Julian Sterling framed me for corporate espionage in front of the entire city’s media. He shoved a check in my face and told me to take the money and get lost. No one in that press room knew that the woman in the gray janitor uniform, the one my own husband was publicly crucifying, was terminally ill. I couldn’t even afford a basic IV drip at the ER. The real thief was Melanie Crawford, the woman he cherished. With just one sweet whisper from her, Julian made me take the fall for everything. I bit back the blood in my mouth. I told myself I just needed to survive long enough to get the clinical trial payout for my surgery. I just wanted to live a few days longer. But I died on the cold metal table in the emergency room. It was only after I was gone that Julian finally looked at the security footage from the fire escape. He saw the truth. He saw Melanie pushing me down the stairs. Later, he ruined Sterling Enterprises trying to avenge me. He even paid with his own life. But when we finally met again, we were nothing but two fading souls drifting in the morning light. He knelt before my grave, sobbing, begging for forgiveness. I knelt down and wrapped my arms around him. “Julian, I did love you. But it’s too late. We’re both dead.”
Eva’s POV Julian Sterling framed me for stealing corporate secrets in front of every major media outlet in the city. Nobody in the crowd knew that the woman on stage, dressed in a faded gray janitor uniform and labeled a thief, was actually his legal wife of three years. I was Evangeline Vance. And after the Vance family went bankrupt, I became the scapegoat carrying the debt of my family’s blood. Julian hated me to my very core. Meanwhile, Melanie Crawford, the thief and the girl Julian actually loved, sat in the VIP section below the stage. She watched my humiliation with a smug, victorious smile. “Mr. Sterling, is she really just a janitor at Sterling Enterprises?” “I heard she used to be the heiress of the Vance family. Why did she resort to theft?” The reporters pushed forward like a pack of hungry wolves, their microphones raised, camera flashes blinding my eyes. Julian stood at the podium in his custom-tailored suit, looking down at me. His eyes were as cold as ice, staring at me as if I were a piece of trash. “She used to have ties to the Sterling family,” Julian’s voice echoed through the microphone, completely ruthless. “But Sterling Enterprises will never harbor a thief. Evangeline Vance is suspected of stealing core data. I will personally file police charges and see this through to the end.” A simple “ties to the family.” With those words, he erased our three years of marriage and my years of devotion, turning me into nothing but a background nuisance. I bit my pale lip so hard it bled, my hand tightly clutching my lower abdomen. The stitches from my surgery had only been taken out last night, and the rough fabric of the janitor uniform was rubbing against the wound, making it bleed again. Melanie sat in the front row, her manicured fingers gently resting on her expensive white designer handbag. She threw a mocking glance my way. My throat felt tight. Just last night, Melanie had shoved the stolen files into my locker and whispered in my ear, “Take the fall for me, Eva. Julian will only give you the money for your surgery if you cooperate. Aren’t you desperate for cash? Aren’t you dying?” Yes. I was desperate. I was so broke that the hospital receptionist had thrown the unpaid bills in my face three times in public. I was so broke that I almost pawned the last photo of my late father. So here I was, stomping on my own dignity to take the fall for his mistress, all for the “experimental drug trial” money Julian had promised me. I needed that blood money to buy myself a few more days of life. Under the cynical stares of the crowd, I pushed past the security guards and stepped onto the stage. Each step tore at my surgical wound, and cold sweat poured down my back. I didn’t look at Melanie. My lifeless eyes were locked entirely on Julian. “Mr. Sterling.” I picked up the microphone from the table. My voice was dry and raspy, like I had swallowed sand. Julian’s brows furrowed in pure anger. “The evidence is clear. What else do you have to say for yourself?” “My payout,” I croaked. “The money for participating in the clinical drug trial. When will I get it?” The room went dead silent for a second, then erupted into whispers. “Clinical trial? Did she just say payout?” Melanie’s expression instantly shattered, her fingers digging hard into her bag. Julian stared at me, his disgust turning into raw, unshielded fury. “You stole from us, and now you have the nerve to blackmail me on live television?” “I only want