$200,000 MESS

CALI

My heart wouldn’t slow down.

Not because of the interview itself, but because of everything tied to it. Everything it meant. It wasn’t just a job. It was food on the table. Rent paid on time. Medicine for Edward. It was the difference between barely surviving and finally breathing without that constant weight pressing on my chest.

I stepped out of the building slowly, like I needed a second to make sure the ground was still there beneath my feet. The world outside hadn’t changed. Cars still rushed past. People still talked and laughed like nothing had happened.

But something had.

For me, everything had.

I tightened my grip on my bag.

I got the job.

The words didn’t feel real yet.

I looked around, almost expecting to see the other girls from earlier. The ones who had been sitting with me, fixing their hair, whispering nervously, hoping just like I was. But they were gone.

All of them.

Just like that.

A small, dry laugh slipped out of me.

So this was how it ended for most people. You walk in with hope, and you walk out… empty.

Except I didn’t.

And somehow, that made the feeling even stranger.

I raised my hand and stopped a cab. The driver didn’t say much, just unlocked the door, and I slipped in, sinking into the seat like my body had finally remembered how tired it was.

As the car moved, I stared out the window, watching the city blur past.

My mind refused to stay quiet.

Everything replayed.

The way he looked at me.

The way his voice dropped when he asked that question.

How desperate are you?

I swallowed hard, shifting slightly in my seat.

It wasn’t just a question.

It didn’t feel like one.

It felt like something else.

Something I didn’t fully understand.

A strange mix of pride and something heavier sat in my chest.

I was proud of myself. I didn’t bend. I didn’t let him push me into something I didn’t agree with.

But at the same time…

Something about it all left a bad taste in my mouth.

Like I had stepped into a place where things weren’t always as simple as they looked.

I exhaled slowly.

No.

I wasn’t going to overthink it.

I got the job.

That was what mattered.

That was what Edward needed.

BRYAN

I stared at the door long after she left.

For a moment, the office was too quiet.

Then I let out a low breath, something close to a laugh.

That girl…

I shook my head slightly, leaning back in my chair.

No one had ever done that before.

No hesitation. No pretending. No trying to impress me.

She looked me straight in the eye and said exactly what she thought, even when she believed it would cost her everything.

Most people wouldn’t dare.

Not in this office.

Not with me.

But she did.

And she didn’t even flinch.

A small smirk tugged at my lips.

She actually yelled at me.

At me.

The thought should have annoyed me.

It didn’t.

If anything, it did the opposite.

I could still see it clearly. That fire in her eyes. Not just anger. There was fear there too, but she didn’t let it control her. She stood her ground anyway.

That kind of honesty…

It was rare.

And it was exactly what I needed.

I didn’t want someone who would smile and agree with everything I said. I didn’t need someone trying to win my attention.

I needed someone real.

Someone who wouldn’t fold.

Someone who knew her worth, even when she had every reason to give it up.

And she did.

The moment she turned to walk out, I already knew.

She was the one.

I reached for my phone.

“Prepare her contract,” I said as soon as the line connected.

A pause.

“Yes. She starts Monday.”

Another pause.

“The one who argued.”

I ended the call before any more questions could come and dropped the phone back on the desk.

For the first time that day, I allowed myself to relax.

Interesting.

Very interesting.

CALI

By the time I got home, the excitement had started to wear off, replaced by something quieter.

Something heavier.

I pushed the door open and stepped inside, closing it behind me.

The silence hit me immediately.

Too quiet.

“Edward?” I called.

No answer.

My chest tightened.

He wasn’t home.

A small knot formed in my stomach. He knew he had an appointment today. He wouldn’t just forget.

Right?

I dropped my bag by the couch, glancing around like he might suddenly appear.

Nothing.

I rubbed my forehead, trying not to let the worry grow too fast.

Maybe he was just running late.

Maybe.

I was about to sit down when the doorbell rang.

I froze for a second, then turned quickly.

“Edward,” I muttered, already walking toward the door.

But the moment I opened it, my expression fell.

