“Daniel, I don’t want to go to work. Can you just kidnap me for the day?” Caitlin whined.
A faint smile appeared on Daniel’s lips. He shook his head slowly, narrowing his eyes. “No can do. You need to earn money to pay me.”
Then, he flashed a sly grin at Caitlin, who was still half-asleep. His response wasn’t wrong, and in a way, it reminded Caitlin exactly where she stood. To him, she was nothing more than a poor, regular customer. Their relationship was just that—nothing more. Daniel wouldn’t be in her bedroom if she weren’t paying him.
“Money again.” Caitlin lowered her gaze to the worn-out floral blanket covering her legs.
She couldn’t even afford to buy her own necessities, yet she dared to dream that Daniel might fall for her. But she quickly put on a smile, refusing to let the thought weigh her down. She turned her attention back to Daniel, who was busy fixing his hair in the mirror.
Truthfully, Caitlin could never figure out what went on in his mind, where he lived, or even who he really was. It wasn’t that she was close-minded—she understood that in this day and age, unconventional jobs were common—but her curiosity about the man she admired was something else entirely.
“What’s your real job, Dan?”
Daniel scoffed, giving her a brief glance before turning back to the mirror. “Not telling you.”
Caitlin pouted in annoyance, trying to think of another question—one that he might actually answer. Then, she asked, “What do you do on your days off? If you even have days off.”
“Sleep,” he replied curtly.
“How boring,” Caitlin grumbled.
He was so infuriatingly mysterious, even at this hour. His awareness seemed razor-sharp the moment he woke up. Daniel struck her as the kind of man who was always on guard, never easily fooled, and forever wrapped in mystery.
Fine. Caitlin was tired of guessing. She hoped that one day, she’d find out the truth on her own. No matter how elusive he was, sooner or later, he would slip. She was sure of it. A few moments later, Daniel finally looked away from the mirror, his gaze settling on Caitlin as if she were a sulking child.
“What exactly do you expect me to do, Cat? Rob a house? Or—steal a neighbor’s dog?” He chuckled. “If I did all that, would you be my partner in crime?”
Caitlin rolled her eyes. “Sounds like a great idea!”
“Weirdo.”
She giggled at his reaction. In truth, she had been trying to stall him, just so he’d stay a little longer. She hated waking up alone. It made her feel… empty.
Daniel began getting ready to leave, slipping on his shoes. “Can’t we go on a normal date for once? Lately, all you do is lie in bed and watch TV. You work in an office—you should get some fresh air, go to the park, or at least watch a movie in a theater.”
“Then you decide our next date. I’m too lazy to think.”
“Argh, Cat. If I didn’t sleep so well with you, I don’t think I’d want a client like you.”
“You’re mean,” Caitlin shot back.
“Monday and weekends are yours, Cat. Any other day, I’m too busy.”
Caitlin rested her chin on her knees, watching him with quiet fascination. No matter what Daniel did, she found herself mesmerized. Yet deep down, a part of her wished their relationship wasn’t just that of a client and a service provider.
“You even have a schedule for me,” she mumbled sadly.
Daniel smirked as he got up from the floor. “I’ll be waiting for the payment.”
“Take care,” Caitlin said begrudgingly, lacking any enthusiasm.
Could she ever keep Daniel all to herself? The world was too cruel, too overwhelming, and reality was too suffocating. Caitlin never enjoyed her job. She had too many enemies at the office, and most of her salary always went straight to her parents.
“You too, Cat. Work harder. Then move to Mars with Elon Musk.”
“If I were that rich, I’d hire you for the rest of my life,” Caitlin muttered under her breath.
“Huh? What was that?” Daniel raised an eyebrow, teasing his most loyal customer.
Caitlin was sure he was just pretending not to understand. Deep down, she believed Daniel already knew how she felt. They spent so much time together, even if it was dictated by a schedule. He was always there for her during the hardest times. And now, she was starting to crave more—to have him for herself and no one else.
“Oh, nothing.” Caitlin forced a wide smile, though her eyes glistened with unshed tears. “I just hope I get rich so I can leave this place behind.”
“Alright then, I’m off. See you at our next meeting.”
