Lenora Griffin leaned back in her chair and let out a sigh of relief. She was done with her work for the day and it was time to leave. She shared her office cabin in the Urban Vault bank with two other accountants like herself.

  She wasn't fond of either of them. Both of them were supposed to be her seniors when she had joined yet instead of guiding her in the beginning, they'd let her stumble around with her job which drew in the ire of the branch manager towards her. In any sane minded institution, seniors would be held responsible for not providing any proper help to a newbie. Yet the manager had let her coworkers get off clean while directing all his disappointment towards her completely.

  No one would've been surprised if Lenora said that she hated her workplace–especially the people she worked with. But the paycheck was good. For a divorcee in her late twenties, that's all that mattered to bring her any joy.

  She shut all the audit files on her desk and put them back in the cabinets. After getting her satchel from her locker she headed for the ladies room. Looking into the mirror, she let down her hair that had been in a tight bun all day and splashed some water on her powdered face, washing away most of the day's fatigue.

  That's when one of the stall doors behind her swung open. There was a creak of hinges, clacking of heels. A woman came and stood in front of the sink next to her.

  Lenora tried not to peek at the lady. Because she had already glimpsed at the woman from the mirror. And she recognized her right away. Cynthia Radcliff.

  She and her brother Rowland Radcliff had their accounts at the Urban Vault. Since Lenora didn't pretend to be friends with any of her coworkers, it meant that she was also out of the loop of the gossip around the bank. But she made up for it by overhearing and eavesdropping on conversations if something really interested her. She could then just piece together the rest of the stories from books and records if she didn't have anything better to do.

  And the Radcliffs had been the hottest story around the bank recently. Rowland had drawn a business loan from the Urban Vault a few months ago. The amount had been quite a sum but the Radcliffs were old money and the collateral that Rowland provided was solid. So they'd let him have the steambolts.

  The catch was, Rowland had booked it, allegedly with all the money. His sister Cynthia had cosigned the loan that he had drawn. And she didn't have enough funds to pay back.

  So the Urban Vault seized all their assets because they charged a hellishly steep interest rate for the kind of business that Rowland had drawn the loan for. And now Cynthia was left with a debt that she had no way of paying back and no one to ask for help.

  It was a pitiful story. And that was a very good reason for Lenora to not engage with it any further. Life was too short and miserable as it was. One couldn't just spend it trying to solve other people's problems.

  So she kept her head down and avoided looking at Cynthia even for a second. She stepped towards the door and was about to walk out when the woman behind her made a noise.

  A sniffle mixed with a whimper. It was the most helpless sound Lenora had ever heard anyone make. Like the sound of an animal with their foot snagged in a bear trap.

  Lenora's hand was gripping the door latch tightly. All she had to do was turn the thing and get the hell out of there. Keep walking and not look back. Keep walking and not try to be a hero.

  But instead she found herself looking down at her own hand on the latch. Her knuckles were turning white. Her heart was feeling heavy.

  Get out, she told herself. Just get out. You know you can't help that woman. Some people are just beyond helping. Get out.

  With a reluctant twist of her hand, she started to open the door. Then Cynthia made that sound again.

  Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  The helpless, pitiful whimper of someone who was trying their hardest to not cry. That's when Lenora found all the strength leaving her body. Her hand let go of the latch almost on its own. And she heaved a sigh.

  With an equal amount of reluctance and relief, she turned to the woman and said, “You are Cynthia Radcliffe, aren't you? Are you…are you okay?”

  ****

  No. No, she wasn't. But she couldn't deny the gratitude that she felt towards Lenora for asking her that question.

  Like most people in Cynthia's state of mind, she didn't need much of an invitation for talking about what she was going through. Lenora took her down to the Vault cafeteria for a cup of coffee while they talked.

  She was watching Cynthia as they made their way down the beige walled hallways. The woman wore a tailored vest over a high collared blouse and a long flowing skirt. She ordered a black tea at the cafeteria and remained surprisingly composed throughout the conversation. Lenora was a bit surprised seeing the woman that calm after having seen the state in which she had been in the ladies room.

  “They have assumed my brother is dead.” Cynthia shrugged with a resigned look. “And since I said that I don't have any funds available to pay back the debt, they have started taking away everything I had. Rowland had provided our family mansion as collateral. And they sent me an eviction notice this morning. My father had left us both fifty acres of land each and they are taking it away as well. They've frozen his bank account. And maybe they are going to do the same for me.” She paused and looked at the distant wall. “I don't even know what I'm going to do anymore.”

  “What about…friends or family?” Lenora asked.

  “I have an aunt but when I told her about my situation she kicked me out,” Cynthia said. “She said I made a stupid mistake by cosigning my brother's loan. And now I'll have to face the consequences.”

  Lenora grimaced. “I'm really sorry. She sounds awful.”

  Cynthia shrugged again. “I have two friends who are rich and they are offering to pay everything but then I'll be indebted to them, with interest. If I'm going to be indebted one way or another. Then why not let the banks just take away everything I have? My ‘friends’ seem to want to do the same thing.” She scoffed and took a sip of her drink. “My father's friends didn't even see me in person. Their secretaries and butlers sent me off without even letting me speak my piece.”

  Lenora grimaced again. “Those…don't sound like friends at all.”

  “I think I deserve it.” Cynthia gave a bitter laugh. “Aunty was right. I was dumb enough to get in this trouble because I trusted my brother. And now I'll just have to deal with the consequences.”

  “No.” Lenora leaned ahead. “What you did might've been stupid and a ‘wrong move’ but you don't deserve it. No one deserves to have their homes and money taken away like this.”

  “I don't think it matters much either way,” Cynthia said. “I'm going to be homeless. Maybe I should…get a job as a housemaid or something.” She shrugged.

  “No no, don't say that!” Lenora leaned further. “Don't jump to that decision just yet.”

  “Why not? And why do you feel so bad for me?” Cynthia scoffed again. “It's funny because the people I trusted have all turned their backs on me and the only person showing any kind of understanding is a bank clerk.”

  “I'm an accountant,” Lenora said. “And no, none of what has happened to you is funny.” She sighed and rubbed her forehead. “Some of it really doesn't make much sense. The bank could've tried restructuring your loan. But they are moving over to a seizure right away.”

  “I wondered if I could sue them but a lawsuit will drain whatever I have left in me.” Cynthia shook her head. “I'm talking about both money and life.”

  “You said the bank has assumed your brother is dead. How did they come to that conclusion?” Lenora asked.

  “The internal police looked around for him for five days. Since they found nothing, that's the conclusion they made. That's all the bank needed to start taking everything away from me,” Cynthia said.

  “But if your brother returns, in case he isn't dead, you can make him pay,” Lenora said.

  “If my brother returns,” Cynthia said. “That's a big ‘if’. I know Rowland. If he wanted to really disappear. He would do it in a way that no one would be able to find him.”

  “He went missing five days ago,” Lenora said. “There are people with talents very well suited to finding people in such a short time.”

  “And they charge a lot,” Cynthia said, rolling her eyes.

  Lenora grinned a little. “I might know someone who might help you out for well…a bit cheaper.”

  dead hiatus? Me, of course.

  lot of life happened. But I'm back now. And I'm glad to be.