A Tortured Life - S01 E02

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A Tortured Life - S01 E02

Read Story: SEASON 1 EPISODE 2

Episode 2: A Tortured Life

The white envelope that Leo found under his door did not contain a job offer. It did not contain a secret message from a mysterious friend. Instead, it contained a final eviction notice. The paper was cold and hard in his hands. It said that if Leo did not pay all the money he owed for his tiny room by tomorrow morning, he would be thrown out into the street. Leo looked at his empty pockets. He looked at his shiny degree sitting on the table. The degree could not pay the rent. The world was not just locking its doors anymore. It was kicking him out of the only shelter he had left.

Leo did not cry. He did not have any tears left. He packed his few clothes into a small bag. He put his graduation medal at the very bottom so he would not have to look at it. He walked out of the house before the sun came up. He did not want to see the landlord. He walked until his legs felt like lead. He ended up in a part of the city where the buildings were broken and the air smelled like old trash. He found a small shack made of pieces of wood and rusted metal. It was cramped. It was dark. But it was cheap. This was Leo’s new home.

The best student in the class was now living in a shack.

Leo knew he could not wait for a big office job anymore. His stomach was screaming for food. He walked down a busy street until he saw a small, dirty restaurant.

There was a sign in the window that said they needed a dishwasher. Leo walked inside. The heat in the kitchen hit him like a physical blow. There were piles of plates as tall as he was. The floors were slippery with soap and grease.

The owner of the restaurant was a man with a very mean face. He looked at Leo’s soft hands. “You look like a boy who reads too many books,” the man said. “Can you actually work?”

“I can work harder than anyone,” Leo said. He did not mention his degree. He did not mention his gold medal. He just rolled up his sleeves and started scrubbing.

For many weeks, this was Leo’s life. He washed dishes from morning until late at night. His hands became rough and red from the hot water and the strong soap.

His back ached every single day. He earned just enough money to buy a small loaf of bread and a little bit of milk. He would sit in his shack at night, eating his bread in the dark, wondering if this was how his story would end. Was he born to be a great man, or was he born to wash the dirt off other people’s plates?

But in the middle of all this darkness, there was one light. Her name was Sarah.

Leo had met Sarah at the market near his shack. She was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. She had a smile that made him forget about his tired back and his empty stomach. Sarah was kind. She did not care that Leo lived in a shack. She did not care that he smelled like dish soap. When they talked, Leo felt like the king he used to be on graduation day.

“You have a spark in your eyes, Leo,” Sarah told him one afternoon as they sat on a wooden bench. “I know you are meant for big things. Do not let the dishes hide who you are.”

Leo loved Sarah deeply. He loved her more than he had ever loved anything. He started to save tiny bits of money. He wanted to buy her a ring one day. He wanted to take her away from the dusty streets and show her the world. But there was a big problem. Sarah’s parents were very wealthy. They lived in a house with a tall fence and many guards. They did not like Leo.

One evening, Leo went to Sarah’s house to see her. He wore his navy blue suit, which was now faded and a bit too big for him because he had lost weight. He stood at the gate, hoping to catch a glimpse of her. Instead, Sarah’s father came out. He was a tall man who wore expensive watches and looked at Leo like he was a piece of dirt on his shoe.

“What are you doing here, boy?” the father asked. His voice was like ice.

“I came to see Sarah, sir,” Leo said bravely.

The father laughed, but it was not a happy sound. “Sarah is a girl with a bright future. You are a boy with no future at all. You live in a hut. You wash plates for a living. You have nothing to give my daughter but poverty. Stay away from her, or I will make sure you lose the little job you have.”

Leo felt a sharp pain in his heart. He wanted to tell the man that he was a graduate. He wanted to say he was a winner. But looking at his own cracked shoes, the words stayed stuck in his throat. He turned around and walked away while Sarah’s father watched him with angry eyes.

The next few days were the hardest of Leo’s life. He tried to stay away from Sarah because he did not want her to get in trouble. He worked harder at the restaurant. He scrubbed the pots until they shone like mirrors. He worked so hard that his fingers began to bleed, but he did not stop. He needed to prove the world wrong. He needed to prove Sarah’s father wrong.

One afternoon, while Leo was in the middle of washing a mountain of greasy pans, his old phone started to ring. It was a very old phone with a cracked screen. He wiped his wet hands on his apron and answered it. It was Sarah.

He could hear her breathing fast. She was crying. “Leo? Leo, are you there?”

“I am here, Sarah. What is wrong? Why are you crying?” Leo asked. He felt a cold knot of fear in his stomach.

“My parents,” she sobbed. “They have decided. They found a man for me. He is the son of a very rich businessman. He has cars and houses and a big company. My father says I must marry him next month. He says if I do not, he will send me away to another country where I will never see you again.”

Leo felt like the ground was shaking beneath him. “But you don't love him, Sarah! You don't even know him!”

“I know that, Leo! I told them I love you, but my father just laughed. He said love cannot buy a house. He said you are a nobody. Leo, please, you have to do something! I don't want to go!”

“Stay where you are,” Leo said, his voice shaking with emotion. “I am coming. I will find a way. I will talk to your father again. I will tell him I will work ten jobs if I have to. Just wait for me, Sarah. Do not give up on us.”

Leo threw his apron on the floor. He didn't care about the dishes anymore. He didn't care about his mean boss. He had to get to Sarah. He had to save the only good thing left in his life. He turned around to run toward the back door of the kitchen.

But just as he took his first step, he heard a loud, terrifying sound. It was a "whoosh" sound, like a giant wind.

He turned his head and saw a wall of orange flame.

One of the big stoves in the back of the kitchen had exploded. The oil from the deep fryers had caught fire, and the flames were spreading faster than Leo could think. Thick, black smoke began to fill the room. The other workers were screaming and running toward the front door.

Leo was trapped. Between him and the exit was a sea of fire. The heat was so intense it felt like it was melting the skin on his face. He looked at the phone in his hand. Sarah was still on the line, calling his name over and over.

“Leo? Leo! What was that noise? Are you okay? Answer me!”

Leo looked at the flames. He looked at the heavy door that was now blocked by falling wood and fire. He thought about his mother in the village. He thought about Sarah waiting for him to save her. He thought about his degree, sitting in a shack that might soon be empty forever.

The smoke was making it hard to breathe. Leo coughed, falling to his knees as the black clouds filled his lungs. He wanted to reach Sarah, but the world had not just bolted the doors this time. The world was burning the whole building down with him inside.

Do you think Leo’s degree will ever help him, or was it a waste of time?

Is Sarah’s father right to want a "wealthy suitor" for his daughter, or is he being cruel?

How can Leo survive a fire when he is trapped in the back of the kitchen?

If Leo survives, what should be his first move to stop Sarah’s wedding?

Don't Stop Now!

The fire is rising, and Leo’s time is running out! Will he escape the flames to save the woman he loves, or will everything he worked for turn to ash? This story is just getting started, and you won't believe what happens next!

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To Be Continued...