A Huge Debt

Cassie didn't see the slap coming. She felt the force push her backwards and her face twisted in agony as she struggled to keep her balance.

“You do not reply to me with questions bitch!”. The man who had just delivered the hot slap didn't even look like he had just hurt her. He had a satisfied smirk on his face. 

“Enough! Bring her to me!” a loud voice commanded from the other side of the room.

Cassie felt strong hands grab her by her shoulders as she screamed in fear.

“I am sorry! Please let me go!” She begged, tears streaming down her face as she tried but failed to resist being dragged to the huge terrifying man in front of her.

 “I will pay you. I promise….I will pay every penny back!” Her voice echoed through the near empty room.

The huge man flung her to the hard floor and she fell to her knees clutching her bag and shivering. 

Frank Jobs; her biggest nightmare and the reason her father lay dead, pulled roughly on her hair and raised her to face him. 

“I don't like excuses very much honey bear” he drawled, a wicked smile spreading all over his face.

Cassie stood before him trembling. She could hear her heart beating furiously in her chest and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't stop her hands from shaking or the tears from flowing. The man before her was the source of her greatest pain.

Even though the police told her that her father suffered a heart attack and died in detention, she knew Frank Jobs was behind his death. Her father's gambling issues had finally brought her family to ruin. A man like Frank Jobs wasn't the type to forgive a debt.

 He had continuously terrorized her family ever since her father failed to meet up with their agreement.

His eyes scanned her face and brightened with satisfaction as she shook before him and choked on her tears.

 “Your father owes me a lot of money.” His hands moved quickly from her hair to her neck and held her in a tight grip. “Do you know how much?”

 Cassie shook her head vigorously, blinking rapidly and trying to stop his hands from strangling her. He laughed loudly and turned to his men standing across the room.

“She doesn't know! Awwww ... .honey” his voice dripping with mockery. But then, he suddenly stopped laughing and let her go with such force that she staggered back completely stunned to silence. 

“You have 1 year to pay me my money. 200 thousand dollars, no more, no less or else…!” 

He paused as if he had suddenly remembered something important. He reached for his phone in his suit, scrolled for a little while and turned the phone to her.

Cassie gasped in shock “ No! No! Please! Please!”....

Her sister Maya’s picture flashed clearly before her. Her only sister. The only family she had left. 

“No!! I beg you!” She screamed reaching for the phone as if to save her sister but Frank visibly enjoying her pain snatched it away quickly, laughing loudly.

Something in her snapped at that very moment.

She glared at him, blinded by the tears covering her eyes and face. He saw her expression change and his face darkened with a strange psychotic expression daring her to say a word of protest.

“Oh don't worry…I won't kill her. Not immediately. I will make her work for my money first”. 

He stared deeply into her eyes and smiled as he watched the meaning of his words dawn on her. “She is young and beautiful. Perfect candy for the right pric….” 

“Nooo!!! No! I will pay you in one year. You can not touch my sister!” Cassie screamed falling back to the floor helplessly.

“You have one year Cassie Barns, remember that” he replied chuckling.

“You cannot touch my sister. You cannot touch my sister” Cassie continued to chant the words as Frank’s henchmen dragged her blindfolded through his dungeon into their minivan and through the city. 

She chanted the words with tears flowing freely down her cheeks as they pushed her out of the moving van onto the front of her apartment complex.

She kept chanting as she knelt right there in the street until they drove away and she didn't stop as she made her way into her shabby apartment and crumbled to the floor. She slept off while repeating the words, dreaming of her sister and her father, his calm face in death haunting her dreams.

She woke with a start the next morning Frank’s threat repeatedly echoing in her head as she rushed to dress up for work. She struggled to smile as she walked through the doors of the Scott Medical Towers where she worked as a cleaner.

“Good morning Dr. Dan”

“Good morning Ma'am” She greeted the doctors and patients with a big smile on her face.

She kept the smile in place as she went from office to office and from room to room, clearing the trash and mopping the floors. She barely acknowledged anyone else as she kept having flashbacks from her encounter with Frank the night before.

“Cassie! Be careful!” Linda’s voice filled with concern called out to her, jolting her back to reality.

She realized she was just about to walk straight into a glass door and quickly retraced her steps.

“Oh, I am sorry”

Linda moved closer to her, her face full of concern “You have been really distant today. Are you okay girl?” Linda was a nice lady but Cassie wasn't used to sharing her personal life with others. 

“I am alright, thank you” she replied quickly, keeping her head down as she walked away. She sighed deeply in relief when Linda didn't follow her to ask more questions.

“Good morning Dr. Kim” she greeted cheerfully with a bright fake smile plastered on her face. The older lady who was always in a hurry responded with a nod and continued on her way to the elevator ahead.

Cassie continued her cleaning but then quickly noticed that a small flyer had fallen from Dr. Kim’s ward coat pocket. 

“Dr. Kim, your…” Her eyes narrowed as she caught sight of the words on the flyer.

She raised her head to see that Dr. Kim hadn't heard her and had gone up in the elevator.

She returned her attention once again to the flyer and as she read through, her eyes widened in shock.