A kind of creepy feeling erupted inside me as I heard him. His look was so intimidating that I was beyond scared, but I pretended bravery.
Gathering my strength, I tried to push him away, but his grip didn't even falter a bit. Only when he felt pity for my struggle did he let me go.
Without wasting another second, I ran as fast as I could. When I felt safe, I turned back to look at him, who was still standing in his position, with his hands in his pockets and a smirk on his face.
As soon as I reached my house, I took a deep breath. It was the worst day of my life. Not one or two, I had to run away from three scary men. I drank the water in one gulp while spilling a little on myself.
"What a fucking bad day!" I sat on the bed and put my palms above my head. Suddenly, my entire body started to shiver. Not because of those scary men, but because I lost my job. Even with a job, I barely met my expenses, and I didn't understand how I was going to survive until I got a new one.
I fell on the bed while looking at the moon through the window. Even the bright moon rays felt lonely. It could be because I saw them with my eyes that were filled with loneliness and desperation.
Swallowing down my emotions, I tried to sleep, but with a jolt I sat awake. His eyes, his damn eyes, kept revolving in my head. I kept feeling his dangerous aura around me as if he kept watching me from afar. It was haunting me even though I knew it was not real but only happening inside my head, so I closed the windows and slept even though the feeling still lingered.
The next morning, as I stepped outside my house with the fruit basket in my hand, I noticed the houseowner was already waiting for me near the stairs. I gulped and quickly tried to go back to my room and lock it from inside, but I was too late. She already saw me.
"The audacity of this young girl!" She scoffed. "How many times do I have to come here? Don't you have enough sense to pay the rent for the house you are staying in?"
"I am so sorry... I'll definitely..."
She cut me off. "You always skipped the rent, but it's becoming too much recently. It's been six months since you paid the rent. Whenever I come here, you hide. What a shameless woman you are!"
I bent my head down, letting her scold whatever she wanted, as she was right on that.
She then gave me a last warning before she walked away. "I have been kind enough because knew your mother, but now I can't give you more time. I am giving you a week. If you don't pay me the rent, I am going to kick you out."
I knew I was wrong for not paying the rent, but I seriously had no money even though I wanted to pay her. And the reason? The loansharks from whom my dead parents took money. As if it was not enough, my younger sister, who was five years younger than me, was attacked with leukemia in addition to her weak immune system when she was thirteen. She turned eighteen last month, but there was no change in her body.
When my parents were alive, they used to take care of her, but they died in an accident when I was in my last year of high school, and all the responsibilities burdened my shoulders, leading me to stop my education.
In a few minutes, I reached the hospital and entered my sister's room.
"Mira!" I sat beside her while she slept on her hospital bed.
Her disease kept relapsing, leaving her no strength to even have any normal conversation. I barely got any chance to speak to her.
"You'll be fine. I'll make sure nothing happens to you." I kissed her hand and then looked at her caretaker, saying, "Thank you for taking care of her."
She simply smiled and nodded her head. I kept talking to Mira even though she was asleep. Finally, after an hour, she slowly opened her eyes, making me smile.
"Elira?"
"Yes, I am here." I smiled.
She managed to sit straight. Sadness consumed me as I looked at her pale face, and her struggle to speak.
"I am sorry. I have always been a burden to you."
"No, you are not." I shook my head. "Don't let those stupid thoughts enter your head. Rest well."
Then I stayed with her for a while pretending everything was fine, as I didn't want her to notice my struggle. Later, I left in search of jobs.
As I didn't even finish high school, it was hard for me to get any job. I took many part-time jobs until I got a full-time job at the bar and restaurant I worked at. I was not only a bartender but also worked at their restaurant from morning to evening until that woman replaced me. She took everything I was involved in.
On my way, I saw a poster of a job vacancy. Immediately, I entered and spoke, "Hi! I saw the job posting for a waitress..."
Before I finished my sentence, the manager said, "It got filled."
"Oh, okay." I nodded and walked away.
I kept searching, but it seemed the bad luck had taken a special interest in me. I wasn't able to find any.
Finally, after a week I found a job as the server at the biggest nightclub, "Hydes." I somehow felt good about losing my previous job, as the Hydes were paying me double the salary I was earning before. However, the environment was not quite amiable. It was only for adults. Apart from regular and VIP sections, there were even floors for strippers. To my luck, I was assigned to the regular section.
A week had passed, and I got accustomed to my work. The work only started in the evenings, so I kept searching for other jobs I could do in the morning and afternoon, but all my searches were in vain.
It was already late in the night, and when I was about to get off work, my manager stopped me.
"Elira, one of the staff who usually serves VIP sections, is off today, and we have a lot of them now. Can you please support us for a few more hours?"
I didn't dare to say no. I didn't want him to have any negative impression of me that could cost me my job.
"Sure!"
I took the tray of glasses and alcohol and entered the VIP section. The entire floor was attached with red lights, and the personal rooms were arranged. I entered the room I was assigned to and bent a little to put the tray on the table without glancing at any of the people present.
Only when I stood straight did I look at three men in suits in front of me, and when I looked to my left, a gasp escaped my mouth.
There he was. Again! The handsome devil with an intimidating gaze.