Chapter 6: The Breaking Point
998 Words
Leah returned home completely uneasy.
She was beginning to lose her mind.
That was, if she hadn't already.
Everything was happening at the speed of light. It all felt so unreal—like a dream.
The scary part?
It was her reality.
She headed straight for the kitchen and made herself a cup of coffee. The household staff had already been dismissed because of the family's financial crisis. The Chang family could no longer afford to pay them.
The house had lost its warmth. Its laughter. Its life.
If nothing changed, she and her parents would be out on the streets within days.
Just last week, she had been planning a vacation for the following month.
Now...
She was wondering if they'd even have a roof over their heads.
The entire situation felt impossible to believe.
Coffee mug in hand, she stepped into the garden and settled onto the outdoor couch. A cool breeze gently brushed against her skin as the sweet fragrance of blooming flowers filled the air.
For the first time since the nightmare began, she felt... peaceful.
Alive.
She refused to think about debts, contracts, or impossible choices. Just for a little while, she wanted to enjoy the silence surrounding her.
Perhaps for the last time.
She slowly closed her eyes.
Before she knew it, sleep claimed her.
Daniel, on the other hand, was drowning in misery.
His future was slipping through his fingers, and there was absolutely nothing he could do to stop it.
He had spent almost his entire life loving Leah.
What would happen if she accepted the proposal?
What would become of him?
Would he ever stop loving her?
Would he ever be able to love someone else?
His thoughts were a complete mess.
There was no way he could raise the amount needed to clear the Chang family's debt. The sum was beyond anything he could ever dream of earning.
Daniel was an orphan.
His parents had died in a car accident when he was only four years old.
An orphanage had taken him in and cared for him until he turned eighteen.
Since then, he had been completely on his own.
No family.
No relatives.
Very few friends.
He had done everything he could to survive.
At one point, desperation had driven him into the world of hacking. He became exceptionally skilled, earning money in ways he wasn't proud of.
Everything came crashing down the day he was nearly arrested.
Escaping prison had cost him almost everything he had.
The incident terrified Leah.
She had pleaded with him countless times to leave that life behind.
For her sake—and for his own—he finally walked away.
Since then, he had worked honestly as a clerk in a fashion store.
The pay wasn't much, but it was enough.
At least...
Until now.
For the first time in years, Daniel hated feeling powerless.
The woman he loved was falling apart before his eyes, and all he could do was watch.
Two hours later, Leah stirred awake.
The sound of familiar voices echoed through the house.
Her parents.
She slowly opened her eyes and rubbed her temples before checking the time on her phone.
6:17 p.m.
She hadn't realized she'd slept for that long.
Stretching lazily, she picked up her now-cold coffee mug and walked back inside.
She slowed as she approached the living room.
"This is all my fault," her mother sobbed. "I'm so sorry for pushing you too hard."
Profuse tears streamed down her cheeks.
"I should have stopped insisting when you told me you weren't interested. I'm so sorry."
"No, darling." Her father sighed softly. "Don't say that. You were only trying to help the company grow."
"And look where it has brought us."
"Stop." He reached for her hand. "None of this is your fault. You had no idea things would turn out this way."
Her mother sniffled, struggling to hold herself together.
Twenty-nine years.
That was how long they had been married.
Somehow, Peter Chang always knew exactly what to say.
He truly was the perfect husband.
He loved every part of his wife, and even as everything they had spent decades building crumbled before their eyes, his love for her never wavered.
He didn't blame her for the company's downfall, even though the expansion had been her idea.
Unable to listen any longer, Leah stepped into the living room.
The conversation died instantly.
Her father's shoulders were slumped, making him look years older than he had that morning.
Her mother's eyes were swollen and red from crying.
Leah's heart tightened.
Something else had happened.
"Mom?" she called softly.
Both of them looked at her.
"Dad..." she whispered. "What happened?"
Mr. Chang lifted his head, his expression weary.
"He called."
Leah's stomach twisted.
She knew exactly who he meant.
"Mr. Hart."
"The bank manager," her father added.
She swallowed.
"And?"
"He gave us..." His voice faltered.
"...forty-eight hours."
"If we don't sign the marriage agreement before then..."
His gaze drifted slowly around the house.
"...we lose everything."
Silence settled over the room.
"Leah..." Her father's voice cracked. "I'm sorry I failed you."
Fresh tears blurred Leah's vision.
"No, Dad." She shook her head. "You didn't fail me."
"You've been the best father anyone could ever ask for."
"You did everything you could."
"It's just..." She forced a trembling smile. "Life didn't go the way we hoped."
Seeing him so defeated shattered something inside her.
She turned to her mother.
The pain.
The fear.
The regret.
They were written all over her face.
She had lost weight over the past few days.
The elegant, confident woman who always carried herself with grace seemed like a shadow of herself.
Her smile had disappeared.
Her cheerful laughter.
Her playful jokes.
Everything was gone.
Each day seemed heavier than the last.
Leah felt the blood drain from her face.
Forty-eight hours.
Just two days to choose between the man she loved...
...and the family she couldn't bear to lose.
- Writer
