Chapter 4 Insufferable Debtor

It all started last night Valerie's fingers trembled as she dialled Layla's number; her screen had become blurry all of a sudden. She could hear her heart pounding with dread and could barely process what had just happened-her father cutting her off, the humiliation, the anger... and now, her bank balance. How had she ended up completely broke? What in the hell had happened the previous night? How bad can her life get and how would she recover from this? She asked herself in her mind.

The phone rang twice before Layla's cheerful, if slightly groggy, voice answered, "Val, what's up? Last night was insane!"

Valerie clenched her jaw, trying to keep her voice steady. "Layla..." she started, trying all she could to speak calmly, "what exactly happened last night? What did we even do?"

Layla laughed, oblivious to Valerie's distress. "Are you serious? We popped bottles, danced on the tables... everyone was looking at us. Don't tell me you don't remember any of it?"

"No, I... I remember parts of it, I think." She could almost hear the eye-roll in her friend's voice as she hesitated. "Layla, you have no idea. My dad was just here, and he told me he's cutting me off. My account is literally empty. Completely."

The line went silent for a moment, then Layla gasped. "Wait, what? You're serious?"

Valerie's voice cracked, her carefully built-up defences beginning to crumble. "Yes, Layla. He's done. He's taken everything from me. And I can't even remember what we spent all that money on last night! What did we do?"

Layla's voice softened, her tone more sober. "Val, don't worry. I'm on my way over, okay? We'll figure it out."

She hung up, and Valerie let her phone drop onto the couch, her breath hitching as she held back tears. She couldn't just sit there. She had to do something, anything, to feel like she had control again. With shaky legs, she rose and made her way upstairs, clinging to the railing as though the weight of her situation was pressing down on her. They were indeed pressing down on her, from having millions to being broke in one night.

In her room, she stumbled into the bathroom, hands clumsily peeling off last night's clothes, now wrinkled and smelling faintly of smoke and spilled champagne. She stepped into the shower, twisted the handle, and let the cold water pour over her, shocking her awake. She shivered, but it felt like a small punishment-something she deserved.

The icy water pelted her skin, numbing her. She closed her eyes, trying to force herself to remember details of the night before, but everything came back in hazy, flashing images: Layla raising a bottle in a cheer, the neon lights swirling, the beat of the music pulsing in her bones, and the steady stream of drinks that just kept coming.

"What was I thinking?" she muttered, her voice cracking under the weight of her frustration. "Valerie you are done for! what are you going to do now?"

Her words hung in the air, blending with the hum of the water. She leaned against the cold tiles, letting out a shaky breath. She was so used to having everything handed to her, always able to call her father or swipe his card and make every problem vanish. But now? She had never felt this kind of desperation before.

For the first time in her life, she felt truly... lost.

After a few minutes, she turned off the water, wrapping herself in a towel. She caught a glimpse of her reflection in the mirror-her usually radiant face was pale, eyes tired and hollow. She barely recognised herself.

"I'm... I'm finished," she whispered to her reflection, her words trembling. "What am I going to do?"

Just as Valerie thought things couldn't possibly get worse, her phone chimed with a new notification. She glanced down, and her heart sank-it was an invoice from one of her favourite designers. The total: forty-five thousand dollars. The number glared back at her, and she nearly dropped her phone into the sink. Before she could process the shock, her phone lit up with a call from the designer herself.

Valerie reluctantly swiped to answer.

"Hey, sugar!" came Bernice's bubbly voice, as if they were the best of friends. "Just sent you the invoice. The dresses should be arriving any moment now-if they're not at your doorstep already! Oh, and I threw in a complimentary bottle of champagne!"

"Bernice..." was all Valerie could manage, her voice weak with disbelief.

"Oh, and wait until you see these dresses!" Bernice gushed. "They're the best of my latest collection. You're going to look absolutely stunning! But-something strange happened."

"What... happened?" Valerie asked, dreading the answer.

"Well, I tried charging the card you have on file with us, and it came back... insufficient funds." Bernice chuckled, as if it were some funny joke. "I was shocked! I mean, 'The Valerie Davis' and 'insufficient funds' don't exactly go together, right?"

