My Sweet Punishment by Amelia Brooks (little red riding hood ebook free .TXT) 📗

        In the evening, I returned to my rented apartment. Tomorrow is a working day, and I can't lose my job right now. We need the money. I also had the idea to ask the accounting department to give me out the salary earlier. I’ll also need to contact Olivia, see if she can borrow some money for me, too.

        I thought of Collins’ recent offer and bit my lip nervously. It would be easier to ask him. No… I will find the money without humiliating myself.

        I couldn’t sleep a wink all night, looking for different options. On Monday morning, I came to work or better say I hardly crawled. I tried to concentrate on my work to distract myself from bad thoughts. In the middle of the day, I got a call from my mom.

       “Hello mom,” I immediately clicked reply.

       “Mia, he’s getting worse again,” she said flatly. “I will sell the apartment to get money right away. In the bank, they said I need to wait some days before I can get a loan but…”

       “Mom, please, don’t do anything stupid!” She will sell the flat for a song, and where will they live with James after? “I will transfer the required amount of money to your card tomorrow.”

        “But how, Mia?” she didn’t seem to believe me.

       “You remember my friend, Olivia, her father owns a pretty successful business," I horribly lied to mom now, “He’ll lend us money.”

       After assuring my mother that everything would be fine soon, I declined the call and sighed, resting my head in the hands.

       For another long half-hour, I gathered my thoughts and my spirit that this was the only possible way now to help my brother, no matter what happened to me. No matter. I know I’ll regret it soon, but I have no other choice.

       I opened the door to the waiting room and walked to Collins’s office with jelly legs. Amanda gave me a scornful look and turned away. I knocked softly on the door, trying to calm my trembling hands, and after a short “Come in”, I entered the office.

       Collins sat at his desk as usual and didn’t look at me for a few minutes as he continued to sign some papers. I stood in front of him, not daring to speak first, even though he hadn’t called me. I came myself.

       Suddenly the man took off his glasses and leaned back in his chair, finally looking at me. It was hard to tell what he was thinking of by the look on his face. But it was obvious that he definitely wasn’t happy to see me. The vacant, cold blue eyes swept over me from head to toe, and I shivered.

      “I’m listening, Ms. Brown,” Collins said dryly, folding his hands.

      “I agree,” I gasped out in one breath and looked away.