To the last cent: Leyla

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by ZeeMA9

by ZeeMA9

It's been 3 years since I started this journey. Owning my place in a foreign land and earning my right to heal. People would think you'd earn it after saving so many lives but no. You earn it with the capitalist representation of blood, sweat, and tears; money.

I won my case. I got my green card. I got my license. I got my debt. I got my plan.

$90,000 for my residency
$80,000 for the legal retainer
$7,732.75 for everything else

A whopping $177,732.75 in total.

We both never saw the end of it.

We both turned elsewhere to avoid looking at the mountain that broke us and continue to separate us.

But I kept track of the numbers. Every day I would write it down in detail. I didn't know why until I was already halfway after the reason.

The first woman I broke up with after her, pointed it out to me. I was consumed by what I was buried under. I was happy but I was never fully there.

The detailed list I had was evidence of all the reasons I've never fully been with anyone else. And god, did I try. All I could think of was the race to the last cent.

I planned it all. Picked up some shifts on DriveTime on my days off. Paid down as much as I could every month. Budgeted down to the penny. Studied until my brain split open with a migraine.

Every time she saw me on our monthly paydays. She probably thought I was working hard just for myself. From my residency to the day I finally signed an offer with a huge sign-on bonus. I busted my ass trying to win us back.

It felt like forever but I can finally balance the scales.

Back to zero.

Actually... make that $2.75.