Chapter Text
“Yeah, you just keep watching the show, Imma be right back with you.” Jeremiah, your long-time boyfriend urged, shoving the popcorn into your hands as he vanished into his room. You raised a brow at his sudden departure.
You just reached home after an exhausting day from working at your part-time job. A small, retail shop in the middle of a mall. The staff there were more than accommodating. When you had first joined the team, they were very patient in teaching you the ropes even going as far as to shoulder a complaint on you when you had messed up once. The shop sold apparel, accessories and even toiletries, an odd combination but you bite your tongue at the boss’s accentrics.
The real problem, however, was the manager. He was a stout, middle-aged man who was a little enthusiastic when it came to female workers, like yourself. Your coworkers had warned you about the manager, of how not to stay too close to him as he tends to get really touchy. In short, he was a touch-starved pervert. Once, a former staff member had enough of his antics and went to file a complaint to the HR, but it all led to a dead-end as the manager himself and the HR were in on it together, no thanks to some under-the-table bribing. No one had the power to do anything. So, in a team effort, you had all decided to avoid the manager whenever he was around. It was difficult as he’d often be seen out front, preaching about “customer happiness” and how “the customer is always right”, which was a load of crap if you asked me.
After a long day of work, you just wanted to lay down on a soft, comfy mattress and sleep, but it seems that your boyfriend had other plans. Out of nowhere though, he had decided that he wanted to pamper you. When you stepped into your shared apartment, he surprised you with snacks, ice-cream and even a teddy bear. He had mentioned that it was because you have been “working very hard”. You were elated, of course, as he was never the type to pull surprises like this. You were both just laying on the couch sharing the snacks that he had bought, when his phone abruptly rang. He excused himself in a hurry, hastily padding into his room. Out of exhaustion, you shrugged and excused his behavior, maybe one of his friends needed help with something.
However, something in your head urged you to eavesdrop on his conversation. At first, you snuffed that thought out, as you felt that it was rude to eavesdrop on other people’s business. But, was it paranoia or exhaustion-filled anxiety? You had no idea. With a lot of effort, you unwrapped yourself from the fluffy blanket he had smothered you with and tip-toed to the door of his room.
"Babe, I’ve told you- No! Not now, I’m with my girlfriend. What?- I-I can’t, she’s going to get suspicious- Listen, let’s talk another time okay? I promise- Just-” You hear him sigh, “Okay, fine… I’ll try alright?”
You feel your heart shatter into pieces, as your suspicions were confirmed. You stood there, completely broken as your mind screamed “See! I told you.” , over and over again. Hearing incoming footsteps, you quickly dashed back to the sofa, pretending as if nothing happened. He came out from behind the door and sauntered back to where you were. Steeling your nerves as you have done many times before, you swallowed the lump in your throat and asked, “Who was it?”
“Oh, no one, just uh- Travis. Listen, babe, um- He said he needed help with something now, and-”
“This late?” Your emotions faltered a little, but your pride refused for you to break now.
“Y-yeah. He’s in a bit of a pinch now and I really really need to go. Are you okay with staying home alone for tonight? I know I said I’d pamper you tonight but, Travis man…” He looked away and you swore you could see the guilt clouding his eyes.
The words, You mean Madison? Were on the tip of your tongue but you decided to swallow those words and nodded at him. “Yeah, sure. Go ahead, I’m feeling sleepy anyways.” You lie, faking a yawn and a stretch. He grinned widely, accompanying you to his room before he said a quick goodbye.
Pfft like hell I’m going to sleep, you thought sitting up from beneath the covers. Right now, you were furious, not only had he been cheating on you for god knows how long but he also straight up lied about it. You rolled your eyes at his words from earlier, feeling your eyes cloud over from tears. Shaking your head vehemently, you bit back the tears. I can cry all I want later, now I need to get out of here.
Grabbing the duffel bag you had packed a long time ago from the drawer -in case anything like this happened- , You went to the dresser where you kept your share of clothes and stuffed them into the duffel bag without a single care. You were moving on autopilot, refusing to allow any other thoughts into your mind at the moment. After changing your clothing into one more suitable for going out, you slung the duffel bag over your shoulder and slipped on your shoes, the only sound heard was from the still running television.
