2

Livia POV


I damned the mosquitoes buzzing relentlessly around my ears as I clambered up the sturdy tree branching close to my room window. A soft creak cut through as Livyana pushed the bedroom window open, her anxious face appearing in the faint moonlight.


My skin was already burning from the several mosquitoe bites, I hated mosquitoes but we lived close to a swamp, life was really dealing with us in this part of May town.


"Hurry up, Liv!" Livyana whispered frantically, reaching out to help pull me over the sill.


The second my feet hit the floor, a loud knock rattled our bedroom door.


"In the bathroom, go!" Livyana hissed, pushing me toward the adjoining door.


I bolted inside, turning the lock just as the main door clicked open.


"Why aren't you two downstairs yet?" my mother's voice drifted into the bathroom. "Your father is waiting."


"Livia is a bit unwell, Mum," Livyana answered smoothly, her voice a calm, convincing balm. "She’s throwing up. We'll be down in a minute."


"Alright. Don't keep him waiting."


The door closed. I waited three agonizing beats before unlocking the bathroom and slipping back out, wiping the sweat from my forehead.


"Thank you," I breathed, "And thanks for leaving the back gate unlocked."


I quickly changed into my sleeping gown and stepped out of the dress I was wearing seconds ago, tossing it into the basket for dirty clothes.


"Livia, listen," Livyana said, taking my hands with a look of quiet urgency. "I have something important to tell you—"


"Tell me after," I interrupted, nudging her toward the hallway. "Let's get down there first so we can figure out why Dad called a late-night emergency meeting."


When we reached the living room, the atmosphere was suffocatingly tense. Everyone was seated in silence. My father was pacing the center of the room, his jaw set, his fists clenched tight behind his back.


"Dear," my mother spoke up softly from the sofa, breaking the silence. "Why have you called us all down here? Your silence is beginning to bother me."
My father stopped abruptly. He turned on his heel, his blazing eyes locking directly onto me.


"Why have you chosen to embarrass me and bring shame to this household?" he barked.


The sudden accusation struck me. I recoiled, turning to Livyana in complete confusion. "Do you know what's happening?" I whispered.


Livyana shook her head, looking just as bewildered. "I have no idea."


I swallowed hard, turning back to face my father. "Dad... what do you mean?"


"Where were you this evening?" he demanded, stepping closer.


Panic flared in my chest, but I forced my face to remain blank. "I was home the entire time. I've had a terrible stomach upset."


"It's true," Mum chimed in defensively. "Livyana told me she was sick in the bathroom."


My heart hammered against my ribs like a trapped bird. Had he caught me sneaking out again? This was the third time this month, but there was no way he could know, I was very careful.


"A stomach upset?" My father's voice dropped to a terrifyingly low pitch. "Then tell me, what is a young girl your age doing at Voltage Underground? More so, even fighting with a man?" He leaned in, his face twisted in disgust. "Do you now sleep around with different men? Are you now a prostitute? Why are you at Voltage Underground dressed like a slut?"


The word hung in the air, vile and unnerving. I froze, my jaw dropping. "I... Dad, I—"


"Cat got your tongue?" He whipped his phone out of his pocket and thrust the screen into my face. "Here is the evidence! How could you embarrass our family like this, knowing the massive debts we are drowning in?"


On the screen was a grainy video of me at the lounge—smashing the vodka bottle, screaming, and standing over the bleeding, bald man.


"A member of the money-lending committee was at the lounge tonight," Dad continued, his voice trembling with rage. "He filmed you popping bottles and starting brawls. Well…well…well…We just received a formal notice: either we pay back every single cent of our debt, or they will storm this house tomorrow to demand it—and cart away all our valuables!"


I instinctively looked around our living room. What valuables?


We had already sold the television, the refrigerator, and every decent electrical appliance we owned months ago just to pay for Mum's kidney transplant. I glanced at my mother, whose face was pale and drawn. Seeing her alive and breathing was a gift I would never take for granted, but the reminder of our crushing reality made a lump of pure guilt form in my throat.


