Love Beyond Riches

Chapter 2: "What Just Happened"

Vivian's POV

Since I got married and lived happily with my husband and my daughter, I had never dreamed that this day would happen. I couldn't imagine myself in a government house. But the incident brought me here.

My nose wrinkled in disgust.

I stared at Mrs. Stella. She looked strong and fit, probably in her mid-forties. I couldn't help but appreciate her looks even though my nose was wrinkled in disgust.

Life can be unfair sometimes, but that's no reason to give up.

Mrs. Stella settled into a padded armchair across from me. Her head held high, still so proud and aristocratic. She looked at me like I was a piece of dirt.

I was sitting there, curious. I could not help but ask the reason why I was there. I was still in shock about the incident that had happened.

This was the storm I didn't see coming. This wasn't how I had imagined this time turning out. This time was supposed to be enjoyable for me. Instead, I shed tears. I was one second away from getting the hell out of this place, but I had to stop because I respected her.

“Mrs. Stella,” she said with a polite smile while taking my hand. Retracting my hand, I gulped down my annoyance.

Why am I here? I asked, bringing a lot of apathy into my words.

“Vivian, I hope you are working hard to gather money for your daughter's surgery,” she asked as she leaned back in the padded armchair.

Yes…

“And what have you done about it? You only have two days left, Vivian! Have you found something to do?

“I've done some work; I've gone into cleaning toilets for people.” The words came out of my mouth without thinking. I was able to save one thousand dollars.

Chuckles…

I thought the doctor said you need about thirty thousand dollars for the surgery, and now you're saying you have managed to get one thousand dollars. What can one thousand dollars do in this matter? Her face contorted in a bit of annoyance before she exhaled, and the small smile was back on her face.

“I stuck my hand out and noticed her look. There was a split second of contemplation in her crystal blue eyes before she overcame it.

I... I stammered. I would do anything to save my daughter; my husband is dead, the only person I have now is my daughter. I had no reason not to look for the money for her surgery. There was a crisp edge to my voice. Even if she did catch on to the note of ill-disposed sarcasm in my words, she didn't show it.

“Well, I have thought of what I can do,” she said after a second of deliberation. “I have decided to settle the surgery bills.”

Oh! Really, I could hardly contain my excitement.

“Thank you, ma!” I exclaimed, my voice bubbling with sheer joy. I dropped to my knees in front of her, rolling on the floor, unable to contain my delight.

She patted my shoulder, “Well, you are happy now, but there is a condition attached.” She brushed a loose strand of her hair behind her ear. She adjusted her sitting posture, leaning in slightly to emphasize the seriousness of her words.

My stomach fluttered with a mix of anxiety and curiosity. “A condition?” I repeated, my voice a whisper.

“Yes,” she continued, her tone both gentle and authoritative.

I'm getting a little apprehensive here. What is the matter? I asked further, hoping to get something to feed my curiosity.

“Ella would be taken away from you.”

“Excuse me?” I chuckled in disbelief.

“Yes, Ella would be taken away from you; she needs proper care, so the government has decided to take her away from you; you can't take care of her.”

I sighed in annoyance and tapped my right foot on the floor. Even if you want to help me in paying the bills, you still can't take Ella away from me. She is all I've got; I lost my husband in the accident, and now you want to take my daughter away; I won't accept that.

Mrs. Stella pushed a glass of water towards me. “It was necessary, necessary. I needed to make sure I wasn't making the wrong decision.” I let out a humorless chuckle, unable to believe that she had the audacity to say what she just said.

I stood up, done with this nonsense. “You know what? Forget your necessity! And forget you! I was going to look for the money for my daughter's surgery. Even if you wanted to help me, just do it; not that you would take my daughter away from me.

I had taken only a few steps toward the door when her next words stopped me.

“Your daughter's surgery…. I'll take care of it.”

I don't need your help! I snapped, feeling a flash of irritation at the fact that she brought this up.

“This statement is not merely advice; it is a clear and authoritative directive from the executive office of the prime minister,” she said as she shrugged.

I stood up, fury coursing through me as I stormed toward the door. With a swift motion, I flung it open and slammed it shut behind me, the sound echoing my frustration.

I found my way back to the hospital. On my way, a migraine made its way to my head, and I started to feel a burning fever. I tried to move, but my body felt too weak to even be able to move a single muscle. A car parked beside me. The driver had noticed my predicament.

“Are you alright, Miss?” he said as he opened the car door for me.

I shook my head, a sharp pain shooting through it as I did so; I gripped my temple and laid my head back on the seat. Everything was starting to spin around me, and my eyes began to water.

“What is the issue?” he asked.

“I lost my husband in a fatal accident, and now my daughter is in a critical state. She needs surgery because she has a brain tumor. The prime minister's office said she was going to pay for the bills and take my daughter away from me because I couldn't afford to pay them,” I said as tears rolled down my cheeks. I struggled to catch my breath, feeling the weight of sadness wash over me.

“Oh, I'm sorry about that,” he said, a look of genuine sympathy in his eyes. “Where are you heading so I can drop you there?”

“I am going to St. John Health Centre,” I said as I braced myself for the next steps ahead. I couldn't help but think about the wellbeing of my daughter and the state she was in.

He drove and dropped me at the front of the hospital.

“I pray for perfect healing for your daughter, and do well to take care of yourself as well. Your health is also important,” he said as he drove away.

“Thank you for the ride,” I said to him, my voice betraying a hint of gratitude I felt for his words.

I stepped into the hospital, wanting to find my way to my daughter's ward. One of the nurses said, “Hey, Miss… you are not allowed to enter the ward.”

“What do you mean?” I said to the nurse, feeling a pain in my chest. The words made my head hurt, and I felt a migraine come back with a vengeance. My head felt like it was being crushed under the weight of a thousand boulders.

The doctor walked out of the ward with a stethoscope draped around his neck, his expression focused and serious.

“Doctor!!” I shouted, my voice echoing down the sterile hallway. “Where is my daughter? The nurse said I can't see her.”

“Mrs. Vivian, you can't see your daughter. The operation has been performed, and it went successfully, but you’re not allowed to see her. The Prime Minister’s office has declared her a protected case,” the doctor said.

My heart sank at his words, confusion and disbelief swirling through me. “What do you mean?” I managed to stammer, gripping the edge of the nurse’s station for support. “I just want to see her to know she's okay.”

The doctor hesitated, his gaze flicking over my shoulder as if weighing his next words. 'I understand this is difficult, but there are protocols in place due to... circumstances beyond our control. I value my work highly, and you know this is the authority from the Prime Minister's office. I don't want to lose my job over it. So you have to cooperate. Tears rolled down my cheek.

'Doctor, can you do it for me, please?'

'Go home, Miss,' he said as he walked away. 'You can come back some other time.’