Chapter 2
I said, "The down payment was 150 thousand dollars. Mortgage payments were 72 thousand dollars. Holiday cash and gifts were at least 10 thousand dollars. Nancy's medical bills were 6 thousand dollars. And this latest loan was 15 thousand dollars."
I met his eyes. "That's 253 thousand dollars total."
"But... you did all that willingly!" he protested.
"Yes, I did it willingly." I picked up my suitcase. "But I don't want to be willing anymore."
Outside, the May sun was warm, and the breeze was gentle.
I glanced up at the building, eighteen floors. I used to think it was home.
Now I knew better.
It was just a place that had slowly drained me.
A taxi pulled up.
The driver helped load my bags.
He asked, "Where are you going, miss?"
I replied, "Silverbrook Residences, Aurelia West."
"Nice area," he remarked. "Not cheap."
"Yeah," I agreed, offering a small smile. "I just rented a place there."
He glanced at me in the rearview mirror but said nothing more.
Silverbrook was the best neighborhood in Aurelia West.
I'd rented a three-bedroom for 2,000 dollars a month.
Back when I was making 3,000 dollars a month, that would've been impossible.
But now, my new annual salary was 150 thousand dollars.
I could afford it.
As the taxi pulled away, I looked back one last time.
Sergio was still downstairs, on the phone.
His voice carried just enough for me to catch fragments. "Mom, she really left... No, I didn't stop her... Why should I beg..."
I turned away.
Goodbye, Sergio.
My new role was Operations Director at a tech firm.
Funny how life worked.
Just three months ago, I was an operations assistant at Sergio's company, making 3,000 dollars a month.
Then one day, I posted a case study I'd worked on in an industry forum, just sharing some thoughts. Little did I know it would change everything.
Out of nowhere, an HR manager from one of the top tech companies saw it.
She reached out to me directly and asked if I'd be open to an interview.
I didn't hesitate and said yes immediately.
The whole process took four rounds of interviews and stretched over two months.
In the final round, the interviewer looked at me and asked, "Tessa, you're currently making 3,000 dollars a month. We're offering 150 thousand dollars a year. That's a huge jump. Any thoughts?"
I shrugged. "Sometimes salary doesn't reflect real ability. My last company never recognized what I was worth."
The interviewer smiled, "Why do you think you were overlooked?"
I replied, "The company was small, with no room to grow. And my boss was a college friend of my husband's. It always felt awkward to ask for more."
He asked again, "So what's changed now? Why take the leap?"
I met his gaze. "Because I'm getting divorced."
He paused and then chuckled. "Interesting."
The next day, the offer came.
On my first day, my direct manager called me into his office. "Tessa, I've reviewed your resume and portfolio. Your skills are solid, but your previous company operated on a much smaller scale. It might take time to adjust to how we work here."
"I understand," I replied.
He said, "Spend the first month getting familiar with our systems. Ask questions whenever you need to."
"Got it," I said.
He glanced at me. "HR mentioned you recently divorced."
"Yeah," I replied.
"Anything affecting you outside work? Let me know if you need support," he added.
"Thanks, I'm fine," I said.
He nodded. "Good. Focus on your work."
I returned to my desk.
The colleague next to me leaned over. "You're new? I'm Rebecca Fletcher."
"I'm Tessa Harper," I replied.
"Where did you graduate from?" she asked.
"Just an average college," I replied.
Her eyes lit up. "Really? Most people here are from top-tier universities."
I smiled, "Guess I got lucky."
"Luck gets you in," Rebecca said, lowering her voice. "It doesn't keep you here. Quarterly review is at the end of this month. If you don't pass, you're out. Just a heads-up."
"Thanks for the heads-up." I booted up my computer and started getting familiar with everything.
Out? Not a chance.
I spent five years as Sergio's family's walking wallet.
Now, it was finally time to earn money for myself.
I worked late until 11 PM that night.
When I finally got back to my rental, it was almost midnight.
Just as I settled into bed, my phone buzzed.
It was Sergio.
I picked up and said, "Hello?"
"Tessa, my mom says she can't pay back the 15 thousand dollars right now."
"Oh," I replied.
"Can you give her a little more time?" he asked.
"How long?" I asked.
"Three months... No, make it six," he said.
I stayed silent.
He said, "Tessa, I know you resent my family. But we really needed that money. Can't you just..."
"Just what?" I asked.
"Just do me a favor," he said.