PAWNED

Chapter2

Heading home, I was lost in thought, replaying everything Rufus had said. My mind churned with questions...when could I visit Mum? Did she know her husband had drained her money dry? No… I couldn’t tell her. Not now. The truth would shatter her, and her fragile health couldn’t survive another blow.

I needed a plan B. Rufus had made it painfully clear that I couldn’t trust him. His greed had no bottom, and if I wasn’t careful, he would drag me down with him.

As I walked past my favorite café, the warm scent of toasted bread and fresh coffee drifted into the street. My stomach growled, reminding me that I hadn’t eaten all day. I hadn’t even touched the food at the estate, too consumed by the shock of my missing paycheck to feel hunger until now.

I slowed, debating stepping inside, when reality literally hit me.

A sudden spray of cold water splashed across my legs, soaking my dress. I gasped, snapping my head up just in time to see a sleek black car speed past, tires kicking up the puddle like it was nothing.

My frustration boiled over. “Oh, perfect!” I shouted, chasing after the car before I even realized what I was doing.

As if my day hadn’t been bad enough.

The splash soaked straight through my dress, clinging cold and heavy against my skin now, I looked like a drowned stray.. Rage shot through me as I stormed toward the sleek black car, my fists tightening at my sides.

“Are you blind?” I yelled, slamming my hand hard against the door. “Do you know how much damage you’ve caused? Do you even care? “Hey! Wind down your window!”

The driver shrank under my glare, eyes darting nervously to the man who was stepping out of the passenger’s side. He didn’t hurry, didn’t even flinch at my screaming. His movements were deliberate, calm....infuriatingly so.

He looked to be in his late thirties, his presence commanding even before he spoke. A crisp white shirt hugged his broad shoulders, paired with tailored black trousers that screamed wealth and authority. His dark eyes landed on me, sharp and unreadable.

I froze for a second, caught off guard, but anger pushed me forward. “You think you can just ruin someone’s day, clothes, and drive off? Do you know how...

The man gave a single nod to his driver, his voice low but firm. “Apologize.”

The driver turned back to me immediately. “I’m… I’m so sorry, madam. I didn’t see...”

“Sorry?” I snapped, cutting him off, my anger boiling over. “Do you think that fixes this? Look at me! I can't go back to change, and now I’ll be walking around like this because of your carelessness.”

My voice cracked with fury, my hands shaking. I didn’t care who this passenger was or how polished his shoes looked...I was livid.

The stranger finally turned to face me fully, his dark eyes steady, unblinking. He was infuriatingly composed, as if my anger was nothing but background noise. “The driver has apologized,” he said coolly. “That should be enough.”

“Enough?” I shot back, my voice rising. “This isn’t just water, it’s a ruined day, a ruined dress, and you standing there like.....lik.....” I broke off, at a loss for words, my fury crackling in the air between us.

His lips curved in something that wasn’t quite a smile, but it carried enough arrogance to set my blood on fire.

Before I could unleash another string of curses, my phone buzzed sharply in my hand. The screen lit up with a name that made my stomach drop. Mum.

I froze.

The anger in my throat lodged there, heavy and bitter, replaced instantly by a twist of worry. My hands trembled as I answered.

“Olivia?” My mother’s voice was weak, strained. I could hear the beeping machines in the background, the hushed voices of nurses. “I just… wanted to hear your voice.”

“Mum…” My fury melted into raw fear. “Are you okay? What’s happening?”

She tried to laugh it off, but it came out as a cough. “Don’t worry, my dear. I’m just… tired. They’ve done some tests.”

Dr Andrew asked to see you. I've tried to reach Rufus, but he’s not returning my calls. They have some news, and they wouldn’t tell me unless someone is here.

I turned away from the stranger and his driver, leaving them confused and clutching the phone tight against my ear, fighting to keep my voice steady. “I’ll come. I’ll be there soon, I promise.”

My eyes stung, my heart pounding. The splash, the ruined dress, the arrogant man....they all faded into the background. At that moment, the only thing that mattered was the fragile voice on the other end of the line.

I ran straight to the hospital. My shoes barely touched the ground, as if... if I hurried enough, I could make time bend for me.

The doctor met me before I reached her room, his expression clipped and professional, but his eyes… they softened in a way that made my heart sink before he even spoke.

