Lucy woke up slowly.
For a moment, she didn't remember where she was.
Then it came back.
Everything.
She stared at the ceiling quietly.
Her chest felt heavy again.
But this time—
She didn't cry.
She sat up slowly.
"No more," she whispered to herself.
"I won't cry again."
Her voice was low.
But firm.
She got out of bed and walked to the mirror.
Her eyes were slightly swollen.
Her face tired.
Lucy took a deep breath.
"You have to act normal," she said softly.
"Just… act normal."
She washed her face.
Changed her clothes.
Then stepped out of the room.
The hallway was quiet.
She walked slowly, unsure where she was going.
After a few turns, she followed a faint smell.
Food.
It led her to the kitchen.
Inside
Two women and a man were working.
Cutting vegetables. Stirring pots.
They all paused when they saw her.
Lucy hesitated.
Then gave a small smile.
"Good morning."
They exchanged quick glances.
"Good morning," one of the women replied carefully.
Lucy stepped in a little.
"Can I… help?"
The question surprised them.
"Help?" the man repeated.
Lucy nodded.
"I don't like sitting around doing nothing."
Another pause.
Then one of the women spoke.
"You don't have to do anything," she said.
"You're not staff."
Lucy shook her head slightly.
"I know. I just… want to do something."
They looked unsure.
Finally, the older woman sighed.
"Alright. Wash those," she said, pointing to some vegetables.
Lucy smiled.
"Thank you."
She moved closer and started washing them.
At first
It felt awkward.
But slowly
It became normal.
"What's your name?" Lucy asked.
"Maria," the older woman replied.
"I'm Lucy."
Maria nodded.
"I know."
Lucy paused.
Then smiled slightly.
"Of course you do."
The others relaxed a little.
Time passed.
Lucy helped cut, clean, arrange.
Small things.
Simple things.
And for a moment
She forgot.
They talked lightly.
"You're not from here, right?" one of the younger staff asked.
Lucy shook her head.
"No."
"Where are you from?"
Lucy hesitated.
Then answered simply.
"Not far."
They didn't push.
After a while
Lucy laughed.
A real laugh.
And it surprised even her.
Later
She stepped outside.
The air felt fresh.
A gardener was trimming the plants.
Lucy walked over.
"Good morning," she said.
The man looked up.
A bit surprised.
"Morning."
"Can I help?" she asked again.
He blinked.
"You?" he said.
Lucy nodded.
He chuckled slightly.
"Alright. Hold this," he said, handing her a small tool.
Lucy smiled.
They worked quietly.
"Careful," he said.
"Not too much. Just trim a little."
Lucy nodded seriously.
"I'm learning."
He smiled.
After some time
Lucy sat outside with a few of the staff.
They had food.
Simple.
She hesitated.
"Can I join?"
They looked at each other.
Then one of them said, "Of course."
Lucy sat down.
She picked up the food.
Started eating.
It felt… normal.
They talked.
Laughed a little.
For the first time since she got there
She felt like herself.
A car pulled in.
The sound alone
Changed everything.
The staff froze.
Silence fell instantly.
Lucy frowned slightly.
"What happened?" she asked.
No one answered.
The car door opened.
He stepped out.
Adrian.
His presence alone
Shifted the air.
The staff stood up immediately.
No words.
Just movement.
They left.
Quickly.
Lucy remained seated.
Confused.
She looked at them leaving.
Then back at him.
"…Why are they leaving?" she murmured.
Adrian walked forward.
His eyes landed on her.
She still had food in her mouth.
She froze.
For a second
Neither of them moved.
Lucy quickly tried to swallow.
Almost choked.
Her eyes widened slightly.
He stopped a few steps away.
Looking at her.
At the plate.
At her expression.
There was a pause.
A strange one.
Lucy didn't know what to do.
Should she stand?
Apologize?
Run?
Before she could decide
A small smile touched his lips.
Very slight.
Almost unnoticeable.
Then—
He walked past her.
Like nothing happened.
Lucy blinked.
Confused.
Behind her
The staff peeked from a distance.
"…He didn't say anything?" one whispered.
"Did you see that?" another added.
Lucy slowly stood up.
"…What just happened?" she asked.
No one answered her directly.
They were too shocked.
"He doesn't like this," one of them finally said quietly.
"Staff eating together like that… especially outside."
Lucy looked back toward the house.
"But he didn't say anything…"
That made it worse.
Because now
No one understood why.
Lucy stood there.
Still confused.
And somewhere inside the house
Adrian walked in calmly.
Like everything was exactly how he wanted it to be.