Chapter 278

The problem was that he'd seen many attractive people. Was her childhood photo that cute that he needed a copy? However, meeting Lina Sweeney was currently Grace's priority. Before leaving, she asked the driver to take her there. Experience told her resistance was futile; once he'd made a decision, negotiation was pointless.

Once in the car, Grace instructed the driver. She arrived half an hour early, cutting an hour-long trip in half. She entered a fast-food restaurant, sat down, ordered a six-dollar drink, and texted Lina Sweeney.

While waiting, she casually watched food delivery riders dashing in and out. The sight sparked an idea. Her driver's license was suspended, but that didn't preclude motorcycle riding. Food delivery was piecework; no base salary, but higher earnings for more deliveries.

If she passed the background check despite her record, it could be a viable option. Continuing to take leave from the Sanitation Service Center would overburden Claire Watts—essentially making her do Grace's work. Moreover, the Sanitation Service Center offered a fixed salary, and with a quarter of her grandmother's medical bills to cover, she was short on funds.

"What are you thinking?" Lina Sweeney's voice startled her.

Grace looked up, seeing her friend. "I'm considering food delivery," she said.

Lina Sweeney was shocked. "Food delivery? It's hard work, with customer complaints. Women rarely do it; it demands stamina." The job was typically male-dominated.

"At least I won't burden others," Grace replied. "My performance is my own business, unlike at the Sanitation Service Center, where leave necessitates someone else picking up my slack."

"True," Lina Sweeney agreed. Then, remembering something, she added, "Why are you here so early? Are you on leave?" Her friend's shift ended later.

"Yes," Grace said. "I hurt my hand and took a few days off. I thought I might as well change jobs."

Lina Sweeney noticed the gauze on Grace's fingers. "What happened to your hand?" she asked anxiously.

Grace explained the previous night's events.

Lina Sweeney listened, her jaw clenched. "How can your father be like that? Even if he favors Evelyn, he shouldn't treat you this way! He knows how much that album meant to you, and he still burned it!"

Grace chuckled wryly. "Yeah, that's my father!"

Indifference had replaced her other emotions. She'd long known her father's heart held no affection for her mother, let alone her. Otherwise, he would have visited her in prison.