With the burden in her heart lifted, Emily threw herself into her work.
The steady hum of the office, the rustle of papers, and the glow of her computer screen became her refuge.
She worked with relentless focus, determined to deliver her best and make up for the chaotic lateness of her morning.
At one point, Keira stepped out of her office, her face alight with approval. "Well done, Emily," she said warmly, her smile beaming at the efficiency Emily had shown on. The praise, small as it was, felt like sunlight after a storm.
By the time the last document was filed, a sense of quiet satisfaction spread through her chest.
In a blink, the day slipped away, ending more peacefully than she had dared to anticipate.
She sighed in relief.
At the close of work, Emily leaned back and stretched her tense shoulders. The moment her mind drifted back to reality, her mood soured as she recalled she would be returning to the same hellish house she had escaped from that morning.
The thought of going back weighed on her heavily. She longed to avoid it altogether, but with no apartment of her own and no immediate arrangements in place, she had no choice but to return.
Slowly, she packed her things into her handbag, moving with unusual reluctance.
Melissa peeked in. "Mily, aren't you leaving?" she asked, noticing how sluggish Emily was with her packing.
Emily forced a small smile. With her reputation as a workaholic, it wasn't unusual for colleagues to assume she had more work to do.
Sometimes it was true, but other times like tonight she stayed only to delay the inevitable return to a place she dreaded and with no odd job for her tonight, it's even more terrible..
"You go ahead. I'll soon be on my way," she replied softly.
Melissa nodded, waved goodbye, and left with the others. Soon, the office was quiet again.
Emily exhaled, she encouraged herself to return. Tomorrow, she decided, she would carve out time to search for an apartment. She couldn't keep living like this.
Together with the last few lingering colleagues, Emily entered the elevator.
Just as the doors slid shut, her phone buzzed in her bag.
Too weary to bother, she closed her eyes, inhaling deeply to calm her reluctant herself after the exhausting day.
The elevator chimed, announcing its descent. When the doors opened, she stepped out into the lobby, the evening air spilling in as though offering her a brief reprieve.
She drew in a deep breath, letting the cool freshness wash over her.
Before she had the time to savour the calmness of the air, her phone buzzed again, her phone buzzed again.
This time she pulled it out, sliding her finger across the glowing screen then she froze. Her jaw dropped, the blood draining from her face.
The message was from Ruby.
"Emergency!!! Come home quickly. The loan sharks are here. Dad and mom might lose their lives this time."
Emily's hand trembled violently. Her heart pounding hard in her chest as she reread the words again and again, each repetition sharpened her fear.
And then her mind spun, painting every worst-case scenario in vivid, terrifying detail that sent shivers down her spine.
Equipped with the knowledge of how terrible it is to fall into the hands of the loan shark she didn't want to imagine what would happen when they visited their debtors directly.
Their ruthless schemes, their merciless demands. But this… this was different. They had come to the house unlike in the past.
Yet, she was certain her father would never stop. His smoking and gambling habits had always been a curse.
But never had it escalated to this...a threat at their very doorstep, a butcher's cutlass over their heads, ready and demanding their lives.
Her chest tightened. They may not have treated her with love, but they were still her parents. And now their lives were hanging by a thread.
It had become a ritual for her adoptive parents to always be in debt, but it had grown worse recently.
Every new day now heralded a new threat, a new notice of overdue debts, overdue payments for individuals, and several others including the loan sharks.
But more painful was the fact she had always catered to this debt, her earnings had always fallen into the large mouth of the loan sharks, and whenever she thought she had finally cleared off the debt, she would be sent a new notice.
For years she had dealt with the weight of her adoptive father's gambling debts.
But now, the situation has escalated.
Her legs felt heavy but she forced them to move, each step felt like it took forever as she made her way to the exit.
The city lights flickered, distant, cold and indifferent to the storm raging in her heart.
With trembling hands, she flagged down a cab and sank into the seat, her breath shallow as the car sped toward home.
When she arrived at the small apartment, the atmosphere was suffocating. The night was still, but the air was thick with tension.
Ruby paced at the door, her eyes red from crying. Inside, Emily could hear the muffled squirming of her parents, their fearful voices like whispers in a haunted house.
As soon as Emily stepped out of the cab, Ruby rushed to her, gripping her hands tightly.
"They're here, Emily. They've come for everything... they say if we don't pay, they'll..." Ruby's voice cracked, unable to finish the sentence.
Emily's mind raced. Her adoptive father had promised they would pay back their debts, but they'd always been one step behind, never able to escape the cycle of gambling and borrowing.
And she was foolishly dutiful carrying the burden, paying and paying, while they only borrowed more.
It seemed tonight the cycle had reached its breaking point and it was time for them to face the consequences.
"Where are they now?" Emily's voice was steady, even though her heart was pounding in her chest.
"Inside. They're waiting for you," Ruby said, her voice barely above a whisper.
Emily's breath hitched as she moved past Ruby, her body moving on autopilot. Her hand brushed past Ruby's as she climbed the stairs. She had to see what was happening.
Just like Pauline had said in the morning, she was the only one working, which clearly implied she was the one to bear the pain…again.
There was no running away anymore. This was her life, and for the first time, she felt the weight of the responsibility she had been carrying all these years.
A bitter smile tugged at her lips. Emily didn't know if she should be grateful they had given her shelter all these years, or furious for creating troubles for her.
Her footsteps slowed as she neared the door. She could hear the harsh, muffled voices inside, sharp, impatient, demanding for their money.
With a deep breath, she knocked firmly and pushed the door open without waiting for an answer.
Who would have thought her mother's shrill voice would cut through the tension like a blade? To Emily's horror, she pointed at her, screaming
Marry her! You can marry her! …offering her own daughter as repayment.
~Back to present~
Recalling the situation from last night, Emily thought it laughable or to say she was the fool.
She had run herself ragged from the office, praying and hoping she could find a way out of this misery, a better way to end it, but in the end, she was the end. She was the repayment.
A token of exchange…
A bitter smile curved her lips again as the truth sank in. She was no longer a daughter, they had forfeited her, handed her over like a possession. Maybe all the years of her sacrifice weren't enough to be counted as a daughter.
Her eyes burned, tears threatening to fall, but she held them back. She remembered the papers...she had just signed her marriage papers just a few minutes ago, she swallowed hard.
She could not undo that. The trap was set, the path already drawn.
Her chest tightened, but she dared not dwell on the past. The past was gone and now she could only think of a way to navigate the problem to her advantage.
On this path, she must stand tall, she must look forward and change the course of fate… no matter the price.