The Real Reason
1026 Words
The apartment felt quieter than usual.
Not peaceful.
Just… empty.
Lena dropped her bag by the door and stood there for a moment, staring at nothing in particular. The same walls. The same small space.
But it didn’t feel the same anymore.
Now she knew she was leaving it.
In a few days.
Her eyes shifted to the table.
The bills were still there.
Unpaid. Unmoved. Waiting.
She walked over slowly, picking one up. Then another.
Rent.
Electricity.
Hospital.
That one, she didn’t open immediately.
She already knew what it said.
Still, her fingers slid under the edge and unfolded it.
Outstanding balance. Payment required.
Lena exhaled quietly through her nose.
“Yeah,” she muttered. “I know.”
Her phone buzzed.
She didn’t need to check.
She already knew who it was.
Still, she picked it up.
Unknown number.
Not unknown, actually.
Just… saved in her head, not her phone.
She answered.
“Hello?”
“Miss Lena, this is the hospital calling to remind you about the pending
.
“I know,” Lena cut in calmly. “I’m coming in today.”
A pause.
“…Alright. We’ll be expecting you.”
The line went dead.
Lena stared at the phone for a second before dropping it back onto the table.
No hesitation.
No complaints.
Just movement.
She grabbed her jacket and keys.
Then left.
The hospital smelled the same as always.
Too clean.
Too quiet.
Lena walked through the hallway like she’d done it a hundred times before, because she had.
Nurses passed by. Machines beeped faintly in the distance.
Nothing new.
Nothing different.
Except the time.
She stopped outside a familiar door.
Room 214.
For a second, she didn’t go in.
Her hand rested lightly against the handle, her expression unreadable.
Then she pushed it open.
“Hey.”
The voice was soft.
Bright.
Too bright for a place like this.
Lena’s expression shifted, just slightly.
Her shoulders relaxed as she stepped inside.
“Hey,” she replied.
Her younger sister sat up in bed, a small smile already forming.
“You came early today.”
“Yeah,” Lena said, pulling a chair closer. “Had time.”
A lie.
But an easy one.
Her sister tilted her head slightly, studying her.
“You look tired.”
Lena shrugged. “I’m always tired.”
“That’s not funny.”
“I wasn’t joking.”
That earned her a small frown.
Lena reached out, brushing a loose strand of hair away from her sister’s face.
“You good?” she asked.
“I’m okay,” her sister said softly. “Doctor came earlier.”
Lena’s hand paused for just a second.
“Oh?”
She nodded. “He said something about… adjustments.”
Of course he did.
Lena forced a small nod.
“Yeah. I’ll talk to him.”
Her sister watched her carefully.
“You always say that.”
“And I always do it.”
Silence.
Then
“Lena,” she said quietly.
Lena looked up.
“You’re not going to leave me, right?”
The question was soft.
Simple.
But it landed harder than anything else.
Lena didn’t hesitate.
“Of course not.”
Her voice was steady.
Certain.
Like there was no other option.
Her sister relaxed slightly, nodding.
“Okay.”
Lena gave her a small smile.
“Get some rest,” she said. “I’ll be back.”
“Don’t take too long.”
“I won’t.”
The doctor didn’t smile when he saw her.
That was never a good sign.
“Miss Lena, he said, gesturing toward his office. “Come in.”
Lena stepped inside, closing the door behind her.
She didn’t sit immediately.
“Let’s not drag it,” she said. “Just tell me.”
The doctor sighed, leaning back slightly.
“You’re aware of the outstanding payments.”
“Yes.”
“And you’re aware that treatment can’t continue indefinitely without….”
“Payment,” Lena finished. “I know.”
A pause.
Then she finally sat down.
“How much time?” she asked.
The doctor hesitated.
“Miss Lena”
“How much time?” she repeated, her voice calm but firmer now.
Another pause.
“…Not much,” he admitted. “We’ve already extended beyond the usual limit.”
Lena nodded slowly.
Processing.
Calculating.
“Give me a few days,” she said.
The doctor frowned slightly.
“We’ve already..”
“A few days,” she repeated.
Not begging.
Not desperate.
Just… direct.
“I’m working on it.”
Silence filled the room.
He studied her for a moment, like he was trying to decide if she meant it.
If she could actually deliver.
“…How many days?” he asked finally.
Lena didn’t hesitate.
“Three.”
The number sat between them.
Heavy.
Specific.
The same number that had been following her around all day.
The doctor exhaled slowly.
“…Alright,” he said. “Three days.”
Relief didn’t show on her face.
But it was there.
“Thank you.”
“Miss Lena, he added, his tone more serious now. “This is the last extension.”
“I understand.”
She stood up.
No more to say.
No more to ask.
The air outside felt different.
Colder.
Sharper.
Lena stepped out of the hospital, her hands slipping into her jacket pockets.
Three days.
Rent.
Hospital.
Everything.
Three days.
Her mind didn’t race.
Didn’t panic.
It just… connected things.
Piece by piece.
Then
Him.
Ethan Vale.
His office.
The contract.
You stop belonging to yourself the moment you sign.
Lena let out a quiet breath.
For the first time since signing..
It made sense.
Not in a good way.
Not in a safe way.
But in a way that felt… necessary.
She looked up slightly, her expression calm but distant.
“Three days,” she murmured.
That was all she needed.
Because now?
Now she had something she didn’t have before.
A way out.
Even if it came with a price.
And for the first time
The contract didn’t feel like a mistake.
It felt like the only option she had left.
- Writer
