Chapter 1 Panic

Mona

"Please you have to help me." I cried.

"And why would I do that?" The older woman sneered.

"If you don't help me, my mother will die," I dropped down to my knees, hanging my head while tears poured down my eyes, "All I need is a loan. I swear to repay."

"And how do you plan to do that," Mrs. Elliot rolled her eyes, "You don't even have the means to make any money or any property of value."

I didn't care what I'd have to do; selling my eggs, my blood, my organs, my dignity. I'd find a way to make back and repay that money. But right now, I was desperate and my mother was running out of time.

"I'll get you back your money," I sobbed, "Just help me. I need ten thousand dollars. You know my mother has served your family faithfully for many years."

I'd grown up in the Elliot household where my mother had been a nanny and maid. She'd strived and broken her back out of loyalty to the Elliot family, until she had fallen sick. As soon as she hadn't been able to do her duties anymore, the family had discarded her like she was trash.

They had completely forgotten about all the times she had gone the extra mile, in hiding Mrs. Elliot's affairs from her husband, subtly reminding Mr. Elliot anniversaries and birthdays too.

"What business of mine is that?" Mrs. Elliot sneered, "She was an employee, not a glorified family member. What happened to all the money she earned working here?"

I gaped at her. How did she expect that the peanuts she had paid my mother just because she wasn't educated would be of help now? In summary, they had taken advantage of mother and now they turned their back on her. I wasn't even asking for free money.

"How can you be so heartless?" I sobbed, "She'll die if you don't help. There's no one else that I can turn to."

The older woman rolled her well made up eyes, "I don't want to see you anywhere near this house with your pathetic request again. You think I care if your illiterate of a mother dies? Get lost!"

"No, wait!" I cried.

"If you're so desperate to save her life, then you'd better do what desperate girls do," she smirked, "You're not exactly a beauty, but neither are you hideous. I'm sure some men would be willing to toss some money your way if you pull the right strings."

Bile rose up my throat at her suggestion. The truth was that I'd had the same thought, but I knew my mother would prefer I left her to die than to prostitute myself to save her.

"Don't bother me again!" And with that, she banged her door shut, leaving me outside in the cold.

I hunched my shoulders, trying to fight the chill, but my thin blouse was no match for the January chill. I felt so hopeless at the moment.

Just then, my phone began to buzz in my pocket. I pulled out the phone and felt my heart leap in my chest as I stared at the caller ID. It was the hospital.

I picked it with shaky hands, "H-hello?"

"Miss Carter," the nurse said in a soft voice, "It's about your mother. Her situation is worsening and we need to move to surgery as soon as possible."

I hung my head, "I can't afford it right now."

"Oh," the woman said, "Well, you also have astounding bills that if you don't clear before Saturday, we will have no choice but to discharge your mother."

"No!" I cried, "You can't do that."

"I'm sorry, Miss Carter, but we're not running a charity organisation. This is a business, and we have other paying patients that are desperate for beds. We can't keep your mother here without any payment. I'm sorry."

Before I could say more, the line had gone dead. I buried my face in my hands, feeling so useless. After all my mother had done for me, I couldn't just let her go. It seemed I'd have no choice but to do what Mrs. Elliot had adviced me to do.

No matter how much the thought of letting strange men touch me turned my stomach.

Accepting my fate, I turned around to go home in shame, but just then I heard the door open. I spun around, hope coming to life in my chest. But instead of the silver haired woman, it was her daughter Mia who stood at the door.

She stared down at me from underneath her nose, looking like my presence revolted her, "You. I heard from my mother that you're in some trouble."

"Uh, yes." I sniffled, wiping my runny nose on the sleeve of my blouse.

Mia shuddered in revulsion, flinching back on her sky high heels, "Ew. Why can't you have some class at least. I know you're a pathetic beggar, but this is rock bottom."

For a girl like Mia who had lived her whole life being attended to by maids, and being given anything she wanted on a silver platter, I was sure she was unfamiliar with what it meant to be a normal person.

"Did you need something?" I asked her impatiently. I wasn't in the mood to be insulted further.

"What's wrong with your useless mother?" She yawned.

I gritted my teeth, "My mother isn't useless. She worked hard all her alive and_"

"That's not what I asked. That's none of my business as a matter of fact," she rolled her eyes, "I asked what's wrong with her?"

"She has a heart problem," I finally said, "She needs a heart transplant urgently, or she'll die." Tears sprung up to my eyes, and i tried to blink them away.

"Hmm," she hummed, looking sly, "What do you think about earning fifty thousand dollars? And it won't even be a loan. You can have the money."

I stared at her in shock, "What do I have to do?"

Her smile widened, "Something very simple."