Chapter 8

"What's this?" I asked Iris with a frown on my face. The woman in front of me shrugged.

"I really don't know. That fish, according to the seller, is very popular. I'm surprised I've never seen that one before." She brought the rice to the table and placed it on her plate. That fish was also unfamiliar to me. That was something I hadn't tried yet because my nanny had never made it before.

"Let's see if it's really that delicious," Iris and I sat down to eat breakfast together. She was the first one up in the morning, so she went to the cafeteria to get some breakfast.

"Can you tell me where we're going today?" I asked. We were currently on the lookout for a new home. I didn't know any real estate in this area, this place was new to me.

"I really don't know. Let's take a stroll." I nodded and carried on with my meal. We left the apartment after we had finished our breakfast. Iris went downstairs first, followed by me, who locked the apartment door. I was not sure if we would commute, but I had a feeling that we wouldn't. I didn't have a car. Iris would never ride public transportation unless she didn't bring her pink Lamborghini with her, which she would never do knowing her. It was my first time to commute when I got here.

"We'll ride my car," she said as she patted me on the back of my shoulders. When we got off the building, I immediately saw her pink car parked outside. There were a lot of children taking pictures in the area, but Iris didn't pay attention to them. Everyone taking pictures of her was fine with her, and she wouldn't care if they were taking pictures of her car as well.

Prior to departing the apartment, Iris requested that I put on a mask if we were going to get out of the car. My mom hired some professionals, so we needed to hide better. Even though I had a haircut and dyed my hair a different color, I was confident that my mother would still recognize me with one look.

"Do you have any idea with what you're doing?" We didn't had a plan for where we were going, so she was relying on Google Maps. We simply left the house without knowledge.

"No. Aurie, you should put your faith in Google, not me. " I let out a small laugh and leaned against the window. Iris was my driver for today, so there was really nothing else for me to do but look around.

While driving, we passed a number of different parks and buildings. Not the tall and massive ones though. Our home was even more spacious than those structures. I believed it to be a mini-mart. This place was located outside the city, there were only fewer cars and fewer buildings. The surrounding area was densely vegetated.

"We're getting close," she stated. I shifted my weight in my seat and turned to face the front. I couldn't see the sign because it was too far away and the letters were too small to be read.

"Can you tell me where we are?"

"Somewhere that is far nearly close to the city. My father informed me that there are numerous beautiful homes in this area, and he suggested it to me when I told him I wanna be independent." When the car came to a complete stop, I looked out the window. There were a lot of trees and it was a clean environment. There were no trash or garbage cans on the floor; I could only see leaves.

I fixed my mask and combed my hair using my fingers. Iris was the first to go out, and I was right behind her. She placed the cellphone in her ear after she pressed a button on the phone. Who was she trying to call? I wouldn't have known until a man who was riding a motorcycle arrived. I examined his wholeness. He was quite young, clearly the same age as Iris and me. My mouth suddenly dropped open when he removed his helmet. 

Was he even a real person?

I thought Iris was the prettiest person that I'd ever seen, but I was wrong. This man was undeniably gorgeous. Yes, gorgeous and not handsome. He could be handsome, but his feminine face suited him more. Due to the fact that they were not identical, I was unsure whether they were related or not. All I knew was that they were sent from heaven by the Almighty. To be completely honest, his face appeared to be implausible.

"You filthy cretin. What was it that took you so long? We've been waiting here for almost an hour!" Iris exclaimed. I had a sour expression on my face when I heard that. Huh? We had only just arrived a few moments before.

"Keep your words to yourself. I did something important." With a chuckle, the gentleman responded. While I had assumed he had a cold personality, it appeared that he was actually quite bright. When Iris and he were together, it was clear that they had very different personalities from one another.

"Whatever. By the way, I'm with a friend. Aurie, please come here." I approached the two of them and awkwardly smiled.

"You have a friend? Are you sure about that Iris Marguerite? Could it be that you intimidated her into accompanying you?" The man burst out laughing yet again when Iris struck him. They appeared to be close. Iris was simply being impolite. My relief at learning that Iris had a friend other than myself was palpable. I was under the impression that I was her only friend since yesterday.

