Chapter 1: The Debt
The night air of New York City felt colder than usual.
Gold stood by the small window of the apartment she had called home her whole life. The city lights flickered outside, stretching endlessly into the dark sky, but inside the room everything felt heavy—like the air itself knew something terrible was coming.
From the kitchen down the hall came the muffled sound of her parents' voices.
Their words blurred through the thin walls, but the tension in them was impossible to ignore.
Gold wrapped her arms around herself as she listened.
Arguments about money were nothing new in their home. Bills had always come faster than comfort, and lately the pressure had been worse.
Yet tonight something felt different.
Her father's voice rose, tight with frustration.
"We can't keep avoiding him."
A short silence followed.
Then her mother spoke, quieter but firm.
"We agreed to this."
Gold frowned slightly.
Her chest tightened with unease.
Her father sighed heavily.
"He'll clear the debt. All of it."
The words lingered in the air like thunder waiting to break.
Gold's fingers slowly curled against the window frame.
Then her mother said the sentence that made the world suddenly feel smaller.
"It's the best solution for our family."
A cold shiver slid down Gold's spine.
Unable to ignore the uneasy feeling in her chest, she stepped out of her room and walked slowly down the dim hallway toward the kitchen.
The light spilled across the floor when she appeared in the doorway.
Her parents looked up immediately.
Both of them froze.
"What's going on?" Gold asked quietly.
Neither answered right away.
Her father avoided her eyes while her mother stood calmly beside the table, her arms folded as if she had already accepted whatever decision had been made.
Finally her father spoke.
"Gold… sit down."
She didn't move.
"Just tell me."
He rubbed a hand over his face before saying the words.
"You're getting married."
Gold blinked slowly.
For a moment the sentence didn't make sense.
"Married?" she whispered.
"Yes," her mother replied evenly. "Next month."
The calmness in her voice hurt more than anger ever could.
Gold stared at them, disbelief slowly turning into dread.
"To who?"
Her father hesitated.
Just long enough for her heart to begin pounding.
Then he said the name.
"Martins DeLuca."
The room fell silent.
Gold had never met the man, but in a city like New York, some names carried power of their own.
The DeLuca family was one of them.
Her chest tightened as the truth slowly formed in her mind.
This wasn't a marriage.
It was a payment.
And somehow… she was the price.
Gold turned and rushed down the hallway before the tears spilling from her eyes could betray her.
The next morning
Soft sunlight slipped through the thin curtains of the apartment, but the warmth of the day never reached Gold.
After freshening up, she quietly stepped into the kitchen.
Her parents were already there.
The smell of coffee and toast filled the room.
Gold sat down and ate in silence.
She didn't greet them.
She didn't ask how they were.
She didn't even look at them.
Her father attempted to start a conversation once or twice, but Gold never responded.
The girl who usually filled the apartment with quiet laughter had disappeared overnight.
When breakfast ended, she stood and carried her plate to the sink.
A few minutes later she walked into the sitting room to get a glass of water.
Her mother was sitting on the old couch, flipping through a magazine she clearly wasn't reading.
Gold stopped when she saw her.
"Mum…"
Her voice came out softer than she expected.
Her mother looked up.
Gold tightened her grip on the glass in her hand.
"Mum… are you and dad really serious about this?"
Her voice trembled.
"Are you really going to marry me off to someone I don't even know? Someone I've never met before?"
Tears slowly gathered in her eyes.
"I'm your daughter… your only child."
NhjHer voice cracked.
"What about my career? My future? My life?"
The words came out faster now.
"I never planned my life this way. I can work… I can find something to do. I can help pay the debt little by little."
She swallowed hard.
"We can figure something out."
Her mother said nothing.
Gold's breathing became uneven.
"Mum… say something," she pleaded.
"Please. I need answers."
Finally her mother closed the magazine and spoke.
Her voice was calm.
Too calm.
"What kind of job do you think you will find that can pay a debt like this?"
Gold froze.
"How much do you think you could pay every month?" her mother continued quietly. "A few hundred dollars? A few thousand?"
She shook her head slowly.
"Your father and I have tried everything. There is nothing else we can do."
The words hit Gold like a blow.
Tears rolled down her cheeks.
"No… no…"
Her voice rose with pain.
"This is my life!"
Her hands trembled.
"So you and dad are really doing this to me?"
Her voice broke.
"You're paying me off to settle your debts."
A painful memory flashed through her mind—her and her mother laughing together in this same room years ago while cooking dinner.
Back when everything felt simple.
Back when this place felt like home.
Gold wiped her tears angrily.
"You know what… that's it."
She stood abruptly and rushed down the hallway.
The moment the door shut behind her, the little strength she had left completely shattered.
Her back slid slowly against the door until she collapsed onto the cold floor.
Tears poured down her cheeks endlessly.
After a long moment she forced herself up and fell onto the small bed in the corner of the room.
Her shoulders shook as sobs escaped her chest.
Her mind replayed the same words again and again.
You're getting married.
Married.
To a man she had never met.
The life she had imagined for herself—the quiet dreams, the career she hoped to build, the freedom to choose her own future—felt like fragile glass that had been shattered.
Gold turned onto her back and stared at the worn ceiling above her bed.
"How did everything change so fast…" she whispered weakly.
For the first time in her life…
Gold felt completely powerless.