"We both know that we can't give you any more support." Auntie Beth looked at Victorie with a hint of dismay but still managed to flash a smile that didn't reach her eyes, "This is the only thing that we can offer please accept it."
Victoria looked at the two $100 that Auntie Beth was handing her, she smiled at Auntie Beth and shook her head, "It's okay Auntie, for everything you've done to help me—you even sent me off to a school. On that part alone, I'm very lucky."
Auntie Beth was about to utter another word when a large thud of the door surprised both of them, Beth's daughter Damera walked inside, "Can you please get the hell out of here? My clothes are hanging outside." Damera then rolled her eyes and placed the bedsheet she was holding on the bed.
Victoria just looked at her luggage and didn't waste time looking at the room where she grew up one more time. This family kept her since birth, Beth convinced Victoria that she was a distant cousin of her mother, but Victoria didn't believe it because she wasn't, and that's the truth.
For all she knew Auntie Beth was a good person who embraced the child who was not an inch related to her.
After Victoria got out of the door, she heard Damera boast her anger at Auntie Beth, "Why are you like that to her, mother? It's not like she's related to your blood or something?"
"Hush, you don't know what you're talking about Damera—"
"What do you mean I don't know? Everyone knew she was an orphan! She is the reason why we are in debt, why can't you see that?"
With a heavy heart, Victoria decided to take another step to leave them quietly, but before she could take her step her arm was pulled, powerful enough to make her turn in its direction with a split second, and a slap greeted her face.
The incident happened quickly and she just looked at two $100 that fell separately on the floor.
Victoria then held her cheek tightly as she stopped the tears from forming in her eyes.
"Leave and don't ever come back! Try to set a foot inside this house and I will report to you those shark loans! Get out!!!" Damera shouted which filled the whole house.
Victoria just looked at Damera while her tears fell from her eyes.
Damera scoffed, "The main problem with you is you're too kind! Do you think signing those papers will save your dying friend? No! You just made a fool of yourself and you actually implicated my mother's business and now you feel sorry for us!"
"Do you even think saying sorry will bring back what my mother lost? You b*tch! Ugh!"
Damera turned and entered the room once more, Victoria's hand turned into a fist and she didn't think twice whether to answer Damera or not and silently pulled her luggage, got the two $100, and went down the stairs.
Victoria didn't say goodbye to Uncle James for she knew this was what he also wanted.
For those past years, Victoria endured everything she experienced, but she knew, she wasn't in a position to complain. Victoria knows deep inside her, that she did not live here for free. And God knows how she stretched a bone to repay Auntie Beth's kindness.
After she left their house, Victoria's phone rang and saw that Clarisse was calling, she just looked at her name as it rang. Suddenly, her legs got weak, and fell in front of the gate of the house.
Victoria can't stop crying.
She felt fear. Victoria didn't want to leave this house because she was afraid of being alone. But half of her knew that this was what she needed for her to grow.
Victoria lifelessly answered Clarisse's call and all she ever said was, "I'm on my way."
[Are you okay—]
Victoria ended the call before Clarisse could ask her anything. Victoria was sure she'd understand. She just doesn't want to validate her feelings any further because she knows it will get worse.
Victoria stood and picked up her things and started walking while waiting for a taxi to pass by. But before she could even take another step, Victoria saw a cloud shaped like a heart and snapped a photo of it.
She opened her twitter account and posted it with the caption, "Life should be good..." after posting that photo a taxi stopped by her side and she got in.
----
"Are you sure, you're fine Tory? Your eyes are so red." Clarisse asked and Victoria could sense that she was indeed worried about her.
Victoria just laughed while looking at her, somehow she felt relief when she finally saw Clarisse because if it wasn't for her, Victoria wouldn't know where or how she would pick herself up.
Victoria swirled the ice in her glass with a bitter smile, "Do you think if Jane was here, she would be happy that I'm leaving?"
Clarisse smiled at her, "Maybe, but I bet she'll stop you if she had a chance."
The bar of this hotel played a piece of soft classic music, almost soothing, they just fell silent.
Clarisse was sitting across from Victoria, she took a deep breath and looked at her softly. Clarisse said, "If you're still blaming yourself for what happened to Jane—you should stop."
Victoria, Clarisse, and Jane were high school friends, they were only 16 at that time when the incident happened. Just like Victoria, Jane was also hated by her parents, and because of that, the closeness of the two of them was not ordinary. Out of the three, only Clarisse has a loving and financially stable family.
That one time, Victoria and Jane were playing at the park back in middle school when the chain of the swing Jane was riding suddenly broke, Jane's head hit a stone and her body started to shake. The young Victoria was dumbfounded at that time and she didn't know what to do as fear filled her body. Soon after Jane was rescued, her parents blamed Victoria for it, let alone pay for the hospital bills. The reason Victoria learned to borrow money at an early age, making her was buried in debt.
The reason for Auntie Beth's small business going bankrupt and that's when Victoria started hiding. After months of being at the hospital with a life sustainer machine, Jane then died and Victoria knew those efforts were not in vain because they somehow extended Jane's life...
But for Victoria to pay those little debts, she decided to gamble herself to get a bigger loan on someone who wouldn't think twice about taking someone's life just to get back the money they lost, in short, shark loans.
Victoria got back to her senses when Clarisse went beside her and went in to hug her, Victoria smiled and hugged her back.
That was the sole reason why she needed to leave the country because the due of her loan was this coming week and she knew they were looking for her by now.
The two girls broke their hug and as Victoria drank the rest of the alcohol in her glass when suddenly something caught her attention.
'That tattoo...' Victoria paused and had a thought.
She stood up quickly, saying, "I'll just—I'll be in the bathroom."
Victoria didn't wait for Clarisse to answer and she quickly went to the elevator, before the door closed, her eyes met with the other guy who was with the man who had the tattoo and they were running in her direction.
Victoria rattled and didn't know what button she pressed in the elevator if the floor was right or what.
After she got out and saw that the first door after the elevator was an open room, Victoria didn't waste a chance and got inside. She didn't think if a serial killer was inside this room but she closed the door firmly and after a few seconds, there was a loud bang on the door.
"Open up! Some girl is there inside you!"
"She's a criminal, this is the police!"
Victoria's knees felt weak and because of the darkness of the room, she stumbled because of something lying on the floor. She got back up to check what it was and saw it was a man lying on the floor.
Victoria suddenly panicked and tried to aid him when he suddenly grabbed her hand.
Victoria tried to remove it but he held it tightly, "Let me g—" she said and continued to struggle.
The man held his hand tighter making her flinched and said, "Do you want me to save you?"
