BOUND TO BE YOURS

CHAPTER 2

The ongoing surgery lights went off and I sprung to my feet immediately as the Doctor in charge approached us.

"How's my mom?" I asked anxiously.

"Mrs Terrell has stage four gastritis cancer..."

"What!" Christy shouted behind me, her loud voice a reflection of the shock I also felt.

"What do you mean my wife has cancer? How is that possible?" Dad questioned.

He hadn't said a word until now since we rushed Mom to the Chastel Hospital.

"Like I said, Mrs Terrell has stage four gastritis cancer. According to the test conducted, she only had about six months left to live."

"Were none of you aware of this?" The doctor asked, glancing at each of us.

I shook my head slowly, "This is unbelievable."

"I'm sorry but it's true. The fall has also severely damaged her brain, leading to cranioneural trauma. Unfortunately, there is no guarantee that she will make it so we ask for the family's cooperation." The Doctor continued.

"Aren't you a Doctor? Saving lives is what you're supposed to do?" My voice rose a notch higher.

Dad shot me a glare and I clamped my lips together, my eyes laced with tears.

"Miss, please listen. I know how hard this is for you but we already did our possible best. She has been placed on life support but we will need the family to make a decision on whether to keep it on."

"We're keeping it on of course," I said agitatedly.

"Shut the hell up Summer, I make the decisions here." Dad hissed with disapproval.

I craned my neck to glance at him, then shook my head bitterly at his stone-cold face, withdrawing backwards so he could converse with the doctor instead.

The doctor gestured with his hands and they both walked away.

My legs wobbled and I propped myself up against the white walls of the large Hospital hallways, and tears blurred my vision as the Doctor's diagnosis replayed in my head like a broken record.

It sounded more like a death sentence and my guts twisted painfully from the agony of my despair.

Christy must have heard me mumbling to myself because she faced me, hands planted on her hips angrily.

Just like me, tears were rolling down her cheeks, "This is all your fault, Mom was trying to protect you. You should have just quietly taken the beating like you always do."

Raising my lowered head, I shot her a death stare and she buckled, "I'm not going to play the blame game with you.."

"Um Miss, so sorry to interrupt but your forehead is bleeding. Would you like me to have a look?" A short petite nurse stopped to say.

"No thanks, I'm fine," I replied and she nodded with a quizzical frown then walked away.

I cared less about the wound on my face, all that mattered was Mom.

"Mom had better be fine or else Dad won't let you off," Christy said.

My earlier look must have scared her because I could see traces of fear in her eyes as she spoke and she tried her hardest to mask it.

"You disgust me," I mumbled beneath my breath then strode away.

I was feeling nauseous so I headed to the restroom.

Only after barfing the little meal I had during lunch did I feel better.

Raising my head, I glanced at my reflection in the mirror.

I looked battered and my eyes had gotten puffy and red from all the crying, it was no wonder the nurse had approached me.

Dazedly, I washed my face clean, mentally comforting myself.

"I spoke to the Doctor, there is no hope for your Mom. I'm having them take off the life support." Dad stated when I returned.

"Dad, you can't do that," I answered quickly, surprised that he would even foster such a thought.

"I can't? Do you know how much it's gonna cost? It will take up all our family's fortune. Are you going to bear the cost?" Dad raged at me.

"On second thought, you should. You created this mess in the first instant. I won't insist on taking your mom off the life support as long as you pay for the bills."

"Dad, how could you be so cruel? She might be my mother but she's your wife too. You know I can't afford it." I cried out.

"You stole my money, didn't you? Pay for it with that." Dad declared emotionlessly, no longer sparing me another glance.

His declaration made me feel like my heart was being squeezed by an ice-cold fist and my spirit sank like a stone in water.

I stared listlessly at him for minutes when a shrill note rang loudly, disrupting the uncomfortable silence.

"What's going on?" I heard Dad say through the roaring noise in my head.

"What? Declaration of Bankruptcy?" He sprung to his feet, his face scrunched up seriously.

"A jinx, that's what you are. Are you happy now?"He said the minute he hung up the call.

His words successfully grabbed my attention and I stared at him in confusion.

"Dad, what's wrong?" Christy asked worriedly.

"The company is bankrupt. The AI cardiac modeling software failed. All my money is gone. I should have known when this b***h had something to say about it. She jinxed everything."

Now I understood, Dad had invested in the development of Tech and Co's latest product, The AI cardiac modelling software designed to combat heart diseases.

It was proposed by a college student as a part of his college essay and was later adopted by the Tech company that began to develop the project.

The whole project must have failed.