Glancing back at the apartment one more time, your eye caught on the teddy bear that laid on the sofa dejectedly, pity reflecting on its beady eyes. You double-checked that you had everything and closed the door one final time. After hearing the lock click into place, you dialed a cab back home and since it was rather late, it was evident that it took awhile for the cab to answer.
While waiting for the cab to arrive, you were feeling rather apprehensive, for fear that he may come home any time and catch you leaving his home. Fortunately, the headlights of the car approached the dark street, granting you a sense of relief. The kind driver assisted in placing your bag in the truck as you entered the backseat of the car. After confirming your location, the driver took off without another word as silence permeated in the car.
Pulling out your phone from your pocket, you gave your best friends an update on what had happened. They were thankfully still awake and were dead set on calling you, but you told them that they can do that later as you were in a cab home. Some of their texts had you in tears but you refused to cry just yet.
It wasn’t long before you reached the apartment complex which was your home. You haven’t been here for awhile as you lived with him. After handing you your belongings, the driver took off with a sincere goodbye. You sighed, trudging solemnly to the elevator, the sight making you feel rather nostalgic.
You clicked on the button and waited for the familiar chime of the lift, signaling that you have arrived on your floor, but felt your phone vibrate. You felt bad that for a moment you had forgotten about your friends. Unlocking your phone, you glanced at the message your friend sent.
Rubae ❣:
That limp-dick asshole didn’t deserve you anyway lol.
Niall-edIt ✧:
Right? Like imagine cheating on someone as faithful as (Y/N). What a clown.
Olyviuhh ☾:
What a prick. You know what, let’s all go out tomorrow. Drinks on me.
MeiMei ❅:
I’m so sorry for what happened, (Y/N). I just want to let you know that you are super strong for pushing through all of that and making the decision to leave. It was very brave of you! ^_^
Tears pooled in your eyes, making your vision blurry. Before you could even reply to them, the elevator chimed and you bolted into your apartment. Shutting the door behind you, the dam finally broke as you fell onto the floor and sobbed. The tears wouldn’t stop bursting forth, as you cried your heart out. Amidst your whimpers, you suddenly hear your phone vibrate in repetition. Fear shot through your heart, has he already noticed that you were missing from his home? You weren’t ready to confront him just yet. With shaky hands, you peeked at your phone. Alas, it was just your very worried friends. Clicking on the green button, you were met with questions.
“Are you okay (Y/N)?! You hadn’t sent a reply and we got worried. Did that limp-dick asshole find you?! Is he with you?!” The plain-spoken Ruby asked frantically.
“N-no. I’ve just reached home, I’m sorry guys. I just… took a step home and broke down-” You whimpered as more tears fell from your eyes.
“Aw, sweetheart… He doesn’t deserve you, at all. It’s going to hurt but, we’re here for you always.” The kind-hearted Mei promised gently.
“Mei’s right, we’ll be here for you. I’m going to be real here, he’s definitely going to call you or find you later but we’ll be with you, so don’t worry ‘bout it, ‘kay?” You could almost hear the wink in Niall’s tone.
You sobbed even harder and from the care of your friends, they were the people you never knew you needed in your life, and you were eternally grateful for them.
“Alright, alright. For now, you can cry all you want but afterwards, no more tears, not even tomorrow. It’s going to be difficult but, remember, you can’t show him that you’ve actually cried for him. He doesn’t and never will deserve your tears. Never give him that sense of victory.” Olyvia advised with disdain.
You let out a hum of approval at her words. She was right. After a bit more talking and assurance from your friends, they suggested that you get cleaned up and try to get some sleep, as you all had classes the following morning. You got up from the doorstep and placed the duffel bag on the small couch that you owned, deciding that you would deal with that tomorrow.
Strolling over to your bathroom, you splashed a handful of water over your face, cleaning away the tear tracks and snot that dribbled out of your nose from all your crying. You also made the effort to brush your teeth, all the while avoiding the mirror. Rinsing your mouth, you couldn’t help but glance at your own reflection. You looked horrible, needless to say. Bloodshot eyes, red-faced and heartbroken. With a sigh, you headed into your bedroom to plop down on the mattress. You frown, as you feel your thoughts spiral again.
