chapter eight
992 Words
CHAPTER EIGHT
WHEN EVERYTHING WENT WRONG
The first thing Eliana did after leaving the house was head toward the pharmacy.
Her body protested with every step.
She kept one hand pressed against her side as she walked, trying to ignore the pain that had followed her since morning.
She had only one thought.
Please let me get through today.
The pharmacy was crowded.
Of course it was.
A long line stretched almost to the entrance, and Eliana stood at the back, shifting from one foot to another as the minutes disappeared.
She glanced toward the clock.
Her stomach tightened.
She was already supposed to be at work.
Please don't fire me.
She had missed too many days.
She knew that.
Her boss had warned her.
Once.
Twice.
More times than she wanted to remember.
But what could she have done?
She couldn't exactly walk into work and explain that her injuries were because her father had hurt her.
So she had stayed silent.
As always.
When she finally reached the counter, she bought the cheapest pain medicine she could afford and carefully tucked it into her bag.
Her remaining money was painfully small.
She stared at it for a moment.
That money was supposed to help her save for college.
Now another part of it was gone.
Still, she couldn't complain.
Pain didn't care about savings.
She hurried out.
Halfway down the street, she pulled her phone from her pocket.
It was old.
The screen had a c***k running diagonally across it, and the case was held together in one corner with tape.
She pressed the power button.
Nothing.
She pressed it again.
Still nothing.
"Please," she whispered.
She tried again.
The screen flickered.
Her wallpaper appeared.
A picture of her and her mother.
Eliana stopped walking.
For a second, everything around her disappeared.
There they were.
Mother and daughter.
Her mother's smile.
Her own younger face.
A happier version of herself.
Eliana gently touched the screen.
"I miss you."
The phone suddenly froze.
"Seriously?"
She pressed the button repeatedly.
The screen went black.
Then it came back.
Eliana checked the time.
Her heart dropped.
She was two hours late.
"No."
She stared at the screen.
"No, no, no."
She shoved the phone into her pocket and hurried toward the restaurant.
Her ribs protested.
Her ankle hurt.
Her entire body felt exhausted.
But she kept moving.
Please let me still have my job.
---
When she finally reached the restaurant, she slowed.
Something was wrong.
Someone else was standing behind the counter wearing the uniform that had once belonged to her.
Eliana stared.
A cold feeling settled in her stomach.
She walked toward the manager's office.
She knocked.
"Come in."
Her boss looked up.
His expression immediately hardened.
"You're late."
Eliana swallowed.
"I'm sorry, sir. I—"
"Two hours."
"I know."
"You know?"
His voice rose.
"I've given you warnings, Eliana."
"I know."
"You disappear. You arrive late. You miss shifts. What am I supposed to do?"
Eliana lowered her head.
"I had something important to take care of."
"Everyone has something important going on."
She said nothing.
Her boss sighed angrily.
"I've replaced you."
Eliana's heart sank.
"Sir, please."
"I'm sorry, but you're fired."
The words felt unreal.
She stared at him.
"But I need this job."
"You should have thought about that before missing another shift."
"Please."
"Eliana, the conversation is over."
She stood there for another second.
Then slowly nodded.
"Okay."
She walked out.
The moment the door closed behind her, her eyes filled with tears.
She had lost her job.
Another thing gone.
Another piece of the life she had been trying so desperately to build.
She stepped outside.
Rain immediately began falling.
She looked up at the sky.
"Great."
A bitter laugh escaped her.
"It just made my day even better."
She pulled her hoodie tighter around herself.
She didn't want to go home yet.
She couldn't face it.
Not after everything.
She needed somewhere to breathe.
There was a shortcut through an alley nearby.
She usually avoided it.
The last time she'd taken it, something frightening had happened, and she'd promised herself never to use it again.
But the rain was getting heavier.
And she was exhausted.
So she turned toward the alley.
---
The moment she entered, regret settled over her.
The buildings blocked most of the streetlights.
Water dripped from the fire escapes above.
Her shoes splashed through shallow puddles.
She kept walking.
Why did I come this way?
Her breathing became uneven.
Memories returned.
The fear.
The helplessness.
The feeling of having nowhere to run.
She pressed her lips together.
Don't cry.
Not here.
Not now.
But the tears came anyway.
She lowered her head as rain mixed with the tears running down her face.
A silent sob escaped her.
Then another.
She kept walking.
I'm so tired.
Her chest tightened.
She wanted her mother.
She wanted her brothers.
She wanted someone to tell her that she wasn't alone.
Instead, the alley remained empty.
Until she heard footsteps.
Eliana stopped.
Two men appeared farther down the alley.
They were clearly intoxicated.
One noticed her.
"Hey."
Eliana immediately stepped backward.
"I need to go."
She turned.
One of them moved into her path.
Fear surged through her.
"Please move."
They laughed.
Eliana's heart began pounding.
She tried to move around them.
They blocked her again.
Her breathing became rapid.
"Leave me alone."
She backed away.
One of them reached toward her.
Eliana pulled away and ran.
She didn't think.
She didn't look behind her.
She just ran.
Her bag bounced against her side.
Her injured body screamed at her to stop.
But fear was louder.
She reached the end of the alley.
The road was directly ahead.
She could hear footsteps behind her.
She needed to get away.
Now.
Eliana stepped into the street without looking.
A horn blared.
Her head snapped toward the sound.
Headlights filled her vision.
And then—
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