Imprisoned While Pregnant, She's Back for Payback novel Chapter 9

"Tess, your paycheck for this month is gone."

At the break of dawn, the street supervisor, Esther Frost, threw a slip of paper at Tess with a sneer of contempt.

Morning had barely arrived; a faint glow hung over the horizon.

The wind bit at Tess's hands, making it almost impossible to hold her broom.

She turned around, stunned.

"What did you say, Ms. Frost? That can't be right. It's only the second of the month. I still have 28 days left of work. How could I lose my whole paycheck already?"

This wasn't just a small sum of money. That 3,000 dollars was her and Layla's lifeline.

Esther stood there in a flashy faux fur coat, munching on a steaming roasted sweet potato.

Her over-the-knee boots clicked against the sidewalk as she looked Tess up and down. She had drawn her eyes with a dramatic eyeliner look, and her lips were curled into a sneer.

"You really want to ask why?

"Someone reported that they lost a gold necklace yesterday—right here in your zone.

"You picked it up, didn't you? Look, we might clean streets, but we don't tolerate thieves. You should be grateful I'm only docking one month's pay."

Tess couldn't argue with Esther.

Her pale lips trembled as she struggled to find the right words, but her chest burned with fury.

She forced herself to stay calm and gently patted the sling wrapped around her chest where Layla squirmed restlessly.

"Ms. Frost, there must be a mistake. I didn't see any necklace—much less pick one up!"

"And you expect me to believe that?"

Esther tugged her sleeves tighter against the cutting wind and took another huge bite of sweet potato. It tasted really good.

"Why else would I be out here freezing if not because of you? I gave up a perfectly warm office for this. I should've never hired you in the first place.

"Well, I've said what I came to say. Get back to work. This street needs to be spotless."

She gestured to the ground, where peels and bits of sticky sweet potato littered the pavement. The mess appeared glaring on the ground.

Then, she turned to leave.

But Tess wouldn't have it. She grabbed Esther by the arm.

"So, you're saying I still have to sweep the entire zone even though I'm not getting paid? I want to see the surveillance footage. If there's a camera, it'll prove I didn't take anything!"

Esther's expression darkened as she shoved Tess away.

"The cameras weren't working. There's no footage."

"Then how can you accuse me? If there's no proof the necklace was dropped in my zone, how do you know I picked it up?"

Tess caught the flaw in her story and latched on.

Esther clicked her tongue. "You're real sharp, huh, Tess? If you think I'm framing you, go ahead—take me to court. What a pain."

She was confident. In her mind, Tess was just some uneducated single mom. What would she know about legal rights? She was probably bluffing.

With a dramatic wave of her hand, Esther turned on her heels and stomped off.

Tess stood there, powerless, on the verge of collapsing.

She understood all too well that when they took this to court, once her criminal record came to light, it wouldn't matter what was true or false. In the eyes of the law, she'd already be losing.

What now?

Was she supposed to just accept this?

Three thousand dollars used to be pocket change.

But now, it meant Layla's formula, diapers, and food. She had already taken an advance to cover this month's supplies.

But what about next month? And the one after that?

Was she really going to end up on the streets, begging with her baby in her arms?

She had seen women like that before, kneeling on sidewalks with their children bundled up beside them. Back then, she couldn't understand how they ended up there She never thought she might become one of them.

Tess clenched the slip of paper tightly in her fist, her expression darkening.

Layla stirred in her sleep. Tess lowered her head, meeting her daughter's rosy cheeks and clear eyes. She forced a soft, comforting smile.

"Don't worry, Layla. Mommy's here."

But deep inside, Tess felt lost.

At 9 a.m., after settling Layla down in the dorm, her coworkers gathered around her.

Everyone talked at once. "Tess, we heard they cut your pay—"

"Did you really find a gold necklace?"

Another defended her, "Come on, Tess would never do something like that!"

Bessie, who had just returned from her shift, pulled Tess aside and whispered, "Did you cross someone?"

Because of the incident yesterday, Bessie—who had stood up for Tess—was transferred from her regular zone to the dirtiest one near a trash plant.

She now looked gray with grime and chilled to the bone.

Tess rushed to get her hot water, grabbed a towel, and soaped it up to wipe Bessie's hands and face.

Tess wiped Bessie's hands and face gently, her eyes stinging with emotion.

Bessie forced a smile. "Oh, it's nothing, really. Don't worry about me." She waved her hand like it was no big deal, pretending to be cheerful, but her eyes shimmered with tears.

Mr. Mitchell?

Who the heck is Mr. Mitchell?

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