Chapter 1 Stench of Reality

Stench...what is stench? An odor, bad. But not necessarily. Take, for example, alcohol and money. Both have a stench.

Alcohol, which our leading lady, Alexandra Thompson-better known as Lexi-was often covered in. And money, which she sadly lacked. But trust me when I say Lexi would rather be covered in the stench of money than alcohol. After all, the stench of alcohol always came with pain and regret, while the stench of money came with the best things life had to offer.

Lexi sighed, staring at the cracked ceiling of her tiny apartment. Her mind was reeling with so many thoughts. The faint smell of last night's alcohol lingered in the air, mixing with the musty scent of her unwashed sheets. No matter how hard she tried, she always felt like her efforts were wasted.

But she didn't have time to feel sorry for herself. With a groan, she rose from the bed, still wearing her stripper outfit from last night, which was basically a revealing costume.

She glanced at the clock. It was 10:49 AM. Great! She still had time to get ready for her afternoon shift at the local café. At night she worked as a stripper, and during the day, she was a waitress. Not the life she planned, but when has life ever gone as she planned?

Lexi moved to the bathroom, splashing cold water on her face to shake off the lingering sleepiness. She quickly got ready because she needed to stop at the hospital to see her dad before her shift.

Her heart stung slightly at the thought of him. She still hadn't raised enough money for his surgery-she wasn't even close, and he was getting worse. The surgery he needed was life-threatening and very expensive.

"Pull yourself together, Lexi. No one's gonna do it for you," she muttered to herself, staring at her reflection in the cracked mirror. Somehow, she had always been strong, even when her whole life was falling apart.

Nothing had ever really shaken her. Not when her mother left when she was just eight, and she had to take care of her four-year-old sister and heartbroken alcoholic father. Not when she dropped out of college after working so hard to get scholarships because her father fell sick. Not when she took two jobs, working four different shifts, whether she was healthy, sick, on her period, or depressed. Nothing. And not even when she finally had to work as a stripper at night because her two jobs weren't enough to pay the bills and still hospitalize her father.

Lexi's life was suffocating, and it had been like that for a long time. She took a deep breath, straightened her shoulders, and grabbed her worn-out bag. It was time to face another day.

****

"Where the hell have you been?" Sophia Thompson-better known as 'bitch sister'-demanded, her voice sharp enough to cut through steel as she glared at Lexi. Her irritation was so palpable it almost felt physical.

They stood just outside their dad's hospital room, the sterile scent of disinfectant mixing with the faint, lingering smell of alcohol on Lexi.

"Not today, Sophia. Please, I'm exhausted," Lexi said softly, her voice weary. She leaned against the wall, feeling the cool surface against her back, desperate for a moment of peace. She really wasn't in the mood to argue, like they did every day since their dad fell sick.

"From what exactly? Partying? Drinking?" Sophia scoffed, her sneer twisting her features. "I can literally smell the alcohol all over you." Her eyes, hard and unforgiving, bored into Lexi's tired ones. "You've always claimed to love Dad, but you go out partying all night while I'm the one here taking care of him."

This again... Lexi sighed inwardly. Her sister had no idea that she was a stripper, and she always assumed her nights were spent partying, which couldn't be further from the truth.

"Look, Sophia, I pay the bills. You take care of Dad. It's easy, so stop complaining, please. You have no idea the stress I go through every day." Lexi said, her voice strained.

"Fine. Since you're paying the bills, I should probably remind you that Dad's last weekly dosage wasn't given to him because you didn't pay for it. And this week's is coming up... not to mention the surgery, the light bill for the house, the rent, and also the insurance company called..I can go on and on. So, what bills exactly are you paying for, Lexi?" Sophia sneered, crossing her arms over her chest.

Lexi bit her tongue, her nails digging into her palms as she fought to keep her composure. Engaging with Sophia would only lead to another screaming match, like every morning. All her sister ever did was nag her and make her feel worse, like she wasn't even trying.

"Look, I don't have time for this. Just tell Dad I stopped by," Lexi said, her voice hollow. She turned and walked away, each step heavy with exhaustion and frustration, her vision blurring with unshed tears.

Lexi loved her sister-a little too much, even-but sometimes she wished Sophia would get hit by a truck. A huge one. The thought was fleeting and guilt-inducing, but it was there nonetheless. She sighed deeply before wiping away a stray tear.

As she exited the hospital, the sun hit her face, harsh and unforgiving. The warmth did nothing to alleviate the cold knot of anxiety in her chest. She glanced at her watch-barely enough time to get to her shift at the café. She needed the money, every last cent of it, but the idea of plastering a smile on her face and serving coffee felt nearly impossible.

She pulled out her phone, checking her bank account balance. The numbers stared back at her, mockingly low. Her dad's surgery was looming, and she wasn't anywhere close to the amount needed. The stress of it all made her chest tighten. She took a deep breath, trying to steady herself.

Just then, her phone buzzed with a new text message. She opened it, expecting another reminder about an unpaid bill. Instead, it was from an unknown number.

"Meet me at the corner of 5th and Main tonight. I have information that can help you."