NINE TIME MACHINES: Do you want to undo your entire life on planet earth?

CHAPTER 71

Aren't people tired of bothering me? Who the hell is it now? The obvious suspects are Tessa or Hazel. I'm really hoping for Tessa. That way she can catch a glimpse of my wall. With any luck, she'll rush off to complain and tumble the stairs to her death. Wouldn't that be fun? Now that's a room cleaning I can volunteer for. In fact, I mightn't even object to entertaining another half-dead tenant. Goodness knows she'd better come soon because my hourglass is literally grains of sand. But what if it's Hazel? Can I even put up with her optimism right now? Or perhaps if Hazel can't make it, she can send one of her angels. I'd like to see that scene play out. It would be a banging way to go. At any rate, I'm at a point where I no longer care about anything. Let them all come tumbling in; the soon-to-be dead, the dying friendships, even the rotten corpses.

I open wide to show off my masterpiece then pull the door back before she turns around. That's my level of importance now. Not even my closed door can hold someone's focus until it's opened. Before long, I uncloak her distraction. Tessa steps out of her creepy closet and stands beside Matron Malika Caine. What the hell is this? An intervention? Well, let me be the first to say that it's too late. My boxes are already packed. The first letter has already been written. Just two more remain and I'll be out of your lives forever.

"Have you got the money to pay up?" she asks dryly.

I'm about to say no, as is the custom; but all my feelings are stashed away in those boxes.

"Zero."

"What?"

To my surprise, Tessa belts out. "She means no."

See? She doesn't speak Pethiel. How can she know what my zeroes mean? Spies, I tell you.

"Miss Pethiel, for once I won't let your stupidity change my mind about helping."

"But I don't need anyone's help. By Sunday I'll be out, just like you wanted."

Tessa interrupts. "Look, she knows what you're planning to do."

"That's none of her damn business. Yours either."

"Mary, I swear I'll walk out of here right now if you don't zip it."

"Won't hurt me one bit," I snap. "I'm not the one who knocked on the door. Leave for all I care."

"Look!" Matron Caine snaps. "Do you want the job or not?"

"What job? All that nonsense is over. I'm leaving on Sunday as planned."

"It's an embassy job," Tessa explains. "I pulled a few strings to get you hired."