Chapter 4 How Dare They Scheme Against Me
In the end, the team put in a lot of effort driving to a nearby town to grab a pair of shoes. Xavier handed the shoes to Yasmine before letting her go.
Yasmine, wearing his oversized hoodie and a big hat, stepped carefully around the puddles in the yard as she left Andrew’s house. She didn’t look back, which left Xavier feeling inexplicably irritated.
“Mr. Sanchez.” Andrew approached.
Only then did Xavier turn around. He took a glance at Andrew’s house and muttered, “What a dump.”
Andrew forced a smile, trying to lighten the mood. “Are you hungry? Thirsty? Want to watch some TV? I’ve got a computer. If you feel like playing some games, that’s cool.”
Xavier frowned. “Not interested.”
As evening rolled in, Xavier didn’t hold back on his opinion of Andrew’s dinner. “This is terrible.”
Andrew brewed Xavier a pot of coffee, but Xavier turned it down with a grimace. “This tastes like dishwater.”
The staff exchanged glances, speechless. It was clear—Xavier was back to his usual self.
*****
Yasmine finally returned home. Her grandfather, Barnaby, was lying on the bed, unusually quiet, and not scolding her for once.
She walked over to the stove, lifted the lid of the pot, and saw the potatoes were already cold. She picked one up, peeled a bit off, and walked over to Barnaby while munching. “Grandpa, want some potato?” She offered him another.
Barnaby didn’t take it. His cloudy eyes lit up under the dim light as he grabbed Yasmine’s hand. “Who came by today? Were they city folks?”
Yasmine nodded. “Mandy said they were here to film the reality show.”
Barnaby had no idea what that meant, but he managed a smile. “Good. You should bring them home again next time.”
Yasmine blinked, puzzled.
“Just listen to me. I won’t sell you off anymore,” Barnaby said.
A flicker of hope crossed Yasmine’s eyes, but it faded quickly. She shook her head slowly. “They won’t come back.”
Barnaby got angry. “How do you know? Did you offend them today?”
Yasmine stayed quiet, unsure how to explain.
She recalled an old fairy tale book she had found in the school library, donated by caring folks—The Little Match Girl.
Today, Xavier took her home, gave her a hot bath at Andrew’s place, and dressed her with warm shoes. It was like striking a match and igniting a beautiful dream. But, just like the flame, the dream would eventually flicker out. So, there was no going back.
Yasmine finished her cold potatoes and asked, “Grandpa, aren’t you hungry?”
Barnaby snorted, “I’m full from your nonsense.”
“Pkay,” Yasmine replied softly. She splashed cold water on her face, brushed her teeth, and climbed back into her tiny bed to sleep.
Barnaby’s anger flared up again, but as his fingers brushed against something solid, he calmed down. It was the 300 dollars the crew had left him—a sort of compensation for Yasmine’s emotional loss.
Barnaby squinted as he counted the bills again, then tucked them into his underwear. As Yasmine’s grandfather, he figured the money was his to handle.
*****
Xavier glanced at the big bed. It was dressed with faded sheets and an old blanket that had seen better days. He grimaced and opted for a stiff wooden chair instead, unable to sleep at all.
After sitting in silence for two hours, he started thinking about Yasmine. ‘This place is really struggling. When I get back home, I’ll donate some money. Maybe two or three million, and give more to Yasmine.’
As these thoughts swirled in his mind, his frustration flared up again. He got up and kicked the bed. ‘Damn it. Who knows when I’ll get to go back?’
Unable to shake off the irritation, Xavier paced the room before pushing the door open silently, wanting to see the moon. As he stepped outside, the quiet night amplified a conversation that drifted to him.
“That Xavier is really tough,” Andrew complained.
“Hey Dad, have you forgotten what Jessica said? His family is worth billions. No matter how tough he is, he’s our chance at fortune,” Andrew’s son, Cliff, urged.
Xavier nearly burst out laughing. ‘What kind of fantasy are they living in? Even if I had money, there’s no way I’d share it with them.’
“I can deal with Xavier. But I didn’t expect him to run into Yasmine when he just got here,” Andrew said, worry dripping from his voice.
“What?” Cliff’s tone shifted immediately.
“Shh! Keep it down!”
“Okay. But what are the odds of that happening?”
“Who knows? Maybe that little brat found out something.”
“Come on, how could she? She’s just a kid—what does she even know?”
Xavier’s expression changed. It sounded like Andrew’s family had some hidden agenda involving Yasmine. Without a second thought, he pulled out his phone and hit the record button.
“What if Xavier discovers the truth?”
“Dad, you’re overthinking it. So what if he knows? It’s just a show; who cares about a girl without parents?”
“You didn’t see it, though. Today, Xavier was super nice to Yasmine—he lent her his clothes, dried her hair, even bought her shoes…”
Cliff went quiet for a moment. Then he said, “Don’t worry about that. Just make sure Xavier is comfortable in our home. As for Yasmine…”
He chuckled coldly. “I’ll talk to Barnaby and offer him 200 dollars. That’ll ensure Yasmine stays away from Xavier.”
Xavier clenched his fists tight. ‘These jerks are seriously trying to mess with a little girl?’
Unaware they were listening in, Andrew laughed and slapped Cliff on the shoulder. “Well, your college really pays off.”
Xavier’s expression darkened as he stepped back, feeling like punching them both in the face. But when he saw their smug smiles, he paused.
‘Hitting them seems too easy. Aren’t they trying to keep me around and have Yasmine stay away from me? Now that they have the nerve to plot against me…’ he smirked silently before heading back to his room to quickly pack his things.
The next morning, barely having slept a wink, Xavier showed up at the gate of Andrew’s house dragging a suitcase behind him.
The first ones to notice were the crew. Their eyes widened in shock. “Are you heading back to the city?”
Xavier raised an eyebrow. “No.”
The crew looked confused. “Then, uh… what are you…”
Xavier shrugged. “Can’t I just stay somewhere else? I’m not sticking around in this dump.”
“But this is the best house around,” one crew member said.
Realizing he had misspoken, Xavier quickly changed his tone. “Think about it—why did my mom send me here in the first place?”
The crew member responded cautiously, “Um, to… improve?”
Xavier shot him a sideways glance. “So you’re saying you put me in the best house just to go against my mom?”
The crew member stammered, “N-No, we wouldn’t dare.”
“Let’s go. I want to stay somewhere else. Hurry up,” Xavier said. He threw his suitcase aside and jumped into the car.
The crew panicked when they saw him behind the wheel—he wasn’t even eighteen yet. “Okay, We’ll help you find a different place,” they sighed, trailing after him nervously.
Just then, Andrew rushed over, trying to pull up his pants without a belt, looking ridiculous. His face was a mix of shock and confusion. “Where are you going? Please don’t leave!”
Xavier hit the gas, sending dust flying and a cloud of exhaust right in Andrew’s face. Choking, Andrew yelled desperately, “You made a deal with us; you can’t just bail! Oh no! It’s over, it’s over!”
Inside the car, the crew stole glances at Xavier’s gloomy face, bewildered at how Andrew could have ticked him off so badly in just one night.
Xavier leaned back, eyes closed, his expression fierce. The conversation he overheard between Andrew and Cliff echoed in his ears as he thought of Yasmine—when her shoe flew off, he had seen the scratches on her foot from those thorny bushes.
‘Did it hurt her?’ he thought to himself.