Why did he cheat?
Was he willing to break his promise of not leaving because you were a horrible girlfriend?
What did Madison have that you didn’t? Good assets? Great sex?
Were you just not good enough?
You let a broken sob escape your throat as you feel another flood of tears coming. As much as you were hurt, you were also infuriated. You had done everything he had told you to do, endured his unfairness and even took care of his needs, even if you got the down-side of it all. So exactly, what did you do wrong? Unbeknownst to you, you fell unconscious before you had the chance to think about any other things.
Sleep that night was, understandably, grueling. You woke up multiple times from seeing his face in your dreams, pleading for it to go away as you tossed and turned, the stress from your never-ending amount of coursework and the unnecessarily costly rent that you had to fork out by yourself. Before you knew it, your alarm blared, resonating throughout your room.
No thanks to the amount of sleep you had, you had a pounding migraine. Getting up from your bed, you trudged into your bathroom akin to a zombie . While washing up, memories of last night came flooding into your head. Unanswered questions, doubts and deadlines to chase. You furrowed your brows, feeling your headache worsen from those thoughts. You placed your palm on your temple, guess I’ll have to take some painkillers before classes if not I won’t be able to focus properly. Opening the cabinet compartment of your mirror, you squint, trying to find the bottle of ibuprofen. Grabbing the white container with a red and white logo, you went over to your kitchen to grab a glass of water to ingest the pills with. After taking 2 pills, you quickly make your way back to your room to change and gather materials for your class.
Just as you were placing your pencil case into your tote bag, you heard a knock at your door. You flinched, panic spreading over you. Could it be Jeremiah? He must’ve realized that you had put your phone on silent and got impatient so he came over instead. The knocks on the door started to sound more and more impatient.
With a shaky breath and even shakier legs, you carefully made your way to your door, the knocks sounding as loud as your beating heart. Biting your lip, you peeped into the peeping hole, releasing your breath in a tentative sigh to find out that it was only Olyvia. You opened the door without a second thought.
“Girl, what the hell were you doing?! You got me worried sick for god's sake! Did you suddenly lose your phone or do you just not know how to answer calls?” She nagged, giving you a hug. “Sorry! Sorry… I was just getting ready for the day. I had to-...” You paused, “I had to take some ibuprofen. My sleep was not good, no surprise there, and I woke up with the most nasty headache.” You explained sheepishly, hugging her back.
She released her hold, “I understand but please, if you’re silencing your phone because of that douche, silence him only, don’t shut us out too alright? We’re all worried for you.” You nodded and gave her a smile at her concern. “So are you ready or not? Classes will start in forty-five and it’s going to take me around half-an-hour to get there.” You nodded again and told her to wait as you went up to grab your belongings. You still refused to check your phone as she handed you a spare helmet and ushered you onto her bike.
“Ready? Hang on tight.” You gripped onto her waist as she revved the engine and took off. The drive to your college was pleasant save for the small pounding of the headache that was still present, as Olyvia tried her best to avoid talking about the incident last night and you from thinking about it as well. You mentioned to her about her speed when she had stopped at a red light. She huffed with a smirk, “You should see my meter when I’m alone. I’m only holding back because I have a passenger.” You shook your head and made a joke about crashing in style, causing her to chuckle along with you.
It wasn’t long before you neared the driveway of your college. You squint your eyes, seeing the familiar faces of Ruby, Niall and Mei standing at the entrance waiting for the both of you. They greeted you with a smile as you got off and handed the helmet back to Olyvia. Your friends have also decided to avoid the topic of yesterday while Olyvia went to park her bike.
Mei stretched her hand out, nudging you with a brown paper bag. “Here, I know you don’t normally eat before class, but I got you your favorite bread and something else worth trying from the bakery near my house.”
