In the dead of the night.
On a luxurious and messy bed, a woman lay with her cheeks flushed.
In a daze, she saw a man's face pressing down on her. His features were chiselled like a Greek god, stunning in every way.
"It hurts, it really hurts!" she yelled in her head.
The next morning.
Ayla opened her eyes.
She was alone in the room.
Apparently, the man from last night had left.
She heaved a sigh of relief as she propped up her body. The quilt slid down, revealing a body full of bruises.
She smiled bitterly.
Since she had chosen this path of no return, what was there to feel pathetic about?
Looking at the check on the table, she clenched her fists tightly.
Ayla sniffled and did not linger any longer. She pushed open the door and left promptly.
"Just pretend as if what happened last night was only a dream," she comforted herself.
When she returned home, Ryleigh and Nathaly were having lunch.
The moment Ryleigh saw her, her face immediately changed.
She grabbed her hair and said furiously, "You plague, scourge, you bane. Look what you did to your father. How dare you come back when you haven't paid off the medical expenses!"
Ayla took a deep breath and attempted to speak, "Mom—"
"Don't call me mom. I don't have a daughter like you!"
Nathaly sat at the table, eating while watching the scene unfold in front of her.
Frowning, Ayla slowly opened her hand and handed Ryleigh the crumpled check. "Mom, here's the check..."
The check...
Ryleigh froze for a second then grabbed the check. "5 million dollars..." she murmured incredulously.
Nathaly snatched it over and said scornfully,
"How can this little b*tch have a cheque of 5 million dollars? She must be bluffing.
Ah—It's really 5 million dollars!"
Before she could finish her words, they were replaced by a scream.
"Nathaly, can you check if it's real?" Ryleigh questioned.
"Mom, I've never received such an expensive check, but this check is absolutely real."
Nathaly's tone was steady.
Suddenly, something flashed across her mind, and she glanced at Ayla.
"Where did you get this check? Are you trying to let Mom and me take the blame for something bad you did?"
"You b*tch. Your father was hospitalized because of you. And now you're planning to take Nathaly and me down as well? Tell me! Where did you get the check!" Ryleigh snapped. Her gaze darkened.
The colors on Ayla's face drained. She gritted her teeth and replied,
"Mom, this check is neither stolen nor snatched. You can rest assured that I got it through legal means."
"Through legal means?"
With a sneer, Nathaly looked at the hickeys on her neck and mocked,
"Hah, so there's the evidence. I assume that you must have done something shameless!"
Upon hearing that, Ryleigh turned to look at Ayla too.
The sight of those purple bruises on Ayla's neck made her curse angrily, "Shameless! How could you do something like that?"
Ayla stood straight and said nothing.
But her heart was full of pain and bitterness.
At this moment, even she looked down upon herself, let alone others.
She dug her nails into her palms and uttered as she bit her lips, "Mom, let's go to the hospital first. Dad is still waiting for the surgery fee..."
Ryleigh glared at her viciously.
Then, she brought Nathaly to the hospital.
Ayla followed quickly.
However, pain took over her body, and she inhaled sharply.
The man from last night was like a starving wolf, wild and rough.
At the hospital.
As soon as they entered the ward, Ryleigh asked anxiously, "Doctor, how is my husband?"
"His situation does not seem optimistic at the moment. His life is under threat, but we can only identify the specific situation until the surgery is over. The patient needs to undergo surgery now. Please go ahead and pay for the medical expenses."
"Okay, okay, okay. I understand. I'll pay it now."
So, Ryleigh went to pay the surgery fee.
Ayla and Nathaly were outside the operating room.
Staring at the door of the surgery room, she quivered and prayed in her heart,
"Everything will be fine. Dad will definitely be safe and sound!"
After a long time, the door opened.
"The surgery was successful, but...
The patient's brain suffered a hemorrhage. The CT scan showed 90 milliliters of blood loss in the left basal ganglia, so we're afraid he won't wake up for a little while...
"Doctor, what do you mean by a little while?" asked Ayla carefully.
"Maybe in a day, a year, ten years, or even twenty years. Basically, he is now a vegetable and may never wake up for the rest of his life. Besides, his condition is much more dangerous than that of any other ordinary person. Therefore, he has to be transferred to the ICU after the surgery. The daily medical expenses will be 8000 dollars, unscheduled surgeries excluded..."
Nathaly exclaimed, "What? 8,000 dollars a day? For this sham of a hospital? Are you trying to suck us dry?"
The doctor's face turned solemn.
"We're a regular hospital like the rest. There are absolutely no unreasonable charges. If you think it's too expensive and you don't want to transfer the patient to the ICU, you can transfer to another hospital. We won't force you to stay."
"No, no, no, doctor, we'll pay! We'll pay!" Ayla answered quickly.
Nothing was more important to her than her father!
Ryleigh did not say anything.
However, a streak of light flashed across her eyes.
It was as if she had made a decision in her heart...
After transferring her father to ICU and completing the hospitalization procedures, Ayla let out a sigh of relief and returned home.
Her mother and Nathaly went to the supermarket to buy some daily necessities for her father.
She could finally afford her father's medical expenses.
Yesterday, she didn't eat anything during the day. She even went through such an absurd event last night. She was indeed starving.
So, she filled her bowl with oatmeal and devoured it like a wolf.
After only a few shoves, she heard footsteps.
The door opened. Ryleigh and Nathaly walked in.
In addition to daily necessities, they also brought two red suitcases.
Ayla put down her chopsticks and frowned.
"Why did they buy suitcases all of a sudden?" she wondered.
Upon noticing Ayla's gaze, Ryleigh's eyes flashed.
She set the bag on the table and stormed at Ayla,
"What are you looking at! Your father is lying in the hospital with an uncertainty of life or death because of you. After you've sent food to the hospital, put your father's daily necessities in here so that you won't waste money on hiring a taxi driver.
I was busy buying things at the mall all morning. I haven't eaten anything. Go cook now!"
After Ayla finished the last bit of cold oatmeal, she walked into the kitchen obediently.
Moments later.
Waves of fragrance wafted out of the kitchen.
Ryleigh frowned discontentedly and asked with a look of disgust, "Didn't you just eat something?"
"I only ate a bowl of oatmeal."
Ayla hastily explained.
Her stomach rumbled as she spoke cautiously.
"Why do you need to eat so much? Do you think rice is free? Hurry up and go to the hospital to deliver the food..."
After another reproach, Ryleigh called Nathaly over and said, "Nathaly, hurry up and eat before it turns cold."