Chapter 1: Danger

Chapter 1: Danger

“Mother, why did you leave me alone in this world?” murmured a girl in a weak tone while touching her mother’s gravestone that had just been stuck in the ground.

Her bright brown iris did not stop looking at the mound of earth that had just been made. Underneath the mound of earth was her mother’s body, which had been lying there for eternity. The girl tried to hold back the cries that might escape her tiny lips.

Because she was too focused on grieving, the girl did not realize that all the mourners who attended her mother’s funeral had returned to their respective homes, leaving her with a middle-aged woman who looked at her sadly.

“Hanna, let’s go home,” invited a middle-aged woman as she patted the shoulder of the girl, who was now overwhelmed with deep sorrow.

The girl turned her head toward the source of the voice as she tried to put on her best smile despite the tinge of sadness written all over her face.

“You go home first, Aunt Margaretha. I still want to be here with Mom,” Hana said, her lips quivering with tears.

The person called Aunt Margaretha let out a long sigh at Hanna’s stubborn reply. Margaretha looked up and saw that the sky was overcast, as if she were saddened by Hanna’s grief. Margaretha predicted that there would be a rainstorm soon.

“Alright then. I’ll go home first, Hanna. Hurry home before it rains,” Aunt Margaretha said before she left Hanna alone there. Hanna nodded her head in agreement, although she didn’t really listen to the advice of the person who had helped her and her late mother all these years. Margaretha turned around and left Hanna alone in the silent cemetery.

As soon as Margaretha was out of Hanna’s sight, the girl burst into tears. Tears streamed down her cheeks, and her voice sounded so sad. Hanna didn’t want anyone to know that she was lamenting that her life was hard because the mother she loved had gone to heaven without her.

Tes

Without warning, heavy rain fell to the ground quickly, soaking the body of the girl, who was still overwhelmed by grief. The rain pounded Hanna’s slender body mercilessly.

The air was getting colder and colder as the wind blew strong enough to make Hanna’s body, which was still under the rain, shiver from the cold. The low temperature was bone-chilling, making Hanna’s body numb. Hanna remained in that position for about 30 minutes as the rain stopped.

Once the rain stopped, Hanna got up and walked to her house, feeling better than before. Although sadness was still in her, Hanna had to keep her spirits up and make achievements so that her mother in heaven would be proud of her.

Once at home, Hanna inserted her key into the door with her hands shaking from the cold. Once the door was open, Hanna hurriedly entered and went to the bathroom to clean herself with warm water.

After getting dressed in a long pajama suit, Hanna went to the kitchen to prepare food because she felt her stomach rumbling. Hanna realized that she hadn’t eaten anything since morning because she was busy taking care of her mother’s funeral.”I forgot I haven’t shopped this month,” Hanna complained when she saw the empty fridge. Hanna grunted in annoyance and chose to just sleep while waiting for the sun to rise.

Just as Hanna closed her eyes, she suddenly heard the sound of the door being forcibly banged from outside. Hanna couldn’t help but get up to see who was visiting in this weather.

Hanna peered behind the window and found three men she recognized. They were Mr. Smith, who was the most respected loan shark in the area. Mr. Smith came with his two loyal lackeys.

Hanna didn’t want to open the door for the three men. However, due to the increasingly loud banging on the door, along with deafening screams, Hanna was finally forced to open the door.

“What took you so long to open the door?” asked Mr. Smith with an unfriendly face.

“Sorry, I was resting just now and didn’t hear anyone coming in,” Hanna alibi’d with an annoyed look on her face that she tried to hide. Mr. Smith shrugged and simply walked into Hanna’s house.

“What do you want?” asked Hanna, her voice trembling with annoyance and fear at the same time. The man smiled so wide that Hanna shuddered in fear.

“I’m here because I want to collect some money from you, Hanna,” said Mr. Smith as he slammed his body onto the weathered sofa in Hanna’s house. “You need to remember that your mother has been in arrears for two months now.”

At that, Hanna darted off to the second floor to get the money she had stashed in her mother’s wardrobe. Afterwards, Hanna returned to Mr. Smith and handed over the money she had brought.

“Take this money and don’t come back, Mr. Smith,” Hanna told the old man. “With this, my mother’s debt to you is paid off.”

Mr. Smith counted the money given by Hanna carefully. After counting, the old man glanced at Hanna with a dissatisfied look.

“Paid off? Says who?”

Hanna glared at Mr. Smith with that deadly glare of hers. Hanna’s face looked cloudy at the question.

“What do you mean?”

“You only paid off the principal. But did you forget that you haven’t paid the interest yet?”

Hanna clenched her hands into fists as she tried to contain her rising emotions. Didn’t the old man in front of her know that she was mourning the death of her mother?

“I’m sorry, Mr. Smith. But can I ask for another deadline to pay the interest on the loan? My mother just passed away, and I won’t be able to work anytime soon,” Hanna bowed her head in an attempt to lower her self-esteem so that she could be given more time to repay the rest of her mother’s debt. Mr. Smith laughed loudly when he heard Hanna’s question, as did the two men behind him. They seemed to be laughing at Hanna’s sad life.

“Giving more time? Your debts will pile up even more if you do that, Hanna,”

“That’s because you’re charging too much interest! I’ll have a hard time paying it even if my body crumbles to nothing as I search for the money to pay it off!” Hanna unconsciously shouted at the man. Hanna felt that if she kept quiet, she would be stepped on even more by the bastard loan shark.

Mr. Smith was surprised by the change in Hanna’s expression, which felt a little scary. Hanna’s angry face was intimidating, to say the least. Not wanting to compromise his authority, Mr. Smith put on a straight face as before.

“That’s the rule if you borrow from me, Hanna. You have to pay me today. I don’t care if you have to steal to get the money,” Mr. Smith said in an indifferent tone that made Hanna furious.

Afterward, the fat man scanned Hanna’s body from top to bottom. This made Hanna feel uncomfortable with Mr. Smith’s gaze, which looked like that of a pervert.

“I have another offer,” Mr. Smith paused his words for a moment as he grinned at Hanna. Hanna shuddered in fear at the grin.

“How about you pay me back with your body?”