CHAPTER 5
1335 Words
I hesitated before taking the seat beside him, still slightly breathless from the adrenaline of my earlier motorcycle stunt. Jason didn’t look at me at first, but his voice came out steady, almost scolding in a gentle way.
“You know,” he began, “you can actually talk to someone when you’re angry… instead of trying to kill yourself in a motorcycle race. The other guys don’t like you.”
He said it bluntly, like a fact he wasn’t afraid to state.
He couldn’t even see my expression, but instinctively, my face fell into a sad, defeated look.
“I don’t have anyone to talk to,” I murmured, letting my shoulders relax as exhaustion washed over me.
Jason shifted slightly, as though trying to see deeper into the layers I hid so well.
“Then let me make you an offer,” he said. “I’ll always listen to you. You can call me anytime… talk to me about anything. I won’t ask to see your face, or anything stupid like that. I’ll just… listen.”
I turned slowly, blinking at him.
A small laugh escaped me — soft but genuine. “Is that a promise?”
“Yeah,” he said immediately. “It’s a promise.”
“But why?” I asked, arching a brow. “Why would you make such a promise to someone you barely know?”
He smiled — that easy, boyish smile that made him look like he didn’t carry the weight of an entire world on his shoulders.
“I don’t know,” he admitted. “It just felt right.”
I hesitated but leaned closer. “Then can I ask you something?”
He nodded, so I continued without waiting. “Do you have a younger sister?”
“Yeah… I’m two years older than her,” he replied.
My heart tightened. “Then imagine someone comes to your family with an offer — something huge. An opportunity that could make your family untouchable, powerful, debt-free… anything you want. But the price is your sister’s happiness. You’d have to sacrifice her joy for that offer. Would you take it?”
His expression shifted. He stared into empty space for a moment, thinking deeply, then spoke.
“It’s been three weeks since my mum opened her new restaurant,” he said quietly. “But customers barely come in. It’s weighing on us. My parents borrowed money… the stress is bad. But a few days ago, someone gave us an offer.” He paused. “A very famous influencer — one video from him and we’d make billions in a day.”
I blinked. Billions? Just like that?
“But we rejected the offer,” he continued, breathing out shakily. “He said he wanted to marry my sister. But she doesn’t like him. And she’s too young to get married. So my parents refused.”
He lifted his shoulders in a relaxed shrug.
“To my family, everyone’s happiness matters. We’ll figure out a way to pay back the loan. We’ll struggle, but we’ll do it together — and we’ll stay happy while doing that.”
My throat tightened. I stared at him, envy burning quietly in my chest.
“I envy you,” I whispered. “You come from a place where you don’t have to sacrifice everything you love. Where you don’t have to give up your life for others. I wish… it was like that for me.”
“For you?” Jason looked confused.
“No,” I replied quickly. “Not exactly for me. My friend’s younger sister… she’s in a similar situation. She has to choose her family’s survival over her own happiness. It’s like she doesn’t get a say. It’s a responsibility she never asked for. And if she fails to fulfill it, she’ll lose everything — maybe even her family.”
Jason nodded slowly. “I understand. We’re not from the same world. What we consider unnecessary or unfair… to them it’s everything. What we can reject easily… is their burden, their duty. Even if they have everything, there’s one thing we have that they don’t.”
I didn’t need him to say it.
Peace of mind.
The one thing my world robbed me of.
When others slept, we worried about dropping stock prices.
When others woke up, we worried about our competitors.
We barely talked as a family; we barely ate together.
There were no family breakfasts, no warm dinners, no laughter.
Just silence. Pressure. Duty.
---
After dinner, I dragged myself into the shower. My feet felt like lead, my mind like fog. I tilted my head back as the warm water washed over me, wishing — begging — that it could wash away my fears, my responsibilities, the invisible chains around my neck.
“If only wishes were horses,” I whispered bitterly.
By the time I collapsed into my bed, my brain was spinning with thoughts of Jason.
He had listened to me without asking questions. Without judging. Without prying.
And suddenly I felt awful — because I had nothing to offer him in return.
He needed help. His family needed help.
And I… I had hundreds of thousands of followers.
I grabbed my phone and opened i********:. My follower count blinked at me.
One million.
“It’s stupid,” I muttered. “People following someone they know nothing about. They don’t even know me.”
But then… an idea hit me.
A bright, wicked, brilliant idea.
“I know exactly how to help Jason,” I said, grinning widely.
---
The next morning, my alarm dragged me out of bed.
One rare victory.
I stared at my reflection in the mirror and groaned.
“Urrghhh… this sucks.”
My school uniform had arrived yesterday. Honestly, it looked good on me — but skirts? No, thank you.
I walked into the living room. My mother, father and Brian sat enjoying breakfast — warm, colorful, delicious.
But I didn’t greet them. I didn’t join them.
There was nothing left to say.
I had sold my soul.
After what Andrew said to me that night… I had no room left to breathe.
“Your engagement date has been set,” Mum said without looking at me. “It’s two weeks from today. And you know when.”
Her cold emphasis made me freeze for a moment — just a moment.
“Prepare yourself, Mich,” Brian added, wiping his mouth with a napkin. “Don’t mess this up. And don’t embarrass us.”
I didn’t respond. I walked out of the house before their poison seeped any deeper.
---
At lunchtime in school, I walked into the cafeteria, scanning for a place to sit.
A girl waved at me. Normally I’d ignore her and sit alone.
But then… I saw Jason at the table.
So I walked over.
“Hi, I’m Maya,” she said cheerfully the moment I sat.
The guy beside her smiled. “I’m Chris. Jason’s best friend.”
I offered a small smile. But Maya leaned closer and blurted:
“Actually, I’m not comfortable with you sitting here. I only waved because Jason told me to. You’re Krystal’s enemy, and I… um… don’t want her to ruin my life.”
Jason and Chris stared at her like she’d grown wings and flown off the table.
“Maya, do you have control over your mouth at all?” Chris whispered harshly.
I laughed — sincerely.
“I like her,” I said. “She’s honest. And blunt.”
They stared at me, stunned.
“Eat,” I added when I noticed they were frozen.
As I took a few bites, something shifted.
The atmosphere changed — sharp, cold, suffocating. The air chilled, and students rubbed their hands together, confused.
Then that scent hit me.
Familiar. Powerful. Unavoidable.
My teeth clenched.
“What does he want?” I hissed.
Because there was only one person whose presence could change the air like that.
Andrew.
- Writer
