Chapter Text
A six year old redhead and a four year old hazel-eyed brunette are running around in a field, hand-in-hand. The brunette breaks away and the redhead lets her run ahead of her for a few seconds before the taller girl runs after her. The younger girl suddenly stops in the middle of the field and crouches. The older girl stops running and places a hand on the smaller girls shoulder.
“What do you have there?”
The hazel-eyed girl starts to turn around and suddenly, all colors start blending together.
The barn door was ajar. Sounds of children laughing waft through the open door. A short haired woman and her husband peek in. The man raises his finger to his lips in a sign that they should just watch and keep quiet. They smile when they see the two girls that they've been looking for all afternoon, were laughing and giggling as the two kids were so wet from trying to wash the herbs that were gathered earlier.
"My dad will need these soon." Said the redheaded girl as a big splash of water ended up on her face.
"Faster!" Exclaimed the shorter brunette as she tried to scoop damp basil leaves with her little hands very carefully. The younger girl started walking slowly to one of the buckets but ended up slipping.
"Aaaah! Help!"
The taller one ran towards the other girl and then everything started wobbling, then blended together.
Two children were picking berries and eating most of them instead of putting them in the container. A portly, blonde man, sporting a full beard, wearing a white chef's uniform, comes out and sees the two children, face dirty and sticky from eating so much berries. Hearing their laughter, he shook his head and smiled as he walked towards them. He swung his kitchen towel over his shoulder and placed both of his hands on his hips. The taller among the two kids felt like someone was looking at them. Her eyes go wide as she sees her father watching them. She scrambled to put the berries she was about to eat, inside the bucket, then grabs the younger girls arm to stop her from throwing a few berries inside her own mouth. The brunette frowned and then her eyes went wide when she saw the portly man crouch down beside them, reached into the bucket, then ate a few berries, too. Everything faded into black as an alarm blared off.
Nicole wakes up with a start.
"That is the most obnoxious phone alarm sound in the world." Nicole groaned. "Shae!" She screamed in complete annoyance.
She switched off her phone alarm, stretched, rolled off the bed, and stretched again. She heads straight to the bathroom for a shower and then goes down to the kitchen for breakfast. Shae was already there, typing something on her laptop and hands Nicole their mail and her empty cup as the redhead passed her by.
"Coffee. Get me some." The other woman demanded. "Did I hear you shout for me earlier? You know I don't do well with people shouting for me. You're an adult, Nicole. If you need something, talk to me properly." The tall brunette snapped at the redhead.
"And you know how I hate it when I shout first thing in the morning. You fucked with my phone alarm again, Shae. You know I hate that. Stop. Changing. My. Phone. Alarm." Nicole said furiously.
The other woman just rolled her eyes and refused to acknowledge what her fiancé said.
"Champ Hardy is arriving later. Don't forget, okay. You need to make a great impression. God knows we need his money."
Nicole who was turned away from the other woman didn't answer. She was staring at one specific white envelope that she placed on the counter while waiting for their espresso machine to finish pouring out coffee.
"Hey!" Shae said loudly. "Are you even listening? I said, we need his money." She waited for a couple of seconds then spoke a lot louder. "Hey! Nicole! What's wrong with you? Do you want to reschedule? We can."
Nicole pocketed the white envelope, poured coffee in a travel mug, and handed Shae's filled coffee cup to her.
"There's no need for that. My team is ready." Nicole got her car key from the hook and left Shae in the kitchen.
As usual, Nicole arrived in her restaurant, The Rally, first. She always arrives first. She likes to relish in the quiet before they open. This time though, she went straight to her office, took out the envelope, placed it on top of her table, and stared at it again. The envelope said it was from Crofte and Beacon Law which is based in Purgatory.
"Why is a law firm based in Purgatory sending me letters?" Nicole wondered. She glanced at her wall clock and realized that her kitchen staff will be arriving in an hour. She ran a hand through her hair, grabbed the envelope, and tore it open.
"Shit."
- - - - - - - - - -
The front door slammed shut and Elizabeth Haught's pleading and wailing finally stopped. A few moments later, the redhaired woman entered the nursery. She picked up her baby girl, who looked nothing like her no good drunk of a father, and everything like her mother, down to the red hair and pale skin. Maybe it's because Nicholas Haught isn't the baby's father. Elizabeth knows for sure that it's not him, but the traveling chef that stayed in their town for several months as he helped open a restaurant about a year and a half ago. Elizabeth picked up Nicole and started weeping as she hugged her.
"We're leaving, my love. Nicholas will never find us and he will never be able to hurt us again."
