Surprise!

Trinity dragged her feet as she made her way home with a throbbing headache. She pinched the area between her brows and groaned softly.

/Did I miss anything out? Mummy's debt, daddy's medical bills, this month's house bills, my contribution… Why do I feel like I'm forgetting something…?/

The elevator tinged just as she reached the lobby.

"Oh! Hey, Trinity!" A chirpy voice deafened her.

/That's it! Nat's school fees!/

Trinity frowned and looked at the young girl exiting the elevator. "Where're you going?" She eyed the girl from head to toe. Her hair was done up and her face full of make-up. She wore a choker, cropped top, and shorts that showed her butt cheeks.

"Clubbing. Obviously.” She rolled her eyes. “What a dumb question."

"Don't you have school tomorrow? It's already so late." Anger and irate bubbled up within her.

"Ya, ya. It's fine." She waved her hand dismissively.

"Now that I'm the one paying for your school, you better treat it more seriously-"

"I didn't ask you to pay for it! God! Leave me alone!" The girl stomped off angrily.

"Natalie!" Trinity shouted. However, her head throbbed painfully with it. "God fucking damn it." She cursed under her breath as she pressed for the lift.

While in the lift, Trinity tried to slow her breathing to ease the throbbing. The doors opened. She shoved her hand into her tote bag while making her way to a rusty grey gate at the side of the elevator. While she stood in front of it, she continued fumbling around her bag for her keys. The moment she felt it, she yanked it out only for it to slip out of her grasp.

"Ugh! Can the day get any worse?!" She hissed.

The gate finally squeaked open. She carelessly tossed her keys onto the shoe rack in front of the door.

"Trinity! You're home!" Her mum cheered as she ran towards her.

Trinity frowned and looked at her mother suspiciously. "Yes…? Is something up?”

When all her mother did was smile in a creepily sweet way, Trinity guessed, “… Did you get scammed again?"

Her mother's smile immediately turned into a frown. "How rude! Of course not!"

Trinity discreetly rolled her eyes and mumbled, "You say it as if you haven't been getting scammed."

Thwack!

The slap across the back of her head caused her migraine to act up. "Ah! What the hell?!"

"Is this how you see me now? Is this how you're going to talk to me from now on?" Her mother’s voice trembled and tears threatened to fall.

Before Trinity could argue back, a soft and weak sigh came from her right. "Dear… Just tell her the good news… Trinity, please forgive your mother, you know how she is..."

Trinity looked at her frail and skinny father in his wheelchair then swallowed her words back down her throat.

"Dear?" Her father prompted.

However, her mother kept her lips pursed and turned her head away.

Her father sighed lethargically. "A man came by and offered to pay for everything in exchange for your hand in marriage." He broke the news like they were chatting about the weather.

Trinity was stunned silent.

"We know you're surviving on practically nothing. Look at your clothes. Even our house looks better than what you're wearing." He glanced around the messy house with recyclables strewn about and her sisters' items littered around, then back at the loose faded and worn out clothes dangling off of Trinity.

"Like I always say… Some people dress this way for fashion anyway!"

"Suuure." Her mother chimed in.

She glared at her mother with eyes that were growing redder by the minute.

"And what? So you did get scammed again! But this time you gave MY particulars? Can't I have some rest?!"

"He's legitimate." Her father gently cut in before her mother could argue back. "He showed us his credentials, identification documents, and proof of his payments."

"Impossible.”She whipped out her phone from her back pocket. “I just paid-" Trinity wordlessly stared at her phone that showed a notification of a bank transfer. She blinked a few times, finding it hard to believe what she was seeing. All the money she had ever paid for her family was restored to her bank account. She checked the timing of the transfer.

"That man just left?" She confirmed with her parents. They nodded.

"You… So, you essentially sold me off?"

"You and your descriptions again!" Her mother chided. "We helped you, didn't we? We know how good you've been to us so we wanted to help relieve you of your burden."

"Without consulting me?! Without asking me for what I want?!"

/All I wanted was your love and attention! Your care and concern! That’d be enough!/ Trinity thought to herself, too angry to say something that would make her feel vulnerable. Tears ran down her cheeks.

