Chapter 7 Lowly

Skye stood at the top of the stairs on the second floor for over thirty minutes before finally encountering the person she eagerly wanted to meet. A portly man adjusted his waistband while sharing a kiss with a woman. Satisfied, he departed, casually greeting her on his way out with a casual "Hey." His unsettling gaze repelled Skye, prompting her to avoid him and limp toward the woman. "Excuse me, hello... Are you the lady boss of Sunshine Inn?" The woman, still displaying traces of recent passion, tiredly yawned as she gazed at her through half-closed eyes. "What's up?" "I'm interested in applying for a cleaning position here." After hearing her words, the woman suddenly perked up and chuckled, "Are you joking with me, miss?" "No, I'm serious. I'm not afraid of getting dirty or tired. I just hope you can give me a chance." With captivating eyes that seemed to convey a story when she stared, Skye had an intriguing effect. The woman gestured with her hand and said, "Let me see your ID." Skye quickly took out her identification card from her pocket and handed it over. "Is this you?" Frowning, the woman lifted the ID to Skye's ear, comparing the flawless, fair-skinned beauty in the photo to her disheveled and injured present self. Skye instinctively recoiled and forced a smile. "There's been a family emergency. I'm taking care of my younger brother and urgently need a place to stay." "Short on cash?" "Yes." "Your education?" "Poor grades. I attended a vocational college, studying to become a flight attendant." As Skye fabricated her story, she nervously swallowed. Her past identity had never required her to deceive others. It was her first time falsifying information, fearing that revealing her actual education might lead to rejection. Holding Skye's ID with a cigarette in hand, the woman scrutinized her for a moment with her arms crossed. "I saw your younger brother outside just now. Doesn't seem very bright." "He suffered a head injury when he was young, so he's a bit slow, but he's mentally sound! He would never do anything harmful." Skye pleaded urgently, "Ma'am, I'll work hard. If needed, you can deduct half of my salary for the first month. My brother and I really—" "Alright." The woman interrupted, "I don't have much sympathy. You don't need to play on emotions here." "I've filled the cleaning position, but I can offer you another job. How about being a bar server?" Recalling the warning from the clerk, Skye hesitated. It seemed this lady boss had connections with nearby bars. I can't possibly be sold... "No serving customers. Just handling odd jobs in the bar. It's not too different from cleaning, but you can earn more. Base salary of five thousand, and a 40% commission for each bottle of alcohol sold, paid on the same day. Yes, accommodation is provided." Pointing down the hallway, the woman said, "That's the staff dormitory of the bar. Work starts at 1:30 p.m. every day and ends at 7 a.m. the next day." Skye hesitated and remained silent. Impatiently, the woman tossed the ID back to her. "If you're not interested, forget it." "I'll take it! Ma'am, I'll take it." Skye hurriedly chased after the woman. The woman stopped with a stern face. "Don't call me ma'am. Call me Rosie." "Rosie." "Come with me." Rosie Hinton led Skye back to the room, handed her a set of clothes to change into, and applied some makeup on her. "Let's go." "Rosie, can my younger brother stay here for now?" "Fifty for a standard room per night." Skye remained silent. She handed fifty bucks to Rosie and settled Scott in before Rosie took her to a nearby bar called "Drunken M." It seemed Rosie had referred staff to the bar before. She exchanged greetings at the front desk, and someone led Skye to change into her work uniform. When she came out, she saw the bar manager giving Rosie a few hundred bucks as a referral fee while the latter chatted amiably with the manager. "Why are you standing there like a statue?" A colleague handed her a mop. "While there aren't many customers, quickly tidy up the seating area!" "Okay." Observing Skye enthusiastically getting to work, her colleagues scratched their heads and murmured, "She's so easily manipulated..." Completely engrossed in her duties, Skye was unaware that a woman nearby was taking several photos of her, posting them in a socialite group chat. 