Irreplaceable Attachment

Jayden sat in his office while Tessa sat across from him. “The meeting with our parents is on Friday,” Tessa said. “We need to talk about the business before then.” Jayden nodded. “I know. My father told me.” “So, is there anything else we need to discuss?” “The marriage,” he replied. Tessa looked at him. “What about it?” “We need to make sure everything is clear before our families make the announcement.” Tessa nodded. She knew why they were getting married. Her family had a company, and she was the first daughter who would take over when the time came. Jayden's family also had a big company. If the two families worked together, their businesses could become much bigger. The marriage was part of the plan. “I don't have a problem with that,” Tessa said. “We both know what we're getting into.” “Good. I don't want any problems later.” “Neither do I.” They talked for a few more minutes before Tessa picked up her bag. “I'll talk to my father about Friday,” she said. “Alright.” She was about to leave when she stopped and looked at him. “Is something wrong with you today?” Jayden looked up. “What do you mean?” “You seem distracted.” “I'm fine, Tessa.” She watched him for a moment, then shrugged. “Okay. I'll see you later.” After she left, Jayden picked up his phone. He saw a message from Lyla. You could at least knock and wait for someone to tell you to come in. And greeting people isn't that hard. He stared at the message for a few seconds. Was she serious? He had gone there to see Tessa. He didn't understand why Lyla was making such a big deal out of it. He locked his phone and put it down. He wasn't going to waste his time replying to her. Lyla and Chloe arrived at Lyla's house just as the evening was drawing close. Chloe dropped her bag on the sofa and sat down. “My legs are paining me,” she complained. Lyla laughed. “Nobody forced you to wear those shoes.” “Please, they're beautiful.” “They're beautiful but you are complaining just now". For a little while, they forgot about everything else. They joked and talked as they usually did. But after some time, Lyla became quiet. She picked up her phone, looked at it, then dropped it on the table. Beside her bag were some papers from the hospital. Chloe noticed them. “Have you heard anything from the hospital?” Lyla shook her head. “No. Not since this afternoon.” “What about the money they asked you to pay?” Lyla sighed. “They said I have to pay more before they can continue with her treatment.” Chloe looked at her. “How much?” Lyla told her. Chloe went quiet. She already knew how sick Diana was. Lyla had told her everything, and Chloe had been helping her with the little money she could afford. But the bills kept coming, and there was still so much to pay. “Lyla, where are you going to get that kind of money?” Chloe asked. “I don't know.” Chloe turned to face her. “Have you thought about asking your family?” Lyla shook her head immediately. “No, Chloe. You know their business isn't doing well right now. I can't go and add my own problem to everything they're already facing.” “But she's sick, Lyla. You can't do everything by yourself.” “I know.” “Then why won't you ask for help?” Lyla looked down at her hands. “Because I don't want to.” Chloe sighed. “You're so stubborn sometimes.” “Maybe I am.” Neither of them spoke for a moment. Lyla looked at the hospital papers again. She was tired of seeing them, but she couldn't bring herself to put them away. Every time she looked at them, she remembered what the doctor had told her. When she first took Diana to the hospital, she thought it was something simple. She believed the doctors would give her some medicine and send her home. She never expected the news she received that day. Diana's condition was serious, and she needed treatment as soon as possible. The money they asked for was more than Lyla had in her savings. It was even more than what she could earn in a month. She had tried to pay what she could, but it wasn't enough. Now she was borrowing money from people, and she didn't even know how she would pay them back. The worst part was that Diana knew she was spending money on her treatment. Whenever Lyla visited her at the hospital, Diana would tell her the same thing. Lyla, please stop spending so much money on me. Think about yourself and your family. I will be fine. But Lyla couldn't listen to her. How could she leave Diana when Diana had never left her when she needed help? Lyla had never forgotten what Diana did for her while she was in school. Now Diana was the one lying in a hospital bed, and Lyla couldn't bear the thought of losing her. “Sometimes I wish I had more money,” Chloe said quietly. “I would help you pay for everything if I could.” Lyla turned to her. “You've already helped me. Don't think I don't appreciate it.” “But it's not enough.” “I know, Chloe. But you have your own problems too. I can't expect you to carry mine.” Chloe moved closer and held her hand. “What are friends for?” Lyla tried to smile, but her eyes were already filling with tears. “I just don't want to lose her.” Chloe pulled her into a hug. Lyla tried to hold herself together, but she couldn't anymore. She started crying against her friend's shoulder. She was tired. Tired of worrying about money. Tired of borrowing from people. Tired of going to the hospital and pretending she was fine when she wasn't. Most of all, she was tired of being afraid that one day she would go to the hospital and Diana would no longer be there. After a while, she wiped her face,took a deep breath and looked at the hospital papers again. She didn't know where the money would come from. She didn't know how she would pay back the people she had borrowed from. But she knew one thing. She couldn't give up on Diana. Not after everything Diana had done for her. What should Lyla do differently to get enough money for the hospital