Until the contract ends.

No other door

Elena sat on the edge of Ethan's hospital bed and watched him sleep.

His school uniform lay folded over the chair beside the window. One sleeve still carried a smear of blue ink from the mathematics test he'd been taking before he collapsed.

The doctor had called it a fainting episode.

Elena had seen the monitor.

She had seen the numbers drop.

She had watched three nurses rush into the room while a doctor asked her to step outside.

Now Ethan slept with an IV taped to his hand.

Elena checked the time on her phone.

11:47 p.m.

She opened her banking app.

$23.48.

She closed it.

The contract sat inside her bag beneath the spare shirt she'd carried to the hospital.

One year.

$100,000.

Ethan's surgery paid in full.

She had told Adrian no.

She still remembered the way she had walked out of his office.

Her feet had carried her to the elevator.

Her pride had carried her through the lobby.

Neither had solved Ethan's problem.

The next morning, she began looking for another answer.

The first bank officer barely looked at her application.

"I'm sorry."

Elena sat across the small desk.

"You haven't even checked my documents."

The woman lowered her voice.

"Your income history doesn't meet the requirement."

"I had a full-time position until yesterday."

"Yesterday?"

"Yes."

The woman glanced at the computer.

"Then we can't approve the loan."

"I can provide my employment records."

"It won't change the decision."

Elena gathered the papers.

"How long does an appeal take?"

"Two to four weeks."

"Ethan needs surgery before then."

"I'm sorry."

Elena stood.

The woman avoided her gaze.

Elena left the bank.

The second bank rejected her before she reached the final page of the application.

The third asked for collateral.

She had none.

Her apartment belonged to the landlord.

Her laptop was old and barely worth selling.

Her mother's jewelry amounted to one gold ring.

Elena walked into a pawnshop after noon.

The ring rested in her palm.

It had belonged to her mother.

Elena had worn it only on special occasions because the band was too loose and the stone caught on clothing.

The shopkeeper placed it beneath a bright lamp.

"Gold is good."

Elena swallowed.

"How much?"

He examined the stone.

"Three hundred."

"That's all?"

"For the ring."

"It's worth more."

"Not to me."

He shrugged.

"Three hundred is the offer."

Elena looked at the ring.

Her mother had worn it when Elena was little.

She remembered sitting beside her while she cooked, watching the stone flash whenever her mother reached for a spoon.

She closed her fingers around it.

"I'll think about it."

The shopkeeper nodded.

Elena left with the ring still in her hand.

She walked three blocks before stopping outside a charity office.

A printed sign beside the reception desk listed emergency medical assistance.

Elena filled out another form.

The receptionist scanned the pages.

"How soon do you need the money?"

"Immediately."

The woman looked uncomfortable.

"Our emergency fund is currently exhausted."

"Completely?"

"We've had several pediatric cases this month."

Elena looked at the poster behind her.

Children's faces smiled beneath the words No Child Should Wait for Care.

"Can you put me on a waiting list?"

"Yes."

"How long?"

"I can't say."

Elena thanked her.

She walked back outside.

Her phone rang before she reached the corner.

"Hello?"

"Is this Elena Kyarshik?"

"Yes."

"This is St. Mary's billing department."

Elena stopped walking.

"Is there a problem?"

"We need to discuss your brother's surgical deposit."

"I know."

"The hospital requires confirmation of payment."

"I'll have it."

"When?"

Elena looked across the street.

"I don't know yet."

"We need an answer by Friday."

"Please give me until Friday."

"We can extend it by forty-eight hours."

"Thank you."

The call ended.

Forty-eight hours.

She slipped the phone into her pocket.

A second call came before she could take another step.

This time it was a number she didn't recognize.

"Hello?"

"Ms. Kyarshik?"

"Yes."

"We received your application for financial assistance."

Elena straightened.

"Yes."

"I'm calling to let you know that we won't be able to proceed."

"Why?"

"The program has strict eligibility requirements."

"I meet them."

"Your recent employment termination complicates the application."

"Who told you I was terminated?"

There was silence.

Elena's grip tightened around the phone.

"I submitted my employment records."

"Yes."

"Then why are you asking?"

"We're unable to approve the request."

"Can you tell me what requirement I failed?"

"We've closed your application."

The call ended.

Elena stood on the pavement.

She looked at the number.

Then she called back.

It went straight to voicemail.

She tried again.

Nothing.

She stared at the phone.

The bank.

The charity.

The assistance program.

Every answer had arrived too quickly.

She didn't know why.

She only knew she had run out of places to ask.

By evening, she was back at the hospital.

Ethan was awake.

"You look terrible."

Elena set her bag on the chair.

"Nice to see you too."

"You've been crying."

"I haven't."

"Your eyes are red."

"I was tired."

Ethan pushed himself higher against the pillow.

"Did you eat?"