You tilted your head in question, taking the paperbag from her hands. Your friends had found your aversion to food in the morning worrying, but after realizing that you were fine, they were slightly less worried. You gasped when you eyed the contents of the bag, it was your favorite Ham and Cheese toasted sandwich! It sat snugly next to another bun as well as a carton of milk.
“Mei… Thank you so much for this. I don’t know what else to say.” You gave her a tearful smile. She shook her head and laughed, “No need. As long as I know you’re feeling better, I’m happy.”
“Not to break the moment but… I’ve been so curious that I might die,” Niall broke in, “But did he say anything?” You shook your head, “Um… To be completely honest, I haven’t checked my phone yet…”
“Yeah so much so that I almost broke down her door because she didn’t pick up my phone.” Olyvia chimed it with a roll from her eyes. Ruby placed a hand on your shoulder, “We can all see it together if you want, but now, let’s head to class, it’s about to start.” You all agreed and quickly went into the lecture hall.
The day went by slow, as you focused on your classes instead of other, irrelevant thoughts. Your friends were with you, luckily, sometimes all or just one as they needed to head to other classes. But one thing is for sure, neither of them left you alone. To your astonishment, you did not once check your phone. They had told you that you didn’t need to as they would help communicate to each other in the groupchat for you.
Lunchtime came by. There you sat, on one side with your friends huddled up opposite of you, outside of Starbucks. The moment of truth causes the familiar uneasiness in your belly. Your friends suggested that they take a look at the messages first, as they might cause you to break down again. You agreed to that suggestion, fearing the embarrassment of wailing unabashedly in the public eye.
Upon entering your passcode and pulling up the chat, frowns decorated their faces the more they unveiled the messages sent by your ex-boyfriend. Anxiety gripped onto your heart like the thorns on roses. You bit your lip out of habit, the reactions from your friends causing more tension.
“Nah, no. You shouldn’t see this. Nope, nada, nuh-uh. This motherfucker. I swear to god...” Niall groaned, disgust spilling from his words. “Niall’s right. This asshole is the lowest of low.” Ruby glowered in disbelief. Mei shook her head with a sigh, “We should never have approved of your relationship with him.” Olyvia looked like she was about to smash your phone into pieces, “Should we all pull up on him and give him a lesson, I have a metal bat that would love meeting his skull.”
“Hey, it’s alright. May I at very least see what he said?”
Your words caused a flurry of ‘no’s and head shakes. This time, it was your turn to frown, “Please? It can’t be that bad… Right?”
Niall gave you a look, “No means no. Okay look- how about this, we can screenshot his messages and keep them on our phones, or on one of our phones. But erase all traces of him on your phone.”
“What? Why? For what?” You raised a brow, frown still decorating your features.
“I agree with Niall,” Mei cut in, “We fear you might not be able to endure this…”
You fell back onto your chair in stupefaction. It was unusual for Mei to agree with Niall and his methods sometimes or to hide anything from you even. Was it really that bad?... You feel the familiar blur of tears clouding your eyes again until a firm hand on your shoulder snapped you out of your thoughts.
“When you’re better, which you will be without a doubt, you can see these messages again if you wish to, but for now, I think we should just focus on getting you better first. However, we are all ears if you don’t want to see the messages or for us to delete it.” Ruby affirmed, massaging your shoulder. Even Ruby, who was usually straight-forward and blunt, agreed with protecting you from the messages.
Niall got to work screen-shotting the photos and sending it to your friends. You began to feel the spark of anger from their selfishness. “The messages are meant for me. Don’t I at least get to see something? Come on guys.”
Feeling your frustration, they looked at each other, until Olyvia broke the tension with a sigh. “Fine, we’ll show you one part okay? But don’t say we didn’t warn you about it.” She pulled out her phone and saved the images of the chat. She thought for a moment on which one to show you exactly but Mei piped in, “I think you should show her the part where he was begging. That wasn’t too bad.”
Olyvia nodded and strode over to where you sat, showing you the screen of her phone. You teared up reading his messages.
Baby? Where did you go?
Oh shit.
Don’t tell me you know?
Fuck.
I’m sorry baby.
Please come back, please.
I promise I’ll explain okay?