Valerie forced a laugh, but it sounded hollow. "Yeah... about that," she stammered. "Something came up recently, and, um... I don't even remember placing these orders, actually. But I'll send the money soon. I just-um-I need to get back to what I was doing. Thanks, Bernice."

Without waiting for a response, she ended the call and let her phone drop onto the counter, gripping the edge of the sink as she stared into the mirror, her reflection wide-eyed and pale. She felt the weight of her world crashing down around her, her extravagant lifestyle now a burden instead of a pleasure. Questions like How was she going to keep up appearances now? How is she going to pay her domestic staff and other crazy questions flew in and out of her head.

Valerie heard Layla calling her from the bedroom. She took a deep breath, straightened herself, and rushed out, her voice rising with panic as she neared Layla.

"Layla, my life is over!" she cried, running into the room. "BeeLuxury Fashion House just sent me an invoice for forty-five thousand dollars. Forty-five thousand! I don't even remember ordering anything, and now Bernice Rosetta's calling and expecting payment!"

Layla's eyes widened as she took in Valerie's frantic state. "From one problem to the other from one crazy night! You know what? Val, calm down," she said, though the shock on her face was clear. "Forty-five thousand dollars? That's insane! Look, let's just think for a moment-maybe I can help. How much do you actually need?"

"All of it," Valerie said, her voice desperate. "And I was hoping maybe you could lend it to me? Just until I figure something out..."

Layla's face softened, but she shook her head. "Val, I love you, but I don't even have half of that in my account. Forty-five thousand is... a lot. I wouldn't even know where to begin."

Valerie's shoulders slumped as she sank onto the bed beside her friend, feeling the reality of her situation close in on her. "Then what am I supposed to do, Layla? It's either I find that money or Bernice will probably blacklist me from every exclusive boutique in the city, she would call me out on social media! Billionaire hairess and influencer, Valeria Davis an insufferable debtor!! Check that!"

"Okay blacklisting you would be fine for now but calling you out would be messy, is she threatening to do that already?" Layla asked.

"Not yet, but she might be. I'm loosing my mind!"

"Have you tried calling your dad?" Layla asked again only to be met with Valeria's red shot eyes; she knew what was coming next.

"What do you mean calling my dad-he's already cut me off!" Valeria yelled, grabbing one of her pillows to her self, "How could he do this to me! I thought he loved me!"

Layla took a deep breath, not knowing what to say. she glanced around the room, as if the answer might be hidden somewhere. Then she looked back at Valerie with a thoughtful expression. "Well, I hate to say it, but... maybe it's time to sell one of your cars. I mean, you have four, and two of them are just sitting in the garage collecting dust. A quick sale would cover this debt and give you some breathing room because I'd hate to be in your shoes right now"

Valerie's eyes widened. "Sell my car? You are ridiculous!"

"The blog headlines will be more ridiculous and scandalous, I'm sure you don't want to deal with that!" Layla fired.

"But... those cars are special! Dad gave them to me on my birthdays..."

"I know, Val," Layla said gently. "But we're talking about survival here, not sentimentality. You need cash fast, and this might be the quickest way."

Valerie paused, considering the thought, and sighed. "Fine. Let's do it. Do you know anyone who could set up a quick, discreet sale?" as though rethinking her thought, she added, "I really hate that I'm doing this"

Layla nodded, pulling out her phone. "I actually know a guy who specialises in this. He can get you a good price and move fast, no questions asked."

Valerie bit her lip, the idea of parting with one of her prized cars tugging at her. But Layla's steady gaze reminded her that she didn't have the luxury of hesitation. She nodded, her decision made. "Alright, get in touch with him. The sooner, the better."

Layla faintly smiled reassuringly, already typing away on her phone. "Don't worry, Val. We're going to get through this. Just one car, and you'll be back on track. Hopefully this would put an end to this chaos, we'd discuss about your dad afterwards. Everything will be fine."

Valerie managed a weak smile, hoping that Layla was right.