Chapter 1 The Worst Day of My Life

Chapter 1

Ava's POV

"No, please! Just one more week! I swear, I'll get the money!"

It was another week again and I still had no 5 million dollars to pay the Creditors

I woke up on a very bad note.

My mother's hospital bill was piling up and I had no where else to get money from except my cleaning job.

I knelt on the cold , beer stained floor , my hands trembling as I held onto the man's shoe. The creditors kicked me off like I was a piece of trash.

"One more week? You've been saying that for months, Ava. Do you think we run a charity organization?" His voice was so low , and dangerous.

I shook my head violently, crawling back to him , ignoring the disgusted stares of the bar customers. "I will get it! I will! Just give me time!"

Then he laughed, it was a cruel and mocking laughter.

"Time? You think time will erase five million dollars of debt? Your parents borrowed , gambled , and left you to clean up their mess. That's not my problem, like it's not of our business, You owe us. We want our money.. that's it!"

Tears burned down my cheeks.

My body was already weak from working double shifts , but I pushed myself up and grabbed his pant leg again.

"Please, I'll do anything.. Just don't hurt me."

Another kick. This time , I tasted blood. My lip was split, and pain shot through my jaw.

"Hurt you ? Oh, sweetheart , you haven't even begun to suffer yet. If you don't have the money by tomorrow, we'll take something else."

I froze. My heart stopped. "W.. what do you mean?"

His smile was so slow , yet wicked. "Never mind, just make sure you get the money by tomorrow, Or else.. "

The air was knocked out of my lungs. The room spun. "No.. no, please." I begged

"One. More. Day." He stepped back , leaving me on the dirty floor, surrounded by shattered glass and spilled beer. "Don't disappoint us ." He said

I watched his shoes disappear out of the bar. My vision was blurred. My fingers dug into the ground.. My entire body shook as sobs ripped through me..

"Ava! Get up! You're making a damn scene!" My boss , Mr Carson, grabbed my arm and yanked me to my feet. "Do you think customers wanna see a crying girl on the floor ? Clean this mess up and get back to work!"

"And I don't want this to repeat it self again, take your personal business out of my workspace."

I wiped my tears with the back of my hand , nodding weakly.

My entire body ached , but I bent down , picking up the broken glass with shaky fingers.

"Pathetic," one of the waitresses muttered. "Always crying. Always begging. It's just so embarrassing."

I ignored her. I ignored everything. Not like i could do anything.

My heart felt too heavy. My chest was too tight..

Five million dollars. In one day.

It was definitely impossible.

I barely made a hundred dollars a month scrubbing floors , wiping tables , and dodging wandering hands.

How could I ever pay off that kind of debt?

I closed my eyes , while gripping the glass too hard, slicing my palm.

Blood dripped onto the floor , but I didn't care. What was one more wound? One more scar ? One more reminder that I was drowning and no one was coming to save me?

I finished cleaning , wrapped my hand in a dirty rag , and kept moving.

The night dragged on. My feet screamed in pain.

My back burned. But I worked. Because if I stopped , if I let myself think too much , I would break completely.

By the time my shift ended, I could barely stand.

I dragged myself out the back door, shivering in the cold night air.

My phone rang , I held it so tight, so it won't drop, my knuckles turned white. My breath was ragged, my lips trembled.

"Hello doctor," I said

"Miss, if you don't make the payment today, we will be forced to stop the surgery," the doctor's voice was firm , yet distant.

"No.." My voice cracked. "Please.. she's all I have left."

"I'm sorry , but we can't keep waiting. The hospital needs the funds.."

Tears blurred my vision as I whispered , "I don't have it yet. Please, just one more day. Just.."

"No more time. The operation will be canceled by midnight." The call got disconnected..

My knees buckled , and I collapsed on the cold, dirty floor of the bar's restroom. My heart pounded painfully in my chest.

"Five million dollars ," I mumbled to myself. "Where am I supposed to get five million dollars?"

My father was dead. My mother, was lying helpless in a hospital bed , was slipping away from me. I had nothing. No money. No home. No one to call for help.

My hundred dollar monthly salary as a bar cleaner wasn't enough to feed me , let alone save my mother.

The weight of the debt crushed me every second of every day. But tonight.. tonight, I was suffocating.

A loud bang on the door pulled me out of my despair. "Ava!" the bar owner , Mr. Carson, yelled. "Come out. Someone wants to see you."

I wiped my tears quickly and stumbled out. As I stepped into the dimly lit bar , I noticed three men in suits standing near the entrance. Their eyes bore into me like I was a prey.

"Are you Ava McCain?" one of them asked , with his voice deep and smooth , but something about it made my stomach twist.

"Yes," I whispered, still confused because I couldn't figure out their identity.

They were not the regulat guys I knew.

The tallest of the three men smirked. "Your debt. . Five million dollars."

My entire body went rigid. "I.. I'm trying. I just need more time."

The man shook his head. "Time is up , little girl."

Panic rushed through me. "Please! I don't have it yet , but I swear I'll get it."

"Oh, you don't have to worry about that anymore," he said, stepping closer. "We found another way for you to pay.."

Before I could react, a cloth was pressed against my nose.

My legs gave out and everywhere became dark...

I was Kidnapped!