the money you promised,” I said, looking him dead in the eyes. “The trial observation period is over. Pay me what’s in the contract, Julian. I earned this.” Julian’s face turned pale with rage. Dozens of cameras pointed straight at me. I could see myself on the massive screens behind the stage. Standing next to Julian in his expensive, glowing aura, I looked like dirt. I used to be Mrs. Sterling. I used to wear designer gowns, holding his arm at high-end charity galas. Once, he had taken a glass of champagne from my hand and whispered softly, “She’s not feeling well. I’ll drink for her.” But now, those memories were dead. Now, he looked at me like I was a disease. Julian let out a cold laugh. He snatched his checkbook from his assistant and quickly scribbled a figure. His pen pressed so hard it almost tore the paper. He ripped the check out, but he didn’t hand it to me. Instead, like tossing scraps to a stray dog, he threw it right at my feet. The thin piece of paper drifted through the air, landing right in front of my dirty sneakers. “Is that enough?” Julian lowered his voice, but the microphone was still on. His cold, mocking words echoed through the hall. “Take the money and get lost, Eva. Don’t ever use these cheap tricks to dirty my company again.” The camera shutters sounded like rapid gunfire. I stared at the check on the floor and slowly bent down. The sudden movement squeezed my wound, and my vision went black for a second. I didn’t kneel. I just trembled, pressing my hands against the cold floor, and slowly pinched the paper into my palm. Melanie let out a long sigh of relief in the front row, her eyes filled with victory. Julian, watching me bend over for money like a beggar, looked even more disgusted. “You really have no dignity left when it comes to cash, do you?” I folded the check and slipped it into my pocket, right against my bleeding wound. The paper pressed against my warm blood, crushing the very last urge I had to explain myself. I forced myself to stand straight and looked at the husband I had loved for three years. “Thank you, Mr. Sterling.” Julian’s throat bobbed, his brow knitting tightly. Maybe he expected me to cry. Maybe he thought I would scream and beg him to believe me, just like I used to. But I did nothing. I was just an empty shell. All my cries for help had died last night. Last night, when I was curled up on a freezing bench in the hospital corridor, I had called Julian ten times. He didn’t pick up once. On the eleventh try, Melanie answered the phone. Her voice was sweet and dripping with venom. “Julian is busy with me, Eva. Grow up.” Right. I had to grow up. So I came to the press conference. I took the fall for his mistress. I let my husband publicly ruin my life. I turned around, dragging my bleeding body off the stage. Security cleared a narrow path through the reporters. I walked steadily, though my fingers were shaking uncontrollably at my sides. Just as I reached the exit, Julian’s ice-cold voice rang out behind me. “Call the police.” I froze. The assistant next to him whispered in confusion, “Mr. Sterling, she… she already took the check.” “I don’t care,” Julian said, his voice carrying clearly over the speakers. “The money was to give her a bit of dignity. But she still has to pay for her crime!” I didn’t look back. I squeezed the check in my pocket so hard that the edges began to tear. At that moment, I realized Julian hadn’t given me dignity at all. He had only given me humiliation.
Eva’s POV Less than half an hour after the press conference ended, I dragged my pale, exhausted body toward the side alley of Sterling Enterprises. Before I could make it out, the sharp click of high heels sounded behind me. “Why are you running so fast?” Melanie stood under the hallway light, draped in an expensive, light-colored designer coat. The gentle smile she had worn for the cameras was gone, replaced by a venomous sneer. I stopped and pressed my hand tightly over the bloody check in my pocket. “I got the money. Leave me alone.” “You got a check that’s basically pennies to us, and you think this is over?” Melanie stepped closer, looking down her nose at my dirty, gray janitor uniform. “Evangeline Vance. You used to be the great Vance family heiress. Now look at you, begging Julian for scrap money in front of the whole city. No wonder he looks at you like you’re garbage.” My fists clenched, my knuckles turning white. “You put those files in my locker, Melanie. You know it was you.” Melanie laughed, not even bothering to deny it. “Yeah, I did. So what?” I snapped my head up, staring at her. Melanie stepped closer, whispering in my ear. “But do you have proof? The cameras in that hallway conveniently broke. The