Chapter 17: Budgetary Constraints
Loreen pressed 'send' before she could think.
"Ahh, why did I send it?!"
She was horrified when she realized she acted on impulse.
'Why did he have to send a message cussing me when I'm stressed over my limited budget?'
"Ugh, what did I just do?!" Loreen sighed. She replied without thinking.
Now Edric knew she could see his calls and messages.
Just a few seconds after that…
Bzzt…
Bzzt…
Bzzt…
Her phone kept vibrating.
Edric was calling her.
In annoyance, she pressed 'answer' and said, "I just said stop calling me! Submit the divorce papers already. Don't bother me anymore."
She then ended the call without listening to what he had to say.
He did not listen to her when she was trying to explain the last time they met. Why should she listen to him now?
'Humph. I don't talk to strangers,' she thought childishly.
Loreen switched off her phone and put it in her bag. She seriously needed a new phone and number.
She could not waste any of her energy in a fight. She would need it in going for a job hunt.
The weather was perfectly fine today too. The sun was bright, and the clouds were a clear blue. It was a waste to spend it fighting with someone.
She could use her time with a lot more meaningful and useful things.
Loreen checked out of the hotel and dropped by the mall for a new phone. Anything with the same functions was alright. She bought one for 20k and booked a plane ticket home for 80k.
Only 400k remained in her account now.
It was a long flight, but she used it to organize her resume and work history.
She was supposed to update it but there was nothing she could add since she was a housewife for three years.
'What should I do?'
Loreen sighed deeply and decided to catch up with sleep instead.
With the absence of work experience for three years and her lack of budget, she knew she would not survive in the overly competitive capital.
Thus, she decided to travel to her grannie's hometown since the expenses would be much lower as well compared to the capital city.
Hopefully she could start a new life there.
It was early morning the next day when she arrived at the airport. She took a shower there and had her meal.
Once the shops opened, she packed the phone Edric had given her along with the sim. She had it delivered to the house they once lived in.
Edric could check it as much as he wanted to find proof of her being a gold-digger and whatnot. She was confident since there was nothing of that sort.
'I guess this is goodbye to this bustling city,' Loreen closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
She then looked around at all the high-rise buildings before heading to the ticket booth for her granny's hometown.
She travelled by land this time. It would take longer than flying but it cost so much less. She had to conserve her remaining budget.
While on the way, she tried to find apartments for rent online.
Everything was available online these days so she knew she could try looking for one. She could even conserve her energy instead of going from one place to another.
She found a good place a few blocks away from her grandparents' former house.
'What?! Why is it so expensive?!'
Her eyes almost popped out when she checked the price. It was 30,000 per month and she needed to deposit 180,000 for six months of stay.
The landlord did not want to accept those who stay for less than six months.
'I should look for something cheaper.'
Loreen kept scrolling for hours for ones that were as good as the apartment she saw. But the others were even more expensive.
Those that were much cheaper were not in good condition or did not provide the basic amenities.
The cheapest ones did not have anything in them except for the bed and tables.
Meaning, she would have to buy and organize everything. She had no time for that since she needed to find work as soon as possible.
Moreover, it might cost more if she added up everything she would have to buy.
Likewise, she had been living in a small rundown apartment for years from high school to grad school. She did not feel like living in one again.
A good apartment was the least she could gift to herself for studying earnestly for years.
'Or did I simply live in luxury in that mansion that I could no longer stomach living more humbly?'
Loreen did not know which was it among the two, but she still decided to get the apartment near their old home.
She sent a message to the landlady.
***
I'm interested in this unit.
I would like to visit it in a few hours.
And if possible, I would like to move in immediately if the place is to my liking.
***
It was a fully furnished place so if it was truly as neat and ready as they had posted online, she could move in as soon as she wanted.
Staying at a hotel or inn would drain her budget even more so it was better to move in.
A few minutes later…
Ting!
She had a notification.
The landlady replied.
***
Thank you for taking an interest.
We look forward to your visit.
And yes, of course, you may move in immediately if you want. But please bring with you the deposit amount, your valid IDs, and documents needed for the lease of contract.
***
'Oh, that's great! I hope it looks good in person.'
But she would have to say goodbye to 180k.
'Waah! My money is flying,' she felt bad for her bank account that was constantly getting drained.
It was the most decent apartment with a more affordable price though. And she needed a place to stay as soon as possible.
Besides, all the basic amenities were already there. At least she would not have to buy everything. All she needed to bring was her personal stuff and food.