Elizabeth checked the time. It's ten in the morning, Nicholas will be back in the afternoon after a whole day of drinking. She needs to act fast. She went and packed all of their belongings and stored everything in the trunk of her car. Next, she picked up the sleeping baby, packed her baby bag, making sure she had enough formula and distilled water, as well as a few changes of clothes and diapers to last Nicole during their week long drive to Purgatory. She passed through the kitchen to grab the biscuit can where she stored all of her money and a brand new phone. She hurried to her car, strapped Nicole in her car seat, slid into the driver's seat and left. She threw her mobile phone over the first bridge that she passed and sped away without looking back, not even once.
- - - - - - - - - -
Elizabeth and Randy Nedley met while the woman was eating a late lunch in the diner beside the new restaurant that was being built. She was in between doing errands and a sleek and confident Randy Nedley just dropped in the chair across from her. Introductions were made, and the rest was history.
"Where are you from, Randy? And what are you doing here?"
"I'm from a town called Purgatory. It's very far from here. About a week's drive up north. I'm here to help a friend of mine open his new restaurant next door. I'm a chef and I developed the full menu. I'm going to start training his staff in a month's time and stay on for a few more months before I head back."
"Do you have a restaurant back home?"
"Not yet. Purgatory is my hometown and I left for a few years. I just got back and I'm going to build it on my family's land." Randy answered proudly. "I'm going to call it The Origin… Or maybe, The Foundation? Hmm… I'm still working on the name." He said sheepishly.
"Is it just you and your friend here?"
Randy smirked. "If you're asking if my wife or girlfriend is with me… No. My wife passed away giving birth to our child." Randy said a little quietly as he pulled up his phone and showed a photo of his daughter. "Her name is Chrissy. She's five months."
"She's beautiful." Elizabeth replied just as quietly. "Where is she? Is she here with you?"
"Oh, no. I left her in Purgatory with a friend of mine and her husband. They volunteered to take care of her while I was doing this stint. I couldn't turn it down. The pay is too good. It would help us so much with my own restaurant.
Elizabeth reached out to grab Randy's phone, her dress sleeve rolled up and Randy's eyes trailed the bruises along Elizabeth's arm. He gently held Elizabeth's arm and rolled up her sleeves more.
"These look like…" He leaned in and then frowned. "Who did this to you." He asked.
Elizabeth shook her arm free, pulled her sleeves back down, and hurriedly answered. "No one. I'm just… I'm clumsy."
"Elizabeth…".
"Please, Randy. Let it go." She stood up and walked straight to the cashier, paid for her meal, and then left.
A few moments later, Olive Tate, the proprietor of the diner appraoched him. "You two looked like you had a lot to talk about."
"Uh… Yeah. I'm new here and…"
"Hush, boy. I don't need your excuses. I'm just glad to see her laugh again. Been so long… That no good husband of hers is the town drunk." Olive shook her head. "Elizabeth is such a sweet thing. She's so polite and kind, very refreshing compared to everyone else here. I will never understand how she ended up with that Nicholas Haught." Olive crossed her arms together. "She used to be full of life, you know? But after the accident resulting to Nicholas losing his job, the shine left Elizabeth's eyes, too. And she's been wearing those god-awful long sleeved tops and turtlenecks even when it's summer! I know that Nicholas is hitting her… I just have no proof yet."
"Mama! Stop bothering the customers!" Herman, Olive's son called out from the window as he rang the bell.
"Order's up!" Hetty, Herman's twin sister scooped up the plate and brought it to Randy.
"I didn’t order this."
"It's on the house. Please accept this as an apology for my mama's intrusiveness."
"Now, hold on now. I was just educating this man about…".
"About Elizabeth Haught, mama. We know." Hetty rolled her eyes good naturedly at her mother.
"I can't help it, Hetty! I worry for that woman."
"Go on now, eat it while it's still hot." Hetty spun around and stood behind the counter as she refilled an empty coffee cup of a customer.
From then on, Elizabeth and Randy met up for lunch at Tate's Diner or elsewhere every day. Randy would even accompany her from time to time to do her errands, until one day, Nicholas called Elizabeth on her phone as she and Randy were having lunch. He told her that he was leaving for a week long fishing trip with his buddies. Right after lunch, Randy drove Elizabeth to her home and helped her pack clothes to last her for a week. They stayed together in Randy's leased apartment and played the happy husband and wife the entire week.
"You're leaving soon." Elizabeth whispered as they were cuddling one night.
"Yeah… In three weeks."
Elizabeth turned in the bed and hugged the man tightly and the two cherished the remaining time they had together.
- - - - - - - - - -
Elizabeth finally saw the 'Welcome to Purgatory, you'll never want to leave' town sign and she finally let herself weep as a sense of safety finally washed over her.
After seven days of driving, staying in seedy motels with her baby, barely eating much to ensure that her money would last until they reached Purgatory, she felt so exhausted and happy at the same time, so she let herself weep. And weep she did as she looked for Randy's place, stopping twice to ask around and probably scaring the two townspeople she spoke to.
