A Scary Summer Adventure

"Melanie, I heard your dad owns a big factory. You should get us summer jobs there."

I trembled as I stared at the group of young women who had cornered me in the restroom. I kept my head down, too scared to respond.

"Hey, I'm talking to you! What, are you deaf?"

One of them, undeniably beautiful, grew impatient with my silence and shoved me hard. The force knocked me off balance, and I fell backward into the filthy toilet bowl. In an instant, I was covered in filth.

The others frowned and covered their noses in disgust.

"Ugh, gross! You're as nasty as you smell," one spat.

"Beth, why do we even need to work at her father's factory? Let's find somewhere else to work during the summer. Just look at her. She doesn't seem like someone from a rich family."

Hearing that, memories of my father's factory came rushing back. Suddenly, I began to shiver uncontrollably.

"But I heard the city's biggest factory belongs to her family," Bethany Reed replied. "The pay is supposedly the best in town, and they even issue internship completion certificates."

As soon as she finished speaking, all eyes turned to me.

Bethany continued, "Prime Works Factory is your family's, right? You'll figure out how to get us in. Once summer break starts, we're heading there. Also, get us cushy positions. You know, the kind where we sit in air-conditioned offices and drink coffee all day."

She was the leader of the group. As she spoke, she lifted my chin with the tip of her shoe. Her red lips curled into a sneer, and her gaze pierced through me, as if I was nothing more than a speck of dust.

"I… You can't work there. I-It's not up to me," I stammered, hoping they'd drop the idea of working at my family's factory.

"What's that supposed to mean? Don't you realize how lucky you are that we'd even want to work at your father's factory? Instead of being grateful, you're trying to stop us?"

Behind Bethany stood Charlotte Lynch. She was the cruelest in the group and the one who bullied me the most.

Right then, she stormed forward and yanked my hair. Then, she slapped me again and again. Before long, my face burned with pain, and blood began trickling down from the corner of my mouth.

"Enough. Let her go," Bethany ordered.

She leaned in close, her lips brushing against my ear as she hissed, "Listen, Melanie Parker. We're not asking for your permission—we're simply telling you how it's going to be.

"The factory belongs to your family, and you're your dad's only daughter. Surely you mean a lot to him? If you can get us in, your life at school could be a lot easier. You wouldn't want to keep suffering, would you?"

Bethany's words lingered, tempting me to escape the bullying.

The memories of the torment I had endured flooded back. A chill ran down my spine without me even realizing it, and I shook my head frantically.

The sight of my reaction brought a satisfied smile to Bethany's face.

"Good. Get us in and make sure we get decent positions. Then, we'll treat you like a friend."

But…

I hesitated, the thought of my family's factory weighing heavily on me.

Charlotte seemed to notice my reluctance. In a flash, she raised her fist, ready to strike again.

I quickly shielded my head—it was a reflex by now.

"I-I'll do it! Please, don't hit me!" My voice cracked, and fear filled my eyes as I looked up at them.

"See? That wasn't so difficult."

With that, Bethany rose and led the others out.

As I watched their retreating figures, I shakily pulled out my phone and dialed the number I knew by heart.

"Hello, Dad?"