"Dad, I'm sorry," I stammered, my fiery defense faltering for the first time. "I didn't go there to party. I went to see an old friend who promised he could get me a job. A douchebag at the bar tried to touch me inappropriately, and I fought back."


"A job?" My father laughed. "You are a complete failure and a fool! So someone promises you a job, and decided to invite you for an interview at a lounge for escorts and prostitutes, and you honored the invitation? You did not see the handwriting on the wall? If you had remained indoors like your sister, that idiot wouldn't have dared to touch you!"


I was going to tell him I didn’t know and that Shirley had completely misled me the entire time or perhaps Taylor misled both of us. I squeezed my eyes shut, cursing Taylor to the lowest depths of hell under my breath. "I'm sorry, Dad."


"Why can't you just emulate Livyana and make something useful of yourself?" he shouted, waving a dismissive hand at me. "Every time you talk about starting a business, you fail woefully! Even after ditching medical school to study mass communication, you've done nothing but eat free food and occupy space! You need to get an actual job instead of lazying around and constituting a nuisance!"


He turned his back on me, rubbing his temples in utter exhaustion. "Get out of my sight, all of you. We need to think of ways to come up with the money before those lenders arrive tomorrow. And Livia—if anything happens to your sick mother because of the stress you've caused tonight, you will have only yourself to blame."


I didn't sleep a wink that night. I lay on my back, staring up at the ceiling as my father's cruel words replayed on a relentless loop in my head.


"Liv?" Livyana's soft voice came through. She shifted in her bed across the room. "Why aren't you sleeping?"


I rolled onto my side to face her. "Why does Dad see me as such a failure, Livy? Why does he hate me so much?"


"He doesn't hate you," Livyana said gently, sitting up. "He didn't mean what he said. He’s just terrified and frustrated about the money lenders."


"I am trying my best," I whispered, my throat tight. "I only went to meet Taylor because Shirley swore he wanted to see and make it up to me since he had lost my contact. Only for that he-goat to be a no-show, and his disgusting friend to treat us like escorts. I'm glad I smashed that bottle on his head."

Livyana sighed. "About that... Liv, how could you fight a grown man like that? What if he had seriously hurt you?"


"So I was just supposed to stand there and let him touch me?" I snapped, sitting up straight. "No man born of a woman has the right to lay a hand on me or call me a prostitute."


"I know, but you need to learn to calm down and think things through before reacting," Livyana urged softly. "Maybe... maybe this hot temper is one of the reasons why Taylor ran away in the first place."


She froze the second the words left her mouth. "I'm sorry, Liv. I didn't mean it like that—"


"Coming from you, that's remarkably low," I said, a bitter chill coating my voice. "But fine. I'm not like you, Livy. I don't believe a woman should be a doormat just to keep a man. I don't believe in being submissive to anyone, and I will never hesitate to go head-to-head with any man who crosses me."


Livyana went quiet, looking down at her lap.
I studied her for a moment, noticing the red rim around her eyes for the first time. "Come on. Don't give me that look. This conversation isn't just about some random creep I fought at the lounge. What happened?"


Livyana let out a shuddering breath, a tear slipping down her cheek. "I got fired today."


My eyes widened. "What?"


"Nathan's mother fired me from the company," she sobbed softly. "And then Nathan texted me to break up. He couldn't even tell me to my face that his parents found a 'more suitable mate' for him within their pack."


"That coward!" I roared, kicking off my blanket. "I'm going to pay Nathan a visit and settle scores with him!"


"No, Livia, please!" Livyana caught my arm. "It won't change anything, and his family is powerful. You'll just end up in jail, and you know we can't afford another disaster right now."


I looked at my twin, my heart breaking for her quiet suffering. I pulled her into a tight hug. "I'm so sorry, Livy. I'm sorry about Nathan, and I'm sorry everything is falling apart. I hope things get better."
I pulled away from her and slumped back to my pillow with a sigh. "For now, we need to try and get some sleep so I can brainstorm how to rob a bank before tomorrow afternoon."


Livyana let out a wet, half-hearted laugh.
"I'm serious," I muttered, staring back up at the ceiling. "Since we're both officially jobless and completely broke, we might as well prepare to take our early morning ted talks to the streets of May Town tomorrow."