Chapter 1

The warm breeze of the summer night hit my face, flipping my hair in various directions as I walked home. 

My fourth shift of the day just ended and it was a quarter past ten. I was beyond exhausted and that was no surprise considering I currently had four part-time jobs that I was juggling in a day. It was extremely hard to make ends meet, and even harder being an orphan. 

My total pay from the four part-time jobs I was doing was not even near enough to cover all the bills. 

It had been months since we turned on the heater in the apartment, because I was unable to pay the bills, luckily for us, it was summer, but I would have to work extra hard to pay the heating bills because summer was almost over. 

I needed to find more jobs.

Better paying ones.

Not that I had vast options though.

My highest academic qualification was my high school diploma.

My phone dinged, indicating a text notification.

I swiped out my phone from my worn-out purse, and my older sister, Diane's name displayed on the screen.

  *Why is there no milk left?*

"Sorry, I forgot. I'd buy a carton on my way back. " I quickly typed my reply and locked my phone.

I released a sigh and put the phone back in my purse.

My sister, Diane is three years older than me and has been my only family since my parents passed away. Despite her being the eldest, I was the breadwinner and paid all the bills in the house, even the feeding.

But I was not complaining. It might feel exhausting and suffocating at times, but I was doing it out of love. She is my only family and I don't want her lacking and I would do anything to satisfy her.

That was why when she was diagnosed with liver cancer a year ago, I lost it.

I felt that unexplainable and almost unbearable pain again. Like I did when our parents died.

The thought of my sister dying and leaving me all alone scared me shitless, and I could feel the darkness everywhere I went.

It was hell for me watching her fighting for her life on that hospital bed. Becoming more pale and frail every single day.

The doctor had said a liver transplant was the only solution, and putting her on a waiting list was like playing an uncertain game, she didn't have much time and no donor was forthcoming.

To push her up the list, the hospital bills read one million dollars. 

We were feeding from hand to mouth, there was no way in heaven and on earth I was going to get a million dollars.

Even though the thoughts came, to go see my former business partner downtown.

But I quickly pushed those thoughts away.

I had left that life in my past.

No matter what, I wasn't going back to dealing drugs.

So filled with desperation, I opted for another option.

Loan sharks.

I knew the consequences of borrowing money from them because I had heard stories but I didn't care.

My sister, the only family left for me, was dying and I wasn't going to continue watching her helplessly.

So I borrowed the money from them.

That was four months ago, my sister's transplant surgery was successful and she has fully recovered.

But I was yet to pay back the money.

I should have known there was no way I would pay back one million dollars with my petty jobs that barely fed us.

I wouldn't know though, I wasn't really thinking when I borrowed the money.

The mini-mart I regularly stopped by was around the corner, so I turned to head there. I needed to buy the milk my sister asked for.

I was about to place my hand on the handle of the revolving door of the mini-mart when I noticed the shadows behind me.

I frowned and looked properly, they were shadows of three hefty men.

I whipped my head instinctively to look behind and I saw them.

Two of them were familiar faces, only the one in the middle with an average height, I had never met before.

"Hello, sugar." One of the familiar faces greeted, flashing his black and brown dentition, which was probably a result of too much tobacco consumption.

"Miss us?" The unfamiliar one added.

"Let us take this to a more quiet and private place, shall we?" The first man who greeted me said.

I slowly let go of the door handle and followed them.

There was no point disagreeing with them or trying to run away.

Number one, they could end me there at that moment, and nobody would bat an eyelid. I knew this because I'd heard stories.

Number two, they didn't even need to run to outrun and catch up with me.

Number three, they were my creditors. 

The heftier and scarier-looking one, obviously their leader, stopped at a dark alley behind a bar, with a stench odor of beer and puke filling the air.

"So pretty girl, where is our money?" Their leader spoke to me for the first time that night.

"I... I...I promise...I promise to get it. I swear I'm not trying to run away with your money. I would pay you back in full. I swear." I replied with my voice shaky and my body visibly trembling.

"Pretty girl. I didn't ask when you'll pay back. The question was, where is our money?!"  He raised his voice this time, making me whimper in fear.

"You owe me ten million dollars. Ten fucking million dollars! Nobody, I repeat nobody, has ever not paid me back my money. If you don't pay in cash, you would surely pay in kind." The leader said, putting a knife to my throat this time.

"Now listen..." He continued. "One week. I give your pretty ass one more week to bring me my ten million or else you'd have to pay back with your body. I have some buyers who are ready to pay a fortune for a pretty girl like you. Just one week."

With that, he left with gang and I slumped to the ground, gasping for breath, with tears rolling down my face uncontrollably.

When I got home, it was already past midnight and Diane was on our old couch munching chips and watching TV.

"Where the hell have you been?!" She yelled immediately I hung my purse on the door.

"I was at the mini-mart. Sorry." I replied tiredly, my voice croaky.

"Mini Mart my ass. Did you go invent the... Why the fuck do you reek of beer and puke?!" Diane yelled again, holding her nose.

I held a piece of my t-shirt sniffing it, and I realized she was right. The horrible smell of that alley must have rubbed off me.

"Did you go to the bar? You fucking boys now??" 

I visibly flinched at her ridiculous accusation.

I opened the refrigerator and placed the carton of milk inside. 

I was too tired and weak to exchange words with her that night, I had had enough of the night.

"Goodnight Diane." I weakly said and headed to our small room.

"Yeah, ignore me. Keep ignoring me, you little brat!" Was her reply.

When I laid down on the bed that night, after taking a thorough shower, the scary bloodshot eyes of my creditors were the last I saw before I drifted into sleep.