36th entry

Season: Summer

Weather: Overcast with scattered showers. Cool.

Day of the week: Friday

Date: 17th February, 2024

I woke up to watch the rain falling, not wanting to move or get up. For some reason, my entire body was aching. My joints and muscles felt like they had worked really hard. Maybe I'm coming down with the flu.

It was Stony Boss's turn to stay home today. He coaxed me into sitting up to eat the thick pumpkin soup with croutons that he had made for me. After I had eaten enough, he helped me to wipe my lips and tucked me back into the bed to continue to watch the rain fall. He said very little and refrained from touching me when I flinched back.

The rain fell and I watched the drops of water slide down the window.

My phone chimed.

Evil Evan: [Bezel's in hospital. Send money for the medical fees.]

I trembled.

Bezel: [Sis, I'm pregnant but the pregnancy is unstable. I had an accident. I need your help to pay the fees. Send me $10,000.]

My mobile phone fell out of my hand.

Mum: [Thankless wretch, now is the time to continue repaying us for raising you. I know you'll refuse or say you don't have the money, but this is for Bezel. She had an accident and is in hospital. It's only $10,000. Hurry up and send it to me so that I can pay the fees.]

With shaking hands and painful heart, I opened my banking app and sent the requested $10,000 to my parents' bank account. It was a large portion of my back pay and compensation.

To that evil best friend of Bezel's: [Your child?]

To Bezel: [Sent it to Mum.]

To Mum: [I've sent it. Check your account.]

Replies to my messages came back almost immediately.

From Evil Evan: [Of course. As if I'd let my girl get pregnant with another man's child. I'll send you a wedding invitation soon. Make sure you come. I can't wait.]

From Bezel: [What? I told you to send it to me. Now I'm going to have to pay them back. Send me another $10,000 so that I can pay Mum back. You've been working for so many years and you sent the money so quickly. You must have saved at least another $10,000, right?"

From Mum: [Bezel says she wants to pay me back for the hospital fees but she doesn't have enough money. Send her another $10,000.]

Did that even make sense? I sent Mum money to pay for Bezel's fees, but now Bezel wants more money to give the money I paid back to my parents. They're just pulling my leg, right? Are they running a scam? Do they think I'm that stupid? Do they think I have no temper?

Evil Evan: [Hey, I heard two of your bosses are into you? Make sure to get more money off them and send it home. Bezel needs some stuff and there's not enough money.]

I replied to him with a sarcastic tone.

[Really? I wonder why she has no money? What happened to her work? Or did she quit that job too because she couldn't stand people telling her what to do again? What happened to your money? To our parents' money? Why are you all asking a banished and exiled criminal for money? I have no more money.]

Evil Evan: [Sure you do. Since you won't send it, I'll withdraw it on your behalf. Who knew you were still hiding so much?]

My phone buzzed and I checked my account only to find it had been nearly emptied. He had only left me $100 for my expenses.

Evil Evan: [By the way, remember to send Bezel her $10,000.]

Me: [How do you expect me to send her any more money when you've stolen whatever money I had left? Where am I going to get it from? Out my arse? I still have to pay rent and bills! Are you trying to kill me? Where am I supposed to find so much money? Do you want me to sell myself?]

Evil Evan: [Haven't you already? You've hooked up with your two bosses, right? Get money from them.]

Me: [Do you think everyone is degenerate as you?]

Evil Evan: [So you still only belong to me and my bros? What a good little sister you are, knowing to keep yourself clean for your big brothers. Don't sell your body if you can avoid it. I prefer you clean when you come back for the wedding. My guests and I are going to need entertainment, you know. Especially on my buck's night. Oh, and Bezel is expecting you to be the centrepiece for her hen's night too. She has all sorts of plans involving you and a male entertainer in front of all her friends. I've heard quite a few of her friends are very creative in thinking up ways to have fun.]

No matter how many times they did it, I could never get used to how mean and malicious this foster brother and sister could be toward me.

Bezel: [Hey, Evan said you agreed to come back for our buck and hen's nights and the wedding. Make sure you bring some sexy lingerie with you. I can't wait to watch you getting cream pied. Evan said he got some money from you. Where's mine? I thought you loved me? Do you not care about me anymore? You can give money to everyone else except for me?]

Mum: [How dare you make my daughter cry? Ingrate. Hurry up and send her the money, or you just wait and see how I'll deal with you.]

Evil Evan: [By the way, it doesn't matter whether you want to come back or not. I'll come over and fetch you when the time comes.]

I threw my pillows at the door in a fury and the blanket off the bed. Stony Boss came hurrying and caught my phone when I threw it at the door with the intention of smashing it to pieces.

"Jane?"

"Get out!" I roared, curling up in a shivering ball on the bed.

Stony Boss brought my pillows and blankets to me and gently covered me up, checking my forehead and cheeks to see if I had a temperature. I brushed him away impatiently, turning to face the wall.

I heard him put my phone down by the bed and I kicked the blankets he had just covered me with off.

"Take the damn phone and get out! I never want to see that phone again!" I yelled.

Stony Boss seemed startled and took my phone away, leaving me to calm down by myself.

I hadn't locked my phone and so he was going to be able to see all the open apps. All the messages. My emptied bank account. There was no point changing my banking password. That evil guy would just find a way to hack it again anyway.

"You won't have enough leave to go home for anyone's wedding," I heard Stony Boss call out to me from the lounge room where he was working out and putting together what had just happened to make me lose my temper. "Anyway, he can't take you away if he doesn't know where you live. How about you move out of that apartment and just stay here? The apartment has been trashed and a lot of things will need to be replaced."

Althought I felt annoyed, irritated and embarrassed, also awkward about having lost my temper and letting someone read all my mail, at the same time I was kind of relieved. It was a weird complicated mix of emotions.

What Stony Boss said made me sigh with relief. At least somebody was on my side. My bosses might be able to protect me. I hoped that they would. I hoped that they could.