Substitute Mother
Chapters 144. Hell Hole
Judith knew finding a job was hard. After buying several newspapers to look for job vacancies requested, none of them offered enough salary offers. Judith knows she's wrong to look for a billion in a job that's ‘normal’. Want to search up to thousands of newspapers also there will be no crazy people who pay a billion for a female graduate of Junior High School like him.
Judith rubbed her face rough. How about this, he couldn't have wasted more days looking for that impossible job. Instantly his mind was reminded of Johnny and his offer. He could have given up and returned to his former world, but was he comfortable? After all it is a woman who is seen as ‘ibu’ by a little girl. The little girl who loved him sincerely and saw him as an angel figure without wings. Judith did not want to disappoint Aera again by breaking that beautiful shadow. And again she was also a mother-to-be, she was once scared half to death if later the baby was born and grew to know herself a former woman at night.
It would be ironic if he decided to return to a sinful world.
“Honey? what are you doing?”
Judith turned her head, smiling at Hannah who came with a tray of cookies and coffee. “What are you thinking?”
Judith did not answer, but pointed to the pile of newspapers with her chin. Hannah chuckles. “Have you met?”
“Of course not yet. Do you think any sane person would reward a billion a month?”
“You know..” Hannah rubbed Judith's shoulders. “We can sell that apartment”
“No, Hannah. You have given consent. But Renatta hasn't. I don't have the right to sell it without a vote from you two. Besides, if he agrees, it's heavy. That apartment is our wake-up witness, love our grief”
“But you need it”
Judith smiled faintly. “I.. might have started to resign. Consider it karmaku”
“Don't keep blaming yourself, baby. You may have made mistakes in the past. But you've got enough of your punishment”
“So Johnny called me”
Hannah's eyes were round. “Oh yes? for?”
“He invited me to meet. I thought it was just an old friend meeting. But he offered me to rejoin him. at the new Victoire”.
“Victoire the new?”
Judith nodded. “She said someone bought Victoire and changed the whole system in it”
“Then? You want to join?”
“Of course not” Judith rests her back. “I can't go back there anymore”
“I support you. But honey, do you know the new owner Victoire?”
Judith shakes. “No. Johnny didn't tell me, and I don't want to know either. I don't want to know anything else about Victoire”
Hannah nodded in understanding Judith's words. It was true that Victoire was a place that gave them luxury, but Victoire was also a place that destroyed them slowly.
**
Arjuna's body staggered backwards just as Jeanno threw a kick at his face. The young man beat him up quickly without giving him any time to fight back. Behind Jeanno, Henry stood with his hands folded in front of his chest. Looking at the battered Arjuna with concern.
“That's one more time, who's involved here?”*
Not yet finished Arjuna set his breath, Jeanno had already returned to attack him. Without giving him any pause at all. The young man seemed to have no pity as his friend coughed out blood.*
“Jeanno, listen to me first”*
“I don't know what your problem is with me or Nayara. But what you did, is really unforgivable!”*
One more kick.*
“Jeanno, stop. You can kill him”*
Jeanno grinned, ignoring Henry's warning. “You even deserve to die, after how dare you betray your own best friend”*
Jeanno carried her body bent, parallel to Arjuna whose face was already irregular. “I already have nothing. But I have your ace. What if your father's boss knew that his subordinates had eaten up nearly half a trillion in company money over the past 10 years? Should I remind you who your father's boss is?”*
Arjuna was stuck, his courage that was originally there, now evaporated somewhere. His father did work for a company that happened to be the brother of the Alexander family. Jeanno learns of Arjuna's father's pettiness, but decides to keep it to herself for the sake of the name ‘friendship’. But when Arjuna starts acting up, then there is no longer any reason for Jeanno to keep the rotten secrets of the Arjuna family.*
Jeanno then pulled out her phone, revealing the name of her father's boss's contact there. “Ck! Fuck”*
Alexander's man chuckled. It was so easy to cripple Arjuna's defense because the next second two other names escaped the young man's lips.*
“Andy and Sharin. Those who organize races with Ethan*”
**
Judith was already in a building that was no stranger to her. The building that was once a palace for him, which became a place for him to collect money coffers. The place was still as grand as it used to be, although Judith did not know how deep it was after changing ownership.
Right, Judith was standing in front of the Victoire entrance.
Don't ask why, don't blame her. His brain had already reached a deadlock so it had only found the only way to earn a lot of money in a short period of time.
Back to dancing.
Yeah, just dancing. At least he can use a full month to dance, rather than having to sell his memorable apartment with his two best friends.
The door opened, revealing Johnny in his black clothes. Sometimes Judith wondered why there were humans as flat as Johnny. Does he have no other emotions? Does Johnny never laugh out loud?
“Welcome to Victoire”
Johnny shifted his body, letting Judith in. With doubtful steps, he advanced. Looking at the inside of the bar that has been completely replaced, impressed much more luxurious, elegant and classy. Judith believes the current Victoire will be better able to attract more elite visitors than ever before.
He followed Johnny's steps into his room. The man sat down and served him a can of cold soda from the mini-fridge there.
“I thought I heard that you wouldn't call me”
Judith's face flushed red, embarrassed that she was finally crawling to Johnny's aid. “I was forced”
“Difficult yes, living with straight morals?”
“Listen Johnny, I really need a lot of money. That's why I had to come here. But I want to file my terms as long as I join here”
Johnny leaned his back on the chair, feeling attracted by Judith's words. “What is it?”
“I will only join for one month. Not as your regular dancer. And I'm just here to dance, nothing more. So you can turn down whoever the guy who's gonna take me to bed”
“How much do you need?”
Judith let out a rough breath. “One billion”
“You know that money you can get fast if you do more than dance?”
Judith shakes. “I just danced, for a month here, Johnny”
Johnny smiled thinly. “Good. While I'll take it, but if you change your mind. I'd gladly welcome you”.
“So.. can it start later tonight?”
**
Judith knew she was wrong, had to be mired again in a perverse night world. But he was determined from the start to do nothing more than dance. He swore to just dance, after that, after Jeanno's money was collected he would leave and not look back.
Johnny gave her personal space as a dancer ‘ top class’. He doesn't know who his fellow dancers are, maybe some of the Victoire was. Judith threw out her breath heavily. For the first time in his lifetime, he felt very uncomfortable with this skimpy outfit. He stepped forward with full confidence. But now, let alone contort his body before the hungry spy, to just open the robe he was reluctant.
“Judith”
Johnny leaned his head into Judith's room. Exchanging eyes with the dancer through the mirror. “Before you go down, the new Victoire owner wants to see you first”
Judith nodded. He doesn't know who Victoire's owner is now. For sure he walked by getting closer to his robe. As much as possible cover the skin access to a minimum of visible. Because it does not rule out the possibility of the new owner is a middle-aged man perverted.
Both stopped at the black teak door. Johnny pointed with his chin, hinting at Judith to enter by herself. Judith had not been able to resist because Johnny had just passed by, leaving himself alone.
One tap, heard the sound of ‘incin’ from inside as permission. Judith opened the doorknob to enter the black room.
The chair turned her back, making her not know who the figure behind it was.
“Good night, sir. I am Judith.. New dancer here”.
The room was dim, painted all black with wide glass windows showing the night view of the capital city that never sleeps. The chair turned around, revealing a figure who stood as the owner of the new Victoire.
“Welcome back, Judith”
Jeanno Alexander greeted him with an inexorable smile.
**
