Chapter one
1855 Words
AMELIA’S POV
The evening air clung heavily to my skin as I climbed the narrow staircase leading to the tiny apartment I shared with my best friend, Nina.
Every step felt heavier than the last.
My legs ached from standing for hours, my shoulders burned from exhaustion, and the thin straps of my worn-out bag dug painfully into my skin. Each breath I took felt slightly delayed, like my body was running out of patience before I even reached the door.
By the time I finally reached our door, I was already mentally preparing myself for the little luxuries I could count on, a quick shower, my oversized nightshirt,
and maybe, just maybe, a few hours of sleep before life starts demanding more from me again.
I pushed the door open quietly.
The familiar scent of instant noodles, cheap air freshener, and old furniture immediately welcomed me. It was faintly warm inside, like the apartment had been holding onto the day’s heat even though everything else in it looked tired.
Our apartment was small, painfully small.
The living room and kitchenette were practically one space, separated only by a faded rug Nina insisted made the place feel “fancier.” The rug was slightly uneven at the edges, curling in a way we had both stopped fixing a long time ago.
The couch was old enough to complain whenever someone sat too hard on it, the kitchen counters were chipped at the edges, and the fluorescent light above us flickered whenever it pleased. Sometimes it buzzed faintly at night, like it was tired too.
But it was home. Messy, tiny and worn down but still home.
I dropped my bag gently beside the couch and kicked off my shoes with a tired sigh. My toes immediately relaxed against the cool floor, and for a brief second, I just stood there, letting the silence settle over me.
For the first time all day, silence wrapped around me.
And then my phone rang.
My entire body froze.
No one called me in the evening unless something was wrong. That was the rule my life seemed to follow without permission.
Slowly, I reached into my bag and pulled out my phone. My fingers hesitated for a split second before touching the screen.
The cracked screen lit up. It was the retirement home.
My stomach dropped instantly while my fingers tightened around the phone. It almost felt like my body was reacting before my mind could catch up.
“Please don’t let it be bad.”
But deep down… I already knew. My silence already had an answer.
“Miss Amelia Monroe?”
The voice on the other end was sharp and impatient. Not unkind exactly, just detached like this was routine for them, but not for me.
“Yes… this is me,” I replied carefully. My throat felt tight as I spoke, like even my voice was being squeezed.
A pause.
Then came the words that made my chest drop.
“If the outstanding payment is not settled this week, your father will be discharged from our facility.”
For a second, I couldn’t breathe.
Discharged.
That was a polite word for thrown out.
Like his entire life could simply be packed into a box and left outside.
My grip tightened around the phone so hard my fingers started to ache. I blinked once… then again… like the words might rearrange themselves into something kinder.
“I… I understand,” I whispered weakly and
the call ended.
Slowly, I lowered the phone from my ear, but my hand wouldn’t stop shaking. I stared at the cracked screen even after it went dark, like they might call me back and say it was a mistake.
The apartment suddenly felt suffocating. Too cramped, too quiet, too cruel. Even the air felt heavier, pressing against my chest like it didn’t want me to breathe properly.
I sank onto the old couch, pressing my forehead into my palm. The fabric creaked slightly under my weight, protesting softly like everything else in my life.
"Three jobs… and still not enough,” I whispered. My voice came out smaller than I intended, almost like I was speaking to myself just to confirm it was real.
The tears burned instantly, but I fought them back. My jaw tightened as I blinked rapidly.
I couldn’t break.
Not yet.
“Amelia.”
I didn’t respond. My eyes stayed fixed on nothing in particular.
My thoughts were drowning me too quickly.
“Amelia.”
Still nothing. My chest rose and fell unevenly, but I stayed silent.
“AMELIA!”
My head snapped up so fast my neck hurt. My heart jolted like it had been pulled back into my body.
“Oh...yes?” I answered quickly, blinking repeatedly as though I had just been dragged back into reality. My voice came out slightly breathless.
Nina stood near the hallway entrance, one hand on her hip, her curly hair slightly messy from just waking up. She had probably been getting ready for her shift, but paused when she noticed me.