Mr. Lawson.

Of course.

My shoulders dropped slightly as I stepped aside.

“Good afternoon, sir.”

“There is nothing good about this afternoon, Cali.”

His tone was sharp enough to make me tense instantly.

I closed the door slowly, already knowing where this was going.

“Your rent is due,” he said.

I swallowed.

“I know,” I replied quietly.

But the way he was looking at me…

It made my skin crawl.

He stepped closer.

I moved back without thinking until my back hit the wall.

“What?” I asked, my voice rising slightly.

He didn’t answer.

Instead, his hand lifted, like he was about to touch me.

I reacted instantly, slapping it away.

“Don’t,” I said, my voice firm despite the unease creeping through me.

A slow smile spread across his face.

“You know,” he said, his voice low, “there are other ways to settle things.”

For a second, my brain refused to process it.

Then it did.

And the disgust hit me so fast it made my stomach turn.

“Are you mad?” I snapped.

My voice shook, but I didn’t care.

“I just got a job,” I added quickly. “Give me some time. I’ll pay everything.”

He didn’t look impressed.

“You’re being stubborn,” he said coldly. “I’ll be back next week.”

And just like that, he left.

The door shut.

Silence again.

But this time, it felt suffocating.

I stood there for a few seconds, my hands slightly trembling.

Eighty thousand.

Where was I supposed to get that?

I let out a shaky breath and ran a hand through my hair.

Edward still wasn’t home.

That thought hit harder this time.

I moved upstairs, not because I needed to, but because I didn’t know what else to do. I changed, arranged a few things, tried to keep myself busy.

But my mind wouldn’t stop.

Nothing felt right.

When I came back down and sat on the couch, the weight in my chest had settled completely.

I picked up my phone.

I needed to call.

I needed to know where he was.

But before I could dial, my phone rang.

My heart skipped.

I answered quickly.

“Hello?”

“Good afternoon. Am I speaking to Cali Rillion?”

“Yes,” I said, sitting up straighter.

“You are Edward Rillion’s guardian?”

My grip tightened around the phone.

“Yes…”

“I’m calling from B&S Specialist Hospital.”

Everything inside me dropped.

Hospital?

“Your brother was admitted earlier today.”

My breath caught.

“What happened?” I asked quickly.

“Miss Cali, your brother needs surgery immediately.”

The words hit, but they didn’t sink in at first.

Then they did.

And everything inside me went cold.

“If it’s not done, the cancer may spread further.”

My hand started shaking.

I held the phone tighter, like letting go would make everything worse.

“Are you still there?”

“Yes,” I whispered.

“You’ll need to deposit one hundred and twenty thousand to begin.”

My eyes slowly closed.

The numbers didn’t even feel real anymore.

Rent.

Hospital.

Everything at once.

“How is he?” I asked, my voice barely holding together.

“He’s stable for now, but you have seventy two hours.”

Seventy two hours.

That was it.

“Okay,” I whispered. “Thank you.”

The call ended.

I lowered the phone slowly, staring ahead without really seeing anything.

Eighty thousand.

One hundred and twenty thousand.

Two hundred thousand.

I let out a broken breath and sank back into the couch.

It was too much.

Way too much.

“Edward…” I whispered, my voice cracking.

Tears blurred my vision before I could stop them.

“I’m so sorry.”

I didn’t even know what I was apologizing for anymore.

For not being enough.

For not being ready.

For not knowing what to do.

The tears came quietly at first, then all at once.

I didn’t stop them.

I couldn’t.

My body felt heavy, my chest tight, my thoughts running in circles with no way out.

And then…

Another thought slipped in.

Quiet.

Dangerous.

Unwanted.

How desperate are you?

My breathing slowed.

My fingers tightened slightly against the couch.

Seventy two hours.

Two hundred thousand.

I stared at nothing, my mind going back to that office… to his voice… to the way he looked at me.

And for the first time since I left that building…

I didn’t feel angry anymore.

I felt something else.

Something worse.

Because now…

I didn’t know if I had the right to say no again.