Elena stormed down the hallway, her hands clenched into fists. The humiliation and mockery she had endured had reached a boiling point, and she was done being Mia’s target. Her heart pounded with anger as she replayed Mia’s cruel words. She deserved better than this. She wasn’t some weak girl they could step on, and it was time to prove it.
Her footsteps echoed as she made her way to confront Mia and her gang. Students turned their heads, whispering to one another, their eyes wide with curiosity. Elena didn’t care about their stares. All she wanted was to put an end to the torment.
As she rounded the corner, she spotted Mia leaning casually against a row of lockers, her gang surrounding her like a pack of wolves. They were laughing, their phones in hand, no doubt sharing the latest cruel joke at Elena’s expense.
“Mia!” Elena called out, her voice firm and steady.
Mia’s head snapped up, her smirk widening. “Well, well, look who’s here. Ready for round two, scholarship queen?”
Elena marched straight up to her, her chin held high. “I’m done playing your games, Mia. You’ve crossed the line for the last time.”
Mia raised an eyebrow, feigning innocence. “Oh? And what are you going to do about it?”
Elena’s fists tightened. She wasn’t sure how this confrontation would end, but she refused to back down.
Just as she opened her mouth to respond, her phone buzzed in her pocket. Annoyed, she pulled it out, intending to ignore it, but the caller ID stopped her cold.
*Mom.*
Elena hesitated. Her mom rarely called her during the day, and the timing felt too strange to ignore. “This isn’t over,” she said through gritted teeth before stepping away from Mia and answering the call.
“Mom?” she said, trying to keep her voice steady despite the storm brewing inside her.
There was a pause on the other end, followed by her mother’s voice, soft and hesitant. “Elena, how are you?”
Elena frowned. Something about her mom’s tone felt off, like she was hiding something. “I’m fine. What’s going on? Is everything okay?”
Before her mom could respond, a deep, angry voice boomed in the background, sending a chill down Elena’s spine.
“Call that bitch here! I’ll sell her off to those debtors! At least she’ll be of some use to me. We’ve fed her all these years-she needs to pay us back!”
Elena froze, her breath catching in her throat. She recognized that voice all too well. Her father.
“Mom?” she whispered, her voice trembling.
There was a shuffle on the other end, and her mom’s voice returned, frantic. “Elena, I-” The line went dead before she could finish.
Elena stood there, the phone still pressed to her ear, as the words replayed in her mind.
*”Sell her off… some use… pay us back…”*
Her knees felt weak, and her vision blurred as tears welled up in her eyes. She leaned against the wall for support, her chest tightening with every passing second.
—
Elena stumbled out of the building, needing air, needing space to process what she had just heard. The cold wind bit at her skin, but she barely felt it. Her mind was too consumed by the cruel words her father had spoken.
How could he say that about her? How could he think of her as nothing more than a burden, a debt to be repaid? She had spent her whole life trying to make her family proud, sacrificing her own happiness to ease their struggles. And this was how he saw her?
Her legs carried her to a bench near the edge of campus, where she sank down, burying her face in her hands.
Unbearable thoughts swirled in her mind, each one more painful than the last.
*Was this all I ever was to them? A weight on their shoulders?*
Her chest heaved with silent sobs as she struggled to hold herself together. She thought of all the times she had stayed up late studying, working tirelessly to earn scholarships so her parents wouldn’t have to worry about paying for her education. She thought of the nights she spent crying herself to sleep, overwhelmed by the pressure to succeed.
And now, none of it seemed to matter.
*”I’ll sell her off…”*
The words echoed like a cruel taunt, cutting deeper each time.
A small group of students walked by, their laughter carrying on the wind. One of them glanced her way and whispered something to his friend. Elena couldn’t hear what he said, but the look on his face was enough to tell her it wasn’t kind.
Her hands curled into fists on her lap. She wanted to scream, to let the world know how much pain she was in, but she couldn’t. She felt trapped, suffocated by the weight of her own emotions.
—
Hours passed, and Elena found herself wandering aimlessly through the streets, her mind a haze of despair and confusion. She didn’t want to go back to her dorm, didn’t want to face the pitying stares of her classmates or the mocking sneers of Mia and her gang.
Eventually, she found herself in front of a small cafe. The warm glow of the lights inside was inviting, but she hesitated. She didn’t feel like she belonged anywhere anymore.
*But you need to figure this out,* she told herself. *You can’t keep running forever.*
She stepped inside, the bell above the door chiming softly. The comforting smell of coffee and baked goods filled the air, but it did little to ease the ache in her chest.
She ordered a cup of tea and found a seat in the corner, where she could be alone with her thoughts.
As she sipped her tea, her mind raced with possibilities. She needed to find a way to help her family, to prove to her father that she wasn’t a burden. But how?
She had no money, no connections, and no idea where to start.
Her thoughts drifted to the part-time jobs she had seen posted around campus. She hated the idea of juggling work and school, especially with everything else she was dealing with, but what choice did she have?
*I’ll do whatever it takes,* she thought, her resolve hardening. *I won’t let him sell me off like some object. I’ll prove my worth.*
But even as she made this silent vow, a part of her couldn’t shake the pain of knowing how little her father thought of her.
—
The next morning, Elena woke with a pounding headache and swollen eyes from crying. She forced herself out of bed and got ready for the day, though every movement felt heavy, like she was dragging herself through quicksand.
When she arrived on campus, the whispers and stares were still there, but she barely noticed them. Her mind was too preoccupied with finding a way to make things right.
She stopped by the campus bulletin board, scanning the flyers for job listings. Most of them required experience she didn’t have, but one caught her eye:
*”Waitress Needed. Flexible Hours. Apply Today.”*
It wasn’t glamorous, but it was a start.
She tore the flyer off the board and slipped it into her bag, determined to follow through.
As she walked to her next class, she felt a strange mix of determination and despair. She didn’t know if she could handle everything that was happening, but she knew she couldn’t give up.
Not yet.
—
Later that evening, Elena sat at her desk, her laptop open as she filled out the online application for the waitress position. Her fingers hesitated over the keyboard, doubt creeping in.
*What if I’m not good enough? What if I fail?*
She shook her head, pushing the thoughts away. She couldn’t afford to let fear hold her back.
After submitting the application, she leaned back in her chair, exhaustion washing over her. She closed her eyes, letting out a shaky breath.
For the first time in days, she allowed herself to hope-hope that maybe, just maybe, she could turn things around.
But deep down, a part of her still ached with the pain of her father’s words.
*Am I really worth so little to him?*
The question lingered, unanswered, as she drifted off to sleep, her heart heavy with the weight of her new reality.