ENTANGLED: Hired as a Billionaire Girlfriend

The world around me must think I'm crazy. Nessa thought as she strode through the rain toward the hospital. The familiar buzz on her phone at this late hour was what she had expected. “Come now, your sister is having a….” She didn’t read it to the end before bolting from the shade. Her cheap flats slapped against the sidewalk, the left one’s split sole swallowing rainwater with every step. The rain wasn’t falling, it was hunting. The raindrops heavy on her skin, like retribution for her sins. She darted, crossing the street without looking, and a horn blared, sharp and sudden. A delivery van screeched to a halt, the driver leaning out, face red with rage. "Crazy witch" he yelled, but the words were swallowed by the pouring rain. The eyes of everyone pierced in her direction like a madwoman was on the loose, their whispers floating across the air. Yet she didn’t care, not at this moment. A mother pulled her child away as she passed. Nessa caught the whisper: "See that? That’s why you stay in school." A laugh burst out of her, harsh and bitter. Oh, she’d stayed in school. Topped her damn class. Now, she spent her lunch breaks torn between searching for a life saving kidney match and worrying about a paycheck she was yet to even receive. She gasped as she approached the massive, giant hospital. The one that had been housing her sister for the past few months. A few weeks ago, the doctor had warned that Mia’s situation was becoming critical, too critical; any more seizures would no longer be a warning but a final, fatal crisis. Permanently. It was why this night was far from normal for her, and why she didn’t care how she burst through the hospital doors, horror dawning on the faces of the people in the entrance. “Miss Nessa, please calm down,” the voice of the old matron resounded, all too familiar these past few months. “Where is she, Where’s Mia?” Nessa’s voice was raw, tears and water dripping from her face. She didn't know about the bruise on her knee from where she’d fallen. The older woman abandoned her post and hurried over. “You’re too late, love, she’s…” Nessa couldn’t stand to hear another word. She bolted in the direction of the wards, her destination Ward 22, the place she had considered her second home these past few months. Hopefully, Mia was still there. With blurry eyes and heavy breath, she pushed open the door and stood frozen at the sight before her. Taking it all in. The bed was occupied. The body beneath the sheet was covered, head to toe. It only meant one thing. As she fell to her knees, a soothing voice kept her sanity intact. “Wrong door, that’s 20. And yes, Mia is fine. But you, my dear, are definitely not.” She turned to see a woman smiling through her tears. This woman felt like an angel to her and was the only other thing that mattered to her after her sister. “Mom,” she said, standing up to hug the woman holding out her arms. “What’s happening to her? To us?” “She’s fine. You got the message a little too late, but her condition has been stabilized,” Beth said, her strength a supporting force for Nessa's mind. She was their rock, their superwoman, ever since the incident with their father. After savoring her mother’s warmth, Nessa leaned back. “You shouldn’t be here. You should be at work.” I knew you'd be running late, and since I got the message earlier, I had to come over. But I had the sense to drive,” Beth spoke with resilient calmness as she dried her daughter's face with a napkin. “And your shift at work?” I had someone cover for me. Borrowed Mrs. Thomas’s car. Now, let’s go see your sister. But first,” Beth said, glancing down the hall with a faint smile. “You’re going to have to dry this whole hospital floor as your punishment when you’re done,” Martins, the kindly old cleaner, called out in a joking manner. Nessa managed a weak smile. “I’ll be back to work your whole shift, sir.” She truly had made a mess. Beth opened the door to Ward 22, and the air shifted. Nessa was welcomed by the warm, familiar, sweet-smelling aroma of vanilla. Mia’s favourite candle. The room is lit by only one small bulb over the bed, pooling on the white sheets and the book in Mia's pale hands. “My candle burns at both ends;” Mia’s voice sounded melodious, hopeful as it filled the quiet room.“It will not last the night…” A weak hand, tracing the lines of the page, gestured for a hug. Nessa’s knees almost gave way again, but this time from relief. She crossed the room in a few strides and folded herself around her sister, burying her face in Mia’s neck. “Your choice of poetry is very poor,” Nessa murmured under her breath as a fresh set of tears streamed down her face, seeing Mia smiling and sitting up, gesturing for a hug. “I heard what you said. Shouldn’t it be more ironic that it’s your favorite one-liner in poetry?” “You talk too much for a strong girl,” Nessa hugged her tightly as if she'd lost her before. "At least complete the line so I can feel hope.” Mia laughed softly, her breath warm against Nessa's skin. “I’m a strong girl. The strongest.” She leaned back, her smile too bright in her pale face. “The doctors… they came in. They found a match. A perfect one.” “Really?!” Nessa's eyes widened in excitement. “But…” Beth’s expression turned sad. “I need to see you in private, Nessa. It’s about the doctor,” she added, guiding Nessa to a corner. Nessa's newfound joy hit a cold wall. Her throat felt heavy as she stood transfixed, waiting for Beth to break the news. “What is it?” Nessa asked, her voice rising. “What’s the condition? If there’s a match, we take it. I’ll get more jobs. The foundation will help…” “The foundation’s done all it can, Nessa,” Beth interrupted, her voice trembling. “You know the rules. They can’t pay for the organ itself.” Nessa's head was spinning, feeling too heavy for her neck. The air became heavy to breathe, as she gasped for breath. “How much?” “There's no point, unless a billionaire comes to our…” “I. SAID. HOW. MUCH?” Nessa screamed, her sanity slowly fading. Beth reached for an envelope stuffed inside her cardigan pocket and stretched it out to Nessa, her hands shaking so much she lost her grip. “It’s there. We have two more weeks. I already suggested I sell one of mine, but we still can’t raise enough,” Beth teared up. “The asking price is too much.” Nessa’s eyes widened at the contents of the letter. Her heart beating against her ribs, her mind forcing her to read aloud the last paragraph to the empty hallway. ‘...time is of the essence. Act fast.’