Lily was left an orphan. Her parents had been in a horrific car accident and did not survive. Her upbringing fell to her uncle.
Time passed. The little girl grew up and got into medical school. However, the family Lily lived with was far from wealthy. None of them wanted to pay for the tuition of a foster child.
"We can barely afford to live ourselves," her uncle's wife would say. "And now we have to support you too? Everything costs money. Go find a job."
"Why are you being like this? I didn't choose for things to be this way," Lily replied. "But if I have to, I'll go to work."
At first, she found a job as a waitress at a local diner. It was grueling work. She had to be on her feet all day long. The diner was always packed, leaving almost no time for a break. Lily would return home exhausted, her legs aching and swollen by the evening.
"At least you have a stable income now," her uncle's wife said, trying to placate her. "Now you're actually contributing to the family."
"Yes, but I'm exhausted. And the customers... some of them can't keep their hands to themselves."
"Well, honey, nothing in life is handed to you on a silver platter. Money is earned with blood, sweat, and tears."
Lily remained silent, letting out a heavy sigh. No one knew how long this would have continued if she hadn't run into her best friend, Natalie. One day, Natalie walked into the diner where Lily worked, accompanied by her husband.
"I don't believe it! Lily, you look stunning. You've grown up so much. It's a shame your mother isn't here to see the woman you've become."
"Thank you," Lily said politely. "How have you been? How is everything?"
"Everything is wonderful. We just got back from Italy. So many stories—I couldn't tell them all in a single day. But tell me about you. Are you in school? I see you're working. How are your relatives? Are they treating you well?"
Lily couldn't hold it back any longer. She poured her heart out to Natalie, complaining about the disrespect from her uncle's wife and how she had been forced to drop out of school to work. Natalie just shook her head, gasping occasionally.
"That's terrible, sweetheart. We need to get you out of this place immediately. I can help you get your papers in order to go to Italy to work. I'll warn you, though—the work there isn't easy either. But there are perks. Here's my card. Give me a call in a few days and I'll explain everything." Natalie handed Lily her business card.
"Lily, quit chatting! We're slammed. Get to the kitchen!" a large, heavy-set man barked.
"I'm sorry. That's my boss. I have to go. I'll definitely call you!"
"Wait, don't run off yet. We only had coffee, but still..." Natalie pulled several crisp, beautiful bills from her wallet. "Here's a tip. Buy yourself something nice."
Lily shook her head, trying to refuse, but Natalie insisted she take the money.
"Thank you so much."
"Don't mention it. Make sure you call me," Natalie said, heading for the exit.
***
A few days later, Lily called Natalie. The job involved caring for elderly people living in Italy. The pay wasn't incredibly lavish, but it was more than enough for the young woman. As promised, Natalie helped her with the paperwork.
Before long, Lily was preparing for her trip.
"Go on then, make sure you earn plenty of money for us," Lily's aunt said as a parting shot.
Lily didn't respond. She gave her uncle a tight hug, said her goodbyes, and took a taxi to the airport.
Upon arriving at the Italian airport, she was met by a short, stout woman with a prominent mole on her forehead.
"Are you Lily? I'm Nora. Natalie called and gave me a brief rundown of your situation. She asked me to help you find work."
"Hello! It's a pleasure to meet you. I'd really appreciate the help."
At that moment, Nora signaled to a short, grey-haired man sitting silently in a car. He took Lily's small bag, put it in the trunk, and gestured for her to get in.
"This is Adriano. He doesn't speak much English, but he understands almost everything." Hearing his name, the man beamed.
"Nice to meet you, Adriano. I'm Lily." With that, she got into the car and they drove off.
During the short trip, Lily stared out the window, mesmerized by the scenery. Until now, she had only seen Italy on maps; back home, she used to joke that a trip to the countryside was "going abroad."
"It's beautiful here, isn't it?" Nora asked, noticing Lily's curiosity.
"Very."
"Careful! Once you see Italy, you risk falling in love and staying forever."
"That sounds wonderful."
The car pulled up to a small, white house with the windows thrown wide open.
"This is our humble abode. Welcome. Make yourself at home for now. You'll start learning the language, and as soon as we find you a job, you'll move in there."
The room Lily was given was small but bright. Nora and Adriano were kind to her. They taught her the basics of the language, fed her, and treated her wonderfully.
***
Seven months later, they found a job for her in a nearby house.
