CHAPTER 1 A DEBT UNPAID

SABRINA’S POV “Let go of me!” I cried as I grappled with the stranger. I should have waited till everyone was out. This was all I had for the week and I would die before letting anyone take it from me. I held tightly on the small purse that the man was trying to steal from me. His breath was heavy with the smell of alcohol. I guess it is just my luck that I am in this situation right now. I felt a surge of fear as I felt my grip on the purse weakening. He pushed me back forcefully and I hit my head against the wall behind me. I looked around to see that no one was in sight and there really was no way that I could get any help even if I screamed. It was left to me to get out of this. My eyes had begun to grow heavy as I felt a trickle of a liquid roll down the side of my face. “Please, just let me go.” “Give me the purse.” He lunged for me again without giving me time to recuperate. Just as I thought that all hope was lost, a strong hand appeared from the rear and clamped down on the thief’s wrist. I stared at the duo in my dizzy state. The newcomer brought the thief up with his grip on his hand, looking deep into his eyes as he twisted the thief’s wrist he screamed in pain. “Get lost!” The thief hesitated then took one look at me and then back at the newcomer before he ran off into the direction he appeared from. He must have just been a pretty thief after all, probably desperate for survival. “Are you alright?” The melodious singsong voice filled my ears and I could not help but try to put a face to the voice but my vision was starting to get blurry. “Yeah, I guess I am.” He gave me his right hand so that I could get up. I took it reluctantly although I still rested against the wall. I looked down at my purse which I held tightly in my hands. “Are you hurt? For someone who looks as good as he does, he sure knows how to ask dumb questions. I was bleeding in the most obvious place and he was still asking if I was alright. I suddenly felt the need to check my purse and as I did, I kept hoping that it wasn’t what I thought but I realized it was, the thief eventually made away with my money. “Oh shoot!” The man looked at me with a neutral expression on his face yet he did not make any attempt to ask me what was erring. I looked at the direction the thief went but as I tried to move to go after him, I wobbled on my feet and then found myself in his arms. “Hey, you should get a hold of yourself first. Maybe I can drop you where you are going.” “No, I don’t need your help. I don’t have to be more indebted to you than I already am.” Why the hell do you have to say that? I thought to myself as I began to walk away. This was not the time to be acting all strong. I was more angry than any other emotions I feel right now. He made a way with my only hope of survival for the week. I am sure I can’t even report this at the agency that got me the job since they hadn’t promised me security. I lay on the bed thinking of how hard life has been in a couple of days. There are times that I thought if my rich father, living the best of his life somewhere I would be betraying myself and my grandparents if I ever thought I would be better off with him because he never cared about me even to the point that he abandoned his parents because they took care of me. I have no reason to think anything about him yet I cannot help it sometimes. I closed my eyes slowly as I drifted off into sleep. Briefly, my thoughts went back to the man who had helped me, Why did he? I should have thanked him instead of lashing out like that. Perhaps I would get to meet him again someday. Oakland City was a big place after all. I woke up the next morning and hurried to the agency to find out what the next assignment would be. They had promised that I would no longer work at the club after last night. I had high expectations as I bounced along the road towards the old ten-storey building of the agency. I tapped my feet simultaneously as I waited for the agency’s owner, Madam K. After a long wait of two hours, she rolled her huge body into the crampy waiting room, pretending as I she did not see me sitting there, or the other girl standing right by the door. She liked the idea of a very high status when she could not put much effort into making “her so-called workplace” look better than this rat-infested building. I cleared my throat yet, what greeted me was the huge sound of the door slamming. It took another twenty minutes before we heard her scream. “Send the first person in.” I came first but as we both heard her shout, we looked at each other as if anticipating each other’s next move. At the time she made to move, I was already way ahead of her because I was already used to how things work here but she had only been here a couple of days. I closed the door quietly behind me and I walked in. She looked at me from over the pair of glasses that aid on the bridge of her nose. “I have come for my assignment today. You promised to change it.” She cleared her throat and nodded. “Yea, it is ready. Your ride will be waiting for you right outside the building in the next thirty minutes. Be a good girl.” “What is the job about.” “You will be a cleaner in the mansion throughout this week.” That does sound fair, better than working the club. Thirty minutes later, I was at the back of a dark sedan car which finally pulled up in front of a huge mansion I didn’t have much time to ogle before I was ushered in. “The boss will be with you shortly.” The driver said as he gestured that I took my seat in the beautiful living room. I began to hear the sound of his hitting the floor rapidly and as the door opened slowly, my eyes widened at the person standing in front of me. “You! What are you doing here?” I remembered the way I had treated him but for him to show up here, he must know the answer. Did he come here after finding out who I worked with and plan to sabotage this for me because of that small incident? My heart sank. “Why else? This is my house.” “What?”