Chapter 1

Six years later...

"Steve, I'm home!" I shouted as I walked into the house that my boyfriend Steve and I shared. Then I walked into the kitchen, where Steve was sitting at the table with a beer bottle in his hand.

"Where have you been?" he asked me.

"I've been at work," I said.

"You were supposed to get off of work at 8:00. It is 10:15!" he said.

"One of the waitresses was sick, so I had to work her shift," I said.

"You're lying!" he exclaimed. "Are you cheating on me?"

"I'm not lying! Everytime I get home late from work, you always seem to think that I am cheating on you!" I replied.

He then slapped me across my face. "Don't you ever yell at me like that you little whore!"

"What has happened to you? You used to be such a sweet guy," I said with tears in my eyes. "But ever since you started drinking, you have become violent!"

"Shutup and stop complaining," he said, and then took a sip of beer.

"No, you shutup and listen to what I have to say! I am getting tired of you not listening to me! I am getting tired of you disrespecting me! I am getting tired of you always trying to tell me what to! I can hardly stand it here anymore!"

"Well, if you can't stand it here, the why don't you leave?"

"Fine, I will!" I said, and then I went upstairs to my room to start packing. I was so pissed off at Steve. He was nothing but a crazy drunken fool. I don't even know I didn't leave him sooner. After I was done packing, I walked downstairs, and then opened the front door.

"Goodbye Steve!" I yelled, and then slammed the door before he could reply. I walked for a few minutes before I finally spotted a taxi.

"Taxi!" I shouted and waved.

"Where do you want to go to?" the taxi driver asked me as I got into the taxi.

"Can you take me to the nearest Motel 6?" I asked him.

"Okay," he said, and then he started driving.

Ten minutes later, the taxi stopped at a Motel 6. I paid the taxi driver, walked into the motel, and got me a room. When I got into my room, I put my suitcase on the floor, sat down on my bed, took my money out of my purse, and started counting it. I had forty dollers left. I put a few dollers in my pocket, left the hotel, and walked to a nearby diner to get me somthing to eat. When I walked into the diner, I started looking for a place to sit. I looked to the right, and was suprised at who I saw. Sitting at a table by himself, drinking coffee and reading a newspaper was Klaus Baudelaire. I walked up to him and greeted him.

"Hello Klaus," I said, and then he looked up from his newspaper. When he saw me he had a suprised, but happy expresion on his face.

"Fiona, is that you?" he asked me.

"Yes," I replied.

Klaus stood up and hugged me. I hugged him back. It felt so good to have his arms around me. A few people started staring at us, but I didn't care.

"I've missed you so much Fiona," Klaus said after we finished hugging.

"I've missed you too," I said as we sat down. "So, how have you been?"

"I've been fine," Klaus replied. "I have just graduated form Harvard a couple of months ago. I'm living with Duncan now. Him and I are sharing an apartment."

"That's good," I said. "So, how is Duncan doing?"

"He's doing okay," Klaus said. "He's a journalist now.

"Oh, that's cool," I said.

"So, how have you been?" he asked me.

I sighed. "Well, I haven't been doing so well. I just rean away from my ex-boyfriend, who is a crazy drunken fool."

"Why did you date him if he was a crazy drunken fool?" Klaus asked me.

"When I first meet him he was a really nice gentlman who has never drunk a beer or any other alcholic beverage. But one night at a party, his friend gave him a beer. Ever since he drunk that first beer, he has started drinking more and more every week, and now he drinks everyday. Drinking has made him more violent and rude. He started yelling at me a lot and abusing me. I finally decided that I couldn't take it anymore and left," I said, crying.

Klaus put his arm around my shoulders and whiped a tear away from my cheek. "I'm so sorry Fiona," he said quietly. "Where are you staying now?"

"At the Motel 6 across the street," I replied.

"You could stay with me and Duncan it you want to," he said.

"Really?" I asked him.

"Really," he replied. "I'm sure Duncan wouldn't ming.

I was so excited because I got to stay with Klaus. I hugged him and the kissed him on the cheek.

"Thank you Klaus."