locker only has your fingerprints on it. And now, the entire media just saw how greedy you are. Who would believe you? Julian?” Just then, a couple of employees walked past the other end of the hallway. Melanie’s eyes flicked over, and she instantly reached out, gently smoothing down my dirty collar like a caring friend. But the moment they were out of sight, her fingers dug deep into the skin near my collarbone, pinching me hard. “You better keep your mouth shut! Julian already thinks you’re a pathetic thief. He hates even hearing your name.” She shoved me hard. My back slammed against the rough brick wall. A dull, agonizing pain shot up from my abdomen as my surgical wound stretched. I broke out in a cold sweat, but I didn’t make a sound. I just glared at her. “You’re scared. You’re scared I’ll talk about the clinical trials.” Melanie’s face darkened, but she quickly recovered with a cold smirk. “Why would I be scared? You signed the papers yourself. You went into that test group voluntarily. Even if you die on the operating table, it’s just a ‘normal complication’ listed on your consent form!” My heart skipped a beat, feeling like it was filled with shattered glass. Satisfied by my silent despair, Melanie reached into her designer bag, pulled out a gold credit card, and slapped it against my cheek. “Aren’t you desperate for money to save your life? Here’s a little extra.” I didn’t reach for it. So Melanie grabbed my collar and shoved the card down the front of my shirt. “Tomorrow is Sterling’s Annual Charity Gala. I want you to go on stage and give a speech.” “About what?” “Tell everyone how you went from the high-and-mighty Vance heiress to a pathetic janitor at Sterling Enterprises. Tell them how it feels to be stepped on.” Melanie’s voice was light, airy, and dripping with malice. “Make it sad. Make it real. The rich folks at the gala love a good story about someone falling from grace.” My hands shook. “That’s public humiliation.” “Exactly,” Melanie giggled. “I want to humiliate you.” The alley was dead silent, save for the howling wind. Melanie tapped my cheek. “Eva, do you really think you’re in any position to say no? If you don’t take this money, the hospital will cut off your treatment tomorrow. Besides, your job isn’t done yet. I still have the rest of your payout.” My fingertips were freezing. Melanie was like a snake, biting exactly where it hurt. I needed the money. I was dying. I had to pay the hospital bills. And somewhere deep inside, a stupid, pathetic part of me still hoped Julian would search for the truth. But today, Julian had thrown that check at my feet. He wasn’t going to look for the truth. He just wanted me gone. I reached down and gripped the gold card in my chest pocket. Melanie smiled. “That’s a good girl. Play the clown nicely tomorrow, and don’t ruin the mood.” “How much?” I asked. Melanie blinked. I gripped the card tighter. “I want to know the exact amount. Verbal promises mean nothing to me.” “Always about the money. You really are cheap,” Melanie spat. “Yes,” I looked at her with empty eyes. “I only care about the money.” Melanie looked at me like I was a stray dog. “There’s fifty thousand on this card. Do a good job tomorrow, and I’ll give you another hundred thousand.” “Write it down,” I demanded, holding my ground. “Julian promised me dignity today, and look how that turned out.” Annoyed, Melanie raised her hand to slap me. But I grabbed her wrist! I used every ounce of strength I had left. The wound in my abdomen ripped completely, and warm blood began to soak through my gray uniform. My face was as white as a ghost, but my grip didn’t loosen. “Write. It. Down.” Terrified by the sheer desperation in my eyes, Melanie took a step back. She wrenched her wrist free, pulled a notepad and a pen from her bag, scribbled a note, and slapped it onto my chest. “A hundred thousand after the gala! Happy now, you freak?” Melanie turned and walked away in her high heels. After a few steps, she looked back with a wicked smile. “Oh, by the way. Julian will be there tomorrow.” “When you’re up there begging like a dog, make sure to look him in the eyes. Let him see what his ex-wife is willing to do for a few bucks.” I didn’t look back. The cold wind blew down the alley, plastering the bloody uniform against my skin. The pain was so bad I couldn’t even stand straight, but I held the note and the card tightly in my hand. Pain didn’t matter. Humiliation didn’t matter. As long as the money was real, I could take it. As soon as I walked out of the Sterling building, my phone buzzed violently. It was a final notice from the hospital. I glanced at the screen, turned it off, and kept walking. I had to go to the gala tomorrow.
