The Escape

Early the next morning, I and Nancy hit the road. Regina woke up early as well and said her goodbyes. She got some clothes for me from our room. She said Geoff was already sleeping when she got my stuff so she wasn't able to tell him about me going to my mother's place and promised me she would talk to him once he wakes up. I was grateful for the help she has done for me since last night and I would never forget such gestures.

I wasn't able to sleep last night thinking of what to do. I already had a plan before but changed everything last night. We are lucky to be driven by Jefferey.

"Can you please bring us to the train station?"

"But madam, what will I tell Mrs. Park if she asked me whether you made it to your mother's home?"

"You can make stories up. And after today, you can resign from your work. Here is your salary for a year." I handed him an envelope filled with money covering his 12-month pay.

"What are you planning to do madam? Are you sure about it?" Jefferey asked.

"You don't need to know. It's for the best. Thank you for everything, especially for being loyal to me and for believing in me. I wish I have the money to also hire you but I don't. Sorry for putting you in this situation."

"Don't worry about me madam. I think it is not good for me to resign immediately though. That will make me suspicious. I will wait until they fire me." Jefferey explained.

"I just hope everything turns out well." Nancy kept quiet. She also doesn't know about my plans but I'm sure she would support whatever my decision is.

As instructed, Jefferey brought us to the train station. After exchanging farewells, I and Nancy headed to the ticket booth. I kept looking for any suspicious people around us. I don't want to be followed by anyone and be caught. I got a ticket for two to Marshville, a small town normally inhabited by older people. I have always dreamed of retiring in this area since it is surrounded by nature. I checked a lot of information about this place and I'm sure it is the best place to start a new life with my baby. 30 minutes drive from here is a town where a lot of factories are located. I can look for a job there when I am ready.

The train station is starting to be packed with commuters. It is now almost 6 a.m. and our train will arrive at 6:05. I feel very nervous and restless. I hope no one is following us.

"Don't worry, madam. Everything will be alright." Nancy said with a smile.

"Do you trust me, Nancy? Are you willing to follow me even though you don't know what my plan is?"

"Of course, madam. You're more than a boss to me, you're already my friend and I want to help you and consider it as still part of my job so don't worry about me."

"Thank you.." Nancy is the only person I can trust this time. I feel sorry leaving without saying good bye to my mom and Annie but I think it is better that they don't know where I am going. I will send them a message later.

It's now 6:03 and it seems the train is going to arrive late. This situation makes me more nervous. The longer we stay here, the more likely we will be caught. Geoff normally wakes up before 6 a.m. and if he is awake by now, I'm sure he is already looking for me and I'm sure he is so mad.

My phone started beeping. It is a call from Geoff. I ignored the call and it seems endless. He keeps calling every minute. And when he finally gave up, he chose to call Nancy instead.

"Don't answer it!" I got her phone and turned it off. I removed the sim card and gave it back to her. Then I did the same thing with my phone. "I'm sorry Nancy, we will contact our families when we reach our destination. I hope you understand." She just smiled as a reply. The calmness on her face makes me assured that she will be beside me all the way.

6:15, and the train finally arrived. We boarded the train immediately and found our seats. I chose business class seats since we will have our own cubicle and we won't be seen easily by other passengers. I felt a bit relieved knowing that finally, I will be out from this city. I used fake names for me and Nancy just in case they will be checking tickets and find our whereabouts.

"Do you feel better now, madam?" Nancy asked.

"A little. Look, you have to stop calling me madam from now on. As you said, you consider me as a friend so we should start treating each other as a friend. And I think it is better if we don't tell our real identities to other people. How about calling me Joan?"

"Are you sure about that madam? It's kind of awkward for me since for me, you're still my employer."

"About that, I have to be honest with you. I think I can only employ you for a year. I don't think I can still afford your salary after that."

""Let's cross the bridge when we get there. For now, Joan, it's still awkward, you can start calling me Danny. I hope I don't forget our names." We both smiled with the thought of remembering our names and it would be embarrassing to make a mistake in front of others.

"Thank you so much, Danny." We both laughed after saying her new name. "I really hope they won't find us."

"Let's pray for that, Joan. For the meantime, you have to think about your condition first. It's not good for a pregnant woman to commuting this long. After checking the place, I realized we have to be in this train for 14 hours or more."

""I hope my baby will hold on tight in there." I caressed my tummy hoping that my baby would be okay for the whole travel.

"Hang in there Athena, we are finally free once we arrive to our destination." I whispered.

The commute was so smooth which makes me feel more tense. What if someone is watching over us and is just waiting for the right time to approach us? What if when we reach Marshville, a group of men is already waiting for us then bring us back to Geoff's place? I'm also worried at Regina. I'm sure Geoff will blame her for letting me leave the mansion without his knowledge. What if Geoff kicks her and Cristof out from the mansion? I can't forgive myself if something happens to her. Now, I don't know what's happening back there.

After 14 and a half hours of travelling, we finally reached our destination. Nancy, or should I say Danny, and I took our small travelling bags and headed for the exit. It's almost 11 p.m. and the station is almost deserted. I checked for anyone around, maybe they are hiding somewhere. I can;t help but be paranoid in this situation. We walked fast and took a taxi as soon as possible.

"Bring us to the nearest hotel please." I asked the driver."

"There is no hotel in this town, miss but there is a small motel downtown. Would you like me to bring you there?" The driver, who is in his fifties I think, said.

"Yes, please."

Finally, I'm starting a new life. I can't wait to see my baby. This will be the start of a new me, someone who is smarter, someone who would never believe other people easily. I will be know to others as Joan Adams. Jessica Myers is now dead.