“You need money, don’t you? Then you’ll do what I want. And you’re not going home tonight until you do it.”
I backed away.
“I never agreed to anything like that.”
“You don’t even know what I want yet.”
“Please open the door.”
He didn’t move.
I rushed toward the door, but he grabbed my shoulder.
“Emily! Wait!”
I screamed.
“LET GO OF ME! I’LL CALL THE POLICE!”
He immediately released me.
“Fine. But listen to one thing first.”
“I don’t want to!”
Suddenly, Robert said something that made my blood run cold.
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“I know your mother isn’t home tonight.”
My entire body froze.
“What have you done to my mother?”
He walked toward the table.
“Your mother came to see me this morning. And she told me a secret.”
Tears were already streaming down my face.
“What secret?”
Robert took his phone out of his pocket.
At that exact moment, it rang.
Linda’s name appeared on the screen.
“Is everything ready?” she asked.
“Yes,” Robert answered.
“Does the girl know?”
“Not yet.”
Linda’s voice became stern.
“Robert, I warned you. You shouldn’t have done it this way.”
I stared at him in horror.
“What have you planned for me?”
Robert silently walked to the door and unlocked it.
“You can leave. I was wrong to frighten you. But if you stay for five minutes, you’ll understand everything.”
I stood beside the open doorway, clutching my phone tightly.
He opened a cabinet nearby.
Inside was a thick folder.
The first page contained our home address.
The second had my mother’s name.
And on the third was a number.
$18,600.
“This is the amount your family owes, including your mother’s medical expenses,” Robert said.
“How do you know that?”
“Yesterday, your mother came here looking for work. She said she was willing to work even though she was sick, just so you wouldn’t have to give up on college.”
My eyes filled with tears.
“Where is my mother now?”
“Linda took her to the hospital for some tests. She’s safe. You can call her right now.”
I immediately called my mother.
She answered.
“Emily, sweetheart, everything is fine. Robert has been helping me. I was the one who asked him to surprise you.”
I slowly sat down.
But I still didn’t understand what any of this had to do with Robert’s threatening words or the locked door.
He took another document from the folder.
“My wife was a teacher for thirty years. She passed away six years ago. In her memory, I established a scholarship foundation.”
It turned out that every year, Robert helped several young employees from his restaurants attend college.
They went through a selection process, and the foundation covered the tuition fees for those who were chosen.
Robert continued.
“We contacted your teachers and learned about your excellent grades. You’re one of the strongest candidates for this year’s scholarship.”
I stared at him in disbelief.
“Then why did you say I had to do whatever you wanted?”
“Because I wanted you to complete the application tonight. I thought that if I told you we had important business to discuss, you’d stay and listen. But I chose my words terribly.”
“Then why did you grab me?”
Robert lowered his head.
“I was afraid you’d leave without hearing the explanation. But that gave me no right to touch you. I’m sorry.”
I was still trembling.