"Pack your things, I've found you a position," Nora said happily. "You'll be looking after an elderly lady. She lives close by. I'll help you out at first. Just call if there's anything you don't understand."
"Thank you so much. I'm as nervous as a schoolgirl."
"Don't worry. You have to start somewhere. Adriano, get the car ready!"
Nora and Lily drove to the employer's house. It was a grand two-story home with a magnificent terrace. Around it was a perfectly manicured lawn and a sea of flowers. The interior was just as beautiful as the outside.
In a large, airy living room sat a frail elderly woman in glasses. Standing beside her was a handsome, tall man.
"Good afternoon! This is the girl I told you about," Nora said.
"Pleasure to meet you. My name is Bernard, and this is my mother, Charlotte. Please, make yourselves comfortable. I'll show you to your room."
Nora went over to the master of the house and spoke with him for about fifteen minutes. Then she called Lily over.
"Charlotte gets around fine on her own, which is a big plus. But she needs help with the housework. You'll cook for her, clean, do the laundry, look after her garden, and keep her company. She likes listening to the morning papers, so you'll need to discuss the latest news with her."
"She lives in this big house all by herself?" Lily asked, looking around.
"Yes. Bernard will visit once a week. He'll bring groceries, check in, and leave money for incidentals. You'll be paid once a month. Overall, you can live here comfortably; room and board are provided." Nora paused and added, "Here, take this baby monitor. Whenever Charlotte needs you, she'll call, and you should go to her."
"Thank you for everything. I don't have much experience with this, and my Italian is still a bit rough. If you don't mind, I'll probably call you often for advice."
"Of course, I don't mind. Feed Charlotte three times a day. There's a list on the fridge of her approved foods and her medication schedule. But most importantly—no matter how much she begs—do not give her any chocolate. If you do, she won't sleep a wink all night." With those final instructions, Nora and Bernard left the house.
***
Once everyone had gone, Charlotte looked Lily up and down and wrinkled her nose.
"You're awfully thin. Were they starving you?"
"No. I just don't eat much."
But the old woman wasn't listening. She headed to the kitchen and started clattering dishes.
"Well, go on then, make me something to eat. I like it hot and spicy. And move it! My stomach thinks my throat's been cut. Do you want me to end up as skinny as you?"
Lily realized right then that the old lady wasn't exactly thrilled to have her there. This was going to be an uphill battle.
"I'm going to check the list of what you can and can't eat first. Only then will I cook something."
The old woman just huffed and walked away. Lily immediately called Nora to clarify the nuances of Italian cooking. Once she had the info, she started preparing the meal. When it was ready, she went into the living room and found Charlotte fast asleep.
"She looks so sweet when she's sleeping," Lily thought, tiptoeing out of the room. But the moment she sat down, the monitor in her pocket crackled to life.
"How much longer am I supposed to wait? Am I getting fed today or not?"
Lily hurried downstairs to find the old woman looking disgruntled.
"Please don't yell, Charlotte. I'm bringing it now. I thought you were asleep."
"Are you out of your mind? I'm not sleeping. I haven't slept in nights because of my insomnia. You just didn't want to feed me. I'm telling my son everything."
"That wasn't it at all." Lily handed her a plate of pasta.
"What are you giving this to me for? Feed me! It's too hard to do it myself. Can't you see that?"
Lily obediently followed the request. The woman smacked her lips loudly and went out of her way to spill food on her clothes.
From that moment on, Lily's trials truly began. The old woman was exceptionally difficult. According to her, the food Lily cooked was tasteless. Lily couldn't tell a story to save her life. She supposedly never cleaned, was starving her, and never read the news. This was exactly what she told her son every time he visited. She complained about the new caregiver, lamented her incompetence, and threw fits of anger.
"Yes, yes, Mom, I hear you. I'll definitely have a talk with Lily. Don't worry," Bernard would reply.
Knowing his mother's temperament, he would simply smile at the young woman who was working day and night.
"Fix this, son, please. I can't take this disrespect any longer."
Early every morning, Lily was jolted awake by a scream from the monitor.
"Are you still asleep? Get up! Enough lounging around. I'm hungry!"
"Good morning, Charlotte! I see you're in a wonderful mood today. Of course, I'll get right on it," Lily would reply, heading off to fulfill the old woman's demands.
