Chapter 909 What Does It Matter
Lyra was more than ready for a break.
She'd been feeling wiped out lately, the kind of exhaustion that made her not want to move at all.
She grabbed a cup of instant noodles from the cupboard, ate it, took a shower, and then planned to lie down and get some much-needed sleep.
But just as she drifted off, there was a loud knock on the door, growing louder with each knock.
At first, she thought it was a delivery person, but when she opened the door and saw Aaron in his wheelchair, she instantly woke up and her first instinct was to shut the door.
"Lyra, you see me and you don't even want to say a word?" Aaron wedged his hand in the door.
He was strong, and no matter how much strength Lyra used, she couldn't push him out.
Her actions only angered Aaron.
He grabbed her hand, "I came here to talk. Let me in, and we can discuss this calmly."
Lyra wasn't naive; she knew better than to be swayed by his words.
Letting him in was easy, but getting him to leave would be a different story.
Her expression turned cold. "We have nothing to talk about."
"Dad's sick. He just got out of the hospital last night. I came to tell you so you could come with me to see him," Aaron said hurriedly.
He thought this would soften her heart and make her agree to go back with him.
Lyra hesitated for a moment, but then she remembered what they had done to her before, and her resolve hardened. "I've already given the money. Since Dad is sick, you should take care of him, not come here to bother me."
She knew that if she went back with Aaron, they would use this as an excuse to keep her there.
She had worked hard to escape and wasn't about to go back foolishly.
"Lyra!" Aaron's face fell.
He had laid it all out, and yet Lyra still wouldn't relent?
"What's that behind you?" Lyra suddenly pointed behind him.
As Aaron turned to look, she quickly shut the door and locked it.
The next second, the door was being pounded on.
Aaron was venting his frustration, raising his voice, "Lyra, open the door right now!"
Lyra stood silently behind the door.
She figured that if she didn't respond, Aaron would eventually give up and leave.
But Aaron's voice grew louder, and soon the neighbors were all roused.
Someone threatened to call the police, "If she won't open the door, you need to leave. Stop banging on the door! If you don't leave, I'm calling the cops!"
"Go ahead and call them. She's my sister, and this is a family matter," Aaron said, unfazed.
A foster sister was still a sister, right?
Even if it went to the police, they would likely try to mediate. Plus, he was in a wheelchair, and anyone who tried to lay a finger on him would have to be ready to pay up.
Seeing that he wouldn't leave, a neighbor tried to reason with Lyra through the door, "Why don't you just let your brother in? You two can talk inside. We need to rest."
At that moment, Lyra felt a deep sense of helplessness.
It seemed like she could never escape the Hill family, but she wasn't ready to give up.
In the end, she decided to call the police.
The police arrived quickly and took both of them to the station. After hearing their story, they first tried to reason with Aaron.
"I have a sister too, so I get where you're coming from. But your sister's an adult, and you need to respect her wishes. Plus, you're disturbing the neighbors."
"I'm sorry, officer. I was just too impulsive. My dad is sick, and I wanted to get her to come back," Aaron said, putting on a kind facade.
If Lyra hadn't seen it herself, she wouldn't have believed the dirty thoughts hidden behind his kind face.
"Lyra, it's important to visit when a family member is sick. Even if there are conflicts, the focus should be on resolving them, not avoiding them," the officer said to Lyra.
Lyra made up an excuse, "It's not that I don't want to go back. I'm just too tired, and it's hard to get a ticket."
She just wanted to get through today and deal with Aaron later.
Since he had already found her once, he would likely come again. She had no plans to go back anytime soon.
Eventually, with the police mediating, Aaron backed off.
Before leaving, he gave Lyra a long look, "Rest up. I'll come back to get you."
That look gave Lyra goosebumps.
It wasn't a concern; it was a silent warning. Today was just the beginning, and he would definitely come back.
After leaving the police station, Lyra didn't go home. Instead, she went straight to the bar where she had a part-time job.
She found the male manager, "Do we have employee dorms here? If I stay in one, how much will it cost me each month?"
"We do have dorms. It's a benefit for our employees, and it's free."
Lyra felt a wave of relief.
Staying in the dorms meant Aaron wouldn't be able to find her, and she could save on rent.
The manager continued, "But to qualify for the dorms, you need to meet a minimum work requirement. You have to work at least fifteen days a month. If you don't, you can't get the dorm benefit."
"No problem. I can start working tonight," Lyra agreed immediately.
As long as she could avoid Aaron, working more or less didn't matter.
Every day she worked meant more pay, which was a bonus.
The manager was pleased with her attitude, "You can start tonight. Same as before, base pay plus commission. The more drinks you sell, the higher your pay. If you become the top seller, you can even get a single room."
These were all just added perks for Lyra.
She went home to grab her essentials and a change of clothes, then headed to the dorm to settle in. She took a short nap and got ready for work when most people were finishing their shifts.
The bar was lively at night. Although Lyra's job was just to sell drinks, she couldn't avoid customers trying to take advantage of her.
One even asked, "How many drinks do I need to buy for you to spend the night with me?"
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