Chapter 40: Chapter 40

Sunday morning,

"Going to work?" Big brother asked me while I was eating my breakfast at the dining table.

"No, I took a leave today." And continued eating.

"Then where are you going to be while dressed up like this?"

"I'm going to my house to pick up a few things that I need, Big brother." And continued eating.

"Well, eat slowly. Why are you rushing?"

I gave a nod and continued eating but slowly this time.

While eating I asked him, "Where is Mr Martinez? Did he leave the office already? Wasn't he supposed to be at home today? Why did he go to the office even on weekends?"

He gave a nod and said, "I don't know the reason either. Maybe something came up in the office."

"You're his secretary. Don't you know it?"

"Yes, I'm his secretary, so what? I'm not his bodyguard to follow him everywhere he goes and don't have to know what he's been upto."

I smiled and said, "Mr Martinez, there's been this question in my mind that comes whenever you talk about Mr Martinez."

"What was it?"

"You two talk like more than an employer and employee conversation. He's your boss and you're his secretary but you never sound like a secretary apart from informing about his schedules and meetings. And, you talk back at him and scold him sometimes. It looks like you two are brothers."

"Aren't you in a hurry to leave?"

"Ah! I forgot!" Finished my food and took my bag and left Mr Martinez's house.

Mateo asked me when I came out of the house, "Where are we going, Ms Garcia?"

"It's fine, Mateo. I'll take the bus today because I'm visiting my house. I bet you can't drive through those streets so I'll go by myself. And, thank you for offering your help, Mateo."

After coming through the entrance, I walked on the pavement to the bus terminal.

I took a bus and came to my house. When I opened the doors, it smelled like it'd been closed down for years. I dropped my bag on the table and opened every window for the air ventilation and dusted the room to get rid of the dust everywhere. I took the blankets and pillows and stacked them in one corner and swiped the dust on the floor.

After cleaning the house, I took some of my clothes and packed them into the bag and looked for the bags.

"Where are you these days?"

I heard someone's voice from my behind. I turned to see who it was.

A guy in a Hawaiian shirt, who looked kinda fat, stood in front of me. He was holding a cigar in his mouth. Behind him, there were some guys in ragged themed outfits. They all looked like thugs. One of the guys from behind came forward and took the chair from my house and offered to let him sit. I think he's the boss.

The guy in Hawaiian shirt, who's boss, sat on the chair and asked me, "Where's your mother?"

Mom? They're asking for my mom. Looking at them, I came to the conclusion that they're loan sharks. Did my mom buy money from these guys too?

He let out a sigh and asked again, "Where's your mom?"

Seeing them standing in front me made me nervous, "S-She's in the hospital."

One of the guys from his gang gripped my hands together and made me kneel down to his boss. He grabbed my neck and gripped tightly and asked me, "Who's that guy? Why did he beat up my boys?"

I think they're talking about Big brother when he beat those guys. Do they belong to his gang?

He gripped my throat tightly and asked, "I asked you a question!"

I don't want Big Brother to be in trouble so I lied, "H-He's no one. He was just a passerby."

"Okay, Where's my money?"

"I-I used all the money I had for my mom's surgery."

He let go of my grip on my neck which made me cough from the grip. He took the mirror beside the door and threw it on the floor. It smashed on the floor into small pieces and scattered here and there. He came closer and gripped my hair from behind my head and shouted, "I need my money back right now!"

"I-I don't have anything with me."

He let go of my hair and told his guys, "Get her. Let's go to the club." And turned to me and said, "You'll serve in my club from now on."

What? Club? What is he planning to do?

The guy who came to my house that day and asked for the money grabbed my hand while saying, "Let's see how you'll escape from me now." And made a smirk.

I pleaded with the boss, "I'll give your money back somehow, please let go of me. Please, give me a day. I'll give all of your money back."

The boss told the guy who was holding my hand to let go of my hand and asked me, "A day? That sounds challenging. Okay. I'll give you a whole day as you asked. If I don't receive my money by tonight, you have to do what I say."

The boss left along with his members after giving me a warning.