And so, Lily spent her days on her feet. She cooked, cleaned, and tended to the garden. she had to water the flowers, till the soil, and prune the trees. In the mornings, she read the newspaper and discussed local news. Charlotte would complain about her life, her health, and the government. And just as Lily was ready to collapse from exhaustion in the evening, the old woman would inevitably need something else.
"She is so difficult," Lily thought to herself.
Furthermore, Lily caught the old woman in the kitchen multiple times. She would be rummaging through every jar, opening the fridge, and searching the shelves for chocolate.
"Where is my chocolate? Did you eat it all again? You're always eating my food. I'm going to tell my son how you're mistreating me."
The days turned into weeks. One day, Charlotte woke up early and announced that she would be having guests that evening.
"My friends are coming over tonight. Don't embarrass me. Clean the house. Fix dinner. And take good care of my guests," she said bossily, before starting to look for a nice outfit.
She reached up sharply for a hanger, there was a sudden clicking sound, and her body began to convulse. Foam appeared at her mouth.
"Oh my God! What happened?"
Lily was terrified. She immediately called Nora, and an ambulance was summoned. The old woman was rushed to the hospital. A few days later, Charlotte was brought back home.
"Don't panic. I spoke with the doctor," Nora told Lily. "Charlotte is very ill. Unfortunately, the prognosis isn't good. It's only going to get worse from here. Your job is to support her emotionally and try not to upset her."
"I understand. I'll do my best."
***
The next morning, Charlotte was uncharacteristically friendly. She was smiling.
"Thank you for your help. If it weren't for you, I'd be in the next world by now," she said, pausing before adding, "You're my tenth caregiver. No one ever stays long. I have a terrible temper, I know."
From that moment on, it was as if the old woman had been replaced. She stopped being capricious and stopped picking on Lily. She began to treat her like a close relative or a friend. In the mornings, they would drink tea with milk together and chat about the news.
When Bernard visited, he smiled, amazed by the change in his mother's behavior. One day, Charlotte called Lily over and said:
"I don't feel well. I know I don't have much time left. But I'd like to see my son happy. He's been married twice, but neither wife stuck around. I think you'd be perfect for him."
"Don't talk nonsense. You'll live for many more years. And your son will have plenty of chances to marry," the girl replied.
"You're not listening to me again. I see the way he looks at you. He really likes you. I want to die happy. Do me a favor—go on a date with him. I'll set it up."
And Charlotte kept her word. She arranged it with her son, and he invited Lily to a restaurant.
"I didn't mean for any of this to happen. Your mother insisted," Lily said, sitting across from Bernard at a beautiful white table.
"I know. But she's right. I really do like you. I see how well you treat my mother. You're a good, kind person. If you turn me down, I'll understand. But I'd love to have you by my side."
Lily didn't know what to say.
"Think it over. I'm not pressuring you. But the offer stands until you give me a final answer."
That evening, the young man drove her home and kissed her hand.
"Goodnight. I'll be eagerly awaiting your answer."
***
The next day, Lily thought long and hard. Bernard's words wouldn't leave her head. She desperately wanted to say yes, but she hesitated. The old woman noticed her anxiety.
"Don't be afraid, dear. My son is a good man. He won't hurt you. Now, hurry up and bring me my liqueur and a piece of chocolate. We need to celebrate your engagement."
"But nothing has happened yet! I haven't even answered your son's proposal," Lily said, surprised.
"Don't confuse me. I know it's settled. Fetch the liqueur and the chocolate. And don't give me a lecture. Don't tell me I can't have it. I'm celebrating. My heart is singing. Bring the chocolate, I said!"
Lily did as she was asked. The old woman savored the piece of chocolate, washing it down with liqueur. It was the last thing she ever ate. The next morning, Charlotte was gone. When Lily woke up, the old woman was no longer breathing. She immediately called Nora and Bernard, who arrived almost instantly.
"Oh, Bernard, it's my fault. She asked for chocolate yesterday. She was so happy for you. I didn't think it would do this." Bernard walked over and gave her a tight hug.
"No. It's not your fault. The chocolate had nothing to do with it. She must have felt the end was near. That's why she asked for the one thing she wasn't supposed to have."
"Poor Charlotte," Nora lamented.
***
Several weeks passed after the funeral. Lily moved into the big house with Bernard. She accepted his proposal and stayed in Italy for good.
Some time later, she became pregnant. Nine months after that, a little blonde girl was born. They named her Charlotte, after Bernard's mother. It was their way of honoring the memory of the difficult, yet very kind old woman who loved chocolate so much.
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