Eva’s POV Before the charity gala started, Melanie pushed me into a dark corner near the backstage entrance. “When the host calls your name, you get up there.” I clutched the thin note in my hand. “Do you have the remaining hundred thousand?” Melanie’s smile instantly vanished. “Do you think I’m going to run off on you?” “Yes.” Melanie stared at me and let out a cold laugh. “Fine. If you beg well enough up there, you’ll get your money.” From the main hall, loud applause echoed. The host’s voice boomed through the high-end speakers. “Tonight, besides our new project launch, we have a very special guest. We have the former heiress of the Vance family. She’s here to tell us what it feels like to fall from the clouds straight into the dirt.” The crowd erupted into laughter. Melanie patted the dust off my shoulder with fake kindness. “Go on. Show the high society of this city how cheap your life is.” I walked onto the stage like a robot. The bright spotlights hit me, making my vision go blurry. The first person I saw in the front row was Julian. Melanie sat right next to him, tilting her chin up at me. Julian, however, was looking down at his tablet, not even sparing me a glance. The host handed me the microphone, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “Ms. Vance, I heard you used to be a high-society socialite, but now you’re cleaning toilets at Sterling. How do you handle such a massive fall?” The crowd laughed even louder. I held the microphone. The cold metal felt freezing against my sweaty palm. “I have no choice but to handle it.” The laughter grew louder. I looked at the crowd with an expressionless face. “The Vance family is broke. My father is dead. I have no other skills, so I clean. I do the dirtiest work.” Some people pulled out their phones, recording me like I was an animal in a zoo. “I used to sit where you are sitting, listening to others. Now, I stand here as a stepping stone. I am your entertainment.” The laughter in the room slowly died down. Melanie’s smile stiffened, and she glanced nervously at Julian. Julian’s hand paused over his tablet. He finally raised his head and looked at me on the stage. Our eyes met. His eyes were cold, filled with disgust. He looked at me as if my public humiliation was entirely my own fault. The wound in my abdomen was throbbing violently. I could barely stand. But I gripped the microphone and kept going. “I need money. I will do anything for money. Cleaning, experimental drug trials, taking the fall for others… as long as you pay me, I will do it.” When I said “taking the fall,” the room went completely silent. Melanie’s face turned pale. Julian’s fingers gripped his tablet so hard his knuckles turned white. The host, sweating profusely, tried to salvage the situation. “Ms. Vance, you have a… unique sense of humor. So, what is the biggest lesson you learned from your recent theft?” I stared directly into Julian’s eyes through the glaring lights. “The lesson is… never treat someone else’s promise as your lifeline.” Julian’s eyes darkened completely, a terrifying aura radiating from him. Melanie couldn’t sit still anymore. She stood up, flashing a perfect smile as she grabbed a microphone. “Eva is just nervous. She’s talking nonsense. Please don’t mind her.” She walked quickly onto the stage, standing right beside me. She put a loving hand on my arm. But out of the crowd’s sight, her sharp acrylic nails dug deep into the flesh of my arm! “We brought her here tonight to show everyone that even when people make mistakes, Sterling Enterprises is generous enough to give them a second chance.” My arm was bleeding from her grip, turning numb with pain. The crowd erupted into applause, praising Sterling’s generosity. This wasn’t a charity event. This was Melanie stripping me of my last shred of humanity, cutting me piece by piece. The moment the gala ended, Melanie shoved me into an empty dressing room. The second the door closed, her fake smile vanished, and she slapped me hard across the face! Slap! My head spun. I tasted copper in my mouth as my lip split open. “Who gave you permission to talk about the drug trials and taking the fall?!” Melanie screamed, her face contorting with rage. I wiped the blood from my lip, my eyes dead. “I didn’t mention Sterling. I didn’t mention you.” Melanie sneered. She grabbed a stack of cash from her bag and threw it at me. The bills scattered all over the floor. “Take it and get out!” I looked at the scattered money. “We agreed on a hundred thousand. This is barely twenty thousand.” “You signed a note,” I said, pulling out the paper. Melanie snatched it from my hand, tore it into pieces, and threw the shreds in my face. Then, she stepped on the pieces. “Now there is no note,” Melanie whispered maliciously. “Eva, look at yourself. You get what I decide to give you. A cheap life is easy to keep alive. This is enough to keep you breathing!” Suddenly, the door was pushed open. Julian stood at the entrance. His eyes swept over the scattered cash on the floor, finally landing on my bleeding lip. Melanie gasped, her eyes instantly welling with tears. She immediately put on a helpless, crying voice. “Julian! I was just trying to give her some extra help because I felt bad for her, but she said it wasn’t enough… She almost ruined our project launch on stage…” Julian stepped into the room, looking down at me. I didn’t argue. I knew exactly who he would believe. I bent down. Under Melanie’s mocking gaze and Julian’s disgust, I picked up the cash, bill by bill, folded them neatly, and put them in my pocket. My desperate, pathetic behavior for money completely set Julian off. His cold voice cut through the air. “Eva, you really have no shame left.” I paused. I looked up, wiping the blood from my mouth with the back of my hand, and looked at him calmly. “Shame doesn’t pay for my medical bills, Julian.” Julian’s eyes turned ice-cold. He pointed at the door. “Take your money and get the hell out.” I dragged my heavy feet past him. As I walked by, Melanie whispered, “Spend it wisely, Eva. You won’t get another chance like this.” I didn’t stop. I pressed the twenty thousand dollars deep into my pocket, even though my hands were covered in my own blood. Twenty thousand was still money. It was still a chance to live. I couldn’t cry. I wouldn’t cry.