"I didn't realize warning you not to venture into an area you had no knowledge about just for the quick gains makes me a jinx." I snorted with derision.

"I warned you the test phase could fail and all the money you invested could be in vain. It was you who didn't listen."

"If that makes me a jinx then I accept it, I am a jinx who got framed when I was innocent, I am a jinx who caused her mother to be in a coma, I am a jinx who caused the company's bankruptcy, I am a fool who was stupid enough to care for her family and I am a bastard who can't earn her stepfather's love. I accept it all!"

The tears I was holding back streamed down my face, "I should have realised sooner, nothing I do is ever enough, All my life, I struggled just so you could one day love me and deem me worthy, now I realize that I was merely foolish. I will never amount to anything in your eyes. I know that now."

My shoulders sagged as low as it could go and my pulse raced as I struggled to control my quivering palm.

I felt suffocated by the weight of it all and I desperately needed a release so I did the next thing I could do, run.

The wind cut across my face and I bumped into people but I didn't stop running.

My steps slowed when I ran into a deserted alley, it was then I realised I had run a long distance away from the Hospital.

Slumping to the ground, I tried to catch my breath when a pair of feet landed in my line of sight.

I raised my head, squinting my eyes to get a look at who it was when my vision darkened.

*********

My head throbbed widely as I slowly regained consciousness.

"Had I been kidnapped?" I thought to myself apprehensively.

"You're finally awake." A low cackle sounded out eerily and the previously dark room suddenly lit up.

I found myself tied up in the midst of a group of armed men.

They carried weapons of all sorts and had menacing gazes.

"Who are you people? Why did you abduct me?" I questioned fearfully.

One who looked to be the leader slowly approached me, "I didn't know Christy had such a beautiful sister." He chuckled and grabbed my cheeks, turning my face from side to side.

"Christy? Did she send you?" The hit that knocked me out when they abducted me made me muddleheaded and I struggled to focus.

What did my little sister have to do with this group of people?

In synchronism, they burst into laughter, their gazes mocking.

"The little bunny has no idea she has been caught in a wolf's den." A lanky one grinned amusingly.

"Your sister doesn't dare order me around. I had you abducted for a reason." The leader continued after his men quieted down.

"Why? I don't even know you." I mumbled softly, deciding to tread softly since I had no idea who they were.

"But we know you darling. Your sister owes me Twenty thousand dollars." He replied.

"Twenty thousand?" My eyes bulged in shock.

I didn't need to think for too long before coming to a realization.

These men were either Christy's gambling buddies or loan sharks she borrowed from to gamble.

"She's the one who owes you, why abduct me?" I asked, calming down a little.

"Well, your sister couldn't pay me back but she assured me that her big sister could. I just had to find you. It's simple, I want my money back. You give me my money and I let you go. How's that, simple right?" He said.

"That darn girl, all she does is cause problems every time." I cursed beneath my breath, my mind working fast.

I didn't have any money, even if I did, I wouldn't just hand it over to these men.

My mom's life was still uncertain, Christy should take care of her problem.

"Like you said, it's Christy who owes you money so go meet her if you want it back."

"It seems you didn't understand what I said, I don't care who owes me, All I care about is getting my money and you my dear had better pay up if you want to keep your life. I could kill you right here and no one would know how you died." He warned, his tone threatening.

One glance at him and I knew he wasn't joking, he would deliver on his threat.

"Okay okay, I'll pay you. Please just let me go." I mumbled they had succeeded in scaring the s**t out of me.

"You're a wise one." He tapped my head and grinned fondly as if he were staring at an obedient dog.

"I know it's a large sum, so I'll give you time. The end of the month. Have my money ready, I'll find you again then." He instructed.

"But it's the middle of the month already." I gasped in shock.

That was too little time for me to gather such a hefty sum.

"I don't care, have it ready by then or get ready to face your maker." He finished with a note of finality and then directed his men to untie me.

Right till the moment I walked out of their midst, I was in a daze.

Dusting off my wrinkled clothes, I began wandering in no particular direction.

"Hey watch it." A frosty voice sounded out and a pair of large hands reached out to grab me before I fell.

"I'm sorry, I was absent..."I apologized quickly when the words got stuck in my throat.

Where did this dazzling man come from?

He looked like he had walked straight out of a fashion magazine.

No, he looked even better than that.

"let go." He snapped suddenly dragging me out of my reverie and I realized I was still gripping his hands.

"Sorry," I mumbled again.

He shot me a cold glare and made to walk past me.

"Hey, I'm sorry alright." I waved my hands at him when my head suddenly spun as a dizzy spell washed over me and everything went dark.