Chapter2: Three days
1599 Words
CHAPTER TWO: Three Days
Your dad owed our boss a huge amount of money!
For a moment, she thought she had misheard him. Her father? Debt? It didn’t make sense.
“My father doesn’t owe anyone,” she said, her voice shaking despite her effort to remain calm. “You must have the wrong person.”
The man in front of her didn’t react. His expression remained the same, as though he had expected her denial.
“We don’t make mistakes,” he replied simply.
Mia swallowed hard, her fingers tightening around her bag.
“Then show me proof.”
One of the other men chuckled quietly, the sound low and mocking. “You think this is a discussion?” he said.
Her heartbeat quickened. This wasn’t a misunderstanding. This was real.
The first man took a slow step closer, reducing the distance between them. Mia instinctively stepped back, but there was nowhere to go. One of the men behind her shifted slightly, blocking her escape. Fear settled deep in her chest.
“Listen carefully,” the man said, his tone calm but firm. “Your father borrowed money. A lot of it. And now he’s gone.”
Mia shook her head. “No… he wouldn’t do that. He wouldn’t leave us with something like this.”
“But he did.” The words were blunt. Merciless.
Her throat felt dry. “How much?” she asked, even though part of her didn’t want to know.
The man didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he studied her face, as if measuring how much she could handle.
“More than you can pay,” he finally said.
Her breath caught. “That’s not an amount,” she whispered.
“One million dollars.”
Silence fell between them. Mia’s thoughts raced, searching desperately for a way out of something she didn’t even fully understand yet.
One million dollars! What could he have done with such an amount of money? Her thoughts were occupied with such things.
“I don’t have money,” she said, her voice barely steady. “You can see that. I can barely take care of my mother.”
“That’s not our concern.” The response came too quickly. Too cold.
Her chest tightened. “Please… if this is real, then give me time. I just need time to figure something out.”
The men exchanged brief glances. Then the first man spoke again.
“You have three days.”
Mia blinked. “Three days?”
“To start paying.”
Her heart sank. “That’s impossible,” she said immediately. “I can’t even get that kind of money in months, talk less in three days.”
The man’s gaze hardened slightly. “Then you better start thinking of other ways.”
A chill ran down her spine. “What do you mean?” she asked, though she wasn’t sure she wanted the answer.
The man leaned in slightly, his voice lowering just enough to make the threat feel more personal.
“We always collect what we are owed.”
Mia’s stomach twisted. “And if money isn’t available…” he continued, his eyes locking onto hers, “…we take something else.”
Her breath hitched. Fear crawled through her veins, cold and sharp.
“You wouldn’t…”
“We would.” The interruption was immediate and certain.
Her legs felt weak.
The second man stepped forward slightly, his expression unreadable. “Girls disappear every day in this city,” he said casually. “Some are never found.”
Mia’s grip on her bag tightened until her knuckles turned pale.
“You’re young,” he added. “You’ll fetch a good price.”
The words hit her harder than anything else. For a moment, she couldn’t speak. Couldn’t think. Her mind went blank except for one overwhelming realization. They were serious.
The first man straightened, adjusting his jacket as if the conversation was nothing more than routine.
“Three days,” he repeated. “Don’t make us come looking for you.”
Mia stood there, frozen, as they turned and walked away. No rush. No hesitation. Like they had already decided her fate.
The sound of the car door closing echoed in the quiet street before the vehicle drove off, leaving her alone. Completely alone.
The night suddenly felt colder. Heavier.
Mia didn’t realize how fast her heart was beating until she tried to take a step forward and her legs nearly gave out. She steadied herself, taking a slow breath. Then another. But it didn’t help. Nothing helped. Because the reality remained the same.
Three days. Three days to find money she didn’t have. Three days before her life stopped being her own.
She didn’t remember how she got home. The walk felt like a blur, her thoughts tangled and overwhelming, each one worse than the last.
By the time she reached her small apartment, exhaustion had settled deep into her bones. But sleep didn’t come. She lay on her bed, staring at the ceiling, her mind replaying everything over and over again.
Her father. The debt. The threat. Her mother is in the hospital. The doctor’s words. Three days.
Every time she closed her eyes, she saw their faces. Heard their voices. Felt the fear all over again.
At some point, the night passed. But it didn’t feel like rest. It felt like waiting.
Morning came too quickly. Mia sat up slowly, her head aching, her body heavy from lack of sleep. For a moment, she allowed herself to believe it had all been a nightmare. But the feeling in her chest told her otherwise. It was real. All of it.
She forced herself to get ready, moving through the routine without thinking. There was no time to break down. She needed money. And the only place she could start was work.
**********
The streets were busy again. People moving, talking, living their lives like nothing had changed.
Mia walked along the sidewalk, her thoughts distant, her steps slower than usual.
She didn’t notice the car until it was too late.
A sleek black vehicle sped past a puddle near the roadside. Water splashed across her. Cold and dirty. Soaking through her clothes.
Mia gasped, stepping back in shock. Then the car stopped.
For a brief moment, she stood there, dripping, her heart already too tired to react properly.
The driver’s door opened. A man stepped out. Tall. Well-dressed. His presence alone felt different. Out of place in her world.
“I apologize,” he said, his voice calm as he approached her.
Mia looked up at him, her frustration rising. “You should be more careful…”
“You’re right.” The quick agreement caught her off guard. Most people would argue. Deny. Or find excuses. But he didn’t.
His eyes moved over her briefly, assessing the situation, before returning to her face. “I’ll compensate you,” he added.
His tone was polite. But something about it felt distant. Measured. Like he was saying the right words, not necessarily feeling them.
Mia shook her head, wiping her arm. “Forget it. Just… be more careful next time.”
She didn’t wait for a response. She walked past him, her clothes clinging uncomfortably to her skin.
She didn’t notice the way his gaze followed her for a second longer than necessary before he turned back to his car.
By the time she got home to change, she was already late. Panic crept in as she rushed, grabbing another outfit and fixing herself as quickly as she could. Every minute mattered. She couldn’t afford to lose this job. Not now.
But it didn’t matter.
The moment she stepped into the office, she knew something was wrong. Her boss was waiting.
“Mia,” he said, his tone sharp. “You’re late.”
“I’m sorry, sir. There was an incident on the road and…”
“I don’t care.” The interruption was immediate.
Mia swallowed. “It won’t happen again.”
He stared at her for a moment before speaking again. “You’ve been absent-minded lately. Late today. Unfocused this past week.”
Her chest tightened. “That’s not true, I’ve been working…”
“You’re fired.” The words hit her like a physical blow.
“What…?” she whispered.
“And as for your salary,” he continued, “consider it compensation for your poor performance.”
Mia’s eyes widened. “You can’t do that. I worked for that money.”
“That’s not fair…”
“Life isn’t fair.” The finality in his tone left no room for argument.
Mia stood there, helpless, as everything slipped further out of her control.
“Please,” she tried one last time. “I need that money.”
But he had already turned away.
Just like that.
She didn’t go to the hospital. She couldn’t. Without money, she didn’t know what she would even say to them.
So she went home instead. Each step heavier than the last.
By the time she reached her building, the sun had already begun to set. Everything felt quiet. Too quiet.
She reached for the door handle. But her phone rang. The sudden sound made her freeze. Her heart began to pound as she slowly pulled it out of her bag. Unknown number.
She hesitated for a second. Then she answered.
“Hello…?”
There was no greeting. No hesitation. Just a voice. It was urgent and serious.
“Your mother’s condition is critical,” the voice said. “Be on your way to the hospital now.”
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