Chapter 3

Emma's eyes, red and swelled up from lack of sleep, fixed on the doctor as he delivered the devastating news. Her mind raced, trying to process the weight of his words. The machines surrounding her mother's frail body seemed to close in, their beeps and whirs a constant reminder of the ticking clock.

"Listen Doc. i truly understand and appreciate everything you have been doing for me but Please, Doctor, just give me today," Emma pleaded, her voice barely above a whisper. "I'll bring the money tomorrow morning."

The doctor's expression softened, and he nodded. "Fine, but I must warn you, Emma, time is running out, I am doing everything I can because I know you don't have anywhere to run to but I hope you meet someone who will truly and genuinely help you."

As the doctor rushed out of the room, Emma's gaze followed him, her eyes locking onto the tall, imposing figure standing beside him. Robert, the man who the nurse rushed in because he arrived, heavens truly blesses some people.

With a deep breath, Emma stepped out of the ward room, closing the door behind her. The bright morning light hit her like a slap in the face, forcing her to squint. She wiped away tears, her eyes scanning the floor as she walked away from the hospital room.

Suddenly, a collision knocked her off balance. Papers scattered across the floor as a stranger apologised profusely. Emma's gaze remained fixed on the ground, her mind still reeling from the doctor's words. She handed the papers back to the stranger without looking up, her head covered with a face cap and she wore a black hoodie.

"Sorry, Miss..." he called out to her as she walked away, but Emma didn't flinch. Her hand dipped into the pocket of her hoodie, because that was what she needed at that time, to breathe and walked away.

As she walked, the hospital's corridors blurred together. Emma's thoughts swirled, desperate for a solution. She couldn't lose her mother, not now, not ever.

The sound of footsteps of the strangers walking echoed behind her, but Emma didn't turn back,nor look behind her. She walked pass the hospitals, the cafe and the libary, embracing the cool morning air like a lifeline.

With each step, Emma's determination grew. She would find a way to save her mother, no matter the cost. The city streets became a blur as she walked, her eyes fixed on some point in the distance, her heart heavy with the weight of her world.

As Emma stepped into their humble abode, the stark reality hit her like a ton of bricks. The empty space, devoid of even the most basic furnishings, seemed to mock her. She sank to the floor, surrounded by nothingness, and let out a despairing sigh, no chairs, no tables, no foods in the house only mat.

"How can we continue like this?" she whispered to herself, her voice cracking with emotion. "It's so unfair, how I wish my dad didn't die, how I wish that he was still alive by now." Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes, and she didn't try to hold them back. They streamed down her face, hot and relentless, as she rocked back and forth.

Her breathing came in ragged gasps, her chest heaving with sobs. She wrapped her arms around herself, as if trying to hold together the shattered pieces of her life. Her eyes, red and puffy, seemed to burn with a fierce determination.

With a sudden, violent motion, Emma struck her chest with her fist. "I must succeed," she whispered, her voice hoarse from crying. "I have to do everything in my power to change our circumstances, even It costs me my dignity, I am ready to do it." She hit her chest again, as if trying to drum up the courage to face the challenges ahead.

As she cried, Emma's body shook, her shoulders trembling with each sob. Her hair, once neatly styled, now hung in tangled locks around her face. Her eyes, once bright and full of hope, now seemed dull and lifeless.

But even in the midst of such despair, a spark within Emma refused to be extinguished. She thought of her mother, lying in the hospital bed, and her determination grew. She would not give up. She would fight for a better life, no matter the cost.

With a newfound sense of resolve, Emma slowly got to her feet. She wiped her tears away, her eyes blazing with a fierce inner light. She took a deep breath, and then another, her shoulders squaring as she faced the empty room.

"I will do this," she whispered, her voice firm. "I must get the money and pay my mothers bill and after that, I must succeed and take risks, no matter what it takes." And with that, Emma began to pace, her mind racing with plans and schemes, her heart burning with a fierce determination to change their fate.

And with that she picked up her little phone and called Natalie.

Her eyes locked onto the phone as Natalie's voice filled the line. "Hey, girl, how's your mother doing?" Natalie asked, concern etched in her tone.

Emma nodded, despite knowing Natalie couldn't see her. "She's fine...i guess just for now,I am not sure about tonight but I left her alive at the hospital" Emma replied, her voice trembling. "But that's not why I called."

Natalie's curiosity was piqued. "Why did you call, then?"

Emma paused, wiping away tears with the back of her hand. Her eyes flashed with a mix of desperation and determination. "I'm in," she said, her voice low and resolute.

Natalie's confusion was palpable. "In what?"

Emma took a deep breath, the words tumbling out like a confession. "I'm going to join you girls...as a stripper."

The line went silent, as if the words had sucked the air out of the room. Emma's eyes gleamed with a fierce intensity, her jaw set in a firm line. She felt a shiver run down her spine as she unleashed this darker side of herself, willing to do whatever it took to save her mother.

Natalie's voice was barely above a whisper. "Emma, are you sure about this? You're Not the type to put on revealing clothes. Emma a lot of men will touch you and you can't be mad about it, a lot of men will hit you with money on your private parts which you are going to show to the public and you can't fight about it” she said 

But Emma didn't respond, tears streamed down her face again as Natalie warned her. She simply ended the call, the phone slipping from her fingers like a lifeline cut loose. And then, like a storm unleashed, Emma's emotions erupted. She felt a primal scream building inside her, a raw, animalistic cry of desperation and fear. Her body began to shake, her fists clenched at her sides as she let out a strangled sob.

The room around her blurred, becoming a dark, swirling vortex of uncertainty. But Emma stood tall, her heart pounding in her chest like a drum. She knew she had crossed a line, embracing a shadowy part of herself to survive.

The question was, would she ever find her way back?