Lola married a rich man — what a way for Jasmine and Mike to console themselves, just to push through another unthinkable act. Not even the guilt of maltreating their own child for years could stop them. Nothing could change them.
Surely, Lola had been right.
Crying and sulking over these people wasn’t worth it. Deep in her heart, she knew nothing would change. Whether they were her biological parents or not, they would always be Jasmine and Mike — the sa people who wrecked soone’s marriage for their own gain and used a child as a tool to attain that.
Once morning broke, the duo was ready to put their plan into motion.
*****
lissa jolted upright, back straightening sharply. Looking around, she realized she was in her father’s private ward, having fallen asleep on the chair beside him. She exhaled a shaky sigh of relief, her gaze settling on her father’s unconscious body.
"Dad..." she whispered, touching the corners of her swollen eyes. "You should wake up now."
Yesterday, she had been so frustrated that she cried almost the entire day. She eventually stopped, but at night, the mories flooded back, and she had cried again angrily.
The bank had emptied their ho. They even took her things.
The worst part?
They only took the valuable ones.
They left behind everything sent by her "admirer."
She was left with nothing but fake clothes, fake bags, and fake accessories. She could still wear them, but her pride wouldn’t allow it.
A deep sigh escaped her as she looked back at her father.
"Dad." She clasped his limp, cold hand. "What am I going to do?"
Lola had left her Loren’s properties, and the lawyer reached out on the sa day Lola handed the docunts to her. So lissa had a place — a few places — to stay. She also had savings from brand deals and various projects before they cut her off.
She had enough to take care of herself.
Even so, with the truth exposed and her family falling apart, she didn’t have the ntal space to think about anything else. Not with her father lying here, barely alive.
"I already gave you my blood. Why aren’t you waking up yet?" she asked in frustration. "Dad, the more you stay here, the more... I don’t know. Please wake up soon."
The loneliness and exhaustion that piled up daily, taking care of a comatose patient, was already taking its toll on her. She loved her father, and she felt sorry for him. But at the sa ti, she didn’t know how long she could continue living like this.
"Once you get better..." she trailed off, unsure of what life would look like when Lawrence recovered. "... it’s just going to be you and ."
Amid her thoughts, a quiet knock sounded at the door. lissa turned, only to see a hospital staff mber peeking her head in.
"Miss lissa?" she called softly, stepping inside. "Can we talk for a mont?"
lissa rose to her feet and approached her.
"What is it? Did sothing happen?" she asked anxiously. "Is it my dad? He’s okay, right?"
"Yes, of course. Don’t worry about that. I’m here for this." The staff handed her a piece of paper. "Your father’s bill is already due. But your cards were declining the paynt."
"Huh?" Deep lines ford on lissa’s forehead. "How is that possible? Did you check?"
"Yes, ma’am. We already tried a few tis, but it’s declining. Maybe you should call your bank if there are sufficient funds."
"Of course, there are sufficient funds. Are you looking down on ?"
The staff awkwardly lowered her head. "That’s not what I an. I’m sorry if I ca across that way."
lissa clicked her tongue, assuming she had simply hit her limit. "I’ll go to the counter later with a new card."
"Sure. Please settle them today," the staff reminded gently. "At least half the amount, so we can continue your father’s treatnt and dication."
lissa listened, though she hardly processed anything. All she knew was she had to pay, which wasn’t a problem... until she looked at the bill.
"Wait." lissa stopped the staff abruptly. She pointed at the paper, baffled. "These numbers... are you sure about this?"
"Yes, Miss lissa," the staff said. "Everything is indicated there. You can check the breakdown in it."
lissa stared again at the breakdown, stunned by the cost of Lawrence’s dicine and the daily rate of his premium private ward.
"Is there a problem, Miss lissa?" the staff asked.
"No." lissa forced a smile. "I’m just a little surprised."
No wonder the staff ntioned insufficient funds. She didn’t expect the hospital to cost this much.
"The total cost was already halved because of Miss Lola’s insurance and her initial paynts," the staff added kindly, unaware of the tension between them. "I’ll tell the admin you’ll be settling the balance today."
lissa nodded as the staff left. The mont the door shut, her lip curled downward.
"Lola paid half?" she scoffed. "She paid this much?"
She had never handled these matters before. To her, the amount was staggering — worth one or two luxury handbags. And yet, Lawrence was still unconscious.
Little did she know, Lola had not "paid half." Lola had paid for everything that mattered — the surgeries, the interventions, the premium treatnts from the start. What remained for lissa was only a fraction, a tiny remainder of what Lola had already done for a man who showed her no kindness.
"It’s alright," she told herself, glancing at her father. "I have money... and my mother’s properties."
She convinced herself that if she managed things properly, she would be fine.
"I’m on my own now," she whispered the sa words she had been repeating since learning Jasmine wasn’t her real mother. "And I will show everyone I’ll be fine on my own. And I can take care of myself and you."
Determination flickered in her eyes. She believed she could do it. She had no Jasmine to pressure her now. No Derek and the Lancaster family, who always made her feel she lacked experience in the real world. Even Lawrence cared far too much — annoyingly so.
This was her chance to prove everyone wrong.
But alas... only minutes later, when she tried to settle the hospital bill, she realized just how narrow her understanding of the real world was and that her entire life had been a bubble that burst rcilessly.
It started with a phone call to the bank after her other cards declined at the cashier.
"What did you say?" lissa scoffed, utterly stunned. "My accounts... are frozen?"
Reviews
All reviews (0)