All characters are over eighteen. This series contains non-consensual mind control and impregnation.
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*****
"Mrs. Lebrun, I need that money."
"I'm sorry, Miss Ysrayl, but if the accounting department says it's been paid, then there's nothing I can do."
I was holding back tears and the word I wanted to use so much: Bitch! Unfortunately, I couldn't see how that would end well when I was talking to my boss.
Vanessa Lebrun probably didn't even remember my name was Miriam. She was the local business owner of a number of restaurants, one of which I worked at.
Now that I had graduated with a degree in Mechanical Engineering, it was time to move on. Mrs. Lebrun made a great show of claiming to support students in our college town. Anyone who served for at least three years was supposed to receive a bonus once they had a full-time job lined up. Except that I hadn't received mine, even though the accounting department insisted it had already been paid.
We kept going back and forth until I got the feeling that Mrs. Lebrun actually enjoyed turning me down. I swallowed my pride and said, "Thank you for your time, Mrs. Lebrun."
I turned and left before I had to endure any retort from her.
My eyes watered as I walked away from her office. I knew exactly why I'd been turned down: I was a Black woman. Mrs. Lebrun could walk right over me without ever having to worry about the consequences. Nothing I did would ever put a dent in her. I was no threat.
There was nothing I could do except catch a bus ride home. That was one of the nice things about living in a college town: free public transit. The downside was that I was always forced to sit in the back. Anywhere where no one else could see me.
It was the same everywhere. Grocery stores, movie theaters. Even after all these years, I still hated it. The way people's eyes would linger on my scars before hurriedly looking away. As any burn victim will tell you, being a survivor is hard enough; being reminded of it every day is worse. It forces me to constantly relive the night I almost died.
What should've been one of the best days of my life turned into the worst. Mom and I had gone out celebrating my thirteenth birthday. Since my older sister was staying with some friends for the night, it was just the two of us. That alone time meant more to me than any present. We didn't have much money since dad died, but we were happy. Mom and I hugged and kissed each other goodnight. I fell asleep wearing one of the biggest smiles of my life.
It was pure luck that saved me. I was already awake when I smelled the smoke. In what seemed like seconds, our entire house was engulfed in flames. I barely made it out. I was covered in burns, but at least I was alive. Mom wasn't so lucky.
Right from the beginning, arson was suspected. I'd seen several men run off just before the fire broke out. The police took my statement, but months passed without any progress. It slowly dawned on me that they just didn't care.
Makeup helped hide some of the burn scars on my face, but nothing could ever hide the loss of my mom or the pain I felt. Nor would time fix the rest of my body. I will never be able to have children or have sex without unbearable pain.
I forced myself to bury all the anger I felt. There was still one place in the universe that still felt safe and predictable: My boyfriend, Cal Thomas.
*****
"Hey, sweetie," came the reply as soon as I walked in the door. "Any luck?"
"Nope," I shook my head. "Mrs. Lebrun kept saying it's already been paid. She wouldn't even look into it."
"Ouch," he winced.
After holding back for several seconds, I sighed in defeat. "Cal, what are we going to do? That job offer will be rescinded soon if we can't secure relocation."
"I know," he said. Cal and I both had great job offers available, ones we really wanted. Unfortunately, it required relocating, and Cal and I were nearly broke. Without that bonus Mrs. Lebrun promised, we wouldn't be able to afford it.
"How much longer do you have?" he asked.
"One week," I croaked. If I couldn't get a guarantee of enough money to relocate by Monday, my dream job would be gone.
"I'm sorry, sweetie," he said before he pulled me into a gentle hug.
I allowed myself to relax a little. Cal and I met during our first semester. Today, we were living in a tiny apartment at the edge of campus. It was miserable at times, but we made it through. Now everything was threatening to fall apart because of this one thing. I spent the rest of the afternoon brainstorming, trying to find some other way of making enough money by Monday, but came up empty.
Until Cal suddenly asked, "Hey, do you have any close aunts?"
I frowned. "I have an aunt. We aren't very close, though. Why?"
"I got a call from her lawyer's office. Said your aunt had passed away and left you something that she wanted you to pick up."
That was surprising. I hadn't heard from my Aunt Tammi in many years. Not since before Mom died. She used to come over all the time. I never found out why she stopped, but after I didn't see or hear from her after Mom's death, I lost interest.
"I'll stop by after work tomorrow," I shrugged.
*****
I wasn't sure what awaited me when I reached the address Cal gave me. I walked inside and knocked on the glass door until someone answered.
"Hi. How can I help you?"
"Um, my name is Miriam Ysrayl," I said. "Tammi was my aunt. I got a call saying that she died and left something for me?"