Eva’s POV By the time I finished at the clinic, the money I had left wasn’t even enough for a basic painkiller shot. The nurse at the counter pushed the bill back to me with a cold look. “Since you can’t pay the balance, we’re stopping your antibiotics and pain meds today.” I nodded quietly, folded the bill, and put it in my pocket. My abdominal wound had started leaking pus and blood. The rough gauze was stuck to my flesh, and every step felt like a rusty knife twisting in my stomach. I couldn’t afford a taxi, so I had to walk all the way back to the Sterling building in the freezing rain. My old backpack was still in my locker at the back entrance. It held everything I owned, including the last photo of my father. By the time I reached the back gate, it was pitch black. I leaned against the cold brick wall, trying to slip through the employee entrance, but two security guards blocked me. “Stop right there! Aren’t you the janitor who got fired yesterday?” one of them sneered. “Management gave strict orders. A thief like you isn’t allowed anywhere near this property.” My throat was so dry it felt like it was on fire. “I just want my backpack…” “How do we know you’re not trying to steal more stuff?” The guard shoved my shoulder hard. “Get lost! Don’t die on our doorstep. It’s bad luck.” I was already weak from the fever, and the shove sent me crashing against the rough brick wall. My vision went black, and I slid down onto the wet pavement. My gray uniform was covered in mud. I tried to stand up twice, but my legs gave out. Just then, footsteps came from inside the building. The guards immediately put on fake, polite smiles. I forced my head up, looking past the guard’s legs. It was Julian. He was walking out with his mother, Victoria. She was draped in an expensive wool shawl, looking as arrogant as ever. Julian saw me on the ground. But his glance lasted only a fraction of a second. Before I could even beg for help, he looked away in disgust, as if looking at me would dirty his eyes. Victoria frowned, not hiding her disgust. “Why is she still lingering around like a stray dog?” The guard quickly tried to take credit. “Ma’am, she claims she’s here for her bag. We were just about to kick this thief out!” “Her bag?” Victoria sneered, walking over to stand right in front of me. “The Vance family is dead and broke. What could possibly belong to you? You stole from our family, and now you’re trying to sneak back in?” My fingernails dug into the cracks of the pavement. “My bag… has my father’s picture…” “Julian,” Victoria turned to her son, her voice annoyed. “Melanie is waiting for us at the restaurant. Don’t waste your time on trash like her.” Julian was silent for two seconds. Then, he spoke coldly. “Let security handle it. Throw her out of the property.” Those few words crushed the very last ounce of hope I had left. The guards immediately grabbed my arms, lifting me up roughly. The sudden movement ripped my wound completely. Warm blood and pus began to run down my leg. I bit my lip hard, tasting iron. I looked at the man in the expensive suit. “Julian.” He stopped. “Are you really… not even going to ask?” My voice was as fragile as cracked glass. Julian didn’t turn around. But Victoria snapped at me, “Ask what? Ask how you beg for money on stage? Eva, if you had any decency left, your dead father would be rolling in his grave seeing you like this!” My face went pale. Julian finally turned his head. There was no pity in his eyes, only a cold warning. “Enough. Don’t mention her father. He doesn’t deserve it.” Those words hurt more than any slap Victoria could have given me. My father had loved Julian like his own son. He used to pat his shoulder and say, “Julian is a good, honorable boy.” My father trusted him, and so did I. But now, Julian was stepping on that trust, grinding it into the mud. “Throw her out,” Julian ordered coldly, walking away. The guards dragged me like a dead dog and tossed me onto the cold concrete sidewalk outside the main gates. My knees hit the curb hard, skinning my palms. The cash in my pocket spilled out, fluttering in the wind toward the street. One of the guards kicked the loose bills toward my face. “Get lost! You make me sick!” The heavy iron gates slammed shut behind them. The city traffic hummed in the distance, headlights flashing over my bleeding body. I crawled on the cold pavement, picking up the dirty bills one by one, smoothing them out, and tucking them back into my pocket. With trembling hands, I pulled out the worn photo of my father. The edges were white and frayed. He was standing in front of our old house, smiling so warmly. I pressed the photo against my bleeding palm, my body shivering like a leaf in the wind. “Dad…” My voice was choked with blood. “I can’t… do this anymore.” Julian’s car drove off into the night. No one looked back.