It was an accident. I promise it won’t happen again, I swear on my life it won’t.
Please answer me.
Please baby answer me.
There were more message bubbles below but it was cut off. “Can I see one more? Please?” You pleaded, while Olyvia handed you a tissue to wipe your tears with. “Trust me it gets worse. Until I know you’re ready to stomach the rest, this is all you’re getting. Please understand that we only want what’s best for you.”
At her words, you stood up abruptly, suddenly feeling very sick in the stomach, surprising everyone. “I… I think I need a moment.” You walked away briskly, to somewhere, anywhere. You needed some time to rationalize with your thoughts and emotions, and they let you.
You walked around the campus for a while, just hearing the sounds of people talking, birds chirping and water sloshing from the fountain. You thank whatever deity was out there for an additional hour of lunch, this would mean that you wouldn’t need to rush back to your friends or to class.
Sitting below a large tree, you relished the tranquility. Just for a moment, you thought, you needed some peace for just a moment. You brought your knees up to your chest, trying to calm yourself down. Part of you was mad at your friends. It felt as if they were trying to blackmail you or something. But part of you knew that it wasn’t the case. They were just trying to protect you from whatever awful things that your ex had sent.
You sigh with a groan and bury your head into your knees, trying to soothe whatever conflicting emotions that you were muddled with. Rent is due soon, I have work tomorrow so I should be able to cover the costs right? But what about food? God, do I have to resort to eating instant noodles again. I should never have bought that cheating son of bitch gifts that he didn’t appreciate. Today’s assignments are just as much, do I have enough time to finish it? Do I have enough time to study for the test next week? You groaned again in frustration, curling your fingers into your hair.
What am I going to do? Should I ask for more shifts? But that would mean less time studying. Maybe I can do it. But I can’t afford to mess up now, if my grades slip any further I might get expelled. You bite your lip so hard you could taste the metallic tang of blood, tears falling from your eyes.
Sniffling for the last time, you wiped your tears and brought your head up from under your arms. There were a couple of students that glanced at you with pity. It wasn’t unusual for a student to cry because of stress. You sighed, deciding to leave whatever issues that may arrive later. You stood up, dusting off dirt from your skirt and began to walk back to where your friends were.
“(Y/N)!” Ruby ran over to you, enveloping you into an embrace. “I’m- We’re… So sorry.” She let go before you could even do anything, your other friends walking towards you slowly. “I apologize, (Y/N). We were prying into your business more than necessary.” Mei gave you a sad look.
“Yeah,” Niall scratched the back of his head, “I shouldn’t have suggested the idea of us saving the photos. It’s your call to see what he sent and I’ve taken it as if I was the one in your situation. I’m sorry, (Y/N).”
Olyvia glanced away, “Whatever your choice is, know that we’ll always respect your decision and we’ll still be here for you.”
You smiled a little, heart warming at the sight of them admitting their mistakes and apologizing. “Thanks guys, but… I think I’ll stick with Niall’s plan. I can’t afford to break down now. I’ll let you all know when I’m ready. I really appreciate that you guys are trying to shield me from what he said.” They ‘aww’ed and Niall initiated a group hug. Soon, he let go and everyone strolled back to classes.
Before you knew it, classes were finally over for the day.
Olyvia had suggested going to a pub to ‘drink the pain away’. Mei countered that it was an unhealthy habit but allowed it to slide as it was a once in a while thing. “Can we not go toThe Spades? It’s, well… You know…” You thought back to when you first met your ex at that very pub and cringed.
The silver-headed female placed an assuring hand on your back, “Of course not. We’re going to another one this time. I promise you that it’s just as good.” Olyvia sent Niall, Ruby and Mei the address of the pub and you all went your separate ways. You sat behind Olyvia while Niall drove Mei and Ruby.
The winds and lights rushed by as you stared idly at the view in silence. Not long, you see the large, yellow-blue neon sign of the pub. ‘After Glow’ it read. You raised a brow but smiled nonetheless, at the innuendo.
