A MAZE OF GREED

Ruth bit the insides of her cheek again, not knowing how to answer the woman while not hurting her feelings. She knew that Mrs Green only wanted to look her happy but little did she knew that the man she considered as the best match for Ruth was, in fact, the worst nightmare of hers.

"Erm… Mrs Green, I… we… we talked that night. But you see, he has recently returned in Vincardine and I have just got a job. He is a… good man."

Only Ruth and Thea knew how much effort she had to take to say those words about Edwin.

"I think we should take it slow. We can't judge a person in a single meeting, can we? We will see where the destiny leads us." She gave a half-hearted smile to Thea's mother.

"Does that mean you will not mind meeting him again?" Mrs Green asked expectantly.

Ruth had no courage to answer that. She looked troubled. Thea wanted to help her friend, but her mother had already silenced her voice. The middle-aged woman kept looking at Ruth as if she was about to announce a lottery result.

Ruth heaved a sigh of relief when someone knocked on Green's door. Mrs Green looked confused. She wanted to hear Ruth's answer, but then there was someone at her doorstep.

When the knock was heard again, she sighed dejectedly and got up to open the door but not before a mild warning to Ruth. "We are not done with this topic, Ruth."

Helplessly, Ruth only nodded but visibly relaxed after Mrs Green exited the room.

"I don't understand what magic Edwin O'Dell has casted upon my mother! She tirelessly keeps praising him, his mannerisms and looks. I am tired of hearing it over and over." Thea groaned as soon as her mother was out of an earshot.

"It is not my concern but why does she want to match me with him?" Ruth shuddered at the thought.

She couldn't imagine getting touched by a man who had already touched dozens of women before. She could never accept a man who had no morals and who considered the unprivileged ones below his shoes. That very thought made her skin crawled in disgust.

"Thea, Ruth, my friend has come to call me. We have planned to go to the market. I will be back in an hour. Ruth, I wish you could have stayed for dinner."

"I promise I will stay next time, but it is not possible today."

"Hmm... Okay, dear, take care!" Mrs Green hurried out of there as her friend was waiting for her at the doorstep.

Now that Ruth and Thea were alone in the house, the silence again prevailed between them.

But this time, Thea decided to break it. "Why are you working overtime? I do not think Mr Cooper has overload of work and he does not usually tell his employees to work from home on holidays."

Thea narrowed her eyes at fidgeting Ruth.

"And I want to hear truth!" Thea demanded.

Ruth sighed then put the half-eaten cookie on the plate.

"Thea, I need to earn extra money. Instead of spending the Sundays idly, I decided to look for some work to earn an extra penny."

"But why do you need extra money, Ruth? Your salary at Mr Cooper's shop is enough for the time being." Now Thea leaned forward with curiosity.

She didn't understand why Ruth needed extra money when she could pay the rent, buy monthly groceries and essentials and have some savings with her.

"Thea, it is because of Mr and Mrs Payne."

"What? What happened to them?" Thea's face looked worried.

"Mr Payne's health is not well. He is having a high fever. He can not even sit up on his own. He is in and out of consciousness for the last two days." Ruth said sadly.

"Has the physician checked him?"

"yes. He has prescribed some medicines and Mrs Payne is giving them on time but there is little to no improvement in his health. The physician said that his old age and weakened body are not helping with the effectiveness of the medicines."

Thea had met the couple a few times on the streets of Vincardine. She was also aware of Ruth's close bond with them. They were not blood relatives of hers but they had taken care of her for years like their own daughter.

Hearing about Mr Payne's condition pained Thea's heart.

"You know I had no savings left from the first month's salary. And now whatever little I had has gone to pay the physician his fees and buying medicines.

He has not gone to his work for a week. And now I am taking care of their daily expenditures. I don't know how much time we have or how much money we will need. Hence, I don't want to take risks."

"Oh, Ruth!"

Thea immediately pulled Ruth in her arms, for she senses how much her friend needed her. The guilt of avoiding her friend and not standing by her side when she needed had intensified in Thea's heart.

"I am very sorry, Ruth. I didn't know. I didn't even ask. You were handling this situation all alone and I was not even there to notice this. I am so sorry. I am such a bad friend! I am so sorry!" Thea sobbed on Ruth's shoulder as another woman also couldn't hold back her tears.

Ruth had craved for this for days. She needed her friend, her encouraging words, her moral support. She needed to hear that everything was going to be alright. She needed to hear that she was not alone.

But the tensions in her and Thea's friendship had crushed her heart slowly and painfully day by day. And now that she had her friend with her, she couldn't keep all those bottled-up emotions inside her.

She made a way for that pain to flow through her tears.

"I am so scared, Thea. I am very scared. I d-don't know what is in destiny's mind. But e-every time I look at him, it feels like he is straying away from me. I d-don't know what else to do. I-" A loud sob didn't allow the words to be spoken.

Thea ran her hand up and down on Ruth's back. "Don't be afraid, Ruth. Mrs Payne needs you. You have to be strong for her. I am sure the medicines will work effectively and Mr Payne will be as healthy as before. Just don't lose your hopes.

And why are you scared when I am there with you. I promise I will not repeat the same mistake again." She said the last part in a low voice as if she was ordering herself to do so.

Ruth pulled away to look at Thea. "I missed you, Thea! I missed you so much. I am sorry for the misunderstandings between you and Rees. I shouldn't have pointed out his strange behaviour."

"Oh no, Ruth. You did what you thought was right for me. You only wanted to see me and Rees happy. It was us who were at the fault. We should have trusted each other but instead, we kept keeping secrets from each other in a hope that we were protecting each other.

But it was not the right way. That night, we talked. We shared everything that we had kept hidden from each other. Everything!"

Ruth's eyes widened hearing that. "Did you-"

"Yes! I have told him about the night of the celebrations and how we sneaked into 'the great manor'." Thea confirmed her doubt.

"WHAT? Is he... angry?" Ruth asked in nervousness.

Thea smiled at her dramatic reaction. "He was a little upset about it but then he said it is fine and not to do anything like that again. He said he will handle the situation if Edwin O'Dell ever suspects us."

That answer relieved Ruth considerably.

"So, what happened then?" She asked hesitantly, not knowing if she should ask something personal like that.

"Every misunderstanding is clear now. And we are planning to get married soon." Thea beamed.

Ruth's face lit up hearing that. "Really?! Oh my God, I am so happy for you both Thea!" She chirped excitedly while holding Thea's hands.

But soon her the excitement on her face dulled to get replaced with sadness.

"What happened?"

Ruth again bit the inside of her cheek before answering. "I-I miss Rees too. I shouldn't have fought with him." She cast her eyes down then gulp a lump formed in her throat.

"Ruth, I think you should talk with him." Thea suggested.

She didn't like that her fiancee and her best friend were not on talking terms. She wanted to bring up this topic with Rees, but everything that had happened between them and the shock that Rees was not a human but a werewolf had blown her mind. She didn't get a chance to talk about it.

"But he is mad at me, Thea. You saw it that night. I-I don't think he will even see my face again." Fresh tears appeared in Ruth's eyes.

"I can't say more but trust me, Ruth, Rees cares for you even after your fights. Just give him some time. There is a lot going on these days and he is not in a state to listen to his heart. But talk with him as soon as you get a chance."

Ruth looked unsurely at Thea but after an assuring nod from her friend, she said, "Yes, I will!"

Ruth had already decided to not give up on the people she loved and Rees was definitely one of them!