Bought For a Hundred Million

The loud crash of broken glass echoed through the tiny apartment, followed by a string of curses that had become all too familiar. Amelia Quinn didn't even look up. She continued rinsing the last plate in the sink, her movements slow and practiced, as though the shouting in the living room was nothing more than the evening news playing on television. It wasn't that she had grown used to it. It was simply that reacting never changed anything. Another bottle smashed against the wall. "You're lying!" Richard Quinn bellowed. "I swear I'll pay you back!" another man shouted. "When?" "I just need more time!" "You've been asking for more time for six months!" Amelia closed the tap and rested both hands on the sink. She took a deep breath before grabbing an old towel to dry the dishes. She hated gambling. She hated alcohol. Most of all... She hated what they had turned her stepfather into. Or perhaps, she thought bitterly, this was who Richard Quinn had always been. Ever since her mother passed away twelve years ago, Richard had slowly changed. The caring man who used to read bedtime stories disappeared. In his place came a stranger who smelled of cheap whiskey, lived inside casinos, and borrowed money from dangerous people. And somehow... Amelia was always the one cleaning up the mess. She glanced at the clock hanging above the refrigerator. 10:47 p.m. She still had to wake up before six in the morning. Her morning shift at the café started at seven, and after that she worked another part-time job at a bookstore until evening. Two jobs. Seven days a week. Yet somehow, there was never enough money. Because every time she managed to save... Richard found another debt. Another excuse. Another promise that things would get better. They never did. A loud knock interrupted her thoughts. Not on the apartment door. On the kitchen wall. Richard had stumbled into it. "Amelia!" She sighed. "I'm coming." Walking into the living room, she found overturned chairs, scattered playing cards, and two furious-looking men standing over Richard. One of them wore an expensive black suit despite the late hour. The other had a scar stretching from his temple to his jaw. Neither looked like the kind of people who accepted excuses. Richard's swollen eyes lifted toward Amelia. "There she is," he muttered. The scarred man slowly turned his head. His gaze swept over Amelia from head to toe. Not with admiration. With evaluation. It made her skin crawl. "So..." he said quietly. "This is the girl." Amelia frowned. "What girl?" Nobody answered. Instead, Richard hurriedly stood up. "You should go back to your room." "I'm not leaving until someone tells me what's happening." "It's adult business." "I'm twenty-one." Richard rubbed his forehead impatiently. "I said go." Before Amelia could respond, the man in the black suit stepped forward. His polished shoes clicked softly against the floor. "You have three days, Richard." Richard's face turned pale. "I know." "No..." The man smiled. "You don't." He reached into his pocket, removed a folded piece of paper, and placed it on the coffee table. It was covered in numbers. A debt statement. Amelia caught a glimpse of the total. Her heart skipped. She had never seen that many zeros before. "How... how much do you owe?" she whispered. Richard remained silent. The scarred man answered instead. "Enough to buy this entire apartment building." Amelia felt dizzy. "Richard..." He refused to look at her. "Please tell me this isn't true." "I'll fix it." "How?" Silence. The man in the suit adjusted his tie. "If the money isn't ready in three days..." His eyes drifted toward Amelia again. "...we'll accept something else." A cold chill ran down her spine. "What does that mean?" Again... No answer. The two men walked toward the apartment door. Just before leaving, the scarred man smiled. It wasn't a friendly smile. It was the kind a wolf gave before attacking. "Sleep well, Miss Quinn." "You won't have many peaceful nights left." The apartment door closed. The silence that followed was almost worse than the shouting. Amelia slowly turned toward Richard. "What did he mean?" Richard grabbed the whiskey bottle from the table. His hands were shaking. "It doesn't concern you." "How can it not concern me?" He took a long drink. "I said forget it." "You owe them money, don't you?" No reply. "Richard." "I SAID DROP IT!" His voice exploded through the apartment. Amelia instinctively stepped back. For a moment... Neither of them spoke. Then, quietly, she picked up the broken pieces of glass from the floor. Just as she always did. Cleaning up after him. Again. The apartment was unusually quiet the next morning. Amelia frowned as she stepped out of her room, still fastening the buttons of her cream-colored blouse. Usually, Richard would either be asleep on the couch after a night of drinking or gone before sunrise to chase another gambling scheme. Today was different. The smell of pancakes drifted from the kitchen. She froze. Richard Quinn stood by the stove, humming softly as he flipped another pancake onto a plate. For a brief, dangerous moment, Amelia