The Breaking Point

“Sir, please, I just need a little more time,” she begged.

“More time?” he yelled, “Your rent is already two weeks overdue!”

“I know, sir, but please. I promise, I’ll pay soon. It’s just that things are a bit difficult right now.”

“That’s what you said two weeks ago,” her landlord spat.

“Please, I just started a new job. Once I get paid…”

“You have until the deadline on that notice,” he cut in. “If you can’t pay up by then, pack your things and get out!!”

“But Sir…”

The line went dead.

“Hello?”

Silence.

Gabriella slowly lowered the phone, dragging a hand across her face, as a wave of frustration hit her.

Her gaze drifted back to the eviction notice she found last night. She held it with trembling hands.

Her knees felt weak, and she sank into her bed.

This was real. She was running out of time.

She let out a shaky breath.

Her eyes looked around her small room. She had worked hard to get here.

She recalled the night she gathered her life savings and made the drastic decision to move to New York.

She was searching for greener pastures, better opportunities.

And now…it seemed like everything was falling apart.

Her mind raced, scrambling for solutions.

Borrow money?

But from who?

She had no family. She never got adopted. She had been on her own since the day she turned eighteen.

There was no one to fall back on.

Khloe… maybe. But even the thought of that made her stomach twist. Khloe had her own responsibilities. She couldn’t drag her into her mess.

She looked at the time. It was already 8:30 AM. She needed to get to work.

Her chest twisted into a tight knot.

If Kingston Enterprises went under, she wouldn’t just lose her job.

She would lose everything.

Her heart sank.

Everything was slipping away.

Her job, her home, her stability.

And she had nothing to hold on to.

Nothing, except…

‘Marry me,’

The words slipped back into her mind without warning.

No.

Absolutely not.

She balled her hands into fists. She wasn’t going to think about that.

She refused to.

Gabriella pushed herself off the bed, forcing her body to move, despite the weight pressing down on her.

There was no time to sit and panic.

By the time she arrived at Kingston Enterprises, the atmosphere was already worse than yesterday.

The noise hit her the moment she stepped into the building.

Phones blaring.

Raised voices.

Footsteps rushing in every direction.

Chaos was now an understatement.

She hurried to the elevators, rushing towards her desk when the doors opened.

“Gabriella, you’re late,” someone muttered as they brushed past her, not even slowing down.

Her eyes scanned the floor as she made her way to her desk.

People weren’t whispering anymore. Now, they were arguing.

“This is a disaster!”

Across the room, a man slammed his phone on his desk.

“They just terminated a five-year contract!” he snapped.

Another employee cursed under his breath.

“We’re losing clients by the hour.”

Silence followed for a split second, then the chaos resumed louder than before.

Gabriella swallowed hard. Her heels clicked sharply against the floor as she quickened her steps.

When she reached her desk, the phone rang immediately.

She stared at it for a second, then picked it up.

“Office of the CEO, how may I…”

“We’re pulling out.”

The words were blunt.

Gabriella froze.

“I’m sorry?”

“Our company will no longer be continuing any partnership with Kingston Enterprises. Draft whatever termination documents you need.”

The line went dead.

Gabriella slowly lowered the receiver.

Before she could process it, another call came in.

Then another. And another.

Complaints.

Threats.

Cancellations.

Her anxiety climbed higher with every passing minute.

It was a disaster.

Suddenly, the ‘ping’ of the elevator drew her attention.

A group of sharply dressed men stepped out.

The office floor fell silent instantly.

“Shareholders,” someone whispered nearby.

Gabriella’s stomach dropped.

The men didn’t waste time. They marched past everyone, their expressions dark and unforgiving.

Straight into Alexander’s office.

Gabriella’s eyes followed them till the door shut firmly.

The entire office seemed to hold its breath.

Minutes passed.

Then more.

At one point, an assistant was called into the office.

Raised voices filtered out as she opened the door. Anger and blame laced their tone.

The lady held her breath before walking inside and shutting the door once more.

Gabriella’s heart pounded.

‘Maybe they’ll come up with a solution,’ she tried to convince herself.

Suddenly, a loud bang echoed from inside the office.

The sound of typing ceased throughout the floor. Several employees flinched. Others exchanged uneasy glances.

Gabriella’s eyes grew wide as her gaze remained fixed on the door.

“That can’t be good,” someone whispered.

Time dragged on painfully. Each second longer than the last.

Then finally, the door swung open.

The shareholders stepped out one after the other, looking angrier than when they came in.

“This is unacceptable,” one of them said sharply as he walked past.

“If this isn’t fixed soon, I’m done,” another added.

A third man stopped in his tracks, his gaze sweeping across the office floor.

“This company is finished.”

Gabriella’s breath hitched.

They marched toward the elevators, their footsteps echoing on the marble floor like a warning.

And just like that, they were gone.

Employees looked to each other for reassurance, but there was none.

An uneasy feeling settled throughout the office.

Gabriella stared at the closed office door.

Her pulse quickened.

Alexander hadn’t come out all day.

Her mind drifted back unwillingly.

‘You’ll change your mind.’

Her fingers tightened on the edge of her desk.

She shook her head slightly.

She wouldn’t.

She turned her attention back to the computer and forced herself to get back to work.

“Gabriella”

She looked up sharply.

The assistant who went into the office stood a few feet away, looking uneasy.

“The boss wants to see you.”

This wasn’t just a call. It felt like a decision had already been made.

A cold shiver ran down her spine.

For a moment, she couldn’t move. She could hear her pulse racing.

“I’ll be right there,” she managed to say with a shaky breath.

The lady nodded and walked away.

Her palms began to sweat, and she dried them on her skirt.

Then slowly, she stood up.

Her legs felt heavier than usual as she stepped away from the desk.

Each step toward the office tightened the knot in her chest.

By the time she reached the door, her knees felt weak.

She raised her hand, but it hovered for a second.

Squaring her shoulders, she knocked softly.

“Come in.”

For a moment, she considered turning back.

Just walking away from everything.

But there was nowhere to go.

No safety net. No second chance.

She needed this job. More than she wanted to admit.

Gabriella took a long, steadying breath.

Then pushed the door open and walked inside.