"Channy!" A voice called out to Chantria as she headed down the halls of her medical university.
Chantria glanced over her shoulder to see her roommate, Mira running to catch up with her.
"I've been searching all over for you, girl you look a fright!" Mira said with a shake of her head, falling into step beside Chantria.
Chantria sighed, she had just concluded the week's project and combined with the many side jobs she had to work, she was terribly exhausted.
She knew her exhaustion showed all over her, but it was fine, she was not bothered by it, this was what she had always wanted for herself.
"You know, your Dad keeps contacting the chancellor, asking to pay your tuition in full for the rest of your studies. He doesn't know you're on scholarship so I don't see why you should turn it down."
"It could alleviate the stress from the side jobs and give you time to focus on yourself and your studies. Your dad is bloody rich! He owes you this much!" Mira reasoned, clearly bothered to see her friend so exhausted.
Mira was Chantria's friend right from kindergarten and so she knew Chantria's family situation clearly.
She also knew Chantria did not truly have to work all these side jobs to raise her tuition,
Chantria's father owned a chain of five star restaurants and resorts across various countries, he was as rich as they came.
With Chantria being his only daughter and second legitimate child, she was by birth a billionaire heiress and was meant to inherit a portion of her father's businesses along with her older brother, Denver.
"My Dad doesn't owe me anything Mira, not since I denounced my inheritance and left home." Chantria replied with a sigh.
"I know how you feel Channy, but your dad clearly regrets his actions. He is at odds with your stepmom just to keep in contact with you and Denver." Mira solicited,
Chantria scoffed beneath her breath, she had long stopped considering the man to be her father.
"He should have thought of that before he sent my mom and Denver away and married his secretary,"
"Now mom is dead and Denver would rather kill him than have anything to do with him and so he comes to play father with me." Chantria scoffed in annoyance.
"Then at least accept Denver's help, you have been doing this all on your own for two years and it's taking a toll on you, your body just isn't accustomed to such hard work." Mira insisted.
"No Mira, not until Denver cuts ties with the mafia! I made it clear to him, he is all I have left but he is moving with the wrong crowd and you know this isn't what my mother would have wanted for him." Chantria replied decisively.
"But Channy, your actions are hurting him, Denver loves you dearly." Mira reasoned in a low tone.
"As I do him, and that is why I have made this choice Mira. To pit myself against the mafia, he can only have one. He has to come to his senses and this is the only way." Chantria replied in a frustrated tone.
"I understand." Mira said with a sigh, slinging an arm over Chantria's shoulder fondly.
"You are the best sister in the world... and the best daughter too, I heard you secretly got your father a gift for his approaching 50th birthday." Mira said, with a knowing smirk.
Chantria's eyes widened slightly, she was certain she had hid the gift carefully under her bed and so she wondered just how Mira had noticed it.
Chantria knew the only explanation was the fact that Mira had gone through her things and had somehow found it out, you couldn't put it past the nosy blonde.
"I have no idea what you're talking about." Chantria denied quickly, doubling her step so she was ahead of Mira.
Mira rushed to catch up with Chantria before she stopped all of a sudden.
"Oh shit!" Mira said, hitting her head lightly.
"What's up?" Chantria asked.
"The hardcover edition of 'Beauty In The Deep' was just released yesterday! The crowd at the bookstore was already crazy just last night, by now, the crowd would cover the street! If it isn't already sold out!" Mira lamented at her forgetfulness.
"I thought you already got a copy delivered on pre order before the release?" Chantria asked in bafflement, she recalled Mira had spent a fortune to be amongst the first to get the book.
"I did, but Ian saw it and got all sad, you know he's as crazy about the novel as I am! After waiting in line the whole day yesterday, he still couldn't get a copy."
"He's been busy at work today and since Freya's volunteering at the bookstore today, Ian felt I might be able to get one with her help, I promised him I'd go over today and pester her."
"But if the book is sold out, my pestering won't do any good!" Mira lamented pitifully.
Ian was Mira's boyfriend and Chantria still did not understand why they both and so many others were so addicted to some novel.
