A MAZE OF GREED

Ruth managed to hide the day's events from Mrs Payne. She tossed from one side to the other, unable to get any sleep. How many days she will manage to hide the truth from her?

What would happen when she get to know the truth?

And the most nagging question that kept eating Ruth's brain was how the dress got ruined?

The way it was torn at places, and stained showed it was a deliberate act. Only Thea and Mrs Payne were there in the room the whole time apart from her, and none of the two ladies would ever do that.

Then who?

Ruth again changed her side. The left side of her face pressed in the pillow under her head. She sighed, looking at peacefully sleeping Mrs Payne except for the sounds of her loud snores. For some reason, Ruth smiled hearing that sound.

She had a hard time adjusting to it initially when she shifted to live with her. However, after more than a month, she got so used to hearing it that she doubted if she could get any sleep if that sound did not fall on her ears.

Ruth's eyes caught some movement beside Mrs Payne. It was a bundle of joy in her life. A black and white mass of soft fur.

Zoe slept like there was no worry in the world. And for her, it was true to some extent.

'You are so lucky sweety!' Ruth thought. An urge to pinch her cheeks and snuggle her closer bloomed in Ruth's mind. But she refrained.

Ruth was observing the cat when she noticed a thread stuck in Zoe's nails. Ruth squinted her eyes. Only the dim light coming from the moon made the surroundings somewhat visible.

Ruth crawled slowly, noiselessly and pulled the thread from Zoe's nails. She held the thread near the open window through which the moonlight came, and her eyes widened in realisation.

It was the same thread that she had used in stitching the dress.

Ruth looked back at Zoe, who had snuggled closer to Mrs Payne, and the woman had her one hand over Zoe.

Ruth felt a fountain of emotions- anger, surprise, frustration, stupidity.

She closed her eyes for a minute to pull herself together. Now at least she had an answer to the most nagging question of her mind.

She had no time to cry over the spilt milk. She needed a new job as fast as possible. Ruth had gone through every possible available occupation in Vincardine, and nothing suited with her.

In some cases, the job was not satisfactory, and in some, she had no skills or experience. And those who fulfilled these two conditions did not pay enough.

Ruth again sighed, for only God knew how many times.

*"keep the offer in mind if nothing works, okay?"*

Ruth recalled what Thea said to her in the evening.

Should she consider working in 'the great manor'? How difficult it would be to be around the blue-eyed demon?

She instantly regretted asking that question. Because the answer was simple- it was too difficult for her. More than what others could comprehend.

No... that option was not available for her. Not now... not ever!

She thought with finality.

The next morning, she got up at her usual time. She bathed, prepared breakfast, conversed with Mrs Payne about random things.

When the time came, she decided to leave the home.

"Ruth... I... actually..."

Mrs Payne avoided matching her gaze. She was hesitant.

"What is it Mrs Payne?" Ruth asked.

"I... I know that you do not have money left but... my medicines..."

Ruth's heart twisted in pain. How could she forget to buy her medicines?

Yesterday's incident had shaken her from the core, disturbed her mind that she forgot to buy the medicines.

"I am so sorry Mrs Payne. I forgot buying them yesteday. But I will get them while coming back home. Do no worry about the money. We have enough for this week." Ruth smiled with a heavy heart.

"Okay. Just get the medicines for the cough. We will get other medicines after your pay. Have a good day at work, dear! Bye, sweetheart!!"

Ruth and Zoe walked out of home, both aware of the fact that walking on the same road, they could not go to the same destination as every day.

Ruth heard the voices of Claire and Florence as she neared the second floor. They both were still avoiding Ruth like a plague.

Ruth felt bad in the beginning but turned unaffected later.

"I heard something happened in a shop of Western part." Claire said to Florence.

Ruth's heart dropped hearing that. Had the news already spread in Vincardine? She wondered. She knew that the two women were unaware of her presence and were gossiping amongst themselves.

Ruth paused in her steps, listening to their conversation.

"What?" She heard Florence asked.

"I heard people talking that a woman was thrown out the shop and she was crying on the road."

"Really? Who was the woman? And which shop was it?" Florence asked curiously.

Claire shrugged her shoulders. "I do not know. But I heard that it was a famous tailoring shop."

Ruth's insides churned in an unknown fear. What if Mrs Payne got to know this news?

"There are quite a few famous tailoring shops in Vincardine, Claire. It can be any of them."

Claire opened her mouth to say something when they heard footsteps descending down the stairs. Their heads turned in Ruth's direction. But she kept her face straight and eyes set ahead of her on the path.

She sighed in relief as soon as she exited her apartment building.

All the way she felt the eyes of people on her. She did not know if they were indeed looking at her or what the meaning of their stares was. But, somehow she connected it to yesterday's incident.

"Good mor-"

"Huh?"

"Ruth! Did you came running all the way? Why are you sweating?" Thea asked in concern when she met her.

Ruth did not realise how nervous she was. For avoiding the stares, she almost ran her way. She did not see Thea coming her way. What was wrong with her?

"No.. I just... I..." Ruth stuttered, dabbing her forehead with a handkerchief she had pulled out from her small bag.

"Ruth tell me the truth. What happened?"

Thea's firm demand left no room for argument. Ruth told her friend everything and how she now knew that her cat had ruined the dress while the walk to the Western side of Vincardine.

"Ruth, I do not understand you sometimes. Are you the same Ruth who showed Florence her place weeks ago? Because you sometimes act like two different people who are complete opposite of each other."

"Thea, please! I am not in a mood of discussing that right now. Do you have any recommendations for me? I am going to search for work in the town."

Thea opened her mouth, but Ruth stopped her.

"And no. I am not going to work in 'the great manor'. Next one please?"

Thea rolled her eyes but suggested a couple of places where Ruth might find a job. Thea could not see her friend banging her head door to door. So instead of that, she suggested some good options yet hoped that she would not get any work there.

They reached near the shop, but Thea stopped at some distance before it. Ruth watched the shop with a sad face. No, she could never set her foot inside, and that very thought was depressing.

Ruth then saw Thea uneasily shifting her weight from one foot to the other.

To save more awkward silence, Ruth said, "Now you go. I will meet you in the evening near the garden. See you later!"

Thea watched Ruth walking away with Zoe. She sighed then went to endure one more day of seeing the old man's face.

Ruth walked on the road, looking around the buildings and people.

"Hmm... so from where we should start sweety? What do you suggest?" She asked Zoe while thinking about the same.

'You want my suggestion? Okay then. How about you go and tell Edwin that you do not and never will love him and reject him so that I can have him all for myself?'

Zoe mewed.

"You are right, sweety. I was also thinking of first asking in the market. Let's go!" Ruth exclaimed a little enthusiastically.

Zoe groaned, rolling her eyes. 'This woman is impossible!' She followed Ruth nonetheless though.

Ruth first went into the first section of the market where vegetables and fruits were sold. She observed from where should she began.

Finally, she saw a man with a decent-sized stall alone, splashing water on the fresh produce. With a little hope, she was about to approach him, but her hope died down the moment she saw two more people carrying more boxes of fruits and lining them up for display.

Clearly, the man had enough help.

"Come on Ruth! There are more shops. Do not loose hopes!"

Ruth pep talked herself, and mustering more motivation, she started looking for some other chance.

It was not going to be easy, she knew that!