Chapter 2

The gas station felt especially desolate in the dead of night. Alone in the empty lot, I found myself replaying that encounter with Alex again and again, unable to stop.

The chill in his eyes, the scorn in his voice, and the way he had casually discarded the money—each detail lingered, needling at me with quiet persistence.

By the time the sky began to pale and the next shift arrived, my legs felt heavy as I made my way back to the rundown place I called home.

It was a single, cramped room, barely big enough for a bed and a desk, dim and damp, the air thick with a musty smell that never seemed to fade.

I washed up quickly and lay down, but sleep refused to come.

My phone screen lit up with a message from my best friend, Sophie Turner. [Hey, you up? Payday today. My treat tonight. Let's do something nice!]

I stared at the words for a moment, a faint, bitter smile tugging at my lips.

I replied: [Just got off work. Let's do it another time.]

Sophie's call came through almost instantly.

"Did you pull another all-nighter? Emily, are you trying to run yourself into the ground?" Her voice came sharp with frustration, but the worry underneath was unmistakable. "Working yourself to death for barely any pay, is it really worth this?"

I knew she was only looking out for me. But what choice did I have?

My throat felt raw as I spoke. "Sophie... it's my mom. The payment's due again."

The line went quiet.

A moment later, she let out a soft sigh, her tone gentler now. "How much do you need? I've still got some savings."

"I'm okay. I'll figure it out." I couldn't keep relying on her. She'd already done more than enough for me over the years since we graduated.

"Emily, don't do this. You don't have to carry everything on your own. We're friends," she said.

"I know. Really, I'm fine. Don't worry about me," I said, forcing steadiness into my voice, careful not to let the cracks show.

After we hung up, I opened another chat window and tapped on the pinned contact: Dr. Williams at Mercy Hospital.

I hesitated for a second before typing: [Hello, Dr. Williams. How has my mother been recently?]

The reply came quickly. [Ms. Lane's condition is stable for now, but the next stage of treatment will require payment to be arranged as soon as possible. Otherwise...]

He didn't finish the sentence, but he didn't need to.

The word "payment" glowed on the screen, and I felt a sharp ache behind my eyes.

My mom was diagnosed with kidney failure three years ago. Since then, she'd been on dialysis every week, and eventually she'd need a transplant. The costs kept piling up, with no end in sight.

I drained all my savings trying to keep her alive. I sold our house back home, and still ended up drowning in debt.

That was why I left Alex.

Back then, he had taken over the family business. Problems were coming at him from every direction, and he could barely keep his head above water. Then my world fell apart overnight, and I was pulled straight into the chaos.

I couldn't let myself become another weight on his shoulders. So I lied. I told him I'd fallen for someone else, someone richer.

I still remembered that day. His eyes were red as he grabbed my wrist, holding on like he refused to let go, asking me again and again, "Why? Tell me why."

I forced myself to be cruel, to say the kind of things that would make him hate me. "Alex, I'm tired of struggling with you. I want designer bags. I want a big house. You can't give me any of that."

The color drained from his face little by little. In the end, he let go of me. His voice was rough when he finally spoke. "Then leave."

We never saw each other again after that, until last night.

He must have thought I got exactly what I wanted, that I was out there living some glamorous life. Instead, he found me barely scraping by at a run-down gas station.

No wonder there was nothing in his eyes but contempt.

Maybe that was for the best. It would be easier for him to hate me than to know the truth and carry the guilt.

My phone buzzed again. It was a notification from the bank.

Sophie had sent me sixteen hundred dollars with a note: [Use this for now. For emergencies. And don't even think about refusing it, unless you're ready to stop being my friend.]

I stared at the amount on the screen, and the tears I'd been holding back finally slipped free.

In a world that had long since turned cold, Sophie was the only warmth I had left.

After a moment, I wiped my face and went to the desk, pulling open the drawer. From the very bottom, I took out an old, dented tin box.

It contained everything I owned.

There were a few crumpled notes, some loose change, and a debit card with barely a few thousand left in it.

I withdrew the money Sophie had sent and added it to my own. Together, it was barely enough to cover this round of treatment.

Life felt like a relentless millstone, grinding me down day after day, wearing away both my strength and my hope.

I didn't know how much longer I could keep going like this.

Maybe Alex had been right. There was nothing dignified about the way I was living.

But if it meant keeping my mom alive, then dignity was a luxury I could do without.