Chantria didn't know much about this novel, she didn't know anything about it even save for the fact that a character in the novel bore her name and Mira wouldn't let her hear the end of it.
"Okay, Okay... I can go home alone, you go on ahead." Chantria said in an exasperated tone.
"Thank you! Then go with this too." Mira said, handing Chantria the copy of the novel she already had.
"But why?" Chantria asked,
"Because they wouldn't sell another copy to me if I already have one and if I'm unable to get another, I don't want Ian's grabby hands anywhere near my treasure." Mira explained as though it was obvious.
"Ohhh...makes sense." Chantria murmured, accepting the hard cover novel and heading away.
"Love you!" Mira called out to Chantria and Chantria rolled her eyes as she got into her car and tossed her bag and Mira's novel into the backseat.
As much as Chantria had experienced a turn around in her luxurious lifestyle since she left home and refused financial assistance from both her father and brother,
There were still some luxuries she could not live without and her car was one of such,
Thankfully, Chantria was not completely bankrupt, she did have a reasonable source of income of her own.
Of all her father's restaurant chains, there were two that actually belonged to Chantria, though Chantria never touched the proceeds.
Chantria knew her brother Denver would need a hefty sum to break away from the mafia safely when he was ready to and she wanted everything in place for him.
Much like her, Chantria knew Denver would never accept help from their father and so other than the mafia, she was all he had to fall back on.
No one save for Chantria's father and the butler of their family home knew that two extremely successful restaurants actually belonged to Chantria along with some other assets.
Chantria didn't feel she needed them, she had only ever wanted to be a doctor and she was doing quite fine surviving on the little she earned from working side jobs.
Added to the fact that she had a full tuition scholarship, she only had to gather the sum to pay her accomodation fees and fend for her other personal needs.
Chantria knew her mother and brother had struggled a lot after they were sent out by her father with little to nothing while she carried on living a luxurious life in her father's mansion,
This must have been why her genius of a brother had dropped out of college and gotten in with the wrong crowd.
Chantria was determined to make up for it, to give her brother the life he deserved, the life where he could show off his talent and be recognized for it,
His tuition and everything was already prepared, Chantria would never touch a penny of it, she had earned that money for him, now all he had to do was take the decisive step and come to her.
Chantria pulled up to her parking lot, stepping out of her car, she shut the door and grabbed her stuff from the back seat before she headed into the apartment complex.
Upon arrival at her apartment, she opened the door and tossed her things on her bed, including the novel Mira had given her.
It was already early evening and Chantria was glad she did not have to work her side jobs today,
She took a shower first before she emerged again and pulled out her books, prepared to begin a night long study due to the upcoming exams.
As Chantria opened the large textbook, she had not even been reading for a minute when sleep began tugging at her.
Chantria sighed, with her side jobs and classes, she barely had time to study.
She reached into a desk drawer and grabbed a bottle of pills, popping a few into her mouth. The pills were to help her stay awake.
The pills settled uneasily in her stomach but Chantria ignored the feeling, focusing her attention on studying.
Chantria studied far into the night and when Mira had not returned, she assumed Mira was spending the night at Ian's.
Chantria's phone was turned off so she was sure Mira had dropped a message to let her know she would not be back for the night.
At some point, Chantria was too exhausted to read another word and so she shut her books, turned off the lights and headed to her bed.
In the darkness of the room, something caught Chantria's eyes and a closer inspection revealed it was the overrated novel Mira had asked her to hold on to.
The title 'Beauty In The Deep' was written in bold and glowing letterings and so they were clear to Chantria's eyes.
Chantria sighed, her first thought was to toss the book somewhere but knowing Mira would have her head if there was even a dent on it, she quickly squished that thought.
Chantria picked up the book and tucked it under her pillow, before she laid down and pulled the covers over herself.
And just like that, Chantria drifted off to sleep the very moment her head touched the pillow,
If only Chantria had taken a closer look at the pill bottle or the dose she had unconsciously taken,
If only she had known that she would never awaken to see another day...