A day? Are you an idiot? How will you pay him in a day? What am I going to do now? I never thought I'd be in this situation. I used up each and every penny for my mom's surgery. I haven't earned since I went to the study camp.

While I was thinking about all the possible ways, a guy came to my mind. Max.

I locked my home and headed to Mr Max's club. Among loan sharks, Max is a well-known loan shark and he's the worst when it comes to getting back the money. If someone fails to pay back his money, they'll suffer hell even when they're alive. But I don't have any choice other than him.

I came to Max's club. The place was filled with smoke in the air, people who were dancing didn't look like they're in their senses. It's not my first time to enter this club, since I worked here as a part-timer. I quit working here since I got to know his connections with mafias and because of a sexual assault on my coworker. Later I worked only in pretty decent ones where people drink at a moderate level.

"Did you come alone?" A guy asked me.

"I'm looking for a guy named Max."

"Max?"

Another guy, who dressed up in a bodyguard outfit, came and asked me, "Who are you? Why are you looking for Max?"

I think he's new.

"My name is Bella. I want to speak with him. I was an employee here before."

"Okay. Come with me." And showed me the way by walking in front of me.

After walking inside the club, he opened the door to a room saying, "You may enter. He'll be inside."

I gave a nod and walked into the room. It was pretty dark. When I stepped inside, the guy who showed me the way closed the door behind me.

"What are you here for?" I heard Max's voice after a long time. The voice which i wished not to hear in my lifetime.

I heard someone whining, when I looked closely, there was a guy on the floor bleeding, where his blood was all over the floor. I got scared when I looked at him and stood still.

"It's been… months since I saw you. How are you? What are you doing here? I thought you'd never show up again in front of me after what happened that day. Why are you being silent?"

"I need your help."

"Do you want your job back?"

I shook my head and said, "I-I want some money."

"Money? Well, how much do you need?"

"One million dollars."

He stood from his chair and walked to me. As he was walking closer, I could see his face clearly in the dark room.

"What are you going to do with that money?"

"I have some debts to settle."

He caressed my cheeks while saying, "Asking for a debt to settle another debt. Well, how will you settle mine?"

I flinched when he touched my ears and said, "I-I'll settle it somehow. Please, I need this money urgently."

He unbuttoned my collar and asked, "Who did you get money from? What's his name?"

"Lowell."

He said, "That low-grade thug. You should have come to me in the first place when you needed the money. Anyways, wait here."

He started to leave the room so I asked him, "What about the money?"

"Wait here. I have to make a call." and left the room.

What did he see on my neck? I walked to a mirror and looked at it. I was shocked to see the impression of a hand around my throat. I think it occurred when Lowell gripped my throat tightly. How am I going to explain this to Big brother and Mr Martinez. I hope they won't notice it.

The man who was lying on the floor mumbled something. I opened the door and took a peek at Max who was talking with his bodyguards so I closed the door and walked to him but the blood on the floor stopped me from walking further towards the guy. I took a deep breath and stepped on the floor to help him but the door opened so I returned quickly to where I was standing before.

Max came into the room and sat in the chair, he looked like he was waiting for someone.

"Sit."

I sat on the couch which is closer to the wall and looked at the guy who was bleeding.

"Was he disturbing you?"

"Huh? No! He didn't."

He took a pistol out of his pocket and shot him in his head in front of me which made my eyes pop out of horror. Max shot a guy! A guy just died in front of me! What did I get myself into?

While I was stunned, some people walked in. I didn't care to look at him since I was preoccupied with looking at the dd body in front of me. It's not my first time seeing a person dying in front of me. My first time was when i was working in Max's club, he ordered his people to murder a guy. That's when I came to know about another side of Max, apart from being my boss and loan shark.

"Bella!"

Max shouted my name which brought me back to senses. When I looked at him, he was holding his pistol on Lowell's head and asked,

"Which hand did he use to grip your throat? Did he grab your hair too?"

I nodded hurriedly when he asked me.

"Which hand did he use to grab it?"

"T-The right one."

Max smashed Lowell's head on the floor and spreaded his right hand and stepped on his hand and squished them with his boots. Lowell screamed in pain which made my ears hurt.