Eva’s POV I woke up from the freezing wind on the street corner. My hand was still clutching the crumpled photo of my father. Suddenly, my phone screen lit up. It was a text from an unknown number. It was an address in the old industrial district, with a simple signature: An old friend of your father. I stared at the message for a long time. My fever had gone down slightly, but my body felt completely hollow. I didn’t go back to the clinic. Instead, I used my last few dollars to take a bus to the address. I had to see this person. The shop in the old district was run-down, the metal shutter half-open. When I pushed the door open, a white-haired man was wiping down picture frames. He turned around, and when he saw my state, he froze. “Are you… Eva?” I nodded quietly, holding out my father’s photo. “You knew my dad.” The man was Tom Miller. He took the photo, his eyes turning red. “Back when your father was at his peak, everyone in this city respected him. How did you end up like this?” I held onto the edge of the desk, my knuckles white. “Tom… why did my dad go bankrupt? Why did he jump from that building?” Tom’s face fell. He sighed, reached into the deepest drawer of his cabinet, and pulled out a dusty, yellowed folder. “The night before your father passed, he came to see me. He said if you never asked, I should keep this a secret forever. But if you ever came looking for the truth, I should give this to you.” I stared at the folder. Tom looked at me, his voice shaking. “Eva, for the past three years, have you really believed that the Vance family went bankrupt because of bad management? Have you really believed you owed Julian Sterling?” My throat closed up. Yes. Julian told me, Victoria told me, the whole city told me that my father had left a mess that almost ruined the Sterling family. That was why I kept my head down. Why I took the blame. Why I let them stomp on my dignity! Tom shoved the folder into my hands, his teeth clenched in anger. “Your father didn’t owe them a single dime! He put up the entire Vance family’s assets as collateral to save the Sterlings when their project ran out of funding!” “But when the project failed, the Sterling family pulled out to save themselves! Your father was hunted by banks and loan sharks until he had no choice but to end his life!” “The Sterlings saved their company, and your father became their scapegoat!” Boom. It felt like a bomb went off in my head. My hands shook violently as I tore open the folder. Inside was a property transfer document and several old receipts. Every single page had my father’s signature and the Sterling family’s stamp. The documents clearly stated: The Sterling family agrees to cover all subsequent project losses. But that line had been crossed out with black ink. A liability waiver page had been added to the back. And on that page, there was no signature from my father, only the Sterling family’s stamp! I stared at the red stamp, my vision going black. My chest ached with pure hatred and despair. The Sterling family took everything my father had, bled us dry, and then brainwashed me into thinking I was the one who owed them?! “Your father wasn’t a criminal,” Tom sobbed. “He was set up by the Sterlings!” The sharp edges of the paper cut into my palm, my blood dripping onto the documents. I remembered Victoria sneering, “You stole from us.” I remembered Julian telling the guards to throw me out like trash. I remembered him throwing the check at my feet. This time, the pain wasn’t from my surgical wound. It was in my bones. It was the pain of being skinned alive and serving the very people who destroyed my family. “Does Julian know?” My voice sounded like it was coming from a grave. Tom paused. “Julian was young back then. He might not have known the details. But his mother definitely did!” I let out a laugh. It was a dry, raspy sound, and blood leaked from my split lip. “Just because he didn’t know, he had the right to drag me through the dirt?” Tom couldn’t answer. With red eyes, he pulled a heavy metal box from his desk. “Your father left this for you. He said inside are all the proofs that the Vance family never owed anyone anything.” I took the metal box. At that moment, my body reached its absolute limit. “Eva, you look terrible. Let me take you to the hospital!” Tom said, trying to help me. “No,” I pushed his hand away, holding the folder and the metal box tightly against my chest. “I need to go to Sterling. I need to ask him myself.” I turned and walked out. The afternoon sun was blinding. As soon as I crossed the street, the sounds of the city began to fade. The metal box felt heavier and heavier, and a wave of pain hit my abdomen like a tsunami. I couldn’t fall. Not yet. I had to throw these papers in Julian’s face! I had to clear my father’s name! I had to tell Julian that I didn’t owe him a damn thing! It was his family that owed us a life! I bit my lip hard, gripping the metal railing by the sidewalk. My fingernails bent back, drawing blood. But my broken body couldn’t hold on any longer. Clatter. The heavy metal box fell onto the hard asphalt. My world went black, and my body collapsed onto the street. The documents slipped out of the folder, fluttering in the wind. Bystanders screamed and rushed over. “Call 911! Someone collapsed!” In the last second of consciousness, my fingers were still gripping the edge of the documents. I was not a criminal.
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