THE DEBT

"Wow, 100 million! That's an incredible amount, Sam," Henry exclaimed in disbelief. I groaned, feeling the weight of their pitying eyes on me.

"But how did this happen? I mean, you weren't exactly rolling in wealth, based on what you've told us. So, how was the money used?" Connor asked.

"For the past two days, I've been trying to figure it out myself, guys. Unfortunately, I haven't come up with a single clue," I replied, my throat tightening with unshed tears.

"It's okay, Sammy. We're here for you. Let's work together to unravel this mystery," Henry reassured me, glancing at the others as if seeking their agreement.

"Yeah, I don't have much, but I can spare a hundred dollars. It's not a lot, but it's a step forward," Connor offered.

"No, Connor. I won't take a dime from you. I don't want to replace one debt with another. Right now, I need emotional and mental support more than anything," I said, looking up at him.

The day before, I had quit my job. I needed something better, a job that would pay me fairly. After four years of working there, I asked the manager to increase my salary, but she refused, claiming I hadn't contributed enough to the company. Connor, my colleague, caught me packing my belongings and pressed me for an explanation. Unable to reveal everything yet, I had him call the others to our usual bar, where I spilled the news.

"Sam, you don't have to pay me back early. Consider it a kick start," Connor pleaded.

"And you really need this, Sam. Set aside your pride and self-respect for now. We're friends, and friends help each other. I also have a hundred thousand dollars to spare," Henry cajoled.

I swallowed the lump in my throat, staring down at my fingers. I guess

I had no choice; I needed the money, and I had friends willing to help. I guess I would take it; I mean, I have to start somewhere.

'Thanks,' my voice came out in a low whisper.

'Aw, you know we love you, girl,' Connor said, hugging me, while Henry patted my hair.

In the afternoon, I left the bar while Henry and Connor went off to work. to Alexa and Jumi were not with us at the bar. Alexa had work and Jumi was on a cruise trip with her new Arabian boyfriend . but before we left the restaurant we had a video call with Jumi, who promised to get 150 thousand dollars from her boyfriend for me. I smiled as I thought of how lucky I was to have good friends who cared for me as much as I do them.

I had to see Gabriel He was a real estate agent, though notorious for being sly and a cheat,he was known for helping people find jobs, especially young girls. I stared at the rusty handle of the door, wondering how many years it had been there.

As I pushed the door open, the bell chimed.

Eww! The goddamned rust particles smeared on my hands.

'Hello there,' a big voice boomed from the other side of the room.

'Err, hello, Mr. Gabriel. I came so that you could recommend me for work,' I said, scanning the room for where the voice came from. I had never met this man; it was Alexa who recommended me here. I had heard of him but had never seen him, so his hiding in the dark gave me the creeps. I scrunched my nose as the smoke of cheap cigarettes filled the air.

A fat man emerged from the darkest part of the room. He was short and too fat for his age. The fake suit he wore looked worn out with age as he strode toward the coffee machine, probably to pour coffee for me.

'Okay, so what are your qualifications and work experience?' he asked.

'I have them all here, sir.' I stuck my hands into my bag and brought out my portfolio, which contained my qualifications and work experience, and handed it to him. He took it from me and, after going through it for 40 seconds (not sure if he read anything), looked up and stared at me.

'I do have a job for you. You have good qualifications and experience. But I'm sorry; only one firm has a vacancy, so you don't really have choices to choose from. They pay well,' he continued.

An average of $150,000 a month, with two times a Month leave".

"What?! $150? That's huge!" I exclaimed, my shock evident. "Wow, thank you, Mr. Gabriel. Thank you so much."

I wondered which company paid such a substantial amount to its workers. Perhaps I could pay off my debt sooner than I thought.

Mr. Gabriel interrupted my excited thoughts, saying, "My percentage would be $80, and here is the form." I smiled at him and signed the paper, absentmindedly placing my passport on top.

Then it hit me—I hadn't asked him for the company's name yet. "What's the name of the company, Mr. Gabriel?"

His response left me in disbelief: "Oh, it's a popular one—it's MILLERS Co-Operation." My heart sank. Working there would be the end of me; fate seemed cruel.

As I slumped into a chair, my face growing pale.

my whole world seem to have crumbled down my feet.

Later outside

Alexa's voice came through the phone: "What? Miller?" she shrieked.

Feeling nauseous and exhausted, I replied, "I've already signed it; there's no going back now." Tears welled up in my eyes.

Alexa's comforting words reached me: "Oh, poor baby. Fate shouldn't treat you so cruelly." She promised to come over to my apartment that night.

I tried to believe her: "Yeah, okay.'

Leaving Mr. Gabriel's shop had drained my strength. I sought refuge in a nearby restaurant, staring at my omelet and rice. Tears finally spilled over, but I discreetly stuffed a spoonful of rice into my mouth, not wanting to draw attention to myself.