A Billion Reasons To Hate You

Chapter Six: Please Help Me, Ren.

Renee took a quick nap on the sofa, but the guilt of forgetting her mom’s prescription woke her up.

“Ah, f**k… not again,” she hissed, forcing herself upright even as her body begged her to lie back down.

She opened her banking app, holding her breath until the screen finally loaded and exhaled in relief. Her paycheck had finally landed.

Balance: $2,800

“At least I can get Mom’s meds… and get the power back on,” she muttered to herself. “That’s one of four thousand issues sorted, go me. Progress.”

She double-checked her calculations in her mind, relaxing when she confirmed she had enough. A moment later, her stomach growled loudly, as if reminding her it also needed attention.

“Oooh,” she murmured with a faint smile, “You know what, I can actually afford a nice meal for once, too. What a treat.”

The thought helped her feel less exhausted as she changed into fresh clothes and wiped away the smeared makeup beneath her eyes. She then tied her damp hair into a loose bun, grabbed her bag, and left the house.

Half an hour later, Renee arrived at the pharmacy.

“That’ll be $1,500,” the pharmacist said, sliding the small white bag across the counter.

Renee swiped her card silently, the sharp realisation of the total amount cutting through her remaining relief.

Soon after, Renee pulled up at her mom’s, parked outside and let herself in. Maud was stretched out on the sofa, pale and small beneath a tatty blanket, her breathing staggered.

“Mom… you don’t look good,” Renee said worriedly.

Maud waved her off weakly, saying, “Oh, stop, I’m fine. Could you hand me my pills and a glass of water?” Renee promptly fetched a fresh glass of water from the kitchen, set it on the table, and assisted her mother in sitting up enough to take her medication. She stayed for a moment, tidying stray mugs, adjusting the blanket, and helping her mother settle comfortably again.

“You sure you’ll be okay?” Renee asked softly.

“I’ll be fine,” Maud insisted, forcing a small smile.

Renee nodded, leaning down to kiss her forehead. “I’ve gotta go — my next shift’s about to start.”

“Love you, baby.”

“Love you too, Mom.”

By the time Renee arrived, the office was buzzing with phone calls and muffled voices. She slipped on her headset, logging in to her system as the first call came through.

“Crisis support, this is Renee speaking. How can I help you tonight?”

The voices on the other end carried a heavy weight of pain — breakups, relapses, panic attacks, suicidal thoughts. Each call wore down her nerves further, with every story weighing more than the one before.

She idly doodled in the corner of her notepad between calls, her pen making slow loops on the page as she listened intently to the voices on the line. She repeatedly checked the clock, hoping the hands would move faster.

After five long hours, her fifteen-minute break finally came.

Renee pushed through the glass doors into the cool night air and immediately lit a cigarette. She leaned against the wall, the smoke curling around her face as she cracked open an energy drink from the vending machine.

She scrolled aimlessly through her phone, zoning out, when a voice broke the silence.

“Ren…”

She jolted so hard the can slipped in her hand, spilling down her wrist. Her head snapped up, and there he was.

Evan.

Her body tensed instantly, her chest heating with anger like a match to dry paper.

“What the f**k are you doing here, Evan?!” she snapped loudly “Jesus, you scared the s**t out of me. And you look like hell.”

He shuffled closer, hands buried in his hoodie pocket, his eyes bloodshot and glassy. “I—I—I was robbed,” he stammered, his words broken and breathless. “All my stuff’s gone. I didn’t know where else to go… I knew you’d be here.”

Renee barked out a short, bitter laugh, shaking her head. “Damn. Karma served to you steaming hot, huh?”

Evan winced but pushed on. “Please, Ren… I need money to get home. I’ve already walked ten miles to get here.”

“Good,” she said coldly, flicking ash to the pavement. “I’m sure you can manage a few more miles. I’m not helping you. Not after you tried to steal my mom’s money for her meds.”

His hand scratched the back of his neck, guilt written all over him, but he stayed silent.

“Yeah. That’s what I thought,” she hissed. “Get walking, Evan. One foot in front of the other. You know how it goes.”

“Ren, please,” he begged, stepping closer towards her. “I’ve got nowhere to go. Just a little money, that’s all I need.”

When he reached for her hand, she slapped it away without hesitation.

“No,” she said sharply, each word clipped and final. “We’re done. You’re someone else’s problem now.”

She dropped her cigarette, extinguishing it under her boot, and then turned back toward the building. As she pushed through the glass doors, she swiped her ID card without glancing back. Behind her, the rain resumed, and Evan, soaked to the skin, watched her through the downpour with his fist pounding on the window.

“Please, Renee!” he shouted, his voice muffled through the glass. “I just need some money, and I’ll never bother you again!”

She didn’t turn around or give his desperate pleas any attention. She walked up the stairs, his cries fading with every step.

By the time the final four hours had crawled by, she was running on fumes.

Finally, she logged off, slung her bag over her shoulder, and walked out of the crisis centre without looking back. The night air hit her the moment she stepped outside, shocking her awake as if she’d just been dunked.

“Jesus, why is it so damn cold? My n*****s are like freaking bullets right now,” Renee muttered as she slid into her car.

Halfway home, she spotted the glow of a fast-food sign and didn’t think twice. She pulled in, grabbed a burger and fries, and ate in her car — faster than she bought it, barely tasting anything but salt and grease.

When she finally made it home, her whole body was screaming for rest. The silence in the apartment felt almost comforting after the night's chaos. She kicked off her shoes, dropped her keys on the table, and went straight for her laptop. It was time to stop neglecting her responsibilities and at least try to get her life back on track.

First, the electricity bill. She paid a month upfront, watching the balance in her account shrink. Then she moved what little remained into savings. The weight on her shoulders eased up a little, knowing that, at least for now, things were covered with that.

Too tired to think, she collapsed onto the sofa, still in her work clothes, the phone slipping from her hand onto the cushion beside her.

Within minutes, she was out cold.

She didn’t know how long she’d been asleep when a hard, frantic thud against her front door jolted her awake.

Renee suddenly sat up with a gasp, startling herself, causing her phone to slip and fall to the floor. Her heart pounded loudly as she hurried to sit upright, feeling dizzy and disoriented.

“What the f**k,” she muttered under her breath, pressing a hand to her forehead.