He took his boots off and said, "Don't ever think about going near her or her mother again." And gave the money to him.

Lowell made his way to the room along with his gang members after giving me a smirk. I know what he means by that smirk.

After Lowell left, Max asked his people to clean out the mess which is the corpse on the floor.

When I was about to leave, he grabbed my hand and pinned it to the door and said, "You can give my money back whenever you want but on one condition."

"What is it?"

"You have to start working here again."

"B-But I'm working in a cafe on the weekend."

"Timing?"

"Eleven to Five."

"That's good. Do morning shifts in the cafe and evening shifts in the club."

I removed his hand and said, "I-I got to go."

He came closer and said, "I won't let you go this time."

The sun was already set when I came out of the club. I didn't feel like going to Mr Martinez's house so I came to Sophia's house since I got bruises around my throat.

Sophia was surprised when she saw me, "Hey! I thought you would be working in the cafe."

"I took a leave."

"Why do you look odd? Did something happen?"

"Shall I stay here tonight?"

"Come in. What happened…"

Sophia's brother saw me when I stepped into the house and asked his sister, "Why is she here?"

"She's here to stay with me." Sophia answered him back.

"What!? She's staying here with you? Who gave you the permission to let her stay here?"

"Do I need to get permission to make my friend stay with me?"

While they were fighting, I interrupted and said to Sophia, "It's fine. I'll leave."

"Bella..."

I left Sophia's house and headed to the hospital where my mother was.

I walked into the room where my mom was lying on the bed. It looked like she was sleeping peacefully. I held my mother's hand and said, "Wake up, mom. I have so many things to tell you. Yesterday, I was so happy when I forgot everything around me and enjoyed each and every moment with Mr Martinez. The way he behaved each time put a smile on my face, mom. He's older than me but it felt like I was with a child. Whenever he tried new things, it made me laugh and enjoyed it along with him. For a moment, I wanted it to last for a few more minutes. And today was the worst day of all. A guy dragged me to work for him in his club. I pleaded to a loan shark for money. Sobs* Mom, I want to hug you, I want your console, I want to be in your arms, mom. Please, wake up, mom. I want to hear your ji is voice, mom. Wake up, mom. Wake up for me, mom. Why are you sleeping mom? Please wake up! Mom! I want to be in your arms! Please wake up, mom!"

While I was pleading to my mother, a nurse barged in and tried to stop me, "Get up! Come with me!"

I pushed her away and said, "I won't come. Don't try to separate me from my mom!"

The nurse held my hand and said, "Are you drunk?... Come with me... Come out!"

"I won't! Leave me! I want to be with my mom! Leave me!"

The nurse left and I went back to my mom and whined beside her by asking her to wake up from her sleep.

After some time, I heard Big Brother's voice.

When I looked up, he was standing in front of me asking me to leave with him.

"No! I want to be with my mom."

"Let's come and meet her tomorrow. Let's go home for now."

"Really? Will you take me here?"

He gave a nod and I left with him.

Big brother took me to Mr Martinez's house.

I asked him, "Is Mr Martinez awake?"

"No, he slept."

While we're on the way to my room, I asked him, "Big brother?"

"Yeah?"

"Why aren't you asking me anything?"

"Like what?"

"Why didn't I come here? Why did I go to see my mother? Why did I get drunk? Don't you want to know anything?"

"Because I already did."

"What?"

"I know what happened. If you need money, then why didn't you approach Mr Martinez? Why did you go to Max?"

"You know Max?"

"Who doesn't know him? He's a dangerous person. Do you know how crazy he is? He's the one who we don't mess up with."

"I didn't have any other choice, Big brother."

"Why didn't you ask Mr Martinez?"

"Don't make me lose the remaining pride inside me, Big brother."

"You got money from Max and settled that guy. What are you going to do with Max? How will you return his money back?"

"For now, it's settled so why do i have to care about that now?"

He made me lay on the bed and tried to leave but I stopped him by holding his wrist and asked, "Does being rich have rights to do anything, Big brother?"

He shook his head at me.

"Big brother, don't tell Mr Martinez that I got drunk today."

He gave a nod and left the room.