2 – Lies

[Olivia POV]

Mr. Wilde, the landlord who lives in the apartment next to mine, stopped me this morning as I was leaving. He reminded me that my rent was already overdue by three days, and then he hinted that there were alternative ways to pay my rent. He didn't explicitly say what these ways were, but I have a feeling they don't involve money. His suggestion made me feel uncomfortable and uneasy.

Mr. Wilde is an older man, easily in his sixties. He always wears pajama bottoms and a wife beater shirt, with a cigarette dangling from his mouth. The thought of him even suggesting that I pay my rent in any way other than with money made my skin crawl.

I also suspect that the woman who lives across the hall from me is paying her rent in the same way Mr. Wilde was talking about. I've heard her "earning" her room on multiple occasions, and it makes me sick to think about it.

He always seemed to have his hands on me, and it was starting to feel uncomfortable. He always found new ways to touch me, and I was beginning to feel uneasy. I tried to avoid him as much as possible, but the other day when I came home, I found him standing inside my house.

He said he was checking the water pipes for a leak, but it scared me that he was able to gain access to my home so easily. I feared that he could do it again. After he left, I put a chair under the door handle, but it didn't make me feel any safer. I barely slept that night because I was so scared and didn't know what to do if I couldn't come up with the money to pay the rent. I didn't feel safe at all.

I am grateful that I still have a few more weeks before I need to make another payment to the nursing home my grandpa is living in. This knowledge brings me a small amount of relief, although it is not a significant amount.

A sudden pain in my palm reminds me that I am gripping my apartment keys too tightly, and they are digging into my skin. I quickly open my bag and drop the keys inside to alleviate the discomfort. Overall, I am relieved that my grandpa has a safe place to stay for a little longer, but the financial strain of the nursing home payments is always present in the back of my mind.

Your name is Olivia Marsh. You went to the Oakland University, where you received a degree in humanities. You are twenty-two years old and have always dreamed of working for a company like McCarthy and Moss, I remind myself for the hundredth time. Everything else I have told the interviewer is a lie, except for my name.

These lies are part of my plan to try and get this job. Despite feeling guilty about my deception, I am determined to get hired by Foster and Crate and will do whatever it takes to make that happen.

At 18 years old, I am barely an adult. I almost didn't graduate high school due to poor attendance, and I had no idea what McCarthy and Moss was until I saw the job listing two days ago.

The job pays significantly more than I could have ever imagined, enough to cover the cost of my grandfather's expensive nursing home. If I can keep up the charade, I will be able to provide us with health insurance in a few months' time.

It is crucial that this plan succeeds. I don't have any other alternatives. This is not just about me, it is also about the man who cared for me since I was a child. He did his best to provide for me and support me, but eventually he began to lose his memory and forget who I am.

The situation is not just about me and my personal desires, but also about the man who raised me and the bond we share. It is important for both of our sakes that this works out.

As I watched my grandfather's health decline, I realized that I could no longer provide the level of care he needed. He required constant supervision, and I struggled to physically assist him due to his large stature. I knew I had to find a safe and nurturing environment for him, and I was able to do so, but the cost was overwhelming.

I had used up the money I received from selling our family home, and my income from waitressing and cleaning jobs was not enough to cover the expenses. I was struggling financially and needed a solution.