Henrietta's POV
Chapter 1
The doorbell jingled as I pushed it open into a small walk-in store, where she prayed fervently that she could get the inhaler for her asthmatic mother.
"Good morning, Mrs. Su. Please, can I get an inhaler?" she asked quickly, hoping she hadn't wasted too much time already.
Mrs. Su,, smiled kindly.
I smiled at the bittersweet memory of my late dad bringing me here every Saturday morning after band practice to buy sweets.
My dad was a good father, but apparently not good at curbing his gambling habit. After his death, loan sharks threw us out of our home. Now I was a college dropout, working three jobs, caring for a sick mother and a sixth-grade brother.
Mrs. Su, already familiar with my mother's attacks, quickly brought out the inhaler from behind the counter and handed it over.
"Be quick, Henry. You can come back and pay for it tomorrow."
I sped out of the shop after grabbing the inhaler like hell was on my heels, shouting at her, "Thank you, Mrs. Su!" mid-flight.
I ran back in the direction she came, into the dark alley—until the wind was knocked right out of me. Literally. When I collided with something.
I fell onto the smelly, dark pavement and hit my head. The last thing I saw before losing consciousness was a pale-looking, 6-foot man looming over me. Everything went black… except the sound of his breathing.