Settling down at a high table, your friends ordered their choice of drinks and some snacks. After some small talk, the waiter came back with a tray of food and drinks. ‘Cheers!’ your group sang, taking a sip of your drinks. Everyone had the same thought that it was far from the weekends therefore, not too much drinking.
“I swear, Mrs. Miller is the worst. Imagine giving us like, 300 assignments a day. I swear to god.” Niall complained after a sip of his sour whiskey. “Right? That old hag. Who told her that it was okay to give that many assignments to a student in a day. She had no right whatsoever to do that honestly.” Ruby agreed with a reddening face.
Mei only chuckled, “We’re in college boys and girls. They’re loading us with so much work to teach us how to manage our time properly.” The short-haired woman twirled her glass of old fashioned. As they resumed talking, you can’t help but zone out of the conversation. Your mind, heightened with the alcohol, started to spiral with thoughts again. Rent, Assignments, Work, Money, Test, Jeremiah. It circled over and over, making you feel sick.
You took another sip of your drink, tasting the bitter aftertaste of the alcohol, trying to drown out your nausea and thoughts. Just then, a hand placed itself over your back, soothingly going up and down. Olyvia must’ve sensed your distress and in an attempt to comfort you, she ran her hands along your back.
“You good? Wanna talk about it?” You sigh at her, trying not to cry. “I… Just… There’s a lot of shit going on right now and… I just can’t stop worrying about it,” You couldn’t stop for some reason, “Now that I’m living by myself again, I’ll need to deal with the overpriced rent alone. Which might cause me to go on another instant noodle fest. If my manager decides to dock my pay again, I might end up homeless. That shitty landlord won’t take late payment because of trauma I’m guessing. And then there’s a test coming up next week, and I don’t know if I’m going to have time to study for it, I might have to take up more jobs if I’m going to be able to pay for the rent next month.” You groaned, massaging your temple.
You look up to see Niall raise a brow, “Wait, where did all the money you saved up go? I thought you had more than enough to pay for your current rent?”
“I used to. Then Jeremiah demanded that I pay half the rent for living at this place too because it ‘wouldn’t be fair’ if I’m living with him but using his utilities for free and that if I don’t, I should just go home. Turns out, I’ve been paying 75% of the rent. But I kept quiet because I was so damn blinded and stupid.” You confess with a sigh. “ Ruby gave you a look of incredulity, “Are you serious right now? That motherfucker… What kind of a man is he?”
“I can still pull up. My metal bat is still eager to meet him.” Olyvia chimed in nonchalantly whilst chewing on a fry.
Mei gave you a gentle smile, “It’ll be alright, (Y/N). Don’t worry too much about money. If you need, I’m sure all of us here would be more than happy to lend you a hand.”
You shook your head, “No. I can’t. I won’t borrow money from any of you. I’ll just have to deal with it.”
There was suddenly a pause. The song from the radio, people chattering and the clinking of glass bounced off the walls of the cozy pub. Ruby licked her lips then, ready to speak. “I know it’s going to sound crazy but, (Y/N), how,” She paused, eyeing you hesitantly, “How about finding a sugar daddy?”
There was another pause before Niall howled in laughter. “Her? A sugar daddy? Please, Ruby! I think you’ve had too much tonight.” You see Olyvia trying to stifle a snicker and Mei shaking her head with a smile. Ruby frowned, “Why not? I think it’s a pretty good idea if you asked me.”
“First of all, (Y/N) is not the type to find one-night stands unlike her shit-stain of an ex. I mean, have you seen how faithful she is? Remember Noah from the other class? Remember how he tried to hit on her but she rejected him each and every time?” he paused, taking a swig, “Secondly, (Y/N) gets attached to the people she dates very quickly, too quickly actually, and sugar babies are all about getting the money and then dipping. Lastly, it would totally traumatize her and she’s been traumatized enough by that douche. I mean, I’m pretty sure a lot of sugar daddies don’t only have ONE single sugar baby, right? They’re rich, so they most likely want variety.” He concluded smugly, taking a bite of the pizza.
