Two more days remaining for you Phoebe Gardner. The countdown begins.
She read the small letter that was sent by one of Gordon's henchmen.
He had sent the letter the day before. Phoebe laid on the bed lost in depression. Zen wasn't here to cheer her up. What would she do?
She was scared to her wits. How would she deal with this without getting hurt? Thoughts of Morgan's betrayal filled her mind.
If he had not used the opportunity to abscond with her money, this would not have happened. She had tried calling his number several times but it was the same result.
She needed to forget him. Morgan wasn't coming back. He was gone. Into thin air. She needed to accept that fact. But she couldn't. She wished Zen was here to take her mind off it
"Mom called in sick. I have to go see her." Zen had told her over the phone on the day she lost her job. There had been no one to stop her from dwelling in this hole.
"How would I pay Gordon his money tomorrow?" This was the question that re echoed through Phoebe's mind as she rolled over on her.
She had stopped shedding tears since it didn't bring any solution to her problems. However, that didn't mean that she didn't mull over the situation. It would be crazy for her not to.
"Arghhhh it's almost noon." Phoebe sighed as she reached for her phone.
She had only twelve hours left. Nothing would save her from Gordon's hands. Not even Zen's protective spirit would.
He was rumored to be a dangerous kingpin and anyone who crossed his path was dead within seconds. She wouldn't have borrowed money from him but desperation had thrown her over the edge.
"If we had any other choice, I wouldn't have settled for Gordon. Now that we know what he can do." Zen had said after she had gruesome tales of Gordon's henchmen.
Now she knew why Zen had said that. With each letter Gordon sent, he stamped it in red and when she had smelt it, it had the sour odour of stale blood.
"Damn! What the hell?" She had screamed in fright when she discovered it. She was sure Gordon did that to drive his point home.
Then she had known that there was no room for mercy in Gordon's book.
I need a miracle dear God Phoebe whimpered. Only a miracle would save her now. The clock was ticking away.
The loss of her job added more to her depression. "Please Rob. I promise you it won't happen again. Don't do this." Phoebe remembered how she had fallen on her knees to beg him.
She didn't care if she went down to beg her enemy. Having a job would at least keep her busy. She wouldn't remember not making the audition, Kirk's impromptu breakup because he had discovered that his girlfriend no longer had a shot at stardom, and Morgan's ultimate betrayal.
They were all too much for her.
"You are strong, you know. If I were the one, I'd have done something so stupid." Tricia had said after she told her all that had happened to her.
Tricia had heard of her dismissal. and came home to comfort her. Since Zen wasn't there, Phoebe had poured her mind out to her. She couldn't hold it back or she'd run crazy.
"I'll try to speak with Rob. Maybe he will listen to my pleas but if it doesn't come back positive. Please don't get annoyed." Tricia had said.
How could she be angry at the only person who had come home to greet her? The others had watched her like spectators while Vivian smirked at her misfortune.
She didn't even have the strength to be angry with anyone. Whatever strength she had, had to be channeled back in getting Gordon's down payment.
"You know Rob can be. Especially…" the unspoken words filled.
They both understood. She didn't need to complete it. Rob had been looking for a way to fire her and she had given Rob the upper hand. He had won in the end.
"Thank you so much for coming, Tricia. I do appreciate it. You could help me beg Rob but I doubt if he'd let me come back." she said downcast.
"Hey! C'mon don't lose hope now. These are signs that something greater is coming." Tricia had empathized with her.
"Something great?" Phoebe sneered.
There was nothing great coming. It had been two days since Tricia's visit and nothing came forth. Great things shouldn't take that long. It should have landed on her doorstep already.
"I'll go now." Tricia had left and called back yesterday to say.
"Rob has lost it. He doesn't even want to hear your name. I'm sorry I tried my best." Tricia was sad that she couldn't help Phoebe.
"Don't be. I'll look for jobs elsewhere. Thank you, Tricia." Phoebe was really grateful that she had at least offered to help and she did it.
Some would have just promised and left it at that.
She hadn't believed that Rob would forgive her. It was glaring enough.
You do not accept someone you have disgraced. When her pleadings became too much for him to bear, Rob ordered some of the workers to throw her out.
Then she had picked herself up and left with her last shred of dignity trailing after her. She would rather die than watch another man treat her like garbage.
Her Father. Loukas. Kirk. Morgan. Rob.
"I hate you all!" Phoebe moaned into her pillow. Why were men so spiteful? They had disappointed her one way or the other.
Her phone rang. The caller ID showed Zen.
"At last!" Phoebe exclaimed, sitting up to pick the call.
"Hey, Phoebe. How are you?" Zen asked her in concern. She wondered how Phoebe was coping without her.
"I'm fine. I'm trying to be fine." Phoebe rephrased.
"Did you eat?" Zen asked.
Phoebe had a bad attitude of forgetting about food whenever she had troubles. Her job as a model made it worse. She could go on days without taking anything but water.
"I just finished eating now." Phoebe lied through her teeth.
She didn't want Zen worrying about her when she was miles away.
"Please eat well. I have two pieces of good news."Zen chirped.
" Really? Tell me! It had better be a job offer before you meet me lifeless when you return." Phoebe said.
"Don't be silly!" Zen chided her.
"Alright what is it? " Phoebe couldn't wait.
"First I should be back tomorrow."
" Thank goodness! I'm so bored. I miss you." Phoebe said.
"I miss you too baby and you're not gonna believe this! This one is a miracle!" Zen sounded exhilarated.
She had been worried sick about leaving Phoebe alone with Gordon but her mother needed her. Now that her mother had recuperated, she could go back now.
When she got the call, she didn't believe that such a miracle could happen just hours before the deadline. She was shocked at the outrageous amount the client offered for just one night.
"Say it already! I'm curious." Phoebe panicked.
Was it a job offer or had someone finally asked Zen out? A flurry of emotions coursed through her veins and her stomach knotted. She stood up to take water to calm her nerves down. It was needed.
"So I got a call from someone I told you about. We just finished talking on the phone. A strip club needs a professional dancer to dance for one of their clients tonight." Zen chirped.
" A strip what!? Phoebe choked on the water.
She couldn't strip for anyone.
"Are you playing a prank on me now Zendaya Harvey? I don't strip and you know it. If this is a prank, stop it."
That wasn't part of her upbringing.
"No it isn't a prank but for now you have to make do with what you have. Can't you see!? Gordon will kill us if you don't drop some money tomorrow." Zen said.
"The time is ticking away with every second and mind you the offer might not last long because of course who wouldn't want to strip for just a night."
Phoebe looked to the bedside clock. It was almost 1 pm. Eleven hours remaining. Her heartbeats thumped. She sighed as the thought of what she was about to do.
"No I won't Zen." she almost hung up the call.
When she signed up modeling, striping for men who had no manners wasn't included. It would piss her off to allow another man touch her.
"Wait! I know it isn't the type of job you expected dear but this is an opportunity. Moreover you've not heard how much the client is willing to pay." Zen continued.
Definitely, if Phoebe heard the amount, she'd go back on her words. She needed money to pay Gordon.
The amount was too big to be rejected. If she was home, she would have gladly taken the offer. After all, it was just one night. The next day she'd be swimming in money.
"How much would make me lose my dignity before another man!? Tell me." Phoebe was annoyed that Zendaya could bring such an irritating offer to her.
Zen shouldn't be speaking to her this way.
She had lost her job but soon she'd find another. She could really dance but no amount would make her wiggle her bum for a man for some change.
"Seven thousand dollars," Zen said. Silence. Phoebe was too stunned to speak