was reminded of the father she had lost years ago. The man who used to make breakfast every Sunday. The man who would laugh when she stole pieces of bacon from his plate. But that man no longer existed. "Morning," Richard said without turning around. Amelia didn't answer immediately. Instead, she stared at the neatly arranged dining table. Pancakes. Eggs. Fresh fruit. Orange juice. It looked like something out of a happy family's home. "What is all this?" she finally asked. Richard forced a smile. "I thought... we could have breakfast together." Her eyebrows knitted together. "You've never cooked for me in years." "I know." "So why today?" He didn't answer. Instead, he pulled out a chair. "Sit." Every instinct told Amelia something was wrong. Still, she obeyed. The silence between them was heavy. Richard barely touched his food. He simply watched her eat. It made her uncomfortable. Finally, Amelia put down her fork. "You're scaring me." He swallowed hard. "I've made a lot of mistakes." She gave a dry laugh. "That's the biggest understatement I've ever heard." "I know." "I've forgiven you more times than I can count, Richard. But I can't keep fixing problems I didn't create." He lowered his head. "I'm sorry." Those two words caught Amelia completely off guard. Richard Quinn never apologized. Not after losing the rent money. Not after selling her mother's jewelry. Not after making her work two jobs just to keep them alive. He had never apologized. Until today. Before Amelia could respond— Knock. Knock. Knock. Three slow, deliberate knocks echoed through the apartment. Richard's face instantly lost all color. His trembling hands gripped the edge of the table. "They're here," he whispered. Amelia's heartbeat quickened. "Who?" He didn't answer. Instead, he slowly walked toward the front door. As soon as it opened, three men in black suits stepped inside. The same two men from the previous night... ...and another man carrying a black leather briefcase. No one smiled. No one greeted anyone. The room suddenly felt colder. The man with the briefcase placed it gently on the table. Click. The locks sprang open. Bundles of cash filled the case from top to bottom. Amelia had never seen that much money in her life. Richard's breathing became uneven. "Everything we agreed on is here," the man in the suit said calmly. Amelia looked from the money to Richard. Then back again. "What agreement?" Silence. The man slowly turned toward Amelia. "You don't know?" Her stomach tightened. "Know what?" Richard closed his eyes. "I'm sorry..." Amelia stood. "For what?" No one answered. The man pushed the briefcase toward Richard. "Take it." Richard reached for the money with shaking hands. Amelia suddenly felt sick. "Richard..." He couldn't meet her eyes. "What did you do?" "I had no choice." "You always have a choice!" Tears began filling her eyes. "What did you do?" The scarred man walked toward her. "We're wasting time." He reached for her arm. Amelia jerked away. "Don't touch me!" She looked desperately at Richard. "Tell them to leave!" He remained silent. "Richard!" Still nothing. Then... The man spoke the words that shattered her world. "Your father sold you." Everything around Amelia seemed to stop. "What...?" "His debt has been paid." She laughed weakly. "No." "You belong to us now." "No..." She looked at Richard. "Tell him he's lying." Richard's shoulders slumped. "I'm sorry, Amelia." "No!" "You were the only way." "No!" She stumbled backward. "You sold me?" Fresh tears streamed down her cheeks. "I'm your daughter!" Richard finally looked at her. His eyes were filled with shame. "But you're also my only chance." Those words cut deeper than any knife ever could. Amelia turned and ran. She reached the apartment door before strong hands grabbed her from behind. She screamed. She kicked. She fought with every ounce of strength she had. "LET ME GO!" Her nails dug into one man's arm. Another caught both her wrists. "Richard!" She cried so loudly her voice cracked. "Dad!" "Please!" "I'll work harder!" "I'll get another job!" "I'll pay your debt!" "Please don't do this!" For one heartbreaking second... She thought he would stop them. Instead... Richard lowered his head. He never moved. He never fought for her. He never even said goodbye. The apartment door slammed shut behind her. The morning air hit her face as she was dragged toward a sleek black SUV parked outside. Neighbors peeked through their windows. Some looked shocked. Others quickly closed their curtains, pretending not to see. No one came to help. The rear door of the SUV was thrown open. Amelia was pushed inside. The vehicle sped away. She turned to look through the rear window. Richard stood on the apartment balcony, clutching the briefcase tightly against his chest. He watched the SUV disappear... Without taking a single step after it. Amelia pressed a trembling hand against the window as tears blurred her vision. She had no idea where they were taking her. She didn't know why she had been sold. But deep in her heart... She felt the terrifying certainty that whatever waited for her next... ...would change her life forever.