"Oh my God… where could she be?" I kept calling, but she wouldn't pick up. I woke up early today; surprisingly, Annie wasn't back.
That was very unusual of her. She always comes back at dawn anytime she goes out, and even if she were sleeping elsewhere, she would inform me first.
My heart sank. "Is she in trouble?" I whispered, my voice trembling. Restlessness clawed at me. I dialed her boyfriend's number.
"Hey Tina, it's very unusual for you to call me. Hope I'm safe," Annie's boyfriend said.
"No… not at all. I'm just worried. Did Annie sleep at your place?" I asked, my voice shaky, hoping he'd say yes.
"Oh gosh, I guess she didn't inform you," he replied, calm, though I detected laughter lurking behind his tone.
"Inform me about what?" My voice rose, my hands shaking. Annie was the only person I had; I would be broken if anything happened to her.
"Annie and I broke up a few weeks ago. You're her best friend, so I'm surprised she hasn't told you," he said.
"You know, she was really broken. Annie really loved me, but I didn't see any reason to keep her," he added.
"She is of no use to me," he continued.
Boiling with anger, tears began to fall. The Annie I knew would rant endlessly about how much she loved her boyfriend, what she'd do for him, and how far she'd stand by him.
I hung up the call and rushed to open our wardrobe.
"Oh, Annie…" I gasped, stepping back as a cold wave of weakness overcame me. She had packed all her clothes, leaving only a letter.
It read:
"Hey bestie, I know you'd be looking for me by now. I'm sorry to inform you like this, but I had to leave. I'm relocating to a more beautiful and bigger country. I couldn't handle the pain anymore. I'd see my boyfriend flirt with anything under a skirt, so I had to leave. You wouldn't have watched me leave if I informed you. Always know that I love you and I'll reach out when I'm settled. I love you."
My hands trembled as I read, my heart hammering. I couldn't hold it anymore.
"Nooooo…" I screamed, collapsing to the floor as I wept.
At that moment, I knew I had to accept my boss's offer. I needed to leave. I hurriedly took a shower, dressed, and headed straight to his office.
The moment I approached the door, my heart raced, my hands shaking as I knocked.
"Come in," he responded.
My head was buried, eyes cast downward. He stood there, watching me with lustful intensity.
"S… sir, I think I'm ready. I need the money," I whispered. Inside, a part of me wanted to flee, to run far from here, but I couldn't. I had never been touched by a man; I didn't know what to expect.
"Mmmmm… Tina, Tina. I told you, you'd beg me to have you on my bed," he said, teasing as he stepped closer and pressed a kiss to my cheek.
"I am a virgin," I blurted, fear spiking through me.
He stepped back, raising an eyebrow. "Is that so?"
"Then I need to make this memorable for you," he said, grabbing a pen and paper.
"Come to this address by 8 p.m., not a minute late."
He handed the piece of paper to me. My thoughts whirled; I couldn't focus on work. I needed time to process what would happen.
Time sped faster than I expected. It was already 8. I dressed simply in a dress Annie had gifted me.
"You can do this, Tina. You can," I muttered to myself as I faced our broken mirror.