You purse your lips, unable to deny his claims. “Gee Niall, I thought we were out to comfort me tonight, not to call me the fuck out.” Everyone at the table laughed at your words. “Well, if you’re still keen, I know a friend that has access to a safe and trustable sugar daddy meeting website.” Ruby restated, taking a bite out of the fry. “Safe and trustable? Who is she? The CEO of the website?” The male gibed.
“Niall for the love of god. You should probably keep your mouth shut if you don’t earn as much figures as she makes from fucking rich old men from that website.” The red-haired woman rolled her eyes in annoyance.
“Hey! Who says I don’t make a lot of figures, I’ll have to remind you that my parents are both CEOs of DIFFERENT companies.” He bragged, glaring at her.
“Sure that’s cool and all, but that still ain’t your money right, mommy’s boy?” Ruby provoked, leaning against her hand.
“Mommy’s boy? You take that back right now, I ain’t no mommy’s boy!” Niall stood up from the chair, pointing a finger at his provoker.
“Alright, alright, that’s enough. Let’s call it a day, yeah. You both had a little too much tonight.” Mei stood up, placing her hands between Niall and Ruby.
After settling the bill and bidding each other goodbyes, you hopped onto the back of Olyvia’s bike. Watching as Niall, Ruby and Mei enter Niall’s car. “Will they really be alright?…” You thought aloud. “Eh, I’m sure they’ll be fine. Mei’s in there.” Olyvia secured the black helmet on her head. “Let’s go now.”
The ride back to your home was short. Olyvia had insisted on escorting you all the way back to your apartment to make sure you were safe, in case Jeremiah had decided to pop up out of nowhere. Fortunately for the both of you, he was nowhere to be seen. You closed the door after bidding the silverette one last goodbye and headed to your bathroom to shower.
You feel the droplets of refreshing, hot water clearing today’s negativity, clearing your mind of clutters temporarily. Exiting the bathroom with a towel around your torso, you hear your phone chime. Walking to your bedroom where your phone was, you sat down on the bed and checked your notifications.
Rubae ❣:
Here’s the website that I was talking about. Check it out, or not. Up to you ;)
https://sugaryparadise.com/signup
You shut your phone and thought. A sugar daddy? But what Niall said… It’s true, I don’t think I can do this…
You stood up and dressed into your pajamas. Settling down on your study desk, you pulled out your assignment folder, and got to work, trying to finish as much as you can. All the while, the thought of getting a sugar daddy permeates throughout your brain. Biting your lip in frustration, you lightly bumped your head on the wooden table.
I mean… If I take up another job, I would be able to pay for the rent. But that would also mean that my grades may slip from the lack of studying. But then… You huffed, scratching your head. You decided that it was time for a break. Standing up and arranging your table neatly, you took your water bottle and strolled over to your kitchen.
That’s when you noticed it. A white envelope with a stamp.
How did I not notice this when I came home earlier? You set your water bottle down on the dining table and investigated the letter. Peeling open the top, you took out the paper within.
What you saw made your stomach drop.
Dear Residents of Areca Apartment,
Due to the rising cost of electricity and water bills, we will be increasing every individual’s rent by 20%. Because of that, we will permit the rent of the current month and the new rent to be paid by the end of the next month.
After the end of the following month, prompt payment is to be expected at the end of every month again. Failing to do so will result in us taking legal action against you, which we strongly advise against.
We apologize for any inconvenience caused.
For more information, contact your landlord at xxxxxxxxxxxxx.
Thank you.
Yours faithfully,
Thomas Benjamin
Your jaw dropped. What the hell? Is this even legal? You sat down on the dining chair in shock, leaning against your hands. With a whimpering sigh, you begin to cry again. “What did I do to deserve all this?...” You whispered solemnly. Wracking through your head for a solution, any solution. With your current pay, you would need to survive on instant noodles again, this time, for a whole month instead. You doubt you’d survive. Then it hit you.
The sugar daddy website Ruby suggested.
Scampering to your room, you grabbed your phone and entered the dm with Ruby. The blue-highlighted website stared back at you. You bit your lip hesitantly.
Is it really worth it? Losing my dignity for money? But I NEED the money to survive. What would the others think? Taking in a deep breath of air, well, what’s the worst that can happen?
You clicked on the url.