She turned right into a long dirt road. A few minutes later, she was greeted by a wood bridge and an arch that had NEDLEY carved into it. She crossed the bridge, passed under the arch and drove towards the largest building in the middle of the vast land.
Elizabeth parked her car and looked out of her window and at the huge ranch style… Building. "It's a building, not a house." Elizabeth laughed to herself. She switched off the engine, took Nicole with her, walked up the steps, and was about to knock when the door suddenly opened and Randy appeared right in front of her.
"Elizabeth?" Randy asked in complete shock.
"Hi, Randy."
"Come in! Come in!" The man ushered her inside immediately. "What are you doing here? And… Who is this beautiful child?" He cooed at the baby.
"Her name is Nicole and…" Elizabeth swallowed hard as understanding dawned on Randy's face.
"She's mine?" He asked.
"Yes, she's yours." Elizabeth nodded.
"May I?" Randy asked and Elizabeth gave Nicole to him. "Hello, beautiful. I'm your daddy. My name is Randy and I love you so much already." He smelled her head. "You have an older sister. Her name is Chrissy. You'll meet her later, okay?"
He then looked at Elizabeth. "Nicholas?"
"We left him. I couldn't take his beatings anymore." Elizabeth cried. Randy rushed over to her and enveloped her in a one arm hug.
"Shh… Shh… You're here now. You're safe now. He won't be able to hurt you here." He held Elizabeth until her cries subsided.
"Does he know about Nicole?"
Elizabeth shook her head. "No, hence her name."
"Are you… Will you both… Will you both like to stay here with me and Chrissy? You can stay for as long or for as short as you like."
Elizabeth nodded right away.
"Nicole can stay with Chrissy first in her room. There's a bassinet there that Nicole can use until she gets her own crib, which we can buy tomorrow. As for you, I can prepare a room for…"
Elizabeth shook her head and hugged Randy. "Can I please stay with you? Even just for tonight?"
"Of course, my darling. For as long as you’d like."
- - - - - - - - - -
At six years old, Nicole Haught experienced her very first heart ache. It has been an unusually hot week and Elizabeth has been working the fields, helping out in planting fruits and vegetables as well as the bushes, harvesting berries so she could turn them into jam.
Working out in the fields for four days has taken its toll on her, so she decided to rest under the apple tree. She never woke up. She was found peacefully sleeping when Curtis stumbled upon her.
Randy was never the same again. He has lost two wives and was left with Nicole and Chrissy.
A few months later, Elizabeth's mother appeared on their doorstep. She came to take Nicole away because she could clearly see that the man can't take care of himself let alone her granddaughter. As she was packing Nicole’s things, she saw Chrissy hugging her sister as tears were flowing from the blonde girl’s eyes. That was when she decided to take both children with her. Randy didn't put up much of a fight. In fact, he didn't even bat an eyelash as Leonor lugged Chrissy and Nicole's suitcases to her car. He didn't even stand outside as the car drove away, taking his two daughters with it.
With Leonor's support, Nicole and Chrissy grew up to be amazing women. Chrissy is a hot shot lawyer in the city while Nicole owns a well-known restaurant in the middle of the business district. Shae Pressman, her fiancé, helps her with the day to day as she is the book keeper and in charge of the front of the house.
Nicole reads the letter again from start to finish a few more times and buried her head in her hands.
"Shit! I can't believe this!" She pocketed the letter and pushed herself up from the chair. She rolled her shoulders followed by her neck, then went out of her office to start the pre-prep for the day.
- - - - - - - - - -
Nicole was on fire that night. She even thinks this is the best night of cooking she's had in a long while. She was garnishing three plates when the kitchen swing doors suddenly opened with a bang. In her surprise, her hand swiped everything off on one of the plates and the food ended up on the floor.
"What the fuck?!" She whisper shouted as she stood up straight to look at whatever the commotion was.
They heard a boisterous laugh first, followed by a very strong smell of men's body spray, then in came Champ Hardy with a skanky blonde hanging from his arm. He was so loud. Commenting on every equipment that he could see, as if he even knew what they were. He was clearly trying to impress the woman that came in with him. Then he stood right in front of Nicole and her team.
"Who the fuck are you and what are you doing in my kitchen?"
"Excuse me?" Nicole answered, taken aback.
"Are you dumb or something? I said, who the fuck…"
"I heard you the first time." Nicole held a hand up towards his face to stop him.
Shae suddenly appeared at the door, looking a bit nervous. "Uh… What's happening here?" She asked.
Champ looked at Shae. "I didn't know the kitchen is staffed with women. They must go when I buy this place." He waved his hand towards Nicole and Rosita, Nicole's sous chef.
"Excuse me?!" Nicole pounded her fist on the steel table in front of her.
