I've Been There Before

Chapter 3 She Is Released from the Prison

Three years later.

The gate of the women's prison in City opened. A woman slowly walked out after a short while.

The woman looked ridiculously thin with the white dress in her. The dress was the same as that day when she was sent to the women's prison three years ago. With the dress in her, she was like putting on a big sack.

She walked slowly, step by step towards the platform more than 100 meters away. She was carrying a black plastic bag with 6 dollar and 5 cents and an ID card in it.

In the hot summer, she was walking on the gravel road. Today's temperature was at least 91.4 F. The woman walked under the sun, but she had no a drop of sweat.

There were bruises on the pale skin. Even on the face which was near the hairline, there was a scar about three centimeters in length, which was very obtrusive.

When the bus came, the woman got on the bus and carefully took out a coin from the black plastic bag and put it into the coin box of the bus.

There was no one on the bus. The driver took a look at her, and then looked away in disgust... The people who got on the bus here were all prisoners in the prison. How could they be good people?

The woman didn't seem to see the driver's eyes. She walked to the back seat of the bus. She chose a seat to sit down, trying not to attract attention.

As the car was driving, she looked out the window along the way... Three years had changed a lot.

She sneered... Yes, three years, not only the world outside the prison had changed a lot but her.

When the bus drove to a bustling area, she suddenly got a shock... After she was released from the prison, where should she go?

Suddenly, she realized an imminent fact that she had nowhere to go.

Opened the black plastic bag, she counted the 5 dollar and five cents left in it carefully three times...What would she do in the future?

Not far from the roadside, the recruitment information attracted her attention.

"Sir, I want to get off the car. Please open the car door.' Three years of jail life made her arrogance disappear. When she spoke to others, she was always lacking confidence.

The driver complained and opened the door. She thanked the driver and got out of the car.

She walked to the big picture of recruitment information. After looking for a while, her eyes fell on the words 'cleaner" and the words "bed-and- lunch free."

She had no family, no files, no education, and had been in jail... She was afraid even if she wanted to be a cleaner, the company wouldn't want her. But... holding the only 5 dollars and five cents left in her hand tightly, she gritted her teeth and walked into this nightclub called "Royal Club”. As Soon as she entered, Grace shivered. The air-conditioning made her tremble with cold.

"Name.' The woman said impatiently.

"Grace .James.' The rough voice sounded slowly. The gorgeous woman who was holding a pen to record the information shuddered. The gel pen in her hand almost fell off the table. She asked Grace dissatisfiedly, "Why is your voice so terrible? ˆ

After three years of hell life in prison, Grace was accustomed to be lukewarm. Even if others had bluntly criticized her voice was unpleasant to ears, she still spoke slowly like a person with no temper. "I†s hurt by the smoke."

The gorgeous-looking woman was slightly surprised, her inquiring eyes fell on Grace's face, "Fire?"

"Yeah, fire.' After speaking, Grace lowered her eyelids faintly........ It was just a fire caused by deliberate arson. Please check at N/ôvel(D)rama.Org.

Seeing that Grace didn't want to say more and was boring, the gorgeous woman frowned and said, “Tsk-tsk, Royal Club is not an ordinary entertainment club. The guests coming here are not ordinary guests.' She looked Grace up and down again. She did not hide her disgust. She obviously looked down on Grace who was like wearing a sack, and the white dress in her hadn't known how long she had worn it. The white turned yellow.

Royal Club was not a place where ordinary people could afford to have fun. Even an ordinary waitress must look good and have a hot body figure. How dare Grace apply for a job here?

The gorgeous woman stood up, waved her hand, and refused Grace very seriously, ˆNo, you can†t work here even as a waitress.' She turned and left.

"I'm applying for a cleaner.'

The rough voice sounded dully in this small office, successfully stopping the woman's footsteps. The woman paused, turned around, raised her eyebrows, and scanned Grace up and down again inquisitively. She became suspicious, 'I have never seen a 20-year-old girl be willing to work as a cleaner.'

The youngest of cleaners here was in forties. The girÏs face was ruined. She was so thin, bụt she was only 20 years old. There were so many 20-year-old girls here. They were all prostitutes and barmaids! Of course, some of them were also waitresses.

She had never heard of a cleaner in 20s.

She thought this humble girl would be anxious to complain, telling her that the world was difficult and life was not easy. lf Grace really told the woman such a lot of bullshit, Grace would be driven out

immediately.

The world was difficult2 There were so many stories in Royal Club that they could be published to story books which could fill a library. Who cared about the life of a stranger who met for the first time?

Unexpectedly, the rough voice said unhurriedly, 'If I can be prostitutes, I am willing to spread my legs and say welcome. Before I came, I knew myself well. I didn't have the capital to be prostitutes, so I want to work as a cleaner. I just want to do what I can do"... She was just Convict No. 926.

After entering the prison, she didn't have to be dignified. A self-deprecating smile appeared in Grace's face.

The gorgeous woman was slightly surprised. She looked up and down Grace again, walked back to the desk and picked up a pen to fill in the form. “Grace James? G-r-a-c-e, .J-a-m-e-s?”

"Ves”

"It shouldn't be,' the woman glanced at Grace, 'iÍ your parents give this name to you, your parents should love you very much."

Grace's eyes were dull which was like a pool of stagnant water... Did they love her very much?

Well, maybe. lIf she hadn't murdered Wallis viciously, if she hadn't brought the disaster to the James family, maybe they loved her so mụch.

"I have no family.' Grace said calmly.

The gorgeous woman looked at Grace frowningly, and then stopped asking. She stood up and said, “Okay, copy your ID card."

Standing up from the chair, stepping on the 15-centimeter high-heeled shoes towards the door, the woman suddenly stopped and turned around to warn Grace, "Grace, do you know why Í made an exception to hire you?”

The woman didn't expect Grace to answer. She went on to say, “Grace, you know yourself well. .Just do what you can do.

There are so many people who are older than you, but they still don't understand this truth. They are arrogant and fighting with the fate desperately. In fact, they just have grandiose aims but puny abilities. They don't have a good understanding of themselves.

You are willing to face yourself and understand what you can do. lf a person who understands what she can do, I believe she also understands what she cant do.

Having said that, the gorgeous woman squinted her eyes, “Grace, Royal Club is not an ordinary entertainment club."

Grace still answered unhurriedly, 'l see. My voice ¡is awful. I won† speak casually.'

The gorgeous woman nodded very satisfied. Usually, she wouldn't teach some newcomers, because those who dared to work in Royal Club must be psychologically prepared.

Unexpectedly, today she would make an exception for a cleaning lady.

Although her status in Royal Club was not low, in this blurred metropolis, which one of the rich and powerful she could offend?....... After entering Royal Club, they should learn the 'rules'".

Learn to what should be said and should not be said, what should be done and should not be done.

"The manager...' Grace was a little hard to say, "I don't have a place to live."

The gorgeous woman said, 'Call me Miss Gloria from now on,' and then took out her mobile phone and made a call, 'Arno, come here. l just hired a cleaner here. You take her to the staff dormitory.' After that, she hung up the phone. She said to Grace.

"Come to work tomorrow."

Then Grace was left here alone.

Looking at the induction report in her hand, she was relieved... Tonight, she didn't have to sleep in the street.