"Shut up. Aurie, this is Alister, my unfortunate cousin. His parents owned this neighborhood. Because his mom is currently on vacation, he will be the one to take us on a tour of the houses that have become available. Let's go take a look. He said they were nice. If the houses that are currently available are as unsightly as fuck, we're going to beat him up. " I took off my mask and reached out my hand to his. They were cousins? On the other hand, they didn't appear to be identical. It appeared that they were from different races. 

"A pleasure to meet you." I couldn't help but smile as he took my outstretched hand in his. With a nod, he smiled back.

"Are you really sure you didn't scare her away from becoming your friend by saying something inappropriate? She appears to be a very kind woman," he spoke in hushed tones to Iris, whom I clearly heard.

"Fuck you. We want to know what the houses look like!"

"Okay, okay. Let's proceed, ladies." The young man was giggling uncontrollably. He remained ecstatic as he mocked my friend.

Iris took my arm in hers and followed Ali. I was going to call him that because Alister was too lengthy. We continued walking for a few minutes until we came to a carriage-style house. I admired the external and interior design, but the house was far too large for Iris and me. Given that Iris would be the one purchasing, I would not object if this was what she desired. I was only going to stay here for four months. My only issue was that it was far too large for us. 

"This home is attractive, but it's not to my taste. Show us another option." Ali gave us a short nod and escorted us to the next residence. It was a ranch-style home and appeared to be in excellent condition to me. If I was forced to choose, this was the one I would prefer over the first.

"Do you like it, sleeping beauty? You should be the one to decide to make the most of your remaining four months." I giggled. She said it in hushed tones, so I was certain Alister didn't hear us.

"I like it. It's huge, but not too big for us. I like both the interior and exterior design. If this is the house you intend to take, I have no objections. Indeed, this is ideal." I cast my gaze throughout the home; there were furnitures around, but they would all be taken when we moved. However, we could purchase those as well. Iris simply did not wish to because she disliked the design.

"We'll take this. When can we pay? We don't have cash on hand, therefore, we'll transfer the funds to your bank account."

"Anytime. We will email you the documentation. You're welcome to bring your belongings here tomorrow, as all furniture will be removed later. " Ali and Iris conversed briefly prior to our departure. Alister had to leave because he had just inserted this tour into his schedule. Iris and I made no protests because we were on our way somewhere. 

"Then we'll go shopping for furniture and groceries," I explained as I climbed into the car. Iris waited for me to buckle up before she started the car. We absolutely needed to get groceries, as we were unfamiliar with the foods we were purchasing at my apartment.

We needed to go shopping in the city. We did have a grocery store in this place, but not a furniture store.

Even though the likelihood of meeting mom was slim, I was still scared. The people she hired to seek for me were very certainly dispersed. They might see and recognize me.

I checked twice to ensure that I was wearing my facemask properly when we arrived at the mall.

"Aurie, you look really nervous. Maintain a natural look so you won't draw anyone's attention." I tried to keep my emotions under control before we got out of the car.

"You stated that I should act naturally. Should I remove the mask I'm wearing? Perhaps I'll attract more attention when I'm wearing it," I proposed.

"That's even better. Just make sure you won't appear nervous, huh? Even if you've been hiding behind a mask a while ago, you obviously look anxious."

I let out a long, deep sigh and followed her. When we walked into the mall, folks took a brief glance at us. It wasn't because of me, but of Iris. Just by looking at her garments, she had already captured the attention of everyone; what more if she was the one wearing them? Fortunately, I was only wearing a plain dress right now, so they were not paying too much attention to me.

"First and foremost, we should purchase the furniture. Iris, it's difficult to bring groceries with you when you're shopping for furnishings," I spoke in hushed tones.

We were still walking when my knees began to shake unexpectedly. I clutched to Iris' arm as soon as I could to keep myself from falling. Iris must have been surprised that I was holding her so firmly, because she swiftly turned to face me.

"Hey, are you all right?" she asked. She assisted me in straightening up and held my arm. She took me on the side where the benches were placed. When we both sat down, I nodded lightly.

"Y-Yeah. This is actually common for my current state of health. I've fainted a few times because my body couldn't take it any longer." I gently squeezed my foot and stretched it out. I couldn't afford to be weak right now. I was afraid I wouldn't be able to assist Iris with her shopping. 