Elena smiled.

"You're the one in the hospital."

"That wasn't my question."

"I ate."

He studied her face.

"What happened?"

"Nothing."

"Elena."

She pulled the chair closer.

"How are you feeling?"

"Like I got hit by a truck."

"That's reassuring."

"I'm serious."

"So am I."

Ethan looked at the IV in his hand.

"Am I still having the surgery?"

Elena reached over and adjusted the blanket around his legs.

"Yes."

"When?"

"Soon."

"How soon?"

She hesitated.

"Very soon."

Ethan watched her.

"You don't have the money."

Elena stopped moving.

"Who told you that?"

"Nobody."

He gave her a tired smile.

"I'm not stupid."

"You need to rest."

"You need to stop lying."

Elena looked away.

Ethan lowered his voice.

"Did you lose your job because of me?"

"No."

"Then why?"

"It had nothing to do with you."

He stared at the ceiling.

"Can we sell the apartment?"

"We don't own it."

"The car?"

"We don't have one."

"Your laptop?"

"Absolutely not."

"Why?"

"Because I need it."

"For work?"

"Yes."

Ethan turned his head toward her.

"You'll find another job."

"I will."

"And you'll pay for the surgery."

"Yes."

He nodded.

"Okay."

Elena knew he didn't believe her.

She reached for his hand.

"Go to sleep."

"You first."

"I'm not tired."

"You're a terrible liar."

He closed his eyes.

Elena stayed beside him until his breathing became slow and regular.

Then she walked into the corridor.

She stood beside the vending machines and called every number she had saved.

Former coworkers.

A distant cousin.

A friend from university.

An old supervisor.

No one could lend enough.

One person offered $500.

Another offered $200.

Elena thanked them both.

It wasn't enough.

At 6:15 the next morning, the school called.

"Is this Elena Kyarshik?"

"Yes."

"This is Ethan's school."

Elena stood beside the hospital window.

"Is he there?"

"He was brought to the nurse's office."

Her stomach dropped.

"What happened?"

"He collapsed during assembly."

Elena was already moving.

"I'll be there."

The school was twenty minutes from the hospital.

She arrived in twelve.

A teacher met her at the entrance.

"He's in the nurse's office."

Elena followed her down the corridor.

Ethan sat on a narrow examination bed with a glass of water in his hand.

His face looked pale.

"Elena."

She crossed the room.

"What happened?"

"I stood up."

"And?"

"Everything went dark."

Elena turned toward the teacher.

"Did he hit his head?"

"No."

"How long was he unconscious?"

"Less than a minute."

Elena crouched in front of Ethan.

"Can you walk?"

"Yes."

"Don't move."

She stood and called the hospital.

The cardiologist listened to the details.

"Bring him in."

Elena hung up.

Ethan looked at her.

"Hospital again?"

"Yes."

He sighed.

"You're going to spend your whole life driving me there."

"Then stop fainting."

He smiled weakly.

"I'll try."

Elena helped him into the car.

At the hospital, the doctors ran more tests.

The results confirmed what Elena already knew.

Ethan needed the operation.

Soon.

She sat in the corridor afterward with both hands wrapped around a paper cup she hadn't touched.

The contract sat inside her bag.

She took it out.

She read the amount again.

$100,000.

She imagined handing the ring to the pawnshop.

Three hundred dollars.

She imagined waiting for another charity response.

Two weeks.

Maybe longer.

She imagined asking people who had already told her no.

Nothing.

The contract offered a door.

She hated who was standing on the other side of it.

Her phone rang.

Adrian's assistant.

Elena stared at the name.

She nearly declined the call.

Instead, she answered.

"Hello?"

"Ms. Kyarshik."

"Yes."

"Mr. Dadik asked me to remind you that the offer remains available."

Elena closed her eyes.

"I know."

"Would you like me to arrange transportation?"

"No."

"Of course."

Elena looked through the glass panel in the hospital door.

Ethan was asleep again.

The nurse had pulled the blanket over him.

Elena lowered her voice.

"Tell him yes."

There was a pause.

"Yes to the marriage?"

Elena looked at the contract.

Her fingers tightened around the paper.

"Yes."

"Understood."

The call ended.

Elena placed the contract back inside her bag.

She didn't look at Ethan again.

She couldn't.

Not yet.

She stood and walked toward the hospital exit.

Adrian Dadik had offered her one door.

Every other door had closed.

She had spent the night trying to force them open.

None had moved.

Elena stopped outside the hospital.

Then she called the assistant again.

"One more thing."

"Yes, Ms. Kyarshik?"

"Tell Mr. Dadik I want my brother's surgery moved forward."

"I'll let him know."

"And tell him I won't sign anything until I negotiate the terms."

The assistant was silent.

Elena ended the call.

She had agreed to marry Adrian Dadik.

She had not agreed to become his property.