“Flora, are you still not going home? It’s already past five.” Melanie’s gentle warning snapped Florentina out of her long daydream.
With sluggish movements and a pale, exhausted face, Florentina turned to look at her closest friend at the office, who gazed back at her with sympathy.
Florentina had been deeply troubled all day, her thoughts circling around the threatening messages she had received that morning before leaving for work.
Her stepmother had shown no concern at all.
Instead of helping, she had blamed Flora for taking the online loan in the first place.
She also couldn’t stop thinking about the rejection she received from the office.
Despite pleading with the finance department and explaining her situation, her request had been denied.
According to company policy, employees who had worked for less than one year were not eligible for loans.
The words of the finance manager still echoed clearly in her mind: she had only been working there for two months—far from meeting the requirement.
Her stepmother’s harsh warning from that same morning lingered even more painfully: *“Don’t you dare drag this family into your mess!”*
Florentina pressed her palms against her face, trying to hold back the storm of emotions inside her.
“Still thinking about that loan?” Melanie asked softly, pulling a chair closer and sitting beside her.
“I don’t know how Mom will react when she finds out about all the threats we’ve been getting,” Florentina replied.
She leaned back, crossing her arms tightly, her eyes fixed blankly on the ceiling.
“If I had enough money, I would lend it to you,” Melanie said quietly.
“But my savings aren’t enough.”
“I don’t know what I’ll do if that woman throws me out of the house,” Florentina muttered, her voice filled with despair.
“Hush, don’t say that. No matter what, she’s still your mother,” Melanie reminded her gently.
“You should go home and show her you’re trying. Maybe if you explain the office rules, she’ll understand.”
Florentina let out a bitter sigh.
“If she wanted to understand, I wouldn’t be suffering like this.
This is the third time I’ve explained everything.
She never listens.” Her tone hardened as she refused to call her stepmother “Mom,” instead referring to her as *that woman*.
Melanie forced a faint smile.
“If she really kicks you out, you can stay at my boarding house. You can stay with me for a while.”
Florentina didn’t respond.
Her eyes wandered aimlessly, searching for a way out of her situation.
Her chest tightened with frustration as she thought about Felix, her stepbrother, who always complained like a child.
Yet every time he did, their mother’s anger somehow fell on her instead.
“If he wants to go to college, why doesn’t he try to earn money himself?” she snapped quietly.
“Why do I have to carry everything? I still have to cover daily expenses at home.”
Her voice softened as sadness took over.
“If only Dad were still here…” She closed her eyes, overwhelmed by the memory of her late father who had passed away just months ago.
“Stay strong,” Melanie said gently.
“Come on, let’s go home. And remember—if anything happens, you can always come to my place.”
With a weak body and heavy steps, Florentina finally stood up and followed Melanie out of the office.
As they walked, she spoke again, her voice low and uncertain.
“Besides the money problem… I suddenly have a bad feeling.”
“What kind of feeling?” Melanie asked as they headed toward the motorcycle parking area.
“I don’t know. It’s just… something feels wrong,” Florentina replied.
They rode off together on a motorbike, leaving the office behind.
At the end of the alley leading to Florentina’s house, they parted ways, and Melanie continued toward her boarding house.
When Florentina arrived home, she immediately noticed the front door was open.
*It looks like we have guests,* she thought.
Her heart pounded as she stepped forward, bracing herself for her stepmother’s anger.
She had already prepared for the worst—for being thrown out of the house because she had returned empty-handed.
*If she throws me out, I’m not afraid anymore.
I can leave without hesitation.
Melanie has promised to take me in,* she reassured herself.
There was no side entrance, so she had to pass through the living room.
But the moment she reached the doorway, her steps stopped.
Two men sat casually with her stepmother.
They looked to be in their forties, dressed neatly, their appearance polished and refined.
Unexpectedly, Florentina did not feel anger from her stepmother.
Instead, she saw something far more unsettling—delight.
“This is Flora, my daughter,” Theresia said proudly, her face glowing with satisfaction as she introduced her stepdaughter.
The two men stared at Florentina, visibly stunned.
Their eyes widened as if they were seeing something extraordinary.
“Good afternoon,” one of them said with a friendly smile, though his voice trembled slightly.
Florentina felt a wave of nausea at that smile.
*A sweet smile laced with deadly poison,* she thought, shuddering.
And those eyes… they were the eyes of predators.
“Afternoon,” she replied shortly before walking past them and heading straight to her bedroom.
But even from inside, she could still hear their conversation clearly.
“So? She’s good, right?” Theresia said.
“Wow, that’s definitely Grade A,” one of the men replied with a satisfied laugh.
“That’s premium class, Auntie,” the other added.
“Of course. I would never disappoint you,” Theresia said, her laughter sharp and chilling.
*Not disappoint?
Grade A?
Premium class?*
What did those words mean?
Florentina’s chest tightened painfully.
She didn’t fully understand yet, but she knew those words were meant for her.
“Grade” was used to evaluate goods—*goods*.
And “A” or “premium” meant high value.
Her mind suddenly drifted back to her high school days, when she had joined a kebaya beauty contest.
One of the judges had whistled and joked, *“Wow, this is definitely Grade A.”* Back then, she had felt proud.
She knew she was beautiful—her body tall, elegant, almost like a professional model.
But now… the meaning felt completely different.
As she removed her shoes, the door creaked open.
Theresia entered her room.
“Change into something nice. Mr. King wants to take you out,” she said flatly.
The warmth from earlier had vanished, replaced by her usual cold authority.
“Where are we going, Mom?” Florentina asked, confused.
“Why refuse when someone wants to be kind? Hurry up and change,” Theresia replied sharply before walking out again.
From the living room, her voice could be heard once more, followed by laughter.
“She’s a good girl. Rarely goes out and never had a boyfriend.”
Florentina felt as though needles were piercing her ears.
And then, like a bolt of lightning, the truth struck her.
*She’s trying to sell me… Oh God!*
Her heart pounded wildly, her knees trembling.
Fear wrapped around her like a tightening chain.
For a moment, she could only sit on the edge of her bed, frozen in shock.
“Why are you still sitting there? Hurry up and change!” Theresia snapped again, suddenly appearing at the doorway.
“Y-yes… Mom. I’ll take a shower first,” Florentina stammered.
Without wasting another second, she grabbed a towel and rushed into the bathroom.