Chapter 13
Cameron, with a smug look, said, "She can't make it without me. Just watch. In less than a week, she'll be reminiscing about all the good times, and she'll reach out to me."
The nanny shook her head, letting out a sigh. "You only treat her this way because you know she loves you, Mr. Cameron. Not everyone will stick around waiting for you to get it together." Cameron slumped onto the couch, looking worn out. "This is the last time."
Meanwhile, far away...
Nellie stepped off the plane, and instead of heading out of the airport, she immediately bought a ticket to another city. After hopping through a few places, she ended up in Milan. As she stared at the unfamiliar streets and surrounded by strangers, a wave of loneliness hit her hard.
Broke and desperate, she found a diner near the airport and took up dishwashing and other odd jobs for a small paycheck. Until she got paid, her bed was a bench at the airport.
She had just undergone surgery and a miscarriage, so the grueling work often left her body exhausted and her wounds prone to infection, almost causing her to collapse in the diner several times. Concerned for her well-being, the diner's owner gently let her go, citing some excuse.
Nellie was now jobless, and she had blown through her last bit of money trying to find work.
When things couldn't get worse, the spot she'd been crashing at was taken over by some thugs. When she went to grab her belongings, their threatening stares made her leave everything behind and run. Nellie found herself on the curb, sobbing uncontrollably. But after shedding her tears, she managed a smile.
Four years ago, before Cameron found her, wasn't she also a homeless beggar?
To survive, Nellie started scavenging through trash cans for scraps, just like before.
Maybe luck was on her side this time because she stumbled upon a fancy wallet in the trash. It had been tossed aside by a thief who had stolen the cash from a wealthy lady and chucked the wallet, IDs and all. Nellie recognized the wallet's material as something special and thought it must be important to its owner. So, she decided to return it to the address on the ID.
The wallet belonged to a wealthy woman. When Nellie handed it over, the lady looked at her with suspicion.
Nellie shrugged, calm and collected. "I swear, I didn't steal this wallet. I found it while rummaging for food in the trash."
After a moment, she added, "I recognize this leather. It's from designer Jasmine's first luxury handbag collection. There are only nine in the world. I figured it must mean a lot to you, so I brought it back." The lady gasped. "I didn't expect you to know this. Which rich family are you part of?"
Nellie gave a bittersweet smile. "Sorry to disappoint, but I come from humble beginnings."
As Nellie turned to leave, the lady grabbed her hand. "Miss, you've returned my late husband's gift to me. I owe you. What do you need? Just tell me."
Nellie shook her head. "It's alright."
The lady seemed confused. "But you look like you could use some help?"
Nellie replied, "I need money, lots of it. And love... but that's something you can't give."