Hearts Disguised

Chapter 9

There is Only One

Yang set out on a new chapter of her life without a single plan or thought. She had no money, nowhere to go, and no idea what she should do. The only thing she knew was that anything could be better than what she was given after everything that has happened to her. She passed by multiple motels, but knew that it wouldn't help. Without money, there would be no use. She also passed a few restaurants, but immediately turned her head. She hadn't eaten in a while so being reminded of food wasn't something she wanted in her head.

She wandered around aimlessly until she started to lose strength in her legs. She started to stumble around and knew that she had to find some place to kick back for a while. She searched in every alley way, but there was nowhere she could stay. It wasn't until she came across a bridge that overlooked a small river where she found a place. She made sure no one was watching when she headed down underneath the bridge. Once there, there was a couch right where the bottom of the bridge and ramp met. This would have to do for now, she thought. She dropped her bag on the ground and sat on it awkwardly.

I can't complain. This is still better than some of the other things that have happened to me. I just have to close my eyes and calm down. Things aren't going to get better and I need to start realizing that. She took a deep breath and collapsed on the couch where she managed to spend the rest of her night there. It wasn't anything special and she knew that. However, in order to face the cruel reality of her life, she would have to get used to things like this. The more she thought, the more she truly believed that her life wasn't going to get any better.

…

The next morning at the orphanage, the door slammed open to reveal the strange woman and her group of guards. She walked in with those same pair of shades as Cathy grew nervous in her presence. She looked around ominously and then removed her shades.

"I've been thinking. There is someone who has caught my attention: That blonde girl. Where is she? I would like to have a word with her."

"She's right this way." Without wasting any time, she guided the woman down the hall to Yang's room. She knocked on the door to see if she was awake. There was no response so she knocked again.

"Yang, open up please. There's someone here who would like to speak with you." Again, there was no response so Cathy turned her head and looked at the woman.

"I'm sorry. She's been acting kind of strange lately so I don't know if bothering her this early in the day would be good."

"Cathy," she placed her hand on her shoulder, "does it look I care if it's good for her or not." She took a big gulp and without saying another word, she pulled out the master key and opened the door. Right as it swung open, the two of them were shocked, but the strange woman didn't allow it to show on her face. They walked in slowly and looked around the room.

"Oh my God, where is she?"

"Yes. Where is she?"

"I… I don't know. She was in here last night when I asked for to join us for dinner. I don't know what happened." At that moment, the woman placed her fingers on her forehead and sighed.

"Oh boy, what to do? What to do?"

"Ms. Fall, I'm terribly sorry. I will do everything in my power to try and find her again. Please. I promise I won't let you down this time." She suddenly turned around to examine the room again. When she did, she saw a picture frame on the ground with a few shards of glass around it. She carefully picked it up off the ground and turned it around. At that moment, her eyes widened as she looked at the picture. After a few seconds, she stood back up, keeping the picture out of sight, and walked to the exit of the room.

"I don't need your services anymore. You've disappointed me too often. I'm shutting this place down." She put on her shades and headed towards her car.

"No, please. You can't do this. These girls have nowhere to go. If you do this, they'll be put on the streets."

"Thank you again, for wasting my time." She busted through the door as her guards slammed the door shut behind them. When she got to her car, she brought out the picture and looked at only one person: Yang.

"Ms. Fall, what did you find?"

"A clue. Gather some of my men and start a search for this girl. However, try not to make it a big deal. I don't want this getting out." She showed them the picture of Yang and her family and immediately got in her car and departed for her next location. As she drove off, she couldn't help but let out a smile.

…

Back with Yang, she decided to skip out on school. For the time being, there was no need for her to go. It would just remind her too much of what she's lost. With more free time, she knew she had to come up with something for she wouldn't last long without money and food. She sneakily climbed out of her hiding place and went into the city. By acting inconspicuous, she was able to hide herself and analyze the behavior of the people around her. Her priority was money. There was no savings account for her so the only way to get money was by stealing it.

It took her awhile since she had to make sure that she was spotless on her execution. She looked for the right people to steal from, how to steal from them, and when to do it. Surprisingly, she was going about this very intelligently. She wanted to make sure that nothing was left to chance so once she knew she was ready, she executed her plan.

She found a man in a business suit visit a local ATM and withdraw some cash. Luckily, he was careless about his money and ended up shoving it in his back pocket. That's when she knew that he would be her target. She followed behind him and waited until he stopped in a crowded area. Once he did, she was quick as a flash and managed to get away with ten bucks without him or anyone else figuring out. After scoring her first job, she quickly ran back to her hiding spot and stared at the ten dollar bill.

That was the first time she had ever stolen, yet she didn't feel anything about it. In a way, it almost felt good for her. It was almost as if she was doing something useful with her life. All that was left was to figure out how to budget herself. She knew that if she constantly pickpocketed people she would get caught so she spent some of her time figuring out what she should do. One meal a day could probably get her by as long as she stole a reasonable amount every so often. Other than that, there was no concern. Clothes and other fruitful things for a girl were not on her priority list so she was set.

When day grew late, she emerged from her hiding spot and went to find the cheapest restaurant. Luckily, there were tons of fast food places around the city so she made her way into one and acted as normal as could be. Apparently, Yang was a genius because she knew how to act although she was young and all by herself. No one questioned her and she managed to get by without any suspicion. When she got her food, she quickly dug in and finished in up in just a few seconds. That was the first meal she had had in a long time and it felt good. Although she finished it in a rush, she savored every bite until there was nothing left. After her dinner, she sneakily made her way back to her hiding spot and relaxed for the rest of the day.

"I never knew I was so good at this stuff. I think I can do this. I don't need anyone's help. I can manage things in my own. Yang Xiao Long is no longer a little girl. Yang Xiao Long is now an independent woman." She lied down on the couch and slept the night away without a care in the world.

End of Chapter 9