in

de my mother, her frail body still and unmoving. The clock wa

se. Desperation hit me like a freight train. I ha

in my chest. His presence was a comfort, but it wasn't enough.

against the sharp edges of my panic. His head rested on mine, an

wasn't enough. How could I stop wh

ords were strangely calm. "I've got twenty t

thousand dollars?" I echoed, my voice rising in sho

oom. He scratched the back of his neck and forced a nervou

d through clenched teeth, my hands bal

orrowed it from Cecilia. But...

The one who betrayed us for a rich b

h, wiping the tears from my cheeks as my thoughts shifted. I needed t

voice steady. "I have to go meet someone to g

sh every mother had a daughter like you. But... w

e, it was Peter. He could see through me, and it wasn't har

orm, didn't you?" he asked,

nce was

my mouth. "Once Mom's better, I will stop. I swear

, but after a long moment, he sighed, d

own on me, its heat suffocating. I noticed four black cars parked across the street,

when I arrived, the few patrons scattered like shadows in the dim afternoon light.

mask the urgency in my voice as I s

bbled inside me, and I tapped my foot impatiently, waiting for him to speak. When half a

m invisible! Please, I need my share. My mom's in t

low and dangerous. I walked toward

les of cash. "But..." He smirked, and before I could rea

d over me. No. This wasn't

nds moved to pull up my skirt. I screamed, but the sound was muffled in the noise of the bar. I fought

ars stinging my eye

tongue sliding in, and I bit down hard. He ye

ld knife from the table. My hands shook as I gripped it, but I knew I had to de

dy, the blood still fresh on the floor. My heart pounded a

the bundles of cash from the table, stuffing them into a coat and pul

lack cars I saw earlier were parked there. My breath caught in my throat as I t

street, the sound of footsteps behind me growing lou

I hit a pole while looking back. A nail had pierced through my hoodie. Wit

, where I found Peter talking to the doctors. His face was

I saw

was wheeled out

ew my arms around her, my heart breaking.

He didn't say a word. Instead, he pulled out his phone, show

I covered my mouth.

ore," Dr. Philemon said, his voice c

one - every sacrifice - was for nothing. And now, the