It was 8 in the morning, just a few minutes before Lily's alarm would have gone off when she woke up with a jerk. Her phone buzzed.
'Who is it?' She extended her hand reluctantly. It was her father's number.
'What did he forget now?' She clicked her tongue and got up. She picked up the call and asked without even a greeting.
'What is it that you forgot to take to the restaurant?'
'Lee…' the father cried.
'Dad? What happened?'
He cried. 'Lee. They are accusing me...I am damned...my business, my restaurant...I am done for…' he sniffed.
Lily panicked. 'What are you saying dad? What happened? Why are you crying?'
'Lily, listen to me. A big businessman came to my restaurant yesterday. He was on drugs. The police caught him but he paid everyone and blamed everything on me. Our restaurant was confiscated. I have no money for the bail...wait...please let me talk to my daughter...no….' The call abruptly ended.
Lily dismounted the bed hastily and ran outside her room without even brushing her teeth.
She was in her slippers when she ran towards the bus stand. The one minute waiting time seemed like a thousand. Her heart kept pounding.
Finally, the bus came and she entered, pushing everyone aside. Her sour breath caught everyone's attention.
She dialled her best friend's number.
'Zenaya, come on….pick up…' but her friend would not pick up.
The bus stopped. She pulled out the only note left in her wallet to pay.
She ran the block to reach her father's small restaurant. It was at the corner, very shady and very small.
There were barricades at the threshold with several policemen outside.
'Let me go in.'
The cop stood before her with an akimbo. 'The restaurant is closed.'
'The barricades?' Lily asked.
'The owner was a fraud. A drug dealer. The poor greedy man is behind bars.'
Lily lost her calm. 'SHUT UP! You are speaking about my father. And, he is not a drug dealer.'
The cop scoffed. 'Sure.'
She was red. Then, she saw an investigator step out of the restaurant. 'Sir...excuse me…' but his pace was too fast.
'I have no time.'
Lily jabbered anyway. 'I am the accused's daughter. Take me to the station.'
The officer stopped and glanced at her with a nasty look.
'Come with me.'
She sighed and followed him to the car.
There was an awkward silence. She could hear her heart palpitating. Her phone buzzed. It was her boss at the small firm she interned at. Her pay was meagre.
She put her phone in silent mode because the last thing she wanted to deal with was her annoying boss.
The car stopped. She followed the investigator to the station. Lily made herself comfortable on the couch.
She looked for her father. 'Can I meet my father?'
An officer smirked. 'Before that, you need to pay compensation to Mr Maus.'
'Who is Mr Maus?' Lily asked, perplexed.
'The big businessman your poor father injected drugs to.'
She hit the table. 'Excuse me! It was Mr Maus who had drugs and not my father…'
'Shhh...let the court decide.'
Lily rolled her eyes. 'Can I at least meet my father?'
'For that...you need to pay bail.'
'How much?'
'$1000.'
Sweat dripped from her forehead. She had no money. All the money from her father's restaurant was confiscated.
She got up and walked outside blankly. 'What do I do?' She cried. Lily could not see a shattered glass on the floor. There was a CAUTION sign on the floor. But she was too numb to notice. It was when her foot pained a lot that she noticed she had stepped on the glass. Lily turned back to ask for help. But everybody looked at her with suspicion: daughter of a drug dealer. Nobody came for help.
Blood oozed out. She cried and limped her way outside. The pain was unbearable. She fell to the ground.
At the threshold of the police station, Lily fell to the floor and cried. The Sun shone directly under her eyes.
She looked up at the sky. 'What will I do? Why? Why did it happen to us?' She could not stop crying.
When she raised her head and saw so many people gazing at her, she felt embarrassed. Lily wiped her eyes and tried to get up. But her foot had become sore. She could not get up.
Then, she saw a manly hand. 'May I help you, Miss?'
Lily gulped in and saw the face of the helper. He was so muscular and had Hazel coloured eyes. The man smiled at her.
She held his hand and he gently pulled her up.
He reiterated. 'I can help you.'
Lily was perplexed. 'But you just helped me get up.'
'Not that. I can help you with something else.' His voice was so intimidating. So husky.
Lily blinked twice. She replied after a long pause. 'What do you mean?'
He said nothing. He still had a huge smile on his face. His hand went inside his pocket that pulled out a business card.
'If you consent to it...give me a call!'
Lily took the card and saw the man leave, without uttering any other word. He was so beautiful: his broad shoulders walking farther away. She could not stop looking at him. He was hot. Lily shook her head and looked down to gaze at the card.
On the front of the card was written: 'You can get $68000 if…'
She turned the card to continue reading. '...you sell your virginity.'
The card dropped from her hand.
'$68000?' Lily could not believe it.
Lily gulped in. She picked up the card and looked at the contact number. It was so uncanny. All the digits were eight. How could it be? Her body was shivering. 'What did I just read?' She blankly stared at the card. 'No, this can't be true.' Lily had a numb expression.
She giggled sorrowfully. 'It is fake. A prank. Hah! People are mocking my misery, what a shame!' She tried to get up but her left foot had swollen by now.
Lily had lost a lot of blood. Now she felt dizzy. Her energy was flying away. Her vision got blurry, but she was persistent.
Her hand rested on the branch of a tree beside her. She pulled herself up. 'I got to hold up, for dad…' she consoled herself as she walked towards the entrance. 'It will be better if I gulp in some painkillers!'
But at the threshold of the police station, she collapsed.