Chapter5:.Meet.Me. Tomorrow.
1304 Words
Olivia’s POV
Sleep never came properly.
Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Adrian standing at the altar again with his hand wrapped around another woman’s waist while everyone around them smiled like they were witnessing some beautiful love story instead of the public destruction of mine.
By three in the morning, I gave up trying. The uncomfortable hospital chair creaked softly beneath me as I sat up and rubbed my face tiredly.
My neck ached, my eyes burned, and my head felt unbearably heavy.
Dad was still asleep. The steady beeping of the monitor beside him filled the room while rain tapped softly against the window outside.
I stared at him quietly. He looked exhausted even in his sleep. Weak and smaller somehow.
And every time I looked at him, all I could think about was the doctor’s voice repeating the same number inside my head.
Fifty thousand dollars.
Fifty thousand.
It sounded impossible no matter how many times I replayed it. My phone screen lit up suddenly beside me.
A notification.
I hesitated before reaching for it because lately every time my phone buzzed, my life somehow got worse.
Still, I unlocked it.
Big mistake. Another article. Another wedding post.
Another reminder that Adrian had destroyed me publicly and moved on without looking back. This time the headline read:
ADRIAN CROSS EX-GIRLFRIEND SPOTTED AT HIS WEDDING
My stomach twisted immediately.
Below it were blurry pictures of me standing inside the registry looking completely broken while guests stared openly. Someone must have recorded me crying outside too because clips were everywhere now.
Comments flooded the page mercilessly.
“Imagine embarrassing yourself like this.”
“Men always upgrade eventually.”
“She probably thought she’d become rich through him.”
I locked the phone quickly, but not fast enough.
The damage was already done. A shaky breath escaped my lips as I pressed my hand against my chest.
Why were people so cruel?
What kind of satisfaction did strangers get from humiliating someone they didn’t even know?
I swallowed hard and stood up quietly, needing air before I completely lost my mind. The hallway outside was colder than usual. Nurses walked past with tired expressions while distant voices echoed from other rooms.
Everything about hospitals felt lonely at night. I wrapped my arms around myself and leaned against the wall briefly.
Then my phone buzzed again. My heartbeat immediately quickened. Unknown Number.
That strange feeling returned instantly.
Slowly, I opened the message.
“One that benefits both of us.”
My breath caught. I looked around instinctively even though I knew that was ridiculous.
“I am not interested in games.” I typed back immediately.
“Good neither I am”
Why is he so mean?..
Three dots appeared after he typed that and disappeared, then it appeared again.
Finally..
“Maybe not.
But letting you drown isn’t helping either.”
I stared at the message longer than I should have. Something about the way this person spoke irritated me.
Like he already knew I would eventually say yes to whatever game he was playing.
I typed quickly.
“If this is some kind of joke, leave me alone.”
The response came instantly this time.
“Does your father’s condition sound like a joke to you?”
My entire body stiffened. Anger flared through me immediately.
“Don’t talk about my father.”
No response came for almost a full minute.
Then…
“Fine.
But pretending you can save him alone won’t save him either.”
I clenched my jaw tightly.
I hated how accurate that sounded.
Because deep down, I knew he was right.
And maybe that was the worst part.
Another message came before I could reply.
“Have you eaten today?”
I blinked.
What?
The sudden change caught me off guard completely.
I stared at the screen, confused.
Who even asks that during a conversation like this?
I typed slowly.
“Why do you care?”
A pause.
Then:
“Because exhausted people make desperate decisions.”
I frowned harder. This man was strange. Not flirtatious. But not emotional. Just… calculating.
Like every word had purpose behind it. Before I could think of a response, a soft voice interrupted me.
“Olivia?”
I looked up immediately.
Dad was awake. I shoved my phone into my pocket quickly and rushed back into the room.
“Dad.” I forced a smile onto my face despite how drained I felt. “You should be resting.”
He smiled weakly.
“You look tired.”
The simple observation almost broke me.
I sat carefully beside him and adjusted his blanket gently.
“I’m okay.”
“You’ve been crying.”
Of course he noticed.
He always noticed. Even when I was little, he could tell something was wrong just by looking at my face for two seconds.
I looked away quickly.
“It’s nothing.”
His eyes softened sadly.
“That boy hurt you?”
My throat tightened instantly.
I didn’t even know how to answer that anymore.
Hurt felt too small for what Roland had done.
Dad sighed quietly.
“I’m sorry.”
I frowned immediately. “For what?”
“For becoming another problem you have to carry.”
My heart cracked painfully.
“Dad, don’t say that.”
“But it’s true.” His voice weakened slightly. “You’re suffering because of me.”
“No.” Tears burned my eyes immediately. “No, don’t say that.”
He reached for my hand slowly.
“You’ve always carried too much alone, Olivia.”
That did it.
The tears finally spilled over despite how hard I tried holding them back.
Because he was right. Everything felt heavy lately. The bulls, humiliation and fear.
The pressure crushing my chest every second of the day.
I lowered my head quickly, wiping my tears before he could see them fully.
But he already knew. He squeezed my hand gently.
“You don’t have to be strong all the time.”
I laughed shakily through my tears.
Because right now, strength was the only thing keeping me standing. A knock interrupted us suddenly before I could respond.
The same doctor from earlier stepped into the room holding another file.
And immediately, my stomach dropped again.
Doctors only carried that expression when bad news followed.
“Miss Olivia,” he said carefully. “Can I speak with you outside for a moment?”
My chest tightened instantly. I nodded slowly and followed him into the hallway. The moment the door closed behind us, he sighed softly.
“We still haven’t received any deposit confirmation.”
I swallowed hard.
“I know. I’m trying.”
“The transfer process can’t continue unless payment begins soon.”
Another terrifying word.
“I said I’m trying,” I repeated quietly.
His expression softened slightly.
“I understand this is difficult, but if delays continue, we may have to discharge him temporarily until arrangements are made.”
My entire body went cold.
“What?”
“We need room availability for incoming emergency patients.”
For a second, I genuinely thought I misheard him.
Discharge him?
My father could barely stand on his own.
“You can’t do that,” I whispered.
“I’m sorry.”
That apology shattered something inside me completely. I stepped back slowly, feeling suddenly dizzy.
Everything around me blurred together. The hallway. The lights. The voices.
I pressed my hand against my forehead, breathing unevenly.
How was I supposed to fix this?
How?
My phone buzzed again inside my pocket. I almost ignored it. But something made me pull it out anyway.
Another message. My heartbeat quickened immediately.
I stared at the screen silently. Then another message came in.
“Meet me tomorrow or watch your father die waiting.”
- Writer