"I don't get why you're so upset! We just helped you! I never knew how ungrateful you actually are!" Her mother scolded.

Trinity gritted her teeth and stormed off into her room. The girl that was in the room scampered out when she entered. Trinity slammed the door shut and thrashed some pillows around. After letting off some steam, she dove into bed and cried into her pillow.

"What did I do to deserve this…?"

Her tired eyes and migraine soon knocked her out a lot earlier than she expected.

Soft knocking drew Trinity out of her deep slumber. Her eyes felt puffy. She blinked several times at the sunlight streaming in from the window. "Shit!" She snatched up her phone and checked the time. She heaved a sigh of relief. "Just enough time." She mumbled to herself as she grabbed her clothes and towel.

Her father was beyond the closed door. "Morning." She mumbled before rushing past him to get to the toilet.

She did not get much peace for long, though. Her father's voice travelled past the closed bathroom door.

"Trinity, I know you don't want to hear this, but… He's here to get you."

Trinity's hand froze on the knob. "What?!"

"He's-"

"Yeah, sis! Your beau's here~" Natalie sang while rapping on the door.

"Natalie?! Why're you still home?! And Daddy! I have work in the morning then class then work! Why's he picking me up?! Why now?! The least you all could do is consider my timetable!"

"But… You don't have to work so hard anymore." Her father's voice could barely be heard above the sound of running water.

Trinity bit her lower lip. She kicked the water and panted a little in anger. "Just... Leave me alone."

"But-"

"For now! Can't you wait for me to be done bathing?!"

"Ah, right, right. As long as you understand."

Silence resumed. Trinity turned off the heater and stood under running cold water for minutes. Her hands clenched tightly into little fists as she fought to calm down.

Trinity stepped out of the kitchen while drying her hair. Her eyes were immediately drawn to the stranger in her house. A tall handsome man in a black suit stood awkwardly stiff in the living room. He scrutinised his surroundings like he was trying to find a cleaner spot to stand at.

“Ah, Trinity, good morning. Where are your belongings? I’m here to help you with them.”

Trinity had intended to give him hell. However, his polite manner made her have second thoughts. “... I didn’t pack yet. I didn't have time to.”

“Your father told me about your jobs and school for today. Arrangements are being made. Don’t worry.”

“What do you mean? What did you do?”

“Since you don’t need to work anymore, replacements are found. Your lecturers are contacted and notes will be obtained. Like I said, nothing to worry about.”

“I lost my jobs?!”

“You don’t need them anymore, do you?”

“Well, yes, but-! Arghhh!” Her body tensed up in anger, but she deflated just as quickly. She sighed heavily in defeat. “Why does no one understand...?”

Silence fell between the two.

“Here are her things.” Her mother’s voice broke the icy silence.

Trinity looked at the black luggage in her mother’s hand and it brought tears to her eyes. She wanted to throw a tantrum but felt too tired to do so either. The girl that had scampered out the room the previous night slowly approached Trinity and gingerly took her hand. “Trinity… I know these aren’t what you wished for, but you know mum and dad only wants the best for you.” She whispered.

Trinity looked at the girl’s innocent eyes. “You understand, but you didn’t say a thing, did you?”

The girl looked down to avoid Trinity’s disappointed gaze. “It wouldn’t have changed a thing...”

“Couldn’t you at least try? For your younger sister? Huh? Haley big sis? It’s not too late. Say something now. Anything.” Trinity tried her best to keep her voice from shaking.

Haley hung her head so low that her straight hair completely hid her face from Trinity. Trinity felt Haley’s grip loosen. The ache in her heart grew and it became hard to breathe. Without another word or glance, she left the house. The man in the suit took the luggage, bowed slightly, then took his leave.

“Haley, you okay?” Their father asked.

“I fail as a big sister… I fail at everything…” Large teardrops rolled down her face. Her hands were clenched in front of her.

“Haley… It’s not you. Trinity’s just being difficult as usual.” Her mother comforted her.

Haley opened her mouth to say something but closed it again. Feeling even more frustrated with herself, she cried harder.

Natalie glanced at the sorry image from the corner of her eyes, then rolled her eyes before returning to her room.