“Mom, I’m sorry! I’m well aware that you’re upset, but Natalie isn’t trying to offend you either!”
Although I was still upset she had slapped me in the face, I knew she didn’t mean it. She was just worried about Steven and needed to take her frustration out on someone.
“Get the hell out of my sight at once! Don’t show up in front of me anymore in the future!”
Although she was relatively calm as compared to the moment I showed up in the ward, she insisted on chasing me out of the room.
“But Steven needs someone to look after him since he’s heavily injured. Mom, just let me stay behind to keep an eye on him.”
It felt awful to be chased away over and over again. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t bothered by her harsh remarks.
“No! I want you to scram, now! Also, you’ll be the one to settle the medical bills of your brother!”
No matter what I told her to defend myself, she refused to listen to me. She simply pushed me out of the ward with all her might before slamming the door shut in my face.
Staring at the tightly shut door, I felt a prickling sensation behind my eyes. Although I was aware that she was irked, the fact that she actually chased me out of the ward took me by surprise.
Natalie, who had been suppressing her wrath, approached me and grasped my hand before announcing in a gentle tone, “Anna, let’s just go home.”
However, I would never leave my family in times of emergencies. Hence, I asked Natalie, “Natalie, I wish to stay here to keep an eye on my brother, but Mom doesn’t want me anywhere near them! What should I do?”
“Your mom’s never going to let you back in. You need to stop wasting your time here. You’re only causing yourself more grief if you stay. Why don’t you listen to me and return home for the time being? Let your mom cool off for a bit and maybe she’ll reach out to you in a few days.”
Natalie glanced in the direction of the ward and let out a long sigh. Helplessness was written all over her face.
Since Natalie’s advice made sense, I stopped insisting and paid the attending physician a visit to find out Steven’s actual condition instead.
He told me that Steven’s condition was bad and he would require an immediate operation. However, the cost of the operation and the rehabilitation process that comes soon after would cost a fortune.
As I was as poor as a church rat, my heart sank to the bottom when I heard that. I couldn’t think of any way to gather the required sum within such a short span of time.
Nonetheless, I had to come up with something because I couldn’t afford to waste any time as Steven’s condition was at stake.
My mind was all over the place after we returned to Natalie’s place. I couldn’t think of anyone who would offer their help. Truth be told, they had all turned me down when I brought up the request before. Therefore, it was obvious it would end up the same.
In an attempt to figure out my next best course of action, I started pacing back and forth in the living room.
It was then I received a call from Yuval. I took a deep breath to calm myself before picking up the call.
Confused by the reason he had called, I asked, “Yuval, why are calling me in the middle of the night?”
“Anna, Natalie has told me everything you’re currently going through.”
Yuval cut the small talk and got straight to the point the moment the call got through.
Hearing him mentioning my family, I frowned and wondered if I should acquire Yuval’s help.
A few seconds later, I shrugged that thought off my mind because we had just gotten into a relationship. It wouldn’t be wise to get him involved, let alone get him to lend me a few hundred thousand.
“What should I do? Steven is currently unconscious after having both his legs broken! He needs a few hundred thousand for the upcoming series of operations.”
I almost burst into tears when I shared my concerns with him. It was rare for me to have an emotional breakdown in front of others, but I had run out of options.
“The culprits are the ones liable for the damages they have willfully caused your brother. It’s better for you to file a lawsuit against them and get them to compensate you for your loss.”
Yuval answered my queries in a serious tone. Perhaps it had something to do with his profession, he started analyzing the situation and told me the available alternatives.
“But that’s going to take a long time! Steven can’t wait that long! His attending physician told me the operation has to be conducted tonight, and a hundred thousand is required!”
When I reached the hospital, they were in the middle of preparation for the operation. As of now, Steven is still unconscious. I’m pretty sure Dad and Mom don’t have the required sum after spending most of the fortune Michael has bestowed them…
After a few seconds of silence, Yuval added in a callous tone, “It is quite a challenge.”
Although I had no intention to ask for his help, I couldn’t help being hopeful. To my surprise, he had just implied he wouldn’t offer his help.
“Thanks for calling in to check on me. If there’s nothing else, I’m hanging up now.”
As soon as I figured out Yuval had no intention to help me, I didn’t want to waste my time engaging in a pointless conversation anymore. The only thing I had in my mind was to gather the required sum as soon as possible.
Yuval wrapped up the conversation as though he couldn’t be bothered at all. “Alright, you need to calm down first and call it a day since it’s getting late.”
As I couldn’t think of anyone who could be of aid, I got increasingly anxious after hanging up the call with Yuval.
I couldn’t figure out if Yuval had no intention to offer his help or if he had merely forgotten about it. However, it was evident he valued money over everything else.
Sitting on the edge of the bed, my mind was in a mess. As such, I went to the hospital again in the middle of the night.
My father was no longer in his prime, and I was afraid that my mother would have to take care of both my father and Steven. As such, I couldn’t bear to leave them alone.
When I reached the hospital, I found out she was in the attending physician’s office again. She was begging the doctor to carry on with the operation and promised him she would gather the required sum as soon as possible.
Nonetheless, the doctor couldn’t be bothered at all. I barged into the doctor’s office and helped my mother up immediately.
“Mom, what are you doing?”
“Anna, since you’re here, have you gathered the required sum for the operation? We can’t afford to drag this on any longer! Otherwise, your brother’s going to be wheelchair-bound for the rest of his life!”
When she saw me, she behaved as though her only hope had shown up. She gazed at me with a panicked look in her eyes.
“Mom, I’m still trying to get the required sum. I can’t gather that much of a fortune overnight.”
Afraid of looking at her in the eyes, I lowered my head in guilt.
She had been holding a grudge against me ever since I refused to settle the debt on Steven’s behalf. Now that there was a possibility of Steven spending his life in a wheelchair, I was overwhelmed by guilt.
