Page 42 of The Pakhan's Secret Baby

I can't exactly express the truth, that my father stole from one mob and I'm pregnant by the head of their enemy.

It's all culminated into this perfect storm, and now I have to live life on the run.

"I have a family emergency that's going to take me out of the city for a while. I don't know how long." I pause and swallow hard, feeling my insides tremble. "I need to cancel all my classes and I'd like my tuition refunded."

After verifying a few details, she pulls up my file on her computer and scrolls through it, clicking a few things. "I can process the cancellation today. That's not an issue." She turns the screen slightly so I can see a breakdown of charges and credits. "However, per our terms and conditions, tuition is only partially reimbursable after the fourth week of the semester. You're in week nine."

"How much would I get back?" I stare at the numbers on her screen, which don’t make much sense to me until she speaks.

"It's roughly one hundred twenty thousand rubles if you tally it up."

It's less than half of what I paid.

Significantly less.

It makes my gut feel queasy and I feel myself wilting.

That's emergency escape money, not enough to start over somewhere.

We could get train fare and food, maybe, but it wouldn't sustain us until we find new jobs and a place to live.

And Batya doesn’t have anything to show for all his thieving.

"That's it?"

"I'm afraid so. The policy is outlined in the enrollment agreement you signed. I can print you a copy if you'd like to review it." She's so polite and matter of fact it angers me.

I don't want a copy. I want my money.

I want Rashid to fuck off and those Gusev men to leave us alone.

I want Batya to be healthy again and stop drinking, and I want my son to grow up safe.

It's so much I have to stop myself from shouting at her in anger.

"When would I see the refund?"

"It typically takes two to three weeks for the funds to appear in your bank account. Sometimes a bit longer depending on your institution."

Two to three weeks? I don't have two to three weeks. Those men gave Batya one week and we're already two days into it. I need that money now, not sitting in some processing queue.

Something in my chest busts open and I feel my eyes flood before I can stop it.

I press my fingers against my mouth and look at the ceiling but it doesn't help.

The tears come anyway. I sob in grief and clamp my eyes shut against the world.

This isn't fair.

I don't deserve to have all of this piling up on me at once.

For once in my life I deserve to have something peaceful and safe.

"Are you alright?" Galina asks. She pulls a tissue box from her desk drawer and pushes it toward me. "Is there something else going on? We have counseling services available if you need someone to talk to."

I'm not alright. Nothing about this is alright.

My father stole money from dangerous people and gambled it away.