Chapter 8 Lower Your Volume

• Hannah took a deep breath and tried to remain calm. She made every effort to clear her mind. She marched forward, telling herself not to look back for fear of losing her cool.
• “My job…” Hannah uttered to herself. However, before she could seek an answer from Calvin, the car sped away, making a roaring engine sound. Hannah was left standing alone on the streets. She wrapped her clothes more tightly and kept her head down against the wind.
• Instead of walking toward the budget hotel, Hannah dragged her feet to a motel hidden in a secluded alley. She could only afford to stay in the old moldy motel which was priced at thirty dollars a night. The tiny room had a musky scent and fairly old and cheap furniture. She had chosen to lie to Calvin about her situation because she could not bear telling him about her plight.
• Hannah was greeted by a tall figure when she arrived at the entrance of the motel. It was Jay and he had a few bags of women’s clothing placed beside him. The man flashed a warm smile as Hannah approached him. She could always let her guard down beside him. “How do you know I’m here?”
• Jay patted Hannah lightly on the head and responded, “What a fool! Have you forgotten how easy it is for me to track anyone’s whereabouts in Greenville?”
• “Oh right.” Hannah pointed to the motel and added, “It’s messy in there. Shall we chat over a meal somewhere nearby? It’s my treat.”
• “It’s all right. I have something else to attend to.” Jay did not want to prolong his stay as he knew it would cause Hannah to feel uneasy. Hence, he handed her the bags of clothes before continuing, “Your clothes look a little worn out today. I bought some new ones for you.”
• Despite her reluctance, Hannah accepted the clothes after being reminded of Godrick's instructions earlier in the day. She rationalized to herself, Jay has been a great help. Once I have received my pay, I’ll give him some clothes in return.
• Jay got into his car and drove away after completing his task. Hannah was thankful that he did not probe her matters with the Fullerton family. In addition, she was grateful that a wealthy man like him was willing to visit her at a rundown alley. After all, some things were better left unsaid.
• With a faint smile, Hannah carried the bags into the motel. She did not notice a man seated in the black Maybach had been watching her every move. He remained hidden at the corner of the motel building.
• Calvin had limited himself to one cigar every day. He had, however, already completed three clouds of smoke today. When he saw the bag of women’s clothes in the backseat, a fresh swell of rage rose in him. He grasped the steering wheels and examined his surroundings. The alley to the motel was dimly lit, and the ground was filled with trash. Boxes of leftover food were thrown over the floor, fouling the air. He was hesitant to go any further down the filthy alley.
• “Hmm?” Hannah opened the door and was met with a grumpy-looking Calvin. She had put on a fresh set of clothes and was prepared to head to the public toilet to do her laundry. It was a huge sacrifice for the man, who was dressed in an expensive suit and leather shoes, to walk on the soiled ground.
• Calvin sneered, “Seems like you can’t wait to put on clothes from another man.”
• Hannah stuttered, “I was…” She paused and clutched her laundry basket tightly, thinking to herself, there’s no need to explain that I have been wearing the same outfit for so many days. He’s no longer the brother whom I can tease and play with. Hannah closed her eyes, composed herself, and rephrased her query. “What brings you here?”
• Calvin chided, “Why are you staying here? Aren’t you concerned that someone will see you living in such filth? This location is beneath you.”
• “Lower your volume!” Hannah rushed toward Calvin and rolled her eyes before continuing, “You will be reprimanded if someone hears you!”
• Calvin looked along the hallway at the various units and knew his statements were inappropriate. After all, everyone had a tale to share, and he had no intention of judging others. However, he could not bear to see Hannah live in such harsh conditions. Moreover, it would cause him more trouble if someone were to take photos of her dire situation.
• It was unbearable for a neat freak like Calvin to spend another second in the shambles. He felt repulsive, as though ants were crawling all over his body. Anger welled up in the man’s chest and he knocked the laundry basket out of Hannah’s hands. He glanced at the woman’s clothes and ordered, “Get out of this shithole right now!”
• Hannah asked quizzically, “Where can I go?”
• The man replied, “Home.”
• Hannah lowered her head and uttered dejectedly, “I no longer have a home.” She stared at the clothes scattered across the floor with a crestfallen look and thought to herself, why is he even here? Why did he say that I’m going home? Home… what an irony. I never had a home until I was ten years old. Now that I’m twenty-two years old, I’m once again made homeless by the man whom I respected the most.
• Calvin hissed, “What do you mean by you don’t have a home? Are you planning to stay here so that you can spend quality time with Jay?” His mood worsened as he struggled to control the itch caused by the filthy environment. The man grabbed onto Hannah’s arms and bellowed, "I don't want to be the talk of the town because I was cheated on."
• The lady boss of the motel did not dare to block Calvin’s path when they went past the motel's reception. She was worried about offending the man who was dressed in impeccable clothes. She watched on as Calvin shoved Hannah into the passenger seat of a luxurious vehicle.
• Meanwhile, Hannah lowered her head and peered fearfully at Calvin's hand, which was tightly wrapped around her arm. The man fixed his cold gaze on her arm and intentionally shifted his grip a few inches higher. She could hear his deep breathing, but she dared not look up.
• Calvin finally let go of his grip after Hannah’s seat belt was fastened. His accidental caress of her neck sent shivers down her spine. However, she immediately pushed the man away when his expression reminded her of Liam.
• “Don’t touch me!” Hannah screamed.
• “Are you crazy?” Calvin yelled in return and slammed the door shut. He loosened his tie and unbuttoned his sleeves to relieve the itch from the rashes. Next, he lit another cigar, in an attempt to appease his anger. When he stole a glance at the passenger seat, he noticed that Hannah was crying.
• It was the first time Calvin saw Hannah crying after Liam died. He remembered that she was fond of crying since young. In one incident, Hannah burst into tears when the family’s pet died. Liam was out of his wits and sought Calvin’s advice to coax the young Hannah. In the end, both men had to take turns cheering the little girl up. Unlike Liam, Calvin adopted a harsh approach and often instructed her to stop crying. However, it proved to be a terrible idea as Hannah began to cry even more. Under Liam's intense gaze, he would have no choice but to brush her tears away. Even though Calvin offered no words of comfort, his gesture was enough to make Hannah smile again.
• Everything was going great but it’s all gone now. She’s responsible for this mess! How could she bear watching the man who treated her with so much kindness die? She’s so evil! It had been a long time since Calvin felt such intense anger. The rashes on his body began to itch even more. He flicked the cigar away and leaned back on the driver's seat. “Who are you trying to fool? Are you crying because of self-pity? Liam has died for so long. There’s no point shedding crocodile tears now.”
• Calvin had accepted Hannah to keep silent as she always did. To his surprise, she protested, “I’m not crying for him!”
• Tears started streaming down Hannah’s cheeks once more. Her heart wrenched in pain as she was reminded of the betrayal from her loved ones. “You won’t believe anything I said. There’s no point asking. I don’t want to talk about it either.”
• Guilt flashed across Calvin’s face as he glanced at the car’s glove compartment. He had recently received an anonymous photograph. Have I misunderstood her? What was the truth behind the car accident?
• The man cleared his throat and asked, “What exactly happened that night?” He wanted to know if Hannah's willfulness had contributed to Liam's vehicle accident. Furthermore, he wanted to confirm that the woman had chosen to watch his brother die rather than save him when she could.