1.

Chapter One:

The door of an apartment opened and closed shut immediately. A small lady sneaked in and was making her way up the stairs when the lights suddenly came on.

 “Father!” the lady shrieked, crashing on the stairs in surprise and fear.

 A mid forties man, holding a belt was standing akimbo, down the stairs. “This is ten in the night!” He pointed at the clock. “What excuse do you have for me now, Arya? You have been partying again, haven’t you?”

Arya glanced at the clock and then back at her father, she rushed up the stairs, trying to get away from him. “I am sorry, I lost track of time.”

She watched her father’s face redden and sprinted to her room quickly. She heard his heavy footsteps behind her and slammed her door shut, locking it.

He would get to her by tomorrow and that belt would land heavily on her, giving her more scars. If she’s lucky, she could sneak out to school without him seeing her. So much for she being a nineteen year adult.

 Breathing in and out, she took out her ringing phone and placed it on her ears. Her voice came out in whispers. “Yes, yes, Anna. I’m home but dad saw me, I’d have to face him tomorrow.”

 “Oh no, you could have just stayed at my place.” Her sister, Anna, groaned.

 “Forget it, it would be worse if I sleep out and you know it.” Arya sighed. “Don’t worry, I’m used to this, and we have plans so I’d be free from this hellhole soon.”

There was a knock on the door just as her sister hung up the call. Arya inclined her ears to hear for the knock again.

 The only person who could be knocking would be her father? Her body went cold and shivers ran down her spine. He usually let her off the hook till the next morning. Couldn’t he wait or was he very mad?

 “Arya, don’t let me break this door! Open now, I have something important to tell you!”

 The door opened. He walked in but couldn’t find his daughter inside. He marched to the bathroom and found her standing besides it.

 “Dad, I swear I lost track of time!” Her voice was broken. “This is just the first time, it won’t happen again!” Arya pleaded.

Seeing her father without his belt, she inched closer. “You said you wanted to talk?”

 “Yes, and if this happen again, Arya, you’d be sleeping outside my house!” Her father pointed, before sitting on her bed.

Her breathing normalized and she sighed in relief, she crawled to her bedside and stood there, waiting for her father to speak.

 “I need $10,000 dollars asap.”

Arya had a scowl on her face but she masked it off and asked. “From me?”

Her father glared at her and she looked down. “But I really don’t know where to get such money now.”

Her flower shop hadn’t been doing very well lately. Even if it was in full bloom, to get $10,000 would take her months. Her published books were yet to make one sale, maybe science fiction really had no readers. And if she got another job at a café, she’d still need at least twelve months to get such amount. And why would he be purchasing expensive items when he had no money of his own?!

“Did you buy an item from a shop? Tell me where and I’d ask them to give me more time. I can’t afford it now.” She told her father.

 The man exhaled, burying his head in her hands. “This is exactly the reason I want to find a man and sell you to. You’re just a useless daughter feeding and eating in my house.”

Arya’s hands clenched. He was getting things all wrong, he was the one feeding and eating off her. And then emotionally, physically and mentally abuse her, but that’s would be changing by tomorrow.

“Just forget it.” Her father grumbled. “Why did I even expect from you? You only know how to cause trouble and sneak out at night.”

“Dad, $10,000 is too much.” She deadpanned. Her father narrowed his eyes at her.

“What do you need it for exactly?” she added.

His fists clenched. How dare she question him? He could ask and take whatever he wanted from her and not owe an explanation!

“None of your business. Just get it for me or else I’d arrange a man to be married off to a man and get the money myself.” He threatened, then stomped out of her room.

She slowly closed her door he left open. Her jaw clenched as many thoughts ran through her mind. Could he marry off to an old man? She was due to attend a summit by the next day that would change her life, him asking for such unrealistic amount of money was a distraction.

 She stomped her feet and fell on her bed. She needed her dad to give her a break this one time. She was very convinced he didn’t need the money for anything serious than going to a bar.

 Her phone rang while she was sprawled on the bed, she stretched her hands to reach it. “Yes?” She didn’t check who called.

“Arya?”

She rose from her bed when she heard his voice, that was her sister’s rich boyfriend calling her again.

“Sir, Damien, how are you doing? I’m back from Anna’s place, I didn’t meet you there.” Her voice was less bubbly than usual.

He noticed. “I wasn’t at Anna’s place. And are you alright? Did you have an issue with your dad again?”

“Apparently…” she thought on if she should rant about her father’s wrong doings, but it won’t be fair to spoil her father to her sister’s boyfriend, that was his potential father in-law.

“…I’m good. Don’t worry, Anna was talking about her roof leaking again.” She continued.

 “She should call a plumber. And are you sure you are alright, Arya? You don’t sound good.”

 Arya lifted from her bed, the phone still on her eyes. What did he mean her sister should call a plumber? He was an engineer and could easily help his girlfriend out.

 He never hesitated when she called him so why didn’t he want to help his girlfriend? Was there something she was missing?

“Arya, are you worried about the summit you will be attending for young engineers? Don’t worry, I am one of the speakers and it will be fun.”

She came back from her thoughts and nodded. “Sure, Sir Damien. I’d look forward to it.”

She hung up on him when her stomach growled, she needed to eat something as she didn’t have lunch.

Sir. Damien’s preferential treatment to her was beginning to worry her but she brushed it off as he was trying to win her over as he planned to propose to her elder sister soon.

Getting to the kitchen door, she heard familiar whispers in the living room. One belonged to her father and the other, her aunt Jenna. She rested on the door to hear what was being said.

 “I don’t still know where Anna is hiding but Arya is available.” Her father said.

Arya furrowed her brows. Available for what? Her elder sister ran away from home and she planned to do the same the next day.

“Arya would do.” Aunt Jenna said, “Lot’s of older men prefer young girls, though they’d prefer if they were less ambitious.”

Arya gasped. Where they really planning to marry her off? Her aunt always resented she and her sister, Arya wasn’t surprised she had such terrible plans for her.

“If Arya is tied to marriage, she’d forget about those nonsense dreams. She has to pay the debt her mother couldn’t pay, one of them have to.” Her father scoffed.

Arya left the door, confusion written on her face? Her marriage was a debt her mother couldn’t pay?

She rushed into her room when she heard her father coming to the kitchen. Was she going to be sold her to an old man?