"Should we go home first? We should take it easy. We'll just go shopping tomorrow. We don't have anything to do for the rest of the week, anyway." I shook my head and gave her a grin. If we didn't go shopping and instead stayed at home, we would have merely wasted our time coming here.

"We shouldn't. I can still walk. Let's go?" I got to my feet despite that my leg was still a little feeble.

We were taking our time purchasing furniture, so we only went to the grocery store for a short period of time. Iris was desperate for us to go home because I was already pale. The groceries we purchased were only sufficient for a week. It was all right, though. There were numerous grocery stores near our new house.

Due to my weakness, I slept the entire trip. Iris only woke me up when we arrived at the apartment. The groceries we purchased were already in the unit. She compensated the children for transporting the items to the front of our unit. Tomorrow, the furniture would be transported to the new house, so we wouldn't have any difficulty moving it there.

"Be cautious," Iris advised. She clasped my hand until we entered the room. Even when I was lying down, she was there to support me. I hardly laughed in my thoughts. She reminded me of my mother.

She gave me a glass of water that she took from the kitchen. As I drank it, she locked her gaze on me.

"What?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Did you carry any medication with you when you fled?" I shook my head briefly before I put the glass down.

"Why didn't you bring it? You're supposed to bring it, you motherfucker. You are aware that taking medication can extend your life, aren't you? Then, in order to avoid becoming perpetually feeble," She preached.

"I forgot; I was so anxious to leave that I couldn't think about anything," I responded with a giggle. She shook her head and averted her eyes.

"Is it available in pharmacies? We should buy some."

"Thank you, but no. Additionally, I buy it through my own physician, as there are just a few pharmacies that provide that type of medicine. It will be difficult for us to find some. I simply require some relaxation." I heard her sigh. She was powerless to do anything but shut her mouth.

We spent the entire evening watching a film. We didn't buy anything at the cafeteria because we had taken out a food earlier before heading home. We were watching an adolescent film, and Iris was really absorbed. I was able to watch it comfortably because there was only a little kissing scene. I believed that my parents kissing in front of me was worse than the film's few kissing part.

"Oh my gosh, she's dead?" Iris almost cried when she knew that the film's heroine had perished. I just discovered that she adored romantic films. She informed me that she'd cry uncontrollably if the finale was tragic.

I believed that’s true, since she cried the entire night over that film.

The following day, we awoke early. We had to instantly relocate to the new house because the furniture would be delivered early. As this was our final day at our apartment, we would also bring a large number of boxes in order to transport Iris' belongings. Fortunately, I brought only the backpack and money bag.

"Leave that one to me." She took the moneybag from me and carried it. As she had done the day before, she paid the children to bring the boxes outside.

"Thank you for your hospitality," I told Peri when we came across her. As she was when we first met, she was also smoking. She gave me a beautiful grin and a nod. Iris made no attempt to express gratitude, as her bratty demeanor had resumed. That was how she was every day. It was fortunate that the other residents in the apartment were unconcerned with her rudeness as well.

The furniture was brought in one by one when we got into our new home. Alister wasn't here, but an elderly woman approached us. She didn't resemble Ali, so I was guessing she was one of their maids. She didn't dress extravagant like Iris and her cousin; she was only wearing a white shirt and a jogger. She even carried a towel over her shoulder.

"Greetings, ma'am. Ali asked me to help you because he will be taking care of something. I am their new maid; I am the sister of the Reyes-Lopez family's butler," the elderly woman formally introduced herself. I greeted her with a smile, while Iris simply nodded. Iris and I entered together, followed by the maid. It was still a mess due to the fact that the furniture hadn't been arranged yet. It was all strewn around the hallway. Iris and I waited until we had gathered everything before beginning. We merely purchased kitchen items, a mattress, a sofa, and appliances yesterday. We were in too much haste to buy additional supplies. Iris told me yesterday that she desired a gray interior for a clean look. I made no objections because gray was a pretty color. Unfortunately, we were unable to get paint since Iris was overreacting and believed I was going to die simply because I became more pale.

"Sleeping beauty's first goal is to adorn her home. How about we begin?"