WAITING FOR DAWN

Chapitre 5

                                                                                   A NEW BREATH

I had no other choice but to leave. Everything had been meticulously planned, even the suitcase into which I packed my clothes and a few personal belongings. What had I imagined? That I would be fed and housed without any consequence? Everything comes at a price, and I had just paid mine in full.

Undecided about where to go, I knew one thing for certain: I could not spend another night in that apartment. The number 19, which had once been insignificant, was now the one to escape. As soon as I stepped outside, my gaze met that of a young man standing a few steps away. A faint smile crossed my lips when I saw him avert his eyes, as though caught in the act. They had sent someone—it was obvious. I felt a deep sadness, not just for them, but for myself as well. I straightened my back, looking forward without turning around. For a fleeting moment, the thought of going to see Arnaud crossed my mind. I could explain everything to him, hoping for some form of help. But I quickly pushed the idea aside. I had to flee, far from everything that still carried the scent of Alexandra.

My savings would finally come in handy. I found a motel to spend the night, but the respite was brief. By morning, one question haunted me: What would become of me? I had to find work, or a stage, as soon as possible. No matter the outcome, any opportunity had to be seized. My deepest fear was to face hunger once again. So, armed with my meager possessions, I embarked on a desperate quest to avoid that dreadful reality.

Meanwhile, in Doris, Billy was also confronting his own struggles...

Billy, on his part, had also abandoned Mr. Davant's apartment, unable to keep searching for a roommate or watch the unpaid bills pile up. He found refuge in Mr. Ruspert's cafeteria, without the owner's knowledge. But one morning, Mrs. Ruspert discovered him sleeping in the basement. Instead of informing her husband, she promised to keep the secret and even gave him sheets to cover himself. She now understood why Billy was always the first to arrive at the cafeteria. Unaware of this situation, Mr. Ruspert offered Billy a modest pay raise to compensate for the absence of the cleaning lady, who had mysteriously disappeared. Yet, as was his habit, he would only give Billy this bonus on rare occasions. Fully aware of his precarious circumstances, Billy could not afford to complain. He received this extra pay solely thanks to Mrs. Ruspert's persistent insistence, her generosity sharply contrasting with her husband's stinginess.

Mrs. Ruspert herself often seemed lost in thought, enveloped in a silent melancholy. The sorrow of being estranged from her only son, Philippe, consumed her. Philippe had cut ties with his parents after Mr. Ruspert had repeatedly threatened to disinherit him due to his marriage to a mere waitress from the family's cafeteria. To Mr. Ruspert, this young woman was nothing more than a gold-digger, intent on claiming their wealth. However, deeply in love, Philippe refused to be swayed by his father's threats. Weary of the endless disputes, he eventually decided to leave, taking his wife with him and severing all contact with his parents. Since then, Mrs. Ruspert had multiplied her acts of kindness, secretly hoping to one day find peace with her son and mend the broken family ties.

Meanwhile, in a more affluent neighborhood of Denisse-Hassan, another tension was unfolding...

— "Still lingering in the kitchen? Don't you have anything better to do?" Maurice Lynshka snapped, his tone sharp.

Louis, lost in thought, slowly turned around before calmly responding:

— "Dad, we've already discussed this. I want to become a producer. I'm doing research, learning, and connecting with people in the industry to understand what it takes."

— "A producer? Seriously? Your brother is a musician, so now you think you can call yourself a producer?" Maurice mocked. "Your brother is respected here, he's making his way. But you, do you honestly plan to use him as a guinea pig for your little ambitions?"