“If you haven’t gathered the required sum, why the heck are you here?”
The moment my mother found out I still hadn’t gathered the required sum, she pushed me away with all her might and glared at me in the eyes.
I was upset by her response. Staring at her in the eyes with sorrow written all over my face, I answered, “I’m only here because I’m worried about you and Dad. I thought I can help keep an eye on Steven in the ward.”
“If you still care about us, why don’t you get us the money we need for the operation? He needs it urgently or he’ll end up crippled! Are you really going to forsake your brother?”
Up until that very moment, she still thought I had been keeping a fortune from her for myself.
Sighing, I looked her in the eyes and announced, “Mom, can you stop being so unreasonable? If I had the money, I would have given you already.”
Glaring daggers at me, she repeated herself, “If you still consider yourself a member of the family, gather the required sum at all costs! If anything happens to Steven, I won’t forgive you!”
Once again, I had no choice but to bear the burden of the family.
“M-Mom—”
I had no intention to blame her for forcing me to gather the required sum, but I couldn’t stand her threatening me over and over again. Is she actually saying that she would hold me accountable if Steven really ends up crippled?
I’m equally upset by Steven’s condition! But how can she make it sound as if I was the one who brought upon his misery? What else am I supposed to do?
“Well? Get going already!”
She pushed me out of the doctor’s office without expressing any concerns over my feelings.
Perhaps he couldn’t stand my mother’s unreasonable behavior anymore, the doctor stepped in just then and stopped my mother from pushing me. he offered, “Alright, that’s enough. I’ll carry on with the operation, but you need to settle the medical bills first thing in the morning. Otherwise, I’ll get in trouble as well.”
“Thank you so much!”
I heaved a sigh of relief when the doctor agreed to carry on with the operation.
He nodded and repeated himself prior to departing from his office. “I’ll head over and check on the patient’s condition. Meanwhile, please gather the required sum as soon as possible.”
With that, my mother and I were the only ones left behind after he marched out of his office.
Seeing that I was still standing at the entrance, she pushed at me and yelled, “Well? What are you waiting for? Hurry up and get going already!”
A few seconds later, she went after the doctor and marched in the direction of Steven’s ward.
I thought of waiting for Steven outside of the operating theater, but my mother got worked up the moment she saw me. In the end, I had to leave the hospital because she wouldn’t stop chasing me away.
It started raining cats and dogs the moment I stepped out of the hospital. It felt awful, but the fact that I was completely drenched had nothing to do with my foul mood. Instead, it was because my own mother had always deemed me replaceable.
Wandering on the streets in the middle of the night, I couldn’t think of anything that could allow me to gather the required sum overnight.
Out of nowhere, Michael’s image crossed my mind. He was the only one amongst my acquaintances who could whip out over a hundred thousand within a night.
That being said, he’s someone who would never involve himself in a losing trade! If I’m acquiring his help, I’m pretty sure there’s a hefty price to pay… And the only thing he wants from me is…
Ugh! As much as I want to stay away from him, he’s the only one I can turn to! I don’t have any alternatives anymore!
I ended up walking my way to Birchwood as I couldn’t hail a cab in the middle of the night. To make things worse, there was a heavy downpour. I was just glad that Birchwood was merely a few streets away.
As I wandered in the deserted street with the rain splattering down me, the helplessness I felt intensified.
After a long while, I finally made it to Birchwood. As I had moved out of Michael’s place, I couldn’t make my way in since the key was no longer with me.
I started shivering in the cold and reached for my phone to call Michael.
To be honest, I was afraid he would miss the call since it was the middle of the night, and he might have already fallen asleep. Besides, there was also the possibility where he might not want to make his way here even if he managed to figure out the things going on.
After ringing for quite some time, and just when I was about to give up, he finally picked up and asked, “Yes?”
Judging by his hoarse voice, it was evident that he had been roused from his sleep.
I was at a loss for words when I heard his voice. Coupled that with the awful feeling in my heart, I started weeping over the phone.
I knew that if I told him the truth, I would have to sacrifice myself again. Therefore, I was unsure of how to start the conversation. I just couldn’t bring myself to ask for money from him.
Seeing how I was silent, he raised his voice and asked, “Where are you?”
I couldn’t help but wonder if he was worried about me.
Sniffling, I forced myself to form a complete sentence and muttered, “I-I’m at Birchwood.”
“Wait for me.”
He hung up the call as soon as he assured me he would reach me soon.
As the beeping tone sounded, I lowered my phone, and I could no longer suppress the pent-up emotions and grievances that I felt.
Ironically, Michael was the only one I could rely on when we had merely spent a few nights in bed before.
I ended up shivering as I sat leaning against the entrance in anticipation of Michael’s arrival. No longer could I pull myself together after spending such a long time walking over to his place in the rain.
As the pent-up fatigue caught up to me, I started dozing off, my eyelids getting heavier.
“Anna!”
Just when I was about to fall asleep, I heard Michael’s voice. I forced myself to open my eyes and noticed that he was now standing in front of me.
I beamed at his presence and brought myself up immediately. Nonetheless, I could barely stand on my own feet. It felt as though I would pass out at any time.
“Hey. You’re finally here.”
The very moment I brought myself up, I staggered and ended up in between Michael’s arms. His familiar scent allowed me to feel a sense of serenity. I felt a strong urge to stay in between his arms without doing anything else.
Michael gaped at my actions with a perplexed look.
After a short while, he broke the silence and asked, “Why are you completely soaked in the middle of the night? Are you getting yourself wet on purpose?”
As a result of water dripping off my completely soaked shirt, Michael’s shirt was partially drenched as well.
“Michael, can we go in first? I’m so tired…”
