The Billionaire's Contract Wife

Alicia's POV "Dad!" I heard myself scream as I saw him lying helpless on the cold marble floor. "No, no, you can't do this to me, Dad. Not now. Not ever! Please!" Tears rolled down my cheeks as I turned to the steward. "Call Doctor Jamie immediately!" "Yes, ma'am." I kept calling out to him, but there was no response. His pulse, faint. "Ma'am, I got through to her. Here." He handed me the phone. "Doc, you need to come down immediately. Dad just collapsed and I have no idea what to do." "Alicia, calm down. I’ll be there in fifteen." She hung up. Fifteen minutes. A lot can happen in fifteen minutes, I thought. We had just finished getting ready for the party we were hosting at the company. This wasn’t supposed to happen. I can't lose him. I just can’t. The door swung open, snapping me out of my thoughts. "Doc! You're here. Please... do something," I begged, tears still falling. "I can't lose him." "Alicia, you won’t. Just stay by his side." They moved him to the bed and began examining him. She made me wait outside. An hour later, the door creaked open. Jamie stepped out slowly. “I took some blood from your dad to run a few tests at the lab,” the doctor said, adjusting her glasses. “I’ll call you as soon as I have something. Meanwhile, he should get his rest.” “Sure, doc. I’ll call you tomorrow,” Alicia replied, trying to sound calmer than she felt. “He’ll be fine.” the doctor reassured with a small nod before leaving the room. The next day, Alicia’s phone rang. She answered quickly, her heart pounding. “Miss Anderson?” It was the doctor’s voice. “I have your father’s test results. I’m afraid it’s what we suspected. Your dad has acute myeloid leukemia—a type of blood and bone marrow cancer. His body is producing too many abnormal white blood cells, which explains his weakness, the bruising, and the constant infections.” Alicia froze, the words sinking deep like ice. She gripped the edge of the table for support, her throat tightening. “Cancer…” she whispered, barely able to say the word. “I know this is hard to hear,” the doctor said gently, “but there are treatment options. The sooner we begin, the better.” Her voice trembled as she forced herself to reply, “Thank you, doctor.” When the call ended, the silence around her was deafening. I couldn’t stop the tears. Why did this have to happen? — The blaring horn behind me pulled me back to reality. I’d stopped driving without even realizing it. Waving an apology, I pressed the accelerator and headed to the hospital. Seeing Nurse Kay at the reception, I gave a quick, "Good morning," and rushed to Dad’s room. "Morning, Daddy," I said, kissing his cheek. "Morning, Alicia." "How are you today?" "I'm doing better, love." "Look what I brought—your favorite." I opened the lunch box, revealing his meal. I balanced the tray carefully in my hands. The warm scent of chicken noodle soup drifted upward, filling the air with something that felt like home. I set it down gently on the side table, arranging the little details the way I always did—saltine crackers neatly stacked beside the bowl, a small cup of applesauce, and mashed potatoes whipped smooth with just a hint of butter. After helping him sit up, I fed him while telling him about my day at work yesterday. This has been my life since that dreadful day a month ago. Trying to push the memory away, I cleaned up the plates, took him for our usual walk to the hospital garden, then brought him back to rest. On my way to Doctor Jamie’s office, I passed some of the nurses I’d become friendly with and stopped briefly to chat. At her door, I knocked. "Come in," she called. "Good morning, Doc," I greeted. "Alicia, good morning dear. How are you holding up?" "I'm fine. Just came to check in and ask about Dad’s health." "I was about to come to the room, actually. I knew you’d be there." She smiled warmly. "Is there something new?" I asked, nervous. "Yes," she said, her smile fading slightly. "A friend of mine called yesterday. I told him about your Dad's Acute Myeloid Leukemia diagnosis and he said there's a new treatment, CART-T Cell Therapy. It's an advanced, personalized form of treatment that could potentially bring him back to good health.The only issue is... it's quite expensive." She hesitated. "The treatment costs two million dollars." It felt like the world dropped out from under me. My vision blurred. "Where am I supposed to get that kind of money?" I whispered, as tears streamed down my face. Jamie came around her desk to comfort me. She’d been one of my greatest supports, alongside Olivia—my best friend. "Alicia, I know how hard you’ve been trying, but you have to be strong—for your dad, and for yourself. I’ve even reached out to sponsors. You’re not alone in this." "Doc, no one will help. I have no one. My job won’t even get me a quarter of the money. What am I supposed to do? Everyone’s left us!" I broke down, unable to finish. She handed me a tissue. "Start somewhere. But remember, we don’t have much time.". I nodded and excused myself to the restroom. I couldn’t let Dad see my swollen eyes. It took a few minutes to calm down, but once I looked somewhat presentable, I returned to our room. Kissing him softly on the cheek, I said, "I need to head to work now, Daddy. I’ll be back tomorrow." As I walked out of the hospital, Jamie’s words echoed in my head. But where do I start? I needed to tell Olivia. Liv—my bestie since high school—was more than a friend. She was family. Smiling at the thought of her, I dialed her number. She picked up on the first ring. "Alicia!" "Liv, my ears! You don’t need to shout." "Oops, sorry!" I could practically see her sheepish grin. "How’s Dad doing?" "Stable. Not looking too bad." "That’s good. And you? How are you holding up?" I hesitated, and just like that, the tears came again. Alicia? What happened? Why are you crying?" I told her everything. The new treatment. The price tag. The hopelessness. Liv was quiet for a moment. Then she said, “Babe, I know this sounds impossible right now. But remember when we were sixteen and your dad paid my school fees behind my parents’ backs because they couldn’t? Remember how he said, ‘We take care of family’? That’s who he is. And you’re his daughter. If anyone can fight for him, it’s you.” I sobbed harder. “But Liv, two million dollars. Where do I even begin?” “You try everything. You knock on every door. Even the ones that slammed shut before. Swallow the pride and knock again. If not for you—then for him.” “You’re right,” I whispered. “Damn right I am,” she said, trying to lighten the mood. “And if you don’t try, I’ll fly over there and kick your stubborn little—” “Okay, okay!” I laughed, sniffing. “Now that’s better,” she replied. “We’ll figure it out. I’m with you.” We talked for another thirty minutes. She told me a ridiculous story about her date night disaster to distract me—and it worked. With my phone still in hand, I stared at the screen. "Okay, this is for Dad, Alicia. You can do this." I called Aunt Lynn—voicemail. No surprise there. Then I tried Aunt Emerald. She picked up. "Hi, Aunt Emerald." "Hello. Who’s this?" "Alicia." "Oh. Alicia. How are you?" Her voice was clipped, cool. "I’m okay. Actually, I called to ask a favor." "What is it?" "Dad needs a new treatment. It costs two million dollars. Please... anything you can give will help. I promise I’ll pay it back." There was silence. Then a sharp sigh. "You know, your father has always been reckless. Throwing money around like it grows on trees. And now look." My throat tightened. "He’s not reckless, Aunt. He just helped people when they needed it. Including you." "Don’t guilt-trip me, Alicia. I gave to charity last month. I’ve done my part." "This isn’t about charity. It’s about family. Even a small contribution—" "I said no. Take it or leave it. And don’t call me about this again." She hung up. I stared at the screen. Her number still there. My heart heavier. I tried a few more people, distant cousins, old family friends. Rejections. Excuses. Voicemails. "What was I expecting?" I muttered. Eventually, I made it to the coffee shop, hoping to distract myself with work. But who was I kidding? My mind was still at the hospital. Still with Dad. Still wondering how I was supposed to save the only person who ever believed in me, when no one else believed in us.