Personal Assistant: Limited Edition[MXM]✔

Chapter 27

27.

I woke up later that night and decided to start putting my ducks in a row. Where I lived there was always a possibility of a robbery so the longer I held onto the money, the riskier it was. I had to give Diggy his money before someone stole it from me.

The night air was cold when I stepped out of the building. I put my hoodie on and stuck my hands in my sweatshirt pockets as I walked towards Diggy's residence. There wasn't much activity in the streets that day. I spotted a total of four people walking about. It looked like most people were indoors.

The smell of detergent hit my nostrils as soon as I walked into the Laundromat. I walked toward the inconspicuous door. My hand was about to touch the handle when it stopped.

I couldn't give Diggy the money. It wasn't mine. I'd earned some money while staying at Mitchell mansion but it wasn't even half the money Ross gave me. I hadn't even earned enough money to cover what I owed Diggy.

Ross had given me the money out of grief. It made him irrational. I'd taken the money knowing he was in pain. It made me selfish.

I couldn't give Diggy the money. I couldn't use Ross's money. I had to take it back to him. Being selfish reinforced how much of a failure I was. That gnawed at me. I wasn't a failure nor was I selfish.

I knew returning the money meant I would have to find another way to raise it since I was fired, but I found myself turning away from the door despite that knowledge. I was better than "stealing" from a grief-stricken man. I wasn't a thief.

Even more so, I couldn't steal from someone I cared about.

=

Rattle! Cough! Whine! Rattle! Rattle! Cough! Silence

The car came to a standstill abruptly in the middle of the road. The move jerked me forward slightly, my chest coming in contact with the steering wheel. I pushed my body back in my seat to the beeping sounds of motorists behind me. Their anger was visible in the way the sounds filled the air and my ears. My first thought was to extend my hand outside and give them the middle finger. I didn't do that. Instead I put my fingers around the car key and twisted. The car cranked but the engine didn't come to life. I tried several times with the same result before coming to the grim conclusion something in my car was dead and there would be no movements from it that night.

The problem wasn't the fuel this time. I had enough fuel for the trip to Mitchell Mansion and back. I'd thoroughly checked that the fuel tank was filled to capacity when I refilled the car that afternoon in the garage with Nasir. The car hadn't given me any signs of low fuel. The engine had simply stalled.

A quick look at my side mirror indicated that the motorists behind me had decided to pass when given the chance. It was a wise move; my car wasn't going anywhere. I possibly wasn't going anywhere either.

When I'd made the decision to return Ross's money, I'd decided I'd return it that same night before I got desperate and kept it. I'd gotten back to my apartment and taken the rest of the money before driving towards Mitchell Mansion. I was now less than a mile away.

There was no point staying in the car. I grabbed my bag and got out. The air was much colder than before. I could see dark clouds forming in the sky. The air was heavy with the smell of rain. The day had been dry but it looked like the rains which had disappeared for a while were returning.

The scene was too familiar I chuckled dryly.

I had a decision to make. I could travel to Mitchell Mansion by foot or I could stay with my car and have it towed. I ran the risk of having my car impounded if I just left it there. Unlike the last time I'd left it in the middle of the road, the road I was on was busy. It was already generating attention.