'Girls, look! I spotted a waitress at a bar on Ravenwood Road who looked exactly like Skye Crawford! I mean, seriously, it's uncanny!' At the hospital… Matilda opened the photo and zoomed in. The once proud Miss Crawford, from the esteemed Crawford Family, had been completely dragged into the mud with no way out. Hah! "Serves you right for stealing my man!" Footsteps could be heard at the door. Matilda quickly stashed her phone under the pillow. With tears in her eyes, she held onto the blanket and leaned against the bedhead. Warren walked in and said, "I've sorted things out with the hospital and your father. Rest assured, I'll visit you again tomorrow." "Don't leave, Warren... Ah!" As Matilda attempted to get down, her movement tugged at her leg wound, causing her to gasp in pain. Warren instinctively moved to help but then hesitated and withdrew his hands. He calmly said, "I'll go get a nurse." Matilda's forehead was covered in cold sweat. She frowned in pain and watched the man walk away. What's going on? He has become so distant from me. Did Skye say something to him? Making Skye miserable isn't enough. I need to figure out how to drive her out of Qrok. ... Skye stepped out to take out the trash. The air conditioning in the bar was on full blast while the temperature outside was high. The sudden temperature change made her sneeze. While rubbing her nose, she started calculating in her mind. She had just successfully sold a bottle of liquor, which would earn her a commission of two hundred bucks. Pushing a few more bottles would improve her finances. Thinking about money got her all fired up. "So, your ambition boils down to selling yourself?" A sudden voice in the night disrupted her good mood. She turned her head and saw Warren standing next to the parked Rolls-Royce by the roadside. His hands were in his pockets as he looked down on her with disdain. That look was all too familiar, but it didn't hurt anymore. Dismissing him, she briskly turned away. "Skye!" "Stop—" "Stop right there!" Warren arrogantly strode into the bar and grabbed her wrist. Ignoring her resistance, he pushed her against the wall of the corridor. "Why are you running away? Do you think you can escape me?" At this moment, the corridor was empty, but that didn't guarantee it would stay that way. Skye didn't want anyone to witness this. She raised her voice. "Let me go." Warren sneered. "Let you go and serve drinks? Don't even think about it. Come with me!" Suppressing her voice, Skye growled, "I won't. What gives you the right to control me? I don't bother you, so why are you bothering me? Are you insane?" His temple twitched in anger. "If you could just find a decent job, I wouldn't even bother with you. But if word gets out that my ex-wife has stooped to such a lowly state, you might be okay with that, but I'm not!' Skye's eyes were bloodshot, her anger boiling. "Am I that lowly in your eyes?" "Prove you're not!" The atmosphere suddenly grew tense. Gazing into each other's eyes, Skye clenched her teeth and then chuckled bitterly. "I can't. I'm simply wired this way and unable to change. However..." She then extended her hand, displaying a greedy expression. "Mr. Whitley, if you can offer me a few million, I'd do anything for you, even if it involves resigning or working as a servant." Disgusted, Warren pushed her away. "You're truly beyond redemption!" "Yes, exactly." Unashamed, she proudly moved closer to him. She placed her hand on his shoulder and stood on her toes to meet his gaze. With a seductive glint, she said, "I was born shameless. In the past, to drive Matilda away from your side, I dared to do anything. Now, for money, I'll do even more. You're unfortunate to have me as your ex-wife. So, Mr. Whitley, are you sure you won't spend time getting rid of me? Otherwise, I'll keep embarrassing you publicly, right?" Warren pushed away her hand from his lips and coldly ordered, "Leave!" Skye smirked in triumph and walked away to work. Warren realized what had just transpired and regretfully held his forehead. He had actually fallen for Skye's provocation! ... It wasn't surprising that Warren fell for it. Previously, Skye always used to hang on to his every word, but now, she is rebellious and leaves him defenseless. ... As Skye delivered drinks to the private room, she made a point to brush off her clothes as though trying to rid herself of some unseen filth. If it wasn't to intentionally disgust him, she genuinely didn't want to touch that two-faced jerk! How could she have been so blind as to fall for him in the first place? The more Skye thought about it, the angrier she became. "Skye!" Someone called her from behind, and she turned around. "Hey, what's up?" The person came over and took the tray from her hands, saying, "Room A021 specifically requested your service. Hurry up."