A Knock on the Door

The knock on the door was sudden and firm, making Lena jump. She had been sitting on the couch with Mike, going over her bills and trying to come up with a plan to pay off her debt. Mike had just left, promising to help her brainstorm more ideas and possibly lend her some money to tide her over. Lena got up to answer the door, expecting it to be Mike returning for something he had forgotten. But when she opened the door, she was surprised to see Mr. Jenkins standing in the hallway, his arms crossed and a scowl on his face. "Lena, we need to talk," he said, his voice firm and commanding. Lena felt a surge of anxiety and tried to step back into her apartment, but Mr. Jenkins took a step forward, blocking her path. "I think we should discuss this inside," he said, his eyes scanning the hallway as if he was worried someone was listening. Lena hesitated, but Mr. Jenkins pushed past her and walked into the apartment, his eyes scanning the room as if he was looking for something. "So, where's the money?" he asked, turning to face her. Lena felt a surge of anger at his directness, but she tried to remain calm. "I'm working on it, Mr. Jenkins. I promise to pay the rent as soon as I can," she said, trying to sound sincere. Mr. Jenkins snorted. "Working on it? You've been saying that for weeks, Lena. I need the money now, not next week or next month. I have bills to pay too, you know." Lena felt a shiver run down her spine as Mr. Jenkins' voice rose. She had never seen him like this before, and she didn't like it. "I'll try to come up with something today," she said, trying to placate him. But Mr. Jenkins just shook his head. "I don't think that's going to be enough. I think we need to discuss other options," he said, his eyes glinting with a sinister light. Lena felt a sense of unease as she realized that Mr. Jenkins was not going to make this easy for her. She had a feeling that she was in trouble, and she didn't know how to get out of it.