stopped thinking of him as a wealthy man taking pity on me.
He became simply Richard—gentle, lonely, and unexpectedly kind.
Then one day, my phone rang.
I stepped into the pantry to answer.
It was my landlord.
“I’ve given you enough time.”
“Please,” I whispered when he told me what I already feared. “Most of my first wages went toward hospital bills and overdue payments. I can give you part of the rent now and the rest next month.”
“You said that before.”
“I have a steady job now. I
