Trapped in the Arms of My Ex-Fiancé’s Brother

Scarlett POV “This isn't some charity organisation. We can't do this anymore.” My neck ached as I turned to see the doctor standing by the doorway. That look on his face. I didn't understand what it meant. I had given him my debit card, expecting all to be sorted out, but his face… “Something wrong?” I asked. He sauntered towards my bed, pushed his transparent glass down his nose and he began. “I will be very honest, Ms Thompson. Patients are required to pay a deposit soon after commencement of treatment; but we agreed to break that rule due to the critical situation in which you were brought in,” he paused briefly, as if choosing his words, “Now it's time to return the kind gesture and all you've given us are excuses. Take this thing of yours,” he tossed the debit on my body. My heart beat subtly increased as I met his cold gaze. He wasn't joking; he didn't care that I almost got killed in an accident. All he wanted was his money, the hospital’s money. “I'm done playing your games,” he continued, “your parents are unreachable and your account is empty. You should do better next time. A bolt of adrenaline shot through my veins as I tried to make sense of his words. “What! What do you mean by empty? How is that possible?” “You should ask whoever emptied the account,” he deadpanned, and with that, he turned and left the room. Empty! My thoughts were a whirlwind as I slumped back to the bed. I took a deep breath, still wondering what was going on. Fifteen grand was supposed to be in that account. That was the balance left after shopping with Lucas, my fiancé. I had agreed to pay for the extras when he ran out of cash and I was thereafter notified of the transaction. This was exactly a week ago, and a day before the accident that got me in this mess. Fifteen grand…but all gone. I had to do something, check on Lucas, who was in another ward. I needed to know he was still alive and that our wedding would proceed as planned. So I pushed myself up the bed, my entire body sending chills of pain. However, the door soon opened and a lady walked in. Ms Rachel, the hospital nurse. Her smile was bright as usual. “You shouldn't be up, you are still too weak.” The kindness in her voice was enough to calm my nerves. “I can manage, I need to see someone,” I explained while taking some calculated steps, but I soon noticed the suspicious look on her face. “Is it the man they brought you in with, Mr Brooks?” “Yes, he is my fiancé. Is he okay,” I asked in worry, and my heart beat did nothing but aggravate the situation. I was scared, scared that something bad had happened to Lucas; And even worse was when the nurse continued taking her reading, feigning she hadn't heard me, and I felt she was hiding something. I would never forgive myself because I had pushed for the shopping, a shopping that ended in a car crash. Seeing how worried I was, the nurse finally decided to calm my nerves, but her words were unbelievable. “Maybe you haven't heard, but Mr Brooks got discharged days ago,” she announced, and my legs quiver. Discharged? I wondered what she was saying. “What do you mean discharged?” “Well, his injuries were pretty minor. Just a few bruises since he was on a seatbelt, and he got discharged to go take care of an emergency.” Again, I slumped into deep thoughts while the nurse checked the readings. Lucas was on a seatbelt that very day and I hadn't cared to put on mine. We had spent hours checking out the perfect gown and were planning to do our “till death do us part” in a matter of weeks. Two weeks to be exact. So, safety measures were the last thing on my mind. But what puzzled me was that Lucas had left, and was yet to call. Alone. “Did he say what emergency it was?” I asked. I had to. An emergency that warrants leaving a fiancé would definitely be important. “None that I can remember, anyway, you should lie down,” her face moved downwards, “your legs are shaking, you can barely keep up,” she added before taking her leave. Lucas and I had been dating since high school. He was handsome, charming and captain of the basketball team. He was the dream guy of every lady. But Lucas chose me, and this decision didn't sit well with many people, most especially my step-mother, the woman who thought I didn't deserve him. And my life became a total mess, with Lucas to comfort me. But right now, I was starting to have a rethink about my would-be husband. Who the hell would leave his fiancé in the hospital? But Lucas would be dealt with later, because right now, I've got ten grand to pay for the five days spent in the hospital. And with that in mind, I changed out of the patient uniform, my feet wobbling the entire time. I slumped into a navy blue shirt and a pair of jeans. Perfect. And my attention was set on the director’s office. I needed more time to pay the money. Maybe a week; two weeks; but just not today. There has to be some form of compromise. The director's office wasn't hard to find, and a few subtle knocks on the mahogany door sent it open. A man dressed in a leather jacket registered. Not the medical director who was seated at the far end of the office. The handsome man before me seemed to have finished whatever had brought him to the medical director, and he was on his way out. However, my presence halted his steps, and with a few stares, I felt goosebumps. Perfect jawline, some dark blue eyes, and the dark curly hair that made him seem as though he had just emerged from the bath. He stared until I felt every inch of my body being scrutinized. “Not bad,” he said. Those were the only words he uttered. Back to the man I had come looking for, the man behind a huge mahogany desk. The medical director. Judging by his grey hair, it was obvious that the years hadn't been kind to him. And the accent with which he spoke gave out his French identity. “Look, miss, there's nothing I can do. You have until the end of today to pay up, otherwise” “Otherwise what,” I blurted, curious to know what would happen. “I'm afraid to say, we would have to involve the authorities,” he announced, and my heart made a subtle thud in my chest. Was he kidding or what? “You are kidding, right?” He lowered his glass, and his skin became more wrinkled. “Do I look like I'm kidding?” His words were enough to send a warning, a warning of severe consequences if I didn't pay up. Outside his office, I tried reaching Lucas' cellphone, and for the umpteenth time, it went straight to voicemail. But I soon got hold of the guy with the leather jacket. Mr handsome. He feigned talking to another lady the moment we locked eyes. Those charming blue eyes; who the hell was he? A few minutes of contemplation, I eased past the busy reception area and in a stealth manner to avoid being noticed, I meandered my way outside, where I immediately flagged down a cab. I was going home. Diana, my youngest sister, had better have an explanation. She was in possession of my card and had made the payment she knew my pin, and she registered the moment I walked through the front door. There she was, sitting next to the person I had least expected. Lucas. My fiancé. What the hell was he doing here? They had abandoned me in the hospital and here they were, the people I called family, doing nothing but sipping from their various glasses. All I felt was anger because Diana had barely noticed my presence. She continuously whispered sweet nothings into the ears of my fiancé, and he laughed in return. Laughing at me. But my coming was for other purposes. “Care to explain what happened to the money in my account,” I demanded. Diana set down the glass but the smile on her face unchanged. My fiance, on the other hand, lowered his face as though he was afraid to meet my gaze. He had better be after leaving me in the hospital. “A lot has changed since you left,” Diana said with much sarcasm. “Left for where, you all abandoned me in the hospital and you say I left?” I fumed. “We used the money,” my step-mother’s voice sounded across the room. “You seem to have lost track of events. Perhaps you've been in the hospital for too long, and it's time to break the news.” I felt confused more than ever. What the hell was she saying? “What news,” I asked as my gaze moved from my step-mother, then to Diana, and finally to my fiancé whose hands were still in his pocket. Diana sauntered towards Lucas and, with her seductive arm around his neck, kissed him. She kissed my fiancé. But that's not all. “Hello, husband; could you tell my sister that we are married,” Diana flashed a mocking smile at me as she relished the taste of his lips.” My fiancé's lips.