I Slept with My Boss and Ran Away

Fiona cried incessantly, aiming to garner Meredith’s sympathy. As Meredith grew truly anxious, Fiona finally revealed, “Remember my investment before? I was scammed and now owe over a million dollars in all kinds of loans. It’s snowballing, and I can’t pay it back. The debt collectors threatened to chop off my fingers if I don’t pay.”

“A million dollars?” Meredith was shocked, “You said there were no losses before, what happened?”

“That was Justin telling me not to tell you, so you would not worry,” Fiona clutched Meredith’s hands, pleading, “Meredith, you must help me. I can’t pay back a million dollars. What am I supposed to do?”

Fiona cried bitterly, suddenly burdened with over a million dollars in debt. Meredith didn’t fully understand nor immediately agree to help.

“Please, calm down and explain slowly,” she urged.

While they talked, Linda casually observed the room.

Fiona, desperate and tearful, said, “Meredith, help me. A million dollars might not be much to you, but those debt collectors will really chop off my fingers. The interest keeps accumulating; I’ll never be able to pay it back.”

Fiona had thought long and hard about this moment of vulnerability as a way to reconcile and solve her financial woes with Meredith’s sympathy.

“I didn’t want to bother you, but I have no other choice,” Fiona continued, her voice breaking. “I’m embarrassed to even ask, but they said if I don’t pay in three days, they will chop off my fingers. Look, they’ve already smashed up my house.”

“Fiona, a million is not a small amount,” Meredith tried to calm her, “Don’t panic. We’ll find a solution.”

Meredith was hesitant, not fully trusting Fiona, and decided she needed to consult Justin first. Seeing Meredith’s reluctance, Fiona felt bitterly resentful. Meredith could easily give away millions in real estate to Justin, but couldn’t spare a million for her?

Fiona’s thoughts darkened, convinced that Meredith never truly regarded her as a sister. “Meredith,” Fiona grabbed her hands, her eyes pleading and tear-filled.

Meredith, seeing Fiona’s state, felt a tug at her heartstrings. Yet, knowing this wasn’t the first time Fiona had resorted to such tactics, she aimed to teach her a lesson and didn’t immediately agree.

“Just hold on,” Meredith comforted, changing the subject, “Let’s clean up the room first.”Content from NôvelDr(a)ma.Org.

Linda helped with tidying up, while Fiona sat on the couch, wiping her tears, feeling utterly desperate. She had begged so pathetically, yet Meredith still hesitated to help her with the debt. Was Meredith really pushing her towards death?

After they finished cleaning, Fiona suddenly grabbed Meredith’s trouser leg, “Meredith, please help me. A million isn’t much for you. Are you really going to watch them drive me to my death?”

This act was emotionally manipulative enough. “Fiona, get up,” Meredith was startled and quickly reached out to help her.

“I won’t get up,” Fiona sobbed, “If you don’t help me, I might as well be dead.”

Fiona was inconsolable, “I borrow the money from you, OK? I’ll write you an IOU. I’ll pay it back, whether it takes one year, two years, or even ten. I’ll work my whole life to repay you, I promise.”

“Meredith…” Meredith frowned, conflicted.

“Meredith, please,” Fiona lowered her stance, desperately pulling out paper and pen to write an IOU.

Linda stood by, unsure of what to say. This method of borrowing money was something she had never seen before; it was essentially begging for money outright.

“… Alright,” Meredith finally agreed, her heart softening despite the complexities.