Betrayed at the Altar

Chapter 14: The Pitch

Chapter 14: The Pitch

The whiteboard in Professor Alden’s office was filled with equations and faded diagrams. Rachel shifted nervously in her seat while Jay adjusted his collar for the third time.

Jay (whispering):

“Why does it feel like we’re pitching to a dragon?”

Rachel:

“Because he eats bad proposals for breakfast.”

The door clicked shut behind them.

Professor Alden, a wiry man with silver hair and sharp eyes that missed nothing, looked over his reading glasses.

Professor Alden:

“You’ve got fifteen minutes. Impress me.”

Jay clicked the presentation remote, and Rachel stood with surprising confidence. Her belly had grown noticeably rounder, but it only seemed to ground her more. She spoke with calm fire.

Rachel:

“We want to build a pharmaceutical company that puts people before profit. One that makes medicine not just innovative—but accessible. Especially for developing countries and lower-income communities.”

Jay took over.

Jay:

“We call it ReviveRx. We’re not promising to beat the giants overnight, but we’re building our foundation on trust, innovation, and long-term impact. With a product pipeline starting from generic essentials and scaling toward ethical R&D.”

Professor Alden (raising an eyebrow):

“And what makes you think you two can pull that off?”

Rachel:

“I’ve lived the consequences of unaffordable medicine. My mom had to choose between her prescriptions and paying the electric bill.”

Jay:

“And I’ve seen how many great ideas die because no one’s willing to invest in them without a billion-dollar return. We want to be different.”

There was a pause.

Then, Professor Alden leaned back and gave a small, rare smile.

Professor Alden:

“Well… I can’t fund you. But I can mentor you. And I suggest you bring in someone with business expertise if you’re serious.”

It was nearly midnight in Switzerland, and Rachel was curled on her couch in fuzzy socks, a half-eaten chocolate croissant on the armrest, and a warm cup of cocoa tucked between her palms. Her laptop balanced on a stack of med textbooks as she waited for the screen to connect.

The video call rang twice before Jennie’s face popped up, framed by fairy lights and a pile of laundry in the background.

Jennie waved dramatically. “There she is! My favorite Swiss chocolate-stuffed best friend!”

Rachel chuckled, brushing a loose strand of hair from her face. “Hey, Jen. I miss you.”

“I miss you too, Mama Bear.” Jennie squinted at the screen. “Wait—is that a guy?”

Jay leaned in from beside Rachel, giving Jennie a little salute. He wore a hoodie that was two sizes too big and had a tea bag string hanging from his mug.

“Hi. Jay Tan. Part-time med student, full-time disaster.”

Jennie raised an eyebrow. “Oh. So you’re Jay.”

Rachel laughed. “Relax. He’s not a threat. He’s a friend—and actually, he’s helping me start something.”

Jennie narrowed her eyes like she was analyzing a plot twist. “Start something?”

Rachel opened a tab and shared her screen—diagrams, rough financial tables, a pitch deck titled “Project ReviveRx: Affordable Med Solutions for the Underserved”.

Jennie gasped. “You’re starting a company and didn’t tell me?”

Rachel smiled sheepishly. “It started as an idea during one of my insomnia nights. Then it became a Google Doc. Now it’s… kind of real.”

Jay leaned into frame, sipping his tea with mock solemnity. “And apparently, we’re brilliant at medicine but completely clueless about money. We need someone who doesn’t think ROI stands for ‘Really Obvious Idea.’”

Jennie popped a popcorn kernel in her mouth, her eyes still scanning the slides.

“You two actually did your research,” she murmured, impressed. “You’ve got a rough market entry plan… potential supply chain mapping...”

Rachel blinked. “You understand all this?”

Jennie smirked. “Lucky for you, you’re looking at the top of her Business Management class. I already have ideas—startup grants, partnerships with NGOs, even licensing options for your generics line.”

Jay’s jaw dropped. “God bless you and your Type A spreadsheet soul.”

Rachel’s eyes widened with hope. “Wait… are you serious? You’d really join us?”

Jennie leaned closer to the webcam, her tone shifting from teasing to sincere.

“Rach, I’ve always said I’d ride with you through hell if you needed me. But this?” She grinned. “This is even better than hell. This is an empire in the making.”

Jay chuckled. “She says that like we won’t be living off instant noodles and vague optimism.”

Jennie arched a brow. “Hope tastes better with a sprinkle of ROI, darling.”

They all laughed—Rachel’s hand on her belly, Jay still half-smiling into his mug, Jennie holding up her popcorn bowl like a glass of champagne.

But beneath the jokes, a quiet thrill hummed between them.

Rachel looked from Jay to Jennie, the glow from her laptop softening the dark rings under her eyes. “You guys… this feels big.”

Jennie nodded, now solemn. “It is big. But it’s doable. We’ve got brains, heart, and now a plan. We’re the perfect trio—Doctor, Investor, Strategist.”

Jay grinned. “Someday, we’ll look back at this and say, ‘Remember when we built an empire between Rachel’s pregnancy vitamins and cold pizza?’”

Rachel held up her mug. “Let’s do this. For the people who need it most. And… for us.”

Jennie raised her popcorn. “To purpose.”

Jay lifted his tea. “To partnership.”

Their mismatched mugs clinked against their screens in perfect sync.

Outside, the Swiss sky shimmered with silent stars.

On the other end of the world, Jennie’s city lights flickered like a promise.

And somewhere in the space between them, a revolution was being born—not with noise, not with power, but with conviction.