Love Through The Speakers

Chapter One: The Diagnosis New York City didn’t care who you were. It didn’t slow down when your world did, didn’t pause to ask how you were holding up. It just kept going—ruthless and electric, a city that demanded your best even when you had nothing left to give. Natalie sat quietly on the edge of the hospital chair, her fingers gripping the armrests so tightly her knuckles had turned white. The pale fluorescent lights overhead buzzed in rhythm with the heartbeat thudding in her ears. Her eyes were fixed on the woman lying in the hospital bed pale, fragile, yet smiling like she was the one trying to offer comfort. Her mother, Ruth Daniels. "Natalie," the doctor had said earlier, voice heavy with sympathy. "Your mother has advanced heart cancer. It’s aggressive. But there’s a chance if we act quickly. Surgery, Treatment,Medication. It won’t be easy. And it won’t be cheap. Well how much doctor. Doctor said, well about $10,000 dollars She hadn’t cried in that moment. She didn’t know how to. The words had hung in the air like winter fog—unmoving, suffocating. Now, hours later, the silence between her and her mother said everything they couldn’t bring themselves to. “I’ll figure something out,” Natalie finally whispered, standing up and brushing a strand of her long blonde hair behind her ear. “I promise you, Mom. I’ll get the money.” Ruth’s lips curved faintly. “You’ve always been my little fighter.” Natalie leaned down, kissed her forehead, and held back the sting in her eyes. She had no savings. No job. No rich relatives to call. But she had to find a way. As she stepped out of the hospital into the cool New York air, her phone buzzed. Cathy. Her best friend’s voice burst through the phone, light and breezy as always. “Nat, where are you?” “Just leaving the hospital,” Natalie replied, swallowing hard. “How’s your mom?” Natalie paused. “Not great. Cathy… I need money I don't know where I'm gonna get $10,000 for my mum's heart surgery ,everything is falling apart girl,with tears streaming her eyes A beat of silence. Then Cathy said, it's okay girl no need to cry we would figure something out , Rash Entertainment. They’re hiring.” Natalie frowned. “That big media company?” “They just opened a spot for a radio host. Someone to talk about business—trends, tips, startups, that kind of stuff. I know it’s not your degree, but you’ve always loved that kind of thing, you know. Natalie’s heart fluttered. Business had always fascinated her. While her degree was in communications, she’d devoured every business book she could find. She could talk strategy and startups like she’d lived them. “You really think I’d stand a chance?” Cathy didn’t hesitate. “With your voice? You’re gold. And you’ve got more fire than half of Manhattan.” Natalie glanced up at the skyline, buildings stretching endlessly into the sky. “Okay. I’ll go.” Tomorrow, she would walk into Rash Entertainment and give it everything she had. For her mother. For herself