Chapter 7
“Got it. Sienna nodded. Noticing Josiah’s disdainful expression, he added, “I’ll open the windows to air it out soon, so there won’t be any smell left. I’ll also clean the kitchen,”
“You? You can’t even cook pasta properly, and you think you can clean? Just wait. The servant will be here tomorrow,” Josiah scoffed, then turned and headed upstairs.
Finally, he’s gone. Sienna sighed in relief and sat back down. The pasta was already clumpy, and now it looked even less appetizing. She blinked, picked up her fork without much expression, and not long after, she finished it off
She then opened the window to let in some fresh air and cleaned up the kitchen. Once done, she lay down on the couch in the living room, planning to get by here for a couple of days.
There was no point in bothering with the guest room–she didn’t want to leave any lingering smells that might give Josiah a reason to complain. Tomorrow, she’d start looking for a place of her own.
The next morning, Sienna woke up early, well before Josiah came downstairs. She needed to find a job and a new place to live–quickly.
The night before, Sienna had mapped out her route. As soon as he stepped out, she made a beeline for the bus stop and then transferred to the subway.
was modern dance, and she was there to
She was on her way to Maze–an entertainment hotspot in Jeiacity. Her major was apply as a dancer.
Everyone in Jeiacrity knows that Maze was a flashy place where wealthy folks blow their cash to have a good time. But Sienna didn’t feel ashamed. She was there to make a living and besides, she was selling her skills, not doing anything shady.
When Sienna arrived at Maze, she went find the manager daytime, Maze wasn’t open yet, so she soon met Henry.
“Hello, Mr. White, Sienna greeted confidently.
named Henry White, as Hannah had told her to. Since it was the
“Hi, Henry replied, a faint grin on his face. “You must be the one Ms. Yates was talking about, right? What was your name again?
Sienna smiled, “Sienna Shaw.”
“Ah, that’s right,” Henry said, giving her a thorough look. Knowing she came highly recommended and noticing her striking appearance, he nodded, a wider smile forming. “Sienna, you’re red.”
“What?” Sienna felt a mix of delight and surprise. Even with Hannah’s recommendation, she didn’t expect it to go this smoothly. “Thank you, Mr. White.”
“You’re so polite, Henry chuckled, waving his hand. “With Ms. Yates vouching for you, how could I say no? Besides, I’m sure you’ll be a hit at Maze
After a pause, he continued, “Alright, soon you’ll need to get measured for your costume. We’re getting everything ready for you. How about Friday? It’s a busy day–great for your debut performance.
“Sounds great,” Sienna nodded eagerly.
“Then it’s settled.”
Thank you, Mr. White.”
Chapter 7
As soon as Sienna stepped out of Maze, she dialed Hannah. The call rang twice before it switched to voicemail. But just moment later, her phone vibrated–Hannah was returning the call.
“Seriously… Sienna said with a smile. “Why do you always do thi
Hannah laughed from the other end. “International calls are pricey. You don’t have much money, so I’m just trying to save you some. Isn’t that nice?”
“Yeah,” Sienna replied gratefully, pressing her lips together. “I know, Hannah, thank you. And thanks for the job too.”
“You made it?” Hannah paused for a moment before breaking into a joyful laugh. “I told you, you’d be fine. Don’t worry, I’l take care of you here.”
Since international calls were expensive, they kept their conversation brief and to the point. Before long, they wrapped up
the call.
Then Sienna set out to find a place to live. She checked out several apartments, but none of them felt right. The ones she liked were too pricey, and the cheaper ones made her worry about safety.
Just as she was about to move on to the next place, her phone rang, and it was Miranda. Sienna quickly swiped to answer.
“Miranda?”
“Sienna, where are you?” Miranda asked.
Sienna glanced at the bustling crowd and traffic around her. “Just taking a walk. Jeiacrity has changed a lot.”
Yeah, Miranda chuckled. “Take your time. Now that you’re back, just explore–you’ll get used to it in no time.”
Suddenly, she shifted gears and said, “You’ve been away from Jetacrity for four years. I’m planning a welcome party for you!
“Huh?” Sienna was taken aback, finding it a bit over the top. “No need for that, Miranda.”
“No need?” Miranda argued, “You’re Josiah’s wife. Now that you’re back, everyone should see you. I don’t want people to think Josiah is still single.”
Sienna couldn’t help but smirk–technically, Josiah was still single. “It’s really not necessary,” she refused again.
Miranda shook her head and sighed. “Fiona was worried about you on her deathbed, so she made me promise to look out for you. But I haven’t been checking on you enough these past years. Are you upset with me?”
“No, I’m not,” Sienna said quickly, realizing she couldn’t refuse. right, let’s hit that party? She figured making an appearance was the least she could do to repay Miranda for raising her.
“That’s my girl,” Miranda said, beaming. “T’ll get everything all set up for you.”
“Thanks, Miranda, Sienna said. After ending the call, she let out a deep sigh, her enthusiasm for apartment hunting fading. With the day already winding down, she decided to call it quits and head back to Silver Beach.
Once she got off the bus, she grabbed a few loaves of bread at the supermarket nearby–Josiah wouldn’t let her use the stove. She just felt bummed that there wasn’t a market nearby to find cheaper rolls.
Back at Silver Beach, Sienna ate the bread with plain water and spored the rest in the fridge, which was enough for a few meals.
Then, she changed into her practice clothes and began dancing. As a dancer, she knew she couldn’t afford to miss a day of practice–one minute on stage took years of practice off stage.
That night, Josiah didn’t come home, and Sienna couldn’t have been less bothered. Truth was, even during their two months of marriage, he hadn’t been home every night.
22:19 Sat, Jan 4
Chapter 7
Back then, she’d clung to him and asked, “Where were you last night?”
Josiah had only rolled his eyes, his voice edged with irritation. “I’s none of your business. Being Mrs. Josiah doesn’t give you the right to meddle in my life.
“You’ve got your wish marrying me, and I’ll take care of everything you need. Just stick to your own affairs, alright?”
Reflecting on the past, Sienna couldn’t help but acknowledge the naivety that had clouded her judgment.
A night passed without dreams, and the next day, Sienna headed out to search for a house. She browsed through countless listings on rental websites, checking each one carefully. After a long day of searching, she finally found one that caught her
eye.
Just as she was about to call the agent, her phone rang, and it was Josiah. Sienna kept her face neutral as she answered. “Hello?”
“Where are you? Why aren’t you at Silver Beach? Josiah asked, his frustration obvious.
Is he at Silver Beach now? Sienna felt a jolt of surprise. Instead of answering, she shot back, “What’s up?”
“You’re seriously asking me? Josiah replied, a hint of sarcasm in his voice. “Did you forget about the welcome party Grandma set up for you? She mentioned it, right?”
Now Sienna remembered. “That’s tonight?”
“Yes! Get back here immediately!”
