Community service sentence

Vanessa's mind raced when her lawyer approached her. Now her fate was to be decided. She was very anxious about it but still tried not to show her feelings, keeping her usual uppity look.

"Congratulations, Miss Sinclair, we won!" the lawyer, young woman in her late twenties, said excitingly. "Your sentence is just two years of community service. I can't believe we've reached the deal".

"So", rich lady looked at her lawyer incredulously, "What am I expected to do during the sentence"

"Honestly I don't know exactly, they said they'll appoint a counselor for you, who will give you tasks. But you will have to work no more than 8 hours per day and go home after that. You are also free to do whatever you like during the holidays except going abroad, and you will keep all your possessions. That's a really really nice outcome, better than we can imagine. The only thing you may not like..."

"What?" Vanessa asked petulantly.

"...They stressed that your working schedule may include manual labour, maybe even some dirty tasks. They said it's very important for your rehabilitation"

Snooty look on Vanessa's face turned into outright disdain.

"And you dare to call this outcome 'nice'? Who do you think I am? In my life, I didn't work a minute with my hands. Especially under the aithority of some lowly people, that's just plain ridiculous".

"Please Miss Sinclair, that's still way better than prison. And besides, you know that money do miracles. I'm pretty sure that you won't really have to work at all, for a small - for you - price", the lawyer smiled. Seeing that Vanessa calmed down a bit, she continued. "You actually have a choice, where would you like to work, in your own community, or elsewhere".

That made Vanessa think a little bit. Working in her own wealthy neighbourhood would mean humiliating herself in front of all the society she used to know, that would really be shameful. Besides it would be harder to get away with a bribe. So, she decided to choose the devil she didn't know.

"Great!" the lawyer exclaimed. "In a few days you will receive a call with all the instructions. I'm sure everything will be all right"

Two days after, the law enforcement agency called Vanessa and told her the address of the person which she would have to visit the next morning. No further details was given much to her displeasure.

Next day Vanessa woke up early and called her stylist. After carefully arranging her hair and making up her face she started to dress. Vanessa looked at her expansive wardrobe and decided to put on one of her best suits, a royal blue one with matching knee length tight skirt, everything made of finest cashmere wool. She also wore blue suede pumps with metallic bows and 4'' heels. With her professional makeup and hairdo, silvery platinum necklace and Swiss watch she looked really regal. Actually it was more or less her everyday look as she hated anything cheap or casual, feeling empowered only when dressed to the nines. Still, she wanted to look as imposing as possible when meeting with her so called counselor.

The wealthy brunette sat down in her Lexus and drove to the place where the meeting was arranged. Soon she entered the poverty-stricken area of the city with old decrepit buildings, waste scattered in the streets and other unpleasant sights. Vanessa thought she would have to arrange everything quickly just in order never to see all these areas again. She was pretty sure though that it wouldn't take long, these lowly trash or whoever awaited her would accept any reasonable sum for her to avoid actual work.

She stepped out of her expensive car near large residential block which looked as wretched as other buildings here. She entered the stairwell, full of disgusting stench of piss, and God knows what else. Vanessa came up to the second floor and pushed the rang the bell button with her manicured finger.

The scuffed old door opened up.