Chapter 2 Think about it

"Henrique... " She started, but the bald, thick-set, small man desceding the stairs was looking at her with a face that denoted nothing more than discontentment.

"No, missy, I want my money. Now!" he said. Danika had not paid him last week, or the week before. As much as she gained nice tips at the restaurant, she had to use the money for another meaning.

"Look, my grandma got sick and I had to.."

"Don't try that with me, honey. My heart won't melt." He said, then, he got closer to her and looked her up and down. "Unless you have changed your mind and decided to pay me with something else."

She made a disgusted face. Why would men always offer that?

"No..."

His smirk vanished and was substituted by a scowl.

"You pay me tomorrow first thing, or you're out."

He passed by her and almost bumped into her shoulder.

Drenched of energy, Danika climbed the stairs to her apartment and only when she got her purse to put on the table, did she realize the envelope the weird client gave her was still in her hands. She looked at the trash can and threw those papers there.

After going to the bathroom and finding out there was no water, she went to bed and felt as if her life couldn't get any worse than that. Thinking about it, she slept and had nightmares.

By morning, she left pretty early. Henrique had already sent her a message, but she didn't have the heart to open and read it. He was probably asking for the rent money. She had to get her money from the restaurant before she met Henrique or she would be screwed.

Arriving at the restaurant, she entered through the back door and saw Moira. The night before, she didn't have time to talk to the woman, but now she could at least exchange a few words.

"Good Lord, Dan!" Moira said and threw her arms around Danika's neck. Then, she held her by the shoulders and looked at the redhead. "What did that imbecile do to you? And Dupont fired you? What an ass!"

"I'm ok. I just need to get my payment and that is it."

"But.. how are you going to get by, love?"

Moira was a hottie with bright blue eyes and black hair. At that moment, she was clearly worried. Since Danika arrived in that city and got the job, Moira embraced her and took care of her, helping every time Danika needed.

"I'll get by, as always. Don't worry."

"If you need anything, call me And don't vanish, ok? We are friends."

"I won't." She promised and went after Dupont.

She got her payment, tried to find another job but, interestingly, nobody wanted to hire her!

'How on earth? I am a great worker, and just because I punched Igor Sokolov? He asked for that!', she whined and decided to go back home. She had to pay Henrique and the next day, look again for a job. But then, she was not fast enough. When she arrived, most of her things were already outside.

"What the heck?" She exclaimed and tried to stop one of the men, carrying her pillows.

"Sorry, ma'am. We are just following rules." The dark skinned guy said and kept working. She knew he was saying the truth and couldn't blame them.

"Where's Henrique?"

"I don't know... maybe inside."

She entered the building, holding back her tears. The man in his office, counting money. When she entered the room, he raised his eyes and smiled.

"Hello, kitten."

"Don't even try, Henrique!" She took the money from her purse and put it on the table. "Here, now... I want my things back inside."

He got the money, counted it and smiled at her. Then, he made a fake pout.

"Sorry, baby, no can do. The apartment is already rented."

"What?" She asked, incredulous. "But I just paid you!"

"Somebody else paid me the whole year. Can't help it." He sniffed the scent of the dollar bills.

Danika was on the verge of passing out.

"Fine, then give me my money back."

He frowned and looked funny at her.

"Your money?" He asked. "I don't have your money."

"I just put it on this table, you got it. Now, give it back!"

"No, kitten, that was my money. You owned me. You paid me what you owed. With interest."

"But..."

"Not my problem. Get out. Unless you decided to use that smart mouth of your to please me, fuck off!"

Danika left the building, sitting on the stairs and crying.

Her phone started to buzz and when she saw her mother's name on the screen, she dried her tears, cleared her throat and accepted the call.

"Hey, mom!"

"Hey, darling!" Thalia's voice sounded on the other side of the line. The woman sniffed and Danika frowned at the sound of that.

"Have you been crying? What happened? Did anything happen to grandma Olene?" Danika could feel something was wrong.

"Danika, baby, I'm so sorry for asking this out of you again. Your grandma... We need more money. Her meds are over." Talia said. "I'm sorry we are a burden to you. I should be the one helping you..." Talia started to cry again.

Danika had been abandoned by her father when she was so young she couldn't even remember his face. Since then, her mother and grandmother did everything to help her, until the day her grandmother fell ill and Thalia had to resign in order to take care of Olena. But.. Why not Danika? Because since Danika said 'no' to a guy, who happened to be the son of a wealthy family from the country, she could find no job, nor her mother.

They talked a bit more and when the call was over, Danika sighed. Yeah, how would she help her grandma? She just lost all her money to Henrique and she had no job, no nothing. Then, she saw the trash can. First, she didn't give a damn about it, but she remembered something... The envelope.