“Miss,” he began, folding his hands behind his back, “Mrs. Doyle’s payment plan has stopped. We’ve sent reminders, but if we don’t receive any update, we’ll have no choice but to remove her from the transplant list.”

The words cut through me like ice.

“No…” My voice broke, and I swallowed hard. “Please, you can’t take her off. She’s been waiting so long. She doesn’t have time...”

He gave me that look, the one doctors wear when they’ve seen too many families break. “I’m sorry. I know this isn’t easy, but without payment, we can’t continue her treatment here.”

Just give me some time … I’ll get the payment sorted out.. Please don’t tell her anything, I'll figure it out and meet up, okay? I nodded, numb, forcing myself to stand tall even as my knees threatened to give out beneath me.

When I walked into my mother’s room, she greeted me with that tired but radiant smile that always felt like home. Her hand reached for mine, frail but warm, and she whispered, “You look exhausted, my Olive. Don’t work yourself too hard.”

I swallowed the truth. I couldn’t shatter her hope, not when it was the only thing keeping her fighting. So, I lied...

“Everything’s fine, Mum. The doctors say the transplant will be done soon. We just have to be patient a little longer.”

Her smile widened, relief softening her face. “See? I told you it would be alright.”

I smiled back, blinking quickly so she wouldn’t see the tears pooling in my eyes.

Her smile faded a little as she asked, “Have you seen Rufus? I’ve called the house several times, but I can’t get through to him.”

My stomach tightened. I couldn’t tell her what I had discovered...that Rufus was not the man she thought he was, that he was using me like a chess piece in his schemes. Instead, I forced my lips into a small smile.

“I’m sure work has been tight for him. I’ll go home and let him know you want to see him.”

“Work?” Her brows knitted in confusion. “Rufus works now?”

I shifted uncomfortably. “Err… yes. Just to keep up with utilities.”

“But his health isn’t....”

“You don’t have to worry about that, Mum,” I cut in quickly. “We’re all doing everything we can to make sure you get out of here.”

She gave me a faint smile, but her eyes lingered on me with that pointed look only mothers have. “And you… What have you been up to? Any boyfriend I should know about?”

I laughed weakly, though it cracked halfway, almost spilling into tears. “Mum, that’s not in my agenda right now. I’m focused on getting you well. That’s all that matters.”

She clicked her tongue softly. “You’re twenty-six, Olivia. A beautiful girl like you shouldn’t waste her life worrying all the time. You need to live, to love. Don’t let the years pass you by.”

“Mum, you know I’ve never even had a real boyfriend. Luck hasn’t exactly been on my side when it comes to men,” I admitted in a whisper, my voice breaking before I could steady it. “Unless you count the prom date who ditched me for my best friend.”

I let out a short, bitter laugh, trying to make light of it. “You’ll be the first to know when I go on my first real date.”

The words caught in my throat, though, and before I could stop myself, old memories came rushing back.

“In college, there was this guy. Daniel.” Just saying his name left a sour taste in my mouth. “He was charming in that careless way that makes you believe you’re the lucky one he noticed. He liked how smart I was, how I could help him with assignments and projects. I told myself it meant something, that it was his way of showing me I mattered.”

My chest tightened as the old hurt rose again. “But the truth is, I was just convenient. He came to me when deadlines were close, when he needed someone to do the heavy lifting. And I was so desperate to feel wanted, I let him use me. Papers, projects, late-night studying. I gave him everything except the one thing he really wanted.”

Heat rushed to my face even now. “When I wouldn’t sleep with him, he told me I was uptight. That I was too much of a geek, too serious, too boring. He made me feel like my boundaries were flaws.”

Then, just like that, he dumped me. No goodbye, no closure. I walked into the cafeteria one afternoon and saw him laughing with someone else, his arm draped around her like I’d never even existed.”

After that, I stopped trying. I buried myself in school, in work, in everything except love. Because I realized no one ever really saw me. They only saw what I could do for them. I swore I’d wait for someone who’d want me for who I was, not what I could give.

My mum’s gentle pat on my palm brought me back to the room, her eyes soft with the kind of understanding only she could give.

Tears burned at the back of my eyes, but I blinked them away. “But right now,” I drew in a trembling breath, “none of that matters. Not when your life is on the line.”

Her lips curved into the faintest smile, weak but still filled with love. “Promise me you’ll take your heart seriously. Don’t lock it away forever.”

“I promise,” I said softly, though even as the words left my mouth, I knew I didn’t believe them.