The 300th IOU

I took on as many part-time jobs as I could.

One night, my childhood friend, Owen Lynch, saw me working as a waitress at a nightclub.

I had no choice. I needed money. My days were already packed with jobs, and this was one of the few that paid well and offered weekly wages.

Some customers tried to take advantage, but I kept my boundaries, and no one dared to force me to do anything.

I counted how much more I needed to earn after a week of work.

But to Owen, my job meant I had no self-respect.

He was out drinking with his friends and spotted me right away.

At that moment, I was carrying a tray of drinks when he suddenly grabbed my wrist. The expensive drinks slipped from my hands and shattered on the floor.

“Clara, you ran away from home just to throw a tantrum. Rachel has been worried sick!

“I can’t believe you’d stoop this low and work in a place like this!

“Do you even care about her?”

I ignored his angry questions and simply stared at the broken glass on the floor.

What a waste.

There went my night’s work.

My silence made Owen even angrier.

My manager hurried over to apologize.

“Mr. Lynch, you know Clara?

“Oh dear, I knew her clumsy nature would get her into trouble. Clara, hurry up and apologize to Mr. Lynch!”

Mr. Lynch.

How important he sounded.

I looked at Owen. He was dressed so properly, nothing like the little boy who used to beg me to play with him.

But of course, the Owen who once adored me and promised to protect me forever had long fallen hopelessly for Rachel, just like my parents did.

Sometimes, it felt like Rachel was the female lead of this world, and I was the villain meant to fall apart.

Everyone who once loved me ended up loving her instead. It was like a curse.

There was no way out.

Owen did not notice I had zoned out.

He scanned me from head to toe. His face was full of disgust like he was looking at something dirty.

Then he grabbed the menu, ordered ten bottles of strong liquor, and looked down at me.

“Forget it. An apology from someone like you is worthless. You like serving drinks, don’t you?

“Clara, drink all ten bottles, and I’ll not only let this slide but also give you 100,000. How does it sound?”

I did not respond. I just grabbed a bottle from the table.

I knew Owen just wanted to embarrass me.

He knew exactly how tough things had been for me ever since my parents started setting up rules for me.

At my worst, I could only afford one meal a day.

My stomach was already ruined, far worse than Rachel’s ever was.

At first, Owen was firmly on my side and even said he would help me reveal Rachel’s true colors. He even gave me his family heirloom. But later, what did he say?

He said, “A little hardship won’t kill you. After all, you owe Rachel.

“After spending time with her, I realized she’s not a bad person.

“Clara, she’s your sister. You don’t have to see her as an enemy.”

As I drank the first and second bottles, Owen crossed his arms and watched me with amusement.

He was waiting for me to give up and beg.

But after the third, fourth, and fifth bottles, his expression started to darken.

I kept drinking like a machine. By the time I got to the eighth bottle, he finally stopped me.

Owen grabbed the bottle from my hand and smashed it.

How strange. He looked angry.

But why?

He was the one who asked me to drink.

I saw his lips moving, like he was saying, “Clara, are you throwing your life away for money?”

The next moment, his anger turned to panic.

“Clara, what’s wrong?”

I collapsed to the floor and blacked out.