ESTELLE GENEVIEVE
There have been a couple of times that I have been able to purchase everything that I wanted; it includes all of my personal needs and wants. I used to live in fragrant surroundings that were filled with luxurious appliances and some other unnecessary kinds of stuff that my mom randomly brought. I used to wear a long, red dress every single day no matter what the occasion was or if there wasn't any event at all.
But then suddenly, all of what I have gotten used to disappeared like how a bubble pops.
I am currently wearing a loose shirt with holes in it that I just picked up from the streets. It reeks out of impure smell, but I can't do anything about it; I no longer have the funds to buy a perfume that would satisfy what fragrance I wanted to smell.
I wish that I would have never woken up to this day.
"E-Estelle! Come here, honey, quick," my mom shouted my name even though she was just a meter apart from me. We aren't living in a mansion anymore, though we haven't moved out from the city of Asteria.
I turned around to walk in the direction of mom, and I saw her hands shaking and as well as her knees. "What's the matter? Why are you like this?" I consecutively questioned her as I was concerned with how she was acting. My mom never shows her weak side to me, and she has never cried with me. She picked up a piece of the envelope inside her pocket that sent my curiosity to a high level. "What does that contain inside?" I pointed to what she was holding.
"I-I am... being summoned by them..." she stuttered as she held out the envelope right in front of me, which I casually grabbed away from her. "The police want to talk to me," she continued while I was opening the envelope.
There was a single piece of paper inside, which was folded into three that I immediately unfolded. Reading through its content, I realized that mom was telling the truth-- the police are searching for mom's whereabouts, and if there was a case that someone sees her lurking around the streets, they ordered the people to cease her.
"What the heck is this about? D-Debt? Since when did you have a debt with someone?" I furiously asked her. I couldn't think of anyone to give her a million as a loan! "Is this connected with how all of our money from the bank and in our wallets have disappeared out of the blue?" I hadn't noticed that I unconsciously threw the envelope along with the paper somewhere.
Who could have given my mom such an amount without any guarantee that she would be able to pay all of it? It will be worse if she has signed a contract on when it should be delivered in a total amount too.
"Maureen," I called her by her name. This is how I usually address her, especially when I am not in the mood for jokes. "Please tell me that this is just a misunderstanding and nothing more than that," I tried to sound like it was a plea rather than a threat.
While waiting for her response, I roamed my eyes around our tiny house. The bedroom, dining room, living room, and the bathroom are all together in this place; there wasn't even any second floor or a rooftop, at least.
"Estelle..." Mom uttered my name, and seconds had already passed by; there wasn't any continuation after it.
"What!" I yelled instead of asking nicely.
She gulped then breathed heavily. Her shoulders that were raising and being lowered down were enough to make her hair move. "You love me, right? You treasure your mom and the bond that you have spent with me, right? You would do anything that I ask of you, right?" her questions sounded desperate as if she would ask me sometime soon that I would be the one to pay for all of her debts.
"What does it have to do with your notice of arrest?"
"H-Help me with this one, please, Estelle."
Mom stepped forward in an attempt to take hold of my hands which I purposely avoided. "Don't touch me, Maureen. I can't believe you," I glared at her, and with that simple action, she stepped back to where she was standing before. "How can you easily ask your daughter for help regarding this matter? This can't be solved by me alone, and this should be your problem and not mine," I hissed.
"It's not that much of a problem, Estelle, I promise! There are just some particular things that you have to accomplish, and we have already talked about this, including the police," mom insisted on asking for my assistance, although I am not that sure if she was telling the truth.
"What will you do if I find out that you were lying all along?"
"T-There's nothing that you can do about it after you have done it," she answered. It was as if it was a one-time punishment for me which I will regret for eternity. "Are you willing to take the risk for your beloved mother?"
I kept my mouth shut, and my lips were pressed together. My hands formed tight balls at the same time that my thin eyebrows furrowed. It took me about five minutes before I could have thought of my final decision.
"Okay," I said shortly. There wasn't anything else that I am supposed to do right here anyway. "I hope that it won't be something weird or dangerous. I wish that your conscience could let you sleep at night if you seriously put me in danger, Maureen." I released my fingers from being clenched as I momentarily calmed myself down.
"I will soon tell you the root of all this, Estelle. All that I can inform you now is that you are about to get in touch with the richest businessman in Asteria," she explained. "You are my last hope."
Most prosperous businessman, my ass.
