Chapter 4 My Mother's Surgery Money
888 Words
"What? You think you're going to take my prize money away from me?" Lachlan rolled his eyes. "I earned every dollar by answering the questions."
His gaze remained fixed on the prize total displayed on the giant screen, as though someone might steal it at any moment.
The host caught the shift in the atmosphere immediately. A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. "Mr. Frost, it's clear you're willing to do just about anything for that prize money." He paused, letting the audience lean in. "So let's move on to question number four."
The studio fell silent.
"During the seven years of your relationship, have you ever done anything that seriously harmed your fiancée's interests?"
The smile vanished from Lachlan's face. For the first time that night, he looked nervous. His eyes flickered toward me. The lie detector readings immediately became erratic.
"I... what could I possibly have done?" he stammered.
A piercing alarm echoed through the studio. The screen flashed red.
The host's expression hardened. "Mr. Frost, please answer honestly. If you fail the lie detector test, you will forfeit all of your winnings."
The moment Lachlan heard that, panic flashed across his face. He clenched his jaw. Then he gave up trying to hide it. "Fine. I'll tell you."
The audience leaned forward.
"Last year, Celine's mother Eleanor Whitfield was diagnosed with heart disease." His voice grew quieter. "She needed bypass surgery immediately."
My chest tightened.
Lachlan continued. "Celine gave me a savings book with one hundred thousand dollars in it and asked me to pay the hospital."
The room grew silent.
"But..." He swallowed. "I never made it to the hospital."
The world seemed to explode around me.
"What did you just say?" I shot to my feet. My vision blurred with rage. "You never went to the hospital? Then where did the money go?" My voice echoed through the studio.
Lachlan visibly flinched. "Mara had gotten herself into trouble that day." He glanced toward her. "She lost money in an underground casino. They wouldn't let her leave."
His voice dropped. "They said if she didn't come up with one hundred thousand dollars, they'd cut off her hand."
For a moment, I couldn't even breathe. I just stared at him, unable to believe what I was hearing.
"You took my mother's surgery money..." My voice shook. "...and used it to bail out a gambling addict?"
Lachlan couldn't meet my eyes.
I stared at him. "You know what you told me back then?" My voice cracked. "You cried and said the money had been stolen on your way to the hospital."
The memories came rushing back all at once. "I sold my blood to make up the difference."
My hands trembled. "I begged every relative I had for money."
Tears burned in my eyes. "My mother spent another two weeks in intensive care because her surgery was delayed."
Lachlan shifted uncomfortably, but even then, he refused to admit he was wrong.
"Come on." He waved a hand dismissively. "You're overreacting. Your mother survived, didn't she?"
The audience gasped.
Lachlan shrugged. "But if those loan sharks had cut off Mara's hand, what then?" He glanced at Mara. "Money can always be earned again. A hand is a lot harder to replace."
For a moment, absolute silence filled the studio. Then the audience exploded. A water bottle flew onto the stage.
"You piece of garbage!" Someone shouted. "That's your future mother-in-law!"
Another person stood up. "You stole a sick woman's surgery money to save your mistress? What kind of monster are you?"
"Call the police! This guy belongs behind bars!"
The boos became deafening.
Mara showed no shame whatsoever. Instead, she stood up and started shouting back. "What are you all yelling for? Lachlan gave me that money willingly!"
She crossed her arms. "And let's be honest." She sneered. "How is your mother's life worth more than my hand?"
That was it. I snapped. I charged forward and kicked Lachlan square in the chest. He crashed onto the floor.
"You animal!"
Security immediately rushed in and pulled me away. I fought against their grip. My eyes never left Lachlan.
"You're disgusting." My voice shook with fury.
"Seven years," I said with a bitter laugh. "If I'd spent those seven years on a dog, at least it would've shown me more loyalty than you ever did." I pointed at him. "You're worse than an animal."
Lachlan climbed back to his feet and straightened his clothes. He let out a cold laugh.
"Keep yelling." He shrugged. "Say whatever you want. At least the lie detector says I'm telling the truth."
The host looked around at the chaos unfolding before him. His expression turned sharp.
"Mr. Frost." His voice turned noticeably colder. "I have to say, what you've admitted to tonight is deeply disturbing." He glanced at the lie detector results. "But rules are rules. You answered truthfully. Your prize total has now reached eight million dollars."
The greed immediately returned to Lachlan's eyes.
The host studied him for a moment before speaking again, his tone noticeably colder and far more dangerous than before.
"Mr. Frost..." He paused. "What if you walk away with none of that money today? What if, instead of winning, you end up losing everything?"
He leaned closer. "Would you regret any of this then?"
- Writer
