Chapter 5

• Vienna arrived back home at midnight after searching for a job all day. She entered, but there was no one at home.
• She collapsed onto one of the two chairs in the room. She was only able to get one job that day, and the pay was minimal.
• She removed her jacket and picked up her phone to call Vanessa, but her call was rejected. She wanted to redial it, but then she heard the door open, and Vanessa entered with Nisan following closely behind her.
• "Where have you been? We thought something had happened, so we had to go look for you," Vanessa said.
• "What do you mean, where was I? I told you I was going to look for a job," Vienna replied.
• Vanessa hissed and sat down on the second chair.
• "So, was there any success?" Nisan asked.
• "Yes, I was able to get one, but the pay isn't much," Vienna answered.
• "That's good. Have you eaten anything yet? There's a little food in the kitchen," Nisan said.
• "What type of job did you find? Where is the place?" Vanessa interrogated instead.
• "Why are you asking? A job is a job," Vienna answered neutrally.
• "You're hiding something. If it's somewhere okay, then you would have started talking about it," Vanessa said, not giving up.
• Nisan also looked at her suspiciously.
• "Okay, fine. It's a club, but it's a pretty decent one," Vienna confessed.
• "I knew it. You can't work there," Vanessa objected.
• "I also think you shouldn't work there. Remember what happened the last time you worked at a clubhouse?" Nisan also said.
• "Nothing like that is going to happen here. It's really a decent place, and I really need the money." Vienna assured but Venessa refute.
• "I am against it, and that's it. If anything happens to you, then what will happen to our family? You can work anywhere but not there."
• "If you insist that I shouldn't work there, then where do you want me to get money for you and Mom? We have only a few days but we don't even have a quarter of the money we need for Mom, not to talk of you. And you want me to quit a job that will be able to bring in money for us. Then what do you want me to do?" Vienna yelled frustrated.
• "Is that why you want to sell your body to get money? Do you think Mom will be happy when she finds out about it?" Vanessa retort, also raising her voice.
• Vienna stared angrily at her before she left angrily and slammed the door after her, leaving Nisan with Vanessa.
• Nisan moved closer to Vanessa and placed his hand on her shoulder.
• "You shouldn't have talked to her like that; she's stressed out already about everything."
• "And I'm not?" Vanessa snapped at him and snatched his hand away.
• "Do you both think I'm not stressed? You shouldn't speak up for her in front of me," she said and turned to leave the house.
• "Where are you going so late?" he held her back.
• "I want to go get something from the convenience store nearby," she said and shook his hand off, then proceeded out of the house.
• Nisan sighed and turned to go meet Vienna inside. Vienna sprang up to her feet when she noticed someone coming in, but then a look of disappointment was shown on her face when she saw that it was Nisan and not her sister.
• "I thought you were angry with her. Why are you expecting her to come meet you?" he said and sat down on the bed next to her.
• "Where did the two of you go today? I know it's a lie that you went out to look for me," Vienna asked.
• "It's not entirely a lie," he answered.
• "Did something happen?" Vienna asked suspiciously.
• "Then do you really intend to sell your body for money?" he questioned.
• "What nonsense are you saying? She just assumed that. But then, maybe the thought crossed my mind," she answered grumpily.
• "So Venessa is right," Nisan said and stood up.
• "Where is she?" Vienna asked.
• "She went to get something from the store," he answered and left.
• Shortly after, Vanessa entered the room, and Vienna pretended to be sleeping.
• She felt Vanessa move closer to her and sit down at the edge of the bed. Vanessa took one of her legs in her arm and placed a small bowl with hot water to massage her legs gently.
• "You don't have to pretend. I know you're not sleeping," Vanessa said.
• "I told you not to walk all the time and to take the bus once in a while. You wouldn't listen. If anything happens to you, then how will you be able to work later?" She finished doing that and applied some pain reliever cream on them.
• Vienna stood up suddenly and collected the cream from her hand.
• "You should also apply some on your legs," she said and bent down to reach her legs.
• "What are you doing?" Vanessa said and moved her legs away, but Vienna pulled them back to herself.
• "Do you think I don't know that you go to school every day on foot to and fro? How do you expect me, as your elder sister, to take a bus while you walk?" she said as she closed the lid of the cream and faced her.
• "Listen, you are my responsibility. I know you don't like it, but I am to take care of you and I will."
• "I am not like you; I am quite strong," Venessa replied stubbornly.
• "I know you want to help, but you should focus on your studies," Vienna persuaded
• "I am eighteen, I can take care of myself " she cut in.
• "Yes, but until you get admitted into the university, you are still a teenager to me, and I promise you that I will make sure to get the money needed for you to write your final exams and Mom's operation."
• "You are not going to sell yourself, are you?"
• "No, idiot, I would never do that," she said and hugged her.
• "Don't hug me like a child. I need to sleep now so I can leave early tomorrow," Vanessa said and pushed her off. Then she lay down quietly to sleep.
• Vienna smiled and also lay down beside her and hugged her to sleep.