Ep 2 Elara Struggle

Elara did not go home immediately after she was fired.

She wandered the streets aimlessly, her phone heavy in her hand, the words terminated effective immediately repeating in her mind like a bruise being pressed again and again. The city felt louder than usual—cars honking, people laughing, life moving forward without her permission.

How do you tell your parents that the ground beneath you has vanished?

By the time she reached their apartment, the sun was already setting. She paused outside the door, forcing her expression into something steady, something normal. Then she turned the handle.

The sound hit her first.

Her father’s cough tore through the small space—deep, painful, uncontrollable. Elara dropped her bag and rushed inside.

“Dad!”

He sat on the edge of the bed, one hand gripping the sheets, the other pressed to his chest. His face was pale, lips trembling as he struggled to breathe. Her mother stood beside him, tears streaking down her cheeks as she rubbed his back helplessly.

“It’s getting worse,” her mother whispered when she saw Elara. “The medicine isn’t enough anymore.”

Elara knelt in front of her father, taking his trembling hands in hers. “It’s okay, Dad. Slow breaths. I’m here.”

He looked at her with guilt-filled eyes. “I’m sorry,” he rasped. “I’m becoming a burden.”

“Don’t say that,” she said quickly, forcing a smile that hurt her cheeks. “You’re my father.”

When the coughing finally eased, her mother pulled Elara into the kitchen. The dim light revealed lines of exhaustion on her face that Elara had tried not to see for months.

“The doctor said he needs stronger medicine,” her mother said softly. “More tests too.” Her voice broke. “I don’t know how we’ll afford it.”

The words pierced straight through Elara’s chest.

For a moment, she forgot how to breathe.

But then she smiled.

“It’s okay,” Elara said, her voice calm, practiced. “I can buy it. Don’t worry, Mom. I’m here.”

Her mother stared at her, searching for cracks. Finding none, she nodded weakly and wiped her tears.

Elara turned away before the lie could slip.

That night, after her parents fell asleep, she sat alone at the small table by the window. The city lights blurred through her tears as she stared at her phone.

I was fired.

The words echoed silently in her head.

Where will the money come from?

She opened job listings, scrolling endlessly—positions that paid too little, demanded too much, or required connections she didn’t have. Each rejection she imagined weighed on her chest like another stone.

She thought of her father’s labored breathing. Of her mother’s quiet sobs. Of the medicine bottle sitting half-empty on the counter.

I can’t fall apart, she told herself..

She wiped her face, straightened her shoulders, and kept searching.

Somewhere, there had to be another job. One that paid better. One that could keep her family afloat. She didn’t care how hard it was, only that it existed.

Elara Solace had learned early that hope was not something given.

It was something you chased—desperately, painfully—no matter how tired your heart became.

And tomorrow, she would begin again.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***