Anabella had not eaten for so ti, and just slling the food made her feel hungry. Her stomach felt like it was protesting as it curled up on itself. Before she knew it, she clutched her stomach to stop it from growling.
But it was far more difficult for Anabella to hide the evidence of her hunger. She clutched her stomach, but the old, gentle lady standing before her just chuckled in amusent.
"It is alright, kid. I understand that you are hungry. It seems that you have not eaten for so ti. Now co with and tell what you want to have. Today’s breakfast is on ."
Anabella noticed how the others around the shop looked at her with an envious expression.
They felt jealous that the old lady, like their mother, favored soone who ca out of nowhere to steal their spotlight. Their presence made Anabella feel slightly uncomfortable, but she ignored it.
"Oh no! It’s fine! I can pay for whatever I eat today. Also, you never told when I needed to get up for work. Should I start after I eat?"
Anabella asked, and the hostile glances she was receiving eased a little bit as soon as these people realized that she was there to help them out in the back kitchen.
Seeing her great work ethic made the older oga’s eyes widen. She looked taken aback before she quickly replied to Anabella.
"There is no need to be in such a hurry, my dear. You can take your ti learning everything and helping us out. Here, eat sothing for now and just sit back. Just observe what we do today, and we can start your training tomorrow."
Anabella felt a little worried about having to sit out and not be allowed to help. But since she was allowed to sit in the back bakery and not in front of the public eye, she was more than happy to comply.
Both Noah and Clair called her in between to ask if she wanted to ’hang out,’ but Anabella made an excuse not to show up to play that day...and for so ti as well. She did not want anyone to know what happened to her until she had co to terms with it herself.
However, Anabella could not hide from her mother in the end. That old lady had a way of finding out things she should not know, and before Anabella knew it, she had picked up the call and was flinching as she heard her mother speak on the other side of the phone.
"Mother, do you need sothing? You don’t often call like this in the middle of the day."
Anabella asked tensely, but she kept her voice pleasant and without any suspicion. She hoped that she would be able to feel her mother, but it was a foolish thing to try in her position.
"Stop playing around and tell where you are. I called your house phone, but Jas said you were not ho and had not been there since last evening. Where the heck did you go? Did you spend the night out?"
The angry voice of her mother startled Anabella. She knew that her mother was done playing around. She wanted answers, and she wanted them now.
With a sigh, Anabella lied and told her mother that she would accept it as an excuse.
"About that...I decided to dine out alone but missed the last train ho. I also argued with Daniel, and he froze my card, so I could not take a taxi back ho. I had no choice but to stay out and wait to call Daniel in the morning."
It was total bullshit. There was no way a taxi ride would cost her more than an overnight hotel stay. But her mother did not need to know about this. All she needed to know was that Anabella had a reason to stay out today.
As expected, her mother’s tone changed when she learned all this. Her earlier anger faded away, and she could only awkwardly speak up.
"Oh, I see. So that’s what happened? I guess it’s fine if the reason behind your staying out is sothing like this. I understand that there are things you can and cannot control in your life.
Make sure to make it up with Daniel in the future, and we won’t need to talk about this again."
Getting those last words in was her mother’s way to assert dominance, but Anabella did not grace her with an answer.
Instead of listening to her mother’s monotone, Anabella cut off the call and dropped the phone on the counter.
A dozen or so curious eyes turned to look at her in question. They wanted to know what happened and how Anabella was feeling. But she ignored them all and turned to look at her teacher instead.
"Can we continue the lesson now? I had that call before but can focus on the lessons now. Please, don’t mind that call."
Anabella assured the female teaching her. The beta looked startled by the sudden order but quickly blinked and adapted to what happened.
"A-Ah, right! So I will tell you about the next step now. Here, this is what you are supposed to do-"
It was another successful day. The kind old couple asked Anabella to close early so that she could finish cleaning the house. They also gave her so bread for dinner and breakfast.
Anabella could safely say that she was lucky to have t these people and be accepted by them.
But just because she was having a good ti without much worry did not an that everyone else would leave her alone.
The only reason no one had co for her was because no one knew she was missing. But that changed soon when Jas knocked at her door the next day to ask Anabella for a favor. But no matter how much he knocked at the door, no one answered his voice.
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