Shae hurried over to Champ. "Actually, she is our executive chef and the owner of this establishment, Nicole Haught." Shae gestured towards Nicole. "She's been featured in numerous magazines, sites… She's received so much accolades…"
"No wonder this restaurant is in dire need of funding. Women are in charge here." He huffed. "No matter. Once I buy this, I want her out. I don't work well with women. They are so… Needy. Clingy." He shuddered.
Nicole picked up the fish from the plate with her hand and flung it at Champ. "You fucking piece of shit! How dare you walk in my kitchen and disrespect me and my staff?" She grabbed the other plate and scooped up what’s on it and flung it to Champ again.
"You enter my kitchen, pretending you know shit about the equipment here, when the truth of the matter is, nothing you said to her earlier made sense! You are a fucking piece of joke!" Nicole wound her hand and threw the plate at Champ who was already scurrying out the door.
Shae stood in the middle of the kitchen, completely shocked. "What the fuck was that, Nicole?"
"A fucking sexist piece of shit enters and causes havoc in my kitchen and you're mad at ME? That idiot was insulting me and Rosita! Hell, you’re a woman, Shae. He was also insulting you!"
"I told you that we needed his money! That right there is nine million dollars, running out of the door with him!"
"I still don't understand why we need funding! We're killing it every night! We don't need him!"
Shae paled a little as she scrambled for words to say. "We need the money because… Because… Because we want to expand, right? It's better to get investors who will spend their money instead of yours. Don't question me about this, Nicole. I know what I'm doing." Shae turned in her heel and walked out of the kitchen.
Nicole was gripping the stainless steel table. Her stomach felt very uneasy. She knows that there's something wrong but can’t put a finger on it.
- - - - - - - - - -
That night, as Nicole was lying in her bed, alone, she video called Chrissy. Her sister answered after two rings.
"I heard you went berserk on Champ Hardy earlier today."
"Hello to you, too! And how the hell do you even know that."
"Your oh-so lovely fiancé called me up screaming. I swear, the audacity of that woman! And my poor eardrums. She wants me to convince you to grovel at Champ Hardy’s feet. That is NOT going to happen.” Chrissy rolled her eyes.
Nicole waved a hand to dismiss the whole issue. “That's not even the reason why I called. I received a letter from Crofte and Beacon Law."
"Why do they sound familiar?" Chrissy looked up as she thought.
"They're based in Purgatory."
"Oh, yeah!" Chrissy said in recognition then her face changed quickly to looking horrified. "Oh, shit. Does this mean you got the letter - letter?”
Nicole held up the letter and showed it to Chrissy. "If you mean the one where dad apparently left me the whole Nedley estate in Purgatory? That one?"
"Yes! That's the one."
"What the hell is this, Chris?"
"As it says in the letter. Dad left you the Nedley estate."
"But, why me? I haven’t set foot in that place since grammie took us away. You have, so why not you?"
"You know that I don't cook, Nic. It makes so much more sense that the estate goes to you."
"But, what if you want to move back to Purgatory?"
"Then build me a house on our land." Chrissy shrugged. "Look, just check it out. It's all nature and fresh air. And while you're at it, check out The Place, too. It would do you a world of good to be far, far away from Shae's clutches. If you don't like it, you can always sell it."
"Doesn’t it make you roll your eyes that dad never found a name for the restaurant there? He just kept calling it The Place, and it stuck." Nicole wondered out loud.
"Eh. Whatever. It never bothered me. Anyway, are you going?"
"I'll think about it…" Nicole said tentatively, then her phone beeped. Nicole groaned. "Shit!! Shit. Shit. Shit!!"
“Shae?”
Nicole just shut her eyes tight and groaned in response.
Chrissy rolled her eyes. "At this point, I don't even understand why you're still with her." She shook her head. "Anyway, let me know what you decide on! I love you, sis!"
"I love you, too!" Nicole hit end and then accepted Shae's call.
“What do you want, Shae?”
"What do I want? What do I want? Have you gone crazy, Nicole? We need Hardy's money! That was going to build us the restaurant that you've always wanted! But no, now that Champ is so pissed at you, we have nothing! Nada. No-thing!"
"You know what, Shae? I'm so sick and tired of you blaming all of this on me! He's an asshole! He deserved what I did to him and so much more! You know what, I don't have to keep talking to you about this. I refuse to keep talking about this. I'm taking some time off. I'm leaving tomorrow. I already informed my team and they know what to do. Good night, Shae."
“Leaving?! What are you talking about?! Nicole! Nicole! Don’t you dare put…”
Nicole ended the call and immediately called her apartment building's reception, informing them not to let anyone in tonight. Not even Shae. Next, she messaged her team in their messaging group, informing them that she's taking some time off. Rosita, Dolls, and Jeremy were all very supportive.
"You're in charge, Rosie. Don't let anyone go inside my office. I'm headed over to The Rally right now to get a few things then locking it up."
"Not even Shae?"
"Especially not her."