Daniel looked at her as if he were a parent leaving a helpless child alone at home. They waved at each other, a silent farewell that actually meant something. And once he was gone, Caitlin curled up in bed again, trying to fall back asleep.
“God, my life is so pathetic.” She clutched her pillow tightly.
She knew she had to get up for work soon, but she didn’t care. Caitlin had always hated her life, yet she had no idea how to break free from this endless cycle of misery. A few minutes later, sleep pulled her under once more—never mind that she’d probably be late for work.
***
Her relationship with Daniel wasn’t strange—Caitlin Blossom had a perfectly valid reason for paying him. It all started a few months ago when she discovered that Tobey had been cheating on her.
That morning, she had just woken up and was checking her phone notifications. Wrapped in a thick blanket, she lay comfortably in bed. London was growing colder as winter approached, and Caitlin had been thinking about inviting Tobey to play in the snow or go shopping for Christmas decorations.
“Let’s go bargain hunting. Hopefully, there’ll be plenty of good deals. I need to stock up on food,” she said cheerfully.
She had imagined spending the holidays with Tobey, and the thought filled her with excitement. As she scrolled through her phone, she browsed Christmas ornaments on sale. She only planned to put up a medium-sized tree, so she didn’t need too many decorations—just enough to make it feel festive.
After tiring herself out picking Christmas items, she switched to social media to take a break. But as she scrolled, she stumbled upon a post that made her heart stop—a picture of a woman and her boyfriend, looking incredibly affectionate. And in the next slide, there was a handwritten note from Tobey, professing his love for the woman and the baby she was carrying.
“What… is this?”
Caitlin was speechless. Tears welled up in her eyes, but she tried to stay calm. Maybe her best friend knew something about Tobey’s affair. Desperate for answers, she called Fiola to confirm what was happening. But the call went unanswered—Fiola was probably busy taking care of her baby.
Instead, Caitlin sent her a message, asking if it was true that Tobey was seeing someone else. Fiola was not only her best friend but also one of the staff members at the school where Tobey worked. Five minutes later, Fiola called back. With a heavy sigh, she explained everything—how she had known for a long time but had held back because she didn’t want to hurt Caitlin.
“I was trying to find the right time to tell you, but, Caitlin, you were already dealing with so much. I didn’t know how to break it to you,” Fiola admitted.
“You should have told me sooner,” Caitlin replied, her voice trembling.
“I’m so sorry, Caitlin. I truly am. It’s just… you loved Tobey so much, and I couldn’t bear to see you cry. I wanted to tell you in the least painful way possible. But I regret not telling you sooner. Stay strong, okay?”
“This doesn’t make any sense,” Caitlin muttered in disbelief.
Her head suddenly felt unbearably heavy. She sat on the bed, holding her temples as if trying to keep her thoughts from shattering completely. Her heart ached. Her mind pounded as if struck by a hammer. The sacred dream of marriage she had woven so carefully with Tobey had crumbled in an instant. He had left her for another woman.
“If I were there, I’d hug you so tight. But I’m in Chicago right now,” Fiola said softly.
“It’s okay, Fi,” Caitlin whispered.
The call ended with a few more words of farewell before Fiola had to tend to her crying baby, leaving Caitlin truly alone. But life had to go on. She still needed to make money for her materialistic mother. An hour later, after crying her heart out, Caitlin forced herself to get ready for work, even though she knew she’d be late. She didn’t care if her boss scolded her.
Throughout the workday, she struggled to concentrate. Every so often, she found herself wiping away fresh tears. In an attempt to distract herself, she even took on tasks that belonged to her senior colleagues—something she normally hated doing. But today, Caitlin welcomed the extra workload. Anything to keep her mind from wandering back to Tobey. She worked overtime, staying at the office until late at night, only stopping when her boss finally told her to go home.
Outside the office, she waited for the bus—the only mode of transportation she could afford. The iconic red London bus was cheap, and besides, her apartment was only a short walk from the nearest stop.
“Is it already dark? I don’t want to go home,” she murmured as she gazed at the night sky.
She was so lost in thought that she missed her stop entirely. Before she realized it, the bus had completed its entire route, ending at the last stop. A kindhearted middle-aged man, seeing her distress, offered to call a taxi for her. Only then did Caitlin finally make it home safely.