She studied me for a second. Not in a casual way but in that quiet, knowing way she always did when something was wrong.
And just like that her playful expression vanished.
“The retirement home called again, didn’t they?” she asked softly. Her voice was gentler now, like she already knew the answer but still wanted confirmation.
I hated how easily she knew. It made me feel too seen.
I looked away quickly. My fingers pressed into the couch beside me.
“Yes.”
Nina’s shoulders dropped slightly. She exhaled slowly, like she had been holding her breath too.
I laughed bitterly, though it sounded more like heartbreak. My lips trembled slightly as I spoke.
"I'm trying, I'm really trying Nina. I work three jobs, and somehow it isn't enough to cover the bills" I said quickly, blinking back the tears. My hands clenched into the fabric of my shirt without me realizing.
Nina didn’t interrupt. She didn’t rush me. She just stayed there, watching me carefully like she was trying to hold me together with her presence alone.
So I kept going.
“Everyday there is always something, it's either the house rent, my school loan, papa's retirement bill.... I can't breathe anymore." My voice broke completely. My chest rose sharply as I tried to inhale properly, but it felt stuck.
That was it.
The first tear fell.
Then another.
And suddenly, I was crying so hard it felt like my body had been waiting all day to collapse. My shoulders shook as I tried to turn away slightly, embarrassed even in my breakdown.
Nina crossed the room immediately and wrapped her arms around me. One hand pressed gently against the back of my head, pulling me in.
“Hey… hey…don’t do this to yourself.” she whispered softly. Her voice was steady, but there was something fragile underneath it too.
But I couldn’t stop. Everything hurt.
My body, my mind, my heart.
I cried into her shoulders like the world had finally broken me.
And maybe for tonight It had.
For a long time, Nina said nothing. She didn’t try to fix it. She just held me, her hand slowly moving in small circles on my back like she was reminding me I was still here.
And honestly?
That somehow helped more than words ever could.
Eventually, she pulled back slightly and sighed. Her thumb brushed lightly under my eye, wiping away a tear I didn’t even notice.
“I really wish I could stay here and continue saving your mental stability…”
Her tone shifted dramatically. Like she was forcing herself back into normal.
“But unfortunately, the Ivory Reserve still expects me to show up and pretend I enjoy serving rich drunk men.”
A weak laugh escaped me despite my tears. It came out shaky, but real.
That was Nina.
Always somehow finding humor in disasters.
Nina works at the Ivory reserve, a place filled with entitled customers, inappropriate comments, and exhausting shifts that paid far too little for the nonsense she endured. She adjusted her hair slightly as she spoke, already slipping back into her “work mode” even while standing in the middle of our chaos.
“Be careful tonight,” I said quietly. My voice was still rough from crying.
She rolled her eyes.
“When am I ever not careful?”
I raised a brow at her reply, a small, tired look in my eyes.
“Nina.”
“Okay, fair point.”
She grinned before grabbing her work clothes and changing into them. Her movements were quick but familiar, like she had done this routine a thousand times in this same tiny space.
“Tomorrow is when you serve at that charity gala, right?”
For the first time that night, something hopeful flickered inside me. It didn’t erase everything, but it softened it just a little.
The gala.
“I almost forgot,” I whispered. My fingers lightly touched my forehead as if trying to reset my memory.
Nina looked horrified.
“Amelia Monroe, if you forget about fifteen hundred dollars, I may actually fight you.”
I laughed weakly. This time, it felt slightly easier.
“I didn’t forget, ma’am,” I said with a grin, raising my hand in a dramatic salute like I was reporting for duty in the military. My lips curled faintly despite everything.
“Good, because tomorrow, you are putting on that uniform, serving overpriced champagne, and securing that money"She replied while pointing at me dramatically.
I smiled softly. A small, tired smile that still held something like hope.
Papa’s bills.
One thousand five hundred dollars.
For one night…It felt like hope.
At the time, I thought tomorrow was just another exhausting shift.
Another night of forced smiles.
Another paycheck.
Another chance to survive.
I didn’t know that tomorrow.One unexpected encounter,one powerful stranger,and one single decision was about to change everything.
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