A DANGEROUS ENTICEMENT

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re held together by superglue. My mouth opened in a yawn, and I groaned, my arms instinctively throwing themselves above my head. "Who could possi

I could recover, another loud bang erupted from outside my door, making the room tremble around me. My heart hammered in my chest as I stumbled toward

k as I realized my mistake. A surge of panic shot through me as I scrambled to find a way out of this mess. The walls seemed to close in on me as I fought to stay calm.

ll day. Open the door or else." His words felt like a weight pressing down on my shoulders. I took a dee

lips. I forced myself to meet his gaze, even as my heart pounded in my chest. Insid

you like a foul cloud. How long do you think you can keep this up?" The landlord's words were like a slap in the face, and I could feel my cheeks burning. I wanted to say something, to defend myself, but the words stuck in my throat. As the

's not easy when I'm barely making ends meet." I tried to keep my face calm and neutral, but inside, I was fuming. "How dare he talk to me like that? I'm not a c

d and unyielding. His eyes were hard and unforgiving, and his jaw was set in a firm line. It was like staring into the face of a stone sta

after minutes of watching me remain silen

ut it's not always easy. I appreciate your patience and understanding." My words were carefully chosen, and I tried to

convinced. My shoulders sagged as disappointment flooded through me. But then I remembered something important about Mr. N

ke, my hands trembled and my voice wavered. I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes, but I forced a smile onto my face. I had to make this lie convincing. I tried to sound convincing,

racking. I was relieved to see my landlord's angry expression soften,

til the end of next week. But if you can't pay me back by then, I'll have to take action." With that, he turned and walk

of my mind. My mother was a good woman who'd never done anyone any harm and he just made me lie against her. I imagined myself slapping him acr

tment, my eyes falling on the wall clock. It read 6:30, and panic suddenly washed over me. I had less than an hour to get ready for work, and I

ach layer of clothing, a sense of unease settled over me like a shroud. And then I saw it – a dark mark, almost a bruise, that had ine

reflection,' I whispered to myself, as I retreated to the shabby bathroom. I knew I couldn't afford to be

he cold couldn't wash away my worries. I was haunted by the feeling that I was trapped in an endless cycle of work and worry, with no end in sight. My mind was fille

my phone. I wasn't expecting any messages, but I was curious just the same. When I glanced at the screen, my heart s