Chapter one - Tied to a chair

Emiliana pov

I move quickly down the stairs, stopping in my tracks, when I spot my parents tied to separate chairs, with their backs towards me.

Did mom and dad mention anything about acting a drama to stop me from leaving today, I ask staring confusedly at the sight, it looks like they overdid themselves this time.

“No miss Emiliana, she looks more confused also, I just came in this morning , I took over from Rose, says the maid as she hurriedly makes her way towards them.

My eyes meet with a horrible sight, and I quickly avert them to look at the maid who also has a look of shock display, on her face.

I see my parents tied to chairs, placed in the center of the sitting room, with swollen eyes, torn night wears, bruises and open wounds on their skin with blood seeping through them, I fall to the ground, with screams erupting from my throat, red eyes with tears brimming in them, and head already banging like it’s about to explode.

“ The ambulance better be on their way already ” I shout, running towards them, removing my shoes and lab coat, I immediately start loosening the tight ropes tied around them. Freeing them, I check to feel their pulses, still crying profusely.

“Mummy, Daddy please wake up!!” I cry aloud, with snort leaking through my nose, while shaking their shoulders.“ Miss Emily are they alive?” asks the maid. With so much show of anger in my voice and on my face, coupled with messed up hair and ruined makeup, I look her in the face, pronouncing each word slowly, “ the ambulance better be here soon”

I shift my focus back to my unconscious parents, with more tears in my eyes, moving them from the seat to the floor, to cradle them towards myself , covering my white shirt in so much blood in the process.

I am exhausted from all the crying and I whisper to myself “it’s going to be okay Emiliana”. I once more pull my parents closer to myself, noticing a well folded paper on the floor, I extend my hands towards it, picking it up, I examine it closely and decide to open it. Opening it up, I am welcomed by sentences written in bold letters which reads “ I want my money back”

I immediately fold the paper roughly, and put it into my pants pocket, as two ambulance makes it to us. They work fast, as they place my parents in separate ambulance’s.

I immediately got into the one with my father, and instruct the maid to ride in the one tagging along with my mother inside it.

My father is stabilized when we get to the hospital, as his injuries aren’t severe as compared to my mother’s injury. I sit in the waiting room of the hospital, also standing to walk around at intervals to calm my nerves.

With dried tears streaks on my face, and a shirt reeking of the metallic smell of blood, I insert my shaky fingers into my pocket to retrieve the now rough note. I stare at the note in my hand for hours in confusion. Who do my parents owe? Why did they borrow, how much money did they owe? Who are the debtors? Why did they have to go this far? What did my parents get themselves into? These are the questions I am repeatedly asking myself.

The doctor approaches me, pulling me out of my thoughts which is driving me crazy.I stand together with the maid beside me, as he stands in front of us.

How are my parents? I look at my fingers, anxiety running through my veins.

“ your father will be fine miss Emiliana, he had a lot of injuries on his head, face, abdomen and legs. He also bled a lot, but it’s nothing to worry about, as we put him on blood transfusion and some pain medications. Are you the only family member of your parents, is there someone else I can talk to, ” says the doctor looking at me with concern and pity on his face.

Is there any problem sir? I say to him with fear in my eyes.

“ unfortunately your mother didn’t make it miss, her injuries where far severe. while operating on her, she went into hypovolemic shock and we lost her, I am sorry for your loss ” says the doctor looking very sad.

I immediately fall to the ground with unshed tears in my eyes, unable to cry. Whereas my maid sits on the floor crying her eyes out.

I immediately scream “ mummy why did you have to leave me now “shocking my maid and attracting the attention of people in the waiting room.

Doctor can I see my father? I say immediately shocking everyone. “ yes you can he should be awake already, currently in room 207, contact the nurses if any issue pops up” he gives me a reassuring smile.

Seeing my father in this position, after loosing my mother fills my eyes with more tears, he is wrapped in a green hospital gown, with bandages wrapped around his body, machines attached to him reading his vital signs, and a drip hanging from a drip stand attached to him. I sit on the couch next to him prepared to ask him questions.

“Emiliana” I hear his voice which sounds very weak. “ Your mother didn’t make it did she?” I say nothing but shed more tears. I think he got his answer because he also cries with me despite the pain he is in, and this breaks my heart even more.

“ I shouldn’t have done it again Emiliana, I promised her, now I have killed her.” “Daddy what are you talking about, you didn’t kill mom, we should report the perpetrators instead to the police” I say with pain in my voice.

“ We are never doing that. "Emiliana I promised your mother to quit gambling, which I did however I needed money to fund the business which was on the verge of bankruptcy, thinking I would make profits within ten years to pay back, but the business still isn’t doing well. David morano the man who lent me the money needs it back.”