SEVENTEEN

Talk about a dead end! It's been two days and we haven't gotten a penny extra. I hated asking for favors and I just wished we could find her so-called boyfriend but he was nowhere to be found. Karen always had her life together, she was smart and made it through college on scholarship, she even got a good job a year ago and lived a pretty good life. Who knew she was going to end up falling for a good-for-nothing man, landing herself in trouble.

With how great her job was, twenty thousand should've been nothing to her, or so I thought. She had always kept to herself and told no one about whatever she was going through, it was annoying how she always acted like she didn't have a family. Her boyfriend had disappeared almost a month ago, she had just given him a full year lease to their apartment after he bugged her to. He had convinced her that it was a good idea to have rent out of their expenses for an entire year and she fell for it. She had given him all of her money only for him to disappear leaving her in trouble.

When her house got busted, she was so confident they wouldn't find anything. The bastard had hidden it from her that he sold drugs, he lived off of her for two years and all along it was all lies. She was shocked to find drugs stashed away at the top drawer of her kitchen shelf which of course she never used due to the height. When she was taken away, she couldn't think of anything, her mind had gone blank as the past two years of her life ended up to all be a lie.

She had loved him, trusted him, planned her whole life with him but here she was, behind bars for a crime he committed.

"Don't worry, I would get you out of here". I assured her. She looked terrible, her once always perfect self looked a mess. An absolute shadow of who she used to be.

"I'm sorry to put you through this". She replied. I watched her fight back her tears while I did the same, I knew even though I would have to take out a loan, she needed to be out of here.

Once I was back home, I told Char everything she had told me. "I'd take out a loan for her bail and ofcourse to hire a lawyer".

Char sighed, she looked like she had something to say and somehow, it looked like she knew she wasn't supposed to. I have known Char for years, I could tell when she had something on her mind. "What is it Char?"

She hesitated a little "I'm not sure I should say this but we are running out of options". I was quiet, patiently waiting for her to speak because she would anyways. "Talk to Ivan". She gritted her teeth, avoiding eye contact immediately she spoke knowing I would never like the idea.

"No way Char, no way in hell". I firmly refused. Ivan was my boss, and yes, I knew he would be more than willing to help but I wasn't going to play that card. Id never do anything to make it seem as though I am taking advantage of his feelings for me.

"You'd rather save your pride than your sister?" She asked, and I must say that kind of stung. However this was more than my pride, and I was pretty sure she understood better.

"I'd rather take a loan". I insisted.

She sucked on her teeth, fighting hard to say something harsh but her eyes said it all. She was judging me, thinking I was acting prideful and stupidly. Even though she and Karen never got along because she always felt Karen was some stuck-up bitch, she sincerely cared for her ike a sister.

"And how long would you pay up the loan for? Do you even understand the kind of shit your sister is in now? Not only can Ivan render financial help, he could also help her avoid going to jail". Her voice had gotten louder, more desperate to get through me but I wasn't changing my mind on this.

"And then what? Not only be accused of sleeping with him but also of using him? Taking advantage of his feelings? I'm sorry Char but with the movie going well, I don't want to end up in the spotlight with a bad reputation before anyone even gets to know me! So no!". Her face fell, her hope seemed dashed. Her once desperate and pleading eyes were now hateful.

"I guess your mom was right! It's all about you, you selfish bitch". She cursed at me and stormed off. As I watched her leave, I was beginning to question myself. Was I really being selfish? My eyes met with moms' a sad and disappointed look on her face, telling me she heard everything we had discussed. It was suddenly as though I was repeatedly stabbed in the chest, my heart ached seeing everyone suffering from this.

It wasn't even my fault, why do I have to take responsibility? She could've been more careful with the kind ofan she dated. Why does everything always come down to me? Like no one even cared how any of these was affecting me.

I sat down heavily on the couch, running my hands through my hair. I had to make a decision, and soon. Time was running out. The clock on the wall ticked ominously, each second a reminder of Karen's dire situation. I couldn't let her stay in jail any longer.

With a heavy sigh, I picked up my phone and scrolled to Ivan's number. My finger hovered over the call button, my heart pounding. I thought of Karen, her tear-streaked face and the desperate hope in her eyes. I thought of my mother, worn and tired, and of Char, her anger masking her fear but i just couldn't. I wanted to cry, scream, anything to release the pressure building inside me, but all I could do was lie there, numb. I felt a tear slip down my cheek, but I didn't move to wipe it away. Everything felt so heavy.

I felt so alone. So incredibly alone. It seemed like no matter what I did, it was never enough. I was never enough.

The next morning, I dragged myself out of bed, my body aching from the tension and lack of sleep. My mom was in the kitchen, making coffee. She looked up when I entered, her eyes red and puffy from crying. Neither of us spoke as I poured myself a cup and sat down at the table.

"Any news?" I asked quietly, not really expecting a positive answer.

She shook her head, her lips pressed tightly together. "No. But we can't give up."

"I know, Mom," I said, trying to muster some kind of reassurance. "I'm going to the bank today. Maybe I can get the loan approved quickly."

She just nodded, looking down at her coffee cup. The silence between us was heavy, filled with unspoken words and mutual frustration.

The bank visit was just as dreadful as I had anticipated. The loan officer, a middle-aged man with a sympathetic look, told me the process would take longer than I hoped. "It's not that we don't want to help," he said, "but these things take time. We need to verify your income, your credit score, your ability to repay."

I left the bank feeling more defeated than ever. Time was something we didn't have. I called Char, hoping we could patch things up. She answered on the third ring, her voice curt.

"What?"

"I'm sorry, Char," I said, swallowing my pride. "You were right. This isn't about me. It's about Karen."

There was a long pause before she replied. "I know you're doing your best, Wendy. It's just... frustrating. We all care about Karen."

"I know," I said, my voice breaking. "I just... I don't know what to do."

"Have you heard anything from the bank?"

"No. It's going to take longer than we thought. I'm going to keep trying, but..."

"But it's not enough," she finished for me. "Wendy, you need to consider all options. Even if it means asking for help from people you don't want to."

I hung up, feeling more lost than ever. Char was right, but I still couldn't bring myself to call Ivan. I had to find another way.

Back at the house, my mom was waiting for me in the living room. "How did it go?"

"Not great," I admitted. "But I'm not giving up."

"Of course not, and that is why I decided to step up. I called your boyfriend," Mom said.

"What?" I asked, my voice trembling. "And who exactly is my boyfriend?"