look tired as she watches me sit down and begin to peel the apple on her table for her.

“I just asked the Dr how things were Mum, they said that during this period they need to take good care of your health first, get you to a stable state again. Then they can look to transplant when a suitable heart source becomes available. They can’t say when that will be. You are on the list” I explain as I peel the apple.

Mum took the apple from me with a shaking hand. “Taylor, where did you get so much money from? We were already struggling to fund the medical costs, selling so many things to pay the costs for the treatment I already received. So where did you find the money to cover all of this?”

I look to my Mum, when she was younger she was known as a beauty. Striking features on her face, beautiful eyes, hair so thick, luscious, and a figure to be jealous of. Yet now when I look to her she has lost many pounds in weight, due to this disease that seems to be ravaging her body, her cheeks look gaunt, and she, as much as it pains me to say, looks sickly. She looks to me, worry deep across her face.

I go to her and hug her tightly. Hating seeing her worried, and not liking seeing her look so sickly. I am terrified of losing my mother too. “You don’t need to worry about it. I just want my Mum to be well, ok? But you have to promise me not to get too angry so easily, ok?”

Mum smiled at me, a sad smile. “Okay Tay, I’ll do whatever you want.”

I gently kissed my Mum’s cheek before hugging her again.

After leaving the hospital I headed into the city. My next mission for the day was finding work. I needed to find a way to pay back Dominic, one way or another. This arrangement we had was going to be as temporary as I could possibly make it. I did not intend to be his wife for any longer than I needed to. Not when he was acting the way he was. There was me thinking he may treat me badly, yet in truth he was treating me like a precious gem at times. And it scared me a little. It all seemed a little too odd for my liking. And I wanted out of it sooner rather than later.

I had only just left university, gaining my business diploma, but soon after, before I had been able to look for work, my world had fallen apart. My father had died, my mother became ill and suddenly I was rushing around trying to do so many things and finding a job was pushed to the back. But now, it was a priority. I needed to find a job, find a way to pay back Dominic, as well as find a way to live.

She sat in the interview. Trying to stay calm, look professional. She needed this.

“Miss Meadows, I took a look at your resume. It is very impressive. But I would just like to ask, why did you take nearly a year out from your degree?” the man in front of me questioned.

I gulped, feeling uncomfortable. Unsure why he needed to know this. I still gained my degree, he could see that. I think of the scar on my stomach. A pain in my heart builds as I do. I cannot think of this. So I shut my eyes for a moment, take a deep breath and then smile at him before speaking, narrowing my eyes at him as I do. “Something happened at home.” Hoping that would be enough to explain.

“Ok, good. No Problem.” He responds.

The interviewer glanced over the papers in front of him once more, before standing up and asking. “When do you think you would be able to start work Miss Meadows?”

I smile. “As soon as Monday if you require me to”

“Wonderful. If you report to the company on time, at 8am on Monday, and someone will make arrangements for you then” the man says to me.

“Ok, thank you so much,” I say, feeling wonderful that I have finally found a job.

I had found a part-time job within a medium-sized business to use my degree, and hopefully earn enough to continue to pay Rayne as our family employee and my mother’s current carer too as she was now fulfilling that role when I was not there.

But I also needed another job I could perhaps do at night. While it would give me so little free time, or chance to do anything else but sleep, I needed enough money to live off, pay Rayne’s wages and begin to pay back Dominic. This was my priority. I needed this money so desperately I was willing to give up all my time if needs be and survive off the minimal amount of sleep too.

I sat in a coffee shop studying online and in newspapers for current roles that could work, and the only ones that would be anywhere near suitable were tutors and training course teachers. Thankfully, I had learned many musical instruments and dance as a child and into my teens too, so I could say I had a skill that was teachable in a role such as those.

I searched many websites, many job sites, until I found a role as a dance teacher at a local community centre, two hours of dance teaching each night. Earning me additional money. Money I so desperately needed. Money I could not complain at.

I loved dance, and had training in it, so being able to teach it was ideal. I now had a plan to get out of this situation as soon as I could. And I would continue to look for other ways to help me to find money. Anything to help. I knew it may take some time, but I would do all I could to get away from Dominic and the mess I had allowed myself to sink into. Even if it meant doing things I usually would not, after all I had already crossed that line…