CHAPTER TWO: A CALL IN THE DARK

Emily Wilson slammed the door shut behind her, dropping her favorite black purse onto the floor. Well, the only purse she owned. She kicked off her heels and let out a deep sigh, releasing the tension of the long day.

As she walked into the kitchen, her eyes landed on the stack of unpaid bills, the dwindling groceries and the eviction notice on the counter. Her heart sank.

Just as she was about to pour herself a glass of water, her phone buzzed. She hesitated, wondering who could be calling at this hour.

"Emily." the voice from the other end called, She rolled her eyes as she recognized the caller "What do you want, Lucas"

"Hey, Emily. I'm sorry to call so late," Lucas said, his voice apologetic.

"What do you want, Lucas?" Emily repeated, her tone firm but slightly annoyed.

"I just wanted to remind you about the board meeting tomorrow at the Blackwood Company," Lucas said.

Emily groaned inwardly. She had completely forgotten about the meeting. "What time is it again?" she asked.

"It's at 9 am sharp. And, Emily, you need to be there. The Blackwood people are going to be ready to hear our proposal and we need to be prepared," Lucas emphasized.

Emily sighed, rubbing her temples. She was not looking forward to this meeting. "Okay, got it. 9 am tomorrow at the Blackwood Company. Anything else?"

"Yeah, actually. I heard rumors that Alexander Blackwood himself is going to be there," Lucas said, his voice low and conspiratorial.

Emily's eyes narrowed. "So what's the big deal about Alexander Blackwood?"

Lucas hesitated before responding, "Well, he's kind of a legend in the business world. And, rumor has it, he's not exactly... human-friendly."

Emily raised an eyebrow. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Lucas quickly backpedaled. "Nothing, nothing. Just forget I said that. Look, I'll see you tomorrow at the meeting, okay?"

Emily nodded, even though Lucas couldn't see her. "Yeah, okay. See you tomorrow." She hung up the call and sank deeper into the sofa, letting out a deep sigh that seemed to deflate her entire body. Drumming her tiny fingers on the armrest, her brows furrowed in concern, she wondered how the bills were going to be sorted. The stack of unpaid invoices on her kitchen counter seemed to be growing by the day and she had no idea how she was going to pay them.

As she sat there, her mind began to wander to all the things that could go wrong. What if she lost her job? What if she couldn't pay the rent for a new place? What if she had to move back in with Lola? The thought alone made her shudder. She had always been independent and the idea of having to rely on others for support was unbearable.

Lola parents where the only one's who took her in, after her mum passed. She was the only family Emily had.

Emily's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of her stomach growling. She realized she hadn't eaten dinner yet and the leftovers in the fridge were probably still edible. She got up from the sofa and walked into the kitchen, flipping on the light switch and illuminating the cramped, cluttered space.

 She rummaged through the fridge, her eyes landed on a bottle of wine she had been saving for a special occasion. She shrugged, figuring that a long, stressful day like today qualified as a special occasion. She poured herself a glass and took a sip, feeling the cool, crisp liquid slide down her throat and calm her frazzled nerves.

The wine seemed to be working its magic, and Emily began to relax. She took another sip, feeling the tension in her shoulders begin to ease. But just as she was starting to unwind, Emily's gaze fell on the eviction notice on the counter again. Her heart sank, and she felt a wave of anxiety wash over her.

How was she going to get out of this mess? She had already cut back on every expense she could think of, but it seemed like no matter how hard she tried, she was always one step behind. The rent was overdue already and she still didn't have enough to cover it.

With a sigh, Emily took another sip of her wine and began to brainstorm. She was determined to find a way out of this financial quagmire, no matter what it took. She thought about selling some of her belongings, but she didn't have much of value. She thought about asking Lola for help, but she was determined to handle this on her own.

As the minutes ticked by, Emily's mind continued racing. She was so caught up in her thoughts that she didn't even notice the time. It wasn't until she heard the clock strike midnight that she realized how late it was. She looked around her dimly lit apartment, taking in the familiar surroundings. That's when she saw it, a small rat scurrying across the floor.

At first, Emily's instinct was to shriek and jump onto the couch. But as she watched the rat, she couldn't help but laugh. "The rat too realizes how broke I am, huh?" she said aloud, shaking her head. "I mean, who needs pest control when you can't even afford groceries?"

The rat, seemingly unafraid of Emily's presence, continued to scavenge for food. Emily watched it, feeling a strange sense of solidarity with the rodent. "Hey, little guy," she said, "I feel you. We're both just trying to survive, right?"

As she spoke, Emily got up from the sofa and walked into the kitchen. She opened a cabinet and pulled out a box of crackers. "Hey, rat," she called out, "want some dinner?"

The rat, sensing food, scurried into the kitchen. Emily laughed and dropped the cracker on the floor. "Here you go, little guy. Enjoy your meal."

As she watched the rat eat, Emily couldn't help but think about her own situation. She was struggling to make ends meet, just like the rat. But unlike the rat, Emily had bills to pay and a job to keep. She sighed, feeling a sense of overwhelm.

Just then, the rat looked up at Emily and seemed to nod in understanding. Emily laughed. "Thanks for the solidarity, little guy. I think we're both going to need it."

With a yawn, Emily got up from the sofa and began to make her way to bed. She was exhausted, but she knew she had to be up early for the meeting at the Blackwood Company. As she drifted off to sleep, Emily couldn't shake the feeling that tomorrow was going to be a very long day.