Chapter Three

CHAPTER THREE

ISABELLA’S POV

Everything happened in a split second. I felt my world crumbling down right in front of me. Why did I lose focus? I tried my best to wipe off the stain with the napkin.

“Isabella.” The boss screamed and I jumped. “I told you you had only one more chance and you were done.” He yelled.

“I'm so sorry. I didn’t mean to spill the drink. It was an accident.” I almost choked on my words.

“You’re fired. Leave right away.” He pushed me.

“I'm so sorry. It was an accident. You can’t fire me. How am I going to pay my mother's hospital bills and my rent?” I couldn’t afford to lose my job, not right now. I could barely survive as it was.

“You should have thought about that before getting distracted.” He called one of the bouncers to escort me out but I resisted. He carried me while I struggled in his arms.

He took me through the back door and dropped me outside. I tried to get in but he blocked the door. “Can I at least get my stuff from the locker?” I begged.

“Fine.” He said and escorted me to make sure I didn’t do anything.

“What happened?” Jess, my best friend asked.

“I accidentally spilled a drink on him and Carlos fired me,” I answered.

“Oh my God.” She gasped. “What are you going to do now?”

“I don’t know. I have to look for a new job really soon.” I collected my things from the locker and closed it with a really loud bang.

“I’m so sorry. I have to go back in. I’ll come and see you at the end of my shift, okay? I love you.” She hugged me.

“Love you too.”

The bouncer escorted me back outside. I took the bus back to the house. I couldn’t even go to the hospital to see my mum. What was I going to tell her? That I got fired over a silly mistake? I had to think of something fast.

I got back to the house and changed into regular clothes. I couldn’t even be bothered with returning the uniform. I cried and cried until I went to sleep.

I was woken up by a knock on the door. Who could it be? Jessica wasn’t out of work by this time. I wasn’t expecting anybody else. I walked to the door and opened it and was shocked by the other person standing there.

“What, what are you doing here?” I stuttered.

He walked in, ignoring my question. I could feel his judgment from the way he looked around. He went around the house and kept touching stuff. What was he doing here?

I demanded to know how he found my house but he ignored my question and went straight to the point.

Out of nowhere, he offered me sex for money, like it was some sort of business deal.

He probably felt I was desperate for money because of my living conditions. Or maybe because I got fired in his presence.

“You want to pay me to have sex with you?” I asked, wanting to be sure that I’d heard correctly.

He nodded and before I knew it, my hand was going across his face. I just couldn’t take the disrespect.

He held his face obviously in shock that I would dare to hit him.

“Did you just slap me?” He asked.

“Yes, and I will do it again if you don’t get the hell out.” What more could I lose? He had basically even cost me my job.

He chuckled. I didn’t know what to expect. Even though I acted tough, I was still a bit scared of him. He walked closer and closer to me while I kept backing up until my back hit the wall.

I could basically feel his breath on me. I was shaking a little bit. We looked each other in the eye. I was waiting for him to do something, anything.

He smiled and backed away. He pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to me.

“Call me.” He said and walked out of the house. I was speechless. I didn’t expect him to react like that.

I threw the paper in the trash and locked the door behind me. Why would he ever think I would stoop that low to have sex with him for money?

I was about to return to bed when I heard another knock on the door. Was it him again? I opened the door prepared to yell at him again but held my words when I saw who was at the door.

“When am I going to get my payment?” The landlord asked me.

“I’ll get it to you at the end of the week,” I replied, my voice low.

“That’s what you’ve been saying for the past months.” He responded with a butter scoff.

“I'm sorry. I promise this time around, I’ll get it to you.”

“You'd better do. I can’t keep doing this with you. The only reason I’ve let you off all this while is because of your mother. If I don’t get it by the end of this week, I'm going to have to throw you out.”

My breath hitched.

“It won’t get to that, I promise,” I said.

“I’ll see you at the end of the week.” He turned around and left.

I closed the door and almost started crying again. If I paid the rent this week, basically all my savings would be gone. I didn’t know what to do.

I didn’t even have the chance to breathe before I got a phone call from the hospital.

My mother had another episode. They had managed to stabilize her but her condition had worsened. She needed surgery urgently but she wasn’t going to get that in that hospital.

Slowly, I turned around and stared at the piece of paper in the trash. I wasn’t going to be reduced to that, was I?