Please! Master, Marco.

SARAH

"How is it my fault that my boyfriend ran away with your company's money? We started dating just yesterday, I don't even know where he stays. We only get to meet anytime he shows up to buy food. Please, you have to believe me," I pleaded, hoping they would leave me be, but it only worsened the situation.

"Come on, young lady, don't try to act like you don't understand what I'm trying to say. Are you trying to say this signature on this document isn't yours?" he questioned angrily, tightening his grip on my wrist, causing me to groan in pain.

I diverted my gaze to the document he was holding only to see my signature plastered on it. It dawned on me that I had been fooled. Yesterday, he brought a document for me to sign; I was too busy to ask questions. I just took the pen from him and signed the papers. So, this was it? I thought he loved me? I blinked repeatedly, allowing the tears I had been holding back to fall.

"Crying won't solve a thing, ma'am! You have only two days to pay back the $50,000 he borrowed in your name!" My heart slumped at the mention of $50,000; that's literally my two years' salary. Gawd, how do I go about this? My thoughts were interrupted by his next sentence:

"Don't even think of running away; I'll be watching your every move!" With that said, he walked out with his men, leaving me in confusion. I turned to see my colleagues staring keenly at me; only a few had a pitiful expression, while the rest felt I got what I deserved. Shamefully, I picked up my bag and left.

***

As I walked out of my workplace, the weight of the $50,000 debt settled heavily on my shoulders. I couldn't shake off the feeling that my life was about to take a drastic turn. I trudged through the streets, my mind reeling with thoughts of how I was going to pay back the money until I finally reached the familiarity of my apartment building.

I dipped my key into the keyhole, throwing the door open. I reached for the light, something I was sure I didn't turn off before leaving. But walking in, I realized it was off, so I tried turning it on, but nothing happened. Finally coming to the conclusion that something was wrong with the light, I turned on my phone's light, which wasn't even bright enough, as I walked further into the room.

I shivered as I sensed a presence in the room. My skin crawled as I felt a pair of eyes on me, boring into my skin like cold, hard stones. I spun around, trying to see who was there, but the darkness seemed to swallow everything whole.

I managed to turn to walk out, only to bump into a strong figure. I could tell it was a man due to his features. I raised my hands, my fingers trembling as I pointed the flashlight at his face. His eyes locked with mine the moment the light came in contact with his deep blue eyes. I moved back fearfully, trying to scream, but funny enough, I couldn't find my voice. I heard him chuckle, adding to my fear.

"How'd you get in here?" I managed to ask, my breath coming out rough.

"Long time no see, dear Sarah," his deep voice came more like a whisper, sending shivers down my spine. Even though it was dark, I could still feel his eyes on me. I took a deep breath, not wanting to let him see through my fear. With my lips trembling, I asked,

"Who are you?" He let out a silly chuckle once more, then mumbled

"Your owner!"

"My owner? Am I some sort of goods?" My eyes widened.

"I'm not here to barter words with you, neither am I here to negotiate with you! You are now mine, Sarah! You will pay for every crime your mom committed!" he sneered at me. What did I do this time around? Where's all this coming from? Why is my whole life a mess?

"My mom? What did she do?" My mouth trembled. Why is my mother's sin chasing after me? First, it was my boyfriend, and now my mom. What exactly did I do wrong? Tears blurred my vision as I sniffed repeatedly, preventing the tears from streaming down.

"You will know when you get there!" That was the last thing I heard before everything turned blank.

**

I threw my eyes open, gasping as the cold liquid hit my skin. As I struggled to sit up, I realized I was lying on the bare floor. The memory of the previous day's events came flooding back, and I knew I was in grave danger.

"You think you can just sleep soundly after what your mom did? That's rich, coming from you." The one with blonde hair grabbed my hands, flinging me across the room like I weighed nothing. I winced in pain as tears streamed down my cheeks. The remaining two walked toward me, a devilish grin playing on their lips, and without giving me a chance to retaliate, a slap landed on my cheek, sending me straight to the floor. Even though I couldn't see my face, I could tell her five fingers were now plastered on my face. More tears streamed down my face. I wished the ground would just open and swallow me. I've had enough already.

"Your mom's debt needs to be paid, and since we can't touch her, you are the next best thing. It's so unfortunate that we'll still kill your mom after killing you. I'm just sad she's not here to watch me kill you with my bare hands. Not like she gives a f*ck about you, though. Sadly, you have to pay for her crime, poor thing," she clicked her tongue loudly. A dull ache throbbed in my cheek, but it was nothing compared to the pain in my heart. Why was I being punished for my mother's crimes? She had never cared about me, so why should I suffer for her sins?

More tears streamed down my cheeks as I watched the third lady bring out a pocket knife from her boot. Cold shivers ran down my spine the moment the knife touched my neck. My heart beat increased. I closed my eyes, waiting for her to slit my throat when suddenly I heard his voice, the voice of the monster who brought me into this hellhole: "Who gave you permission to lay a hand on my property?" Their eyebrows shot up in surprise as they turned to look at him.