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1348 Words
"Isabel Vergara, are you sure you're okay?"
Carl, her best friend, asked with furrowed brows while staring at her intently.
Izzy forced a smile and quickly nodded.
"Of course! Why wouldn't I be okay?"
"Izzy, do you even look in the mirror? You look like you haven’t seen the sun in weeks. You’re so pale, you could pass for a ghost."
Carl said with a pout, making Izzy laugh.
"Wow, a ghost? That’s a bit dramatic! I’m really fine, promise! And hey, thanks for the coffee. That’s why you’re my favorite best friend!"
She teased him with a grin, and Carl rolled his eyes before pushing a plate of muffins toward her.
"You’re such a freeloader. As if you have another best friend besides me—I’m the only one who puts up with your stubbornness."
Izzy pouted at his grumpy tone but accepted the snack he offered.
It was just past 3 PM, and they were at a local café where Izzy worked as a waitress. Fortunately, Carl arrived right as she was on her break.
"Why are you so grumpy today? Are you on your period?"
"Shut up, Izzy. Do I look like I’m on my period? I’m a grown man, for crying out loud. And I’m not grumpy! Anyone would be annoyed seeing you looking like that."
He said, crossing his arms and frowning.
"Ouch! When you say it like that, it sounds like I’m the ugliest person alive."
She smirked at him.
"I’m not saying you’re ugly, Izzy. I’m just saying you look like you’ve been drained of all your energy. Do you even take a break? You’re overworking yourself with that day job and your classes. You’re only twenty-two, but you look thirty, maybe even forty."
Carl lectured her, making Izzy force another smile.
"I have to, and I do get some rest! After work, of course."
"By the way, do you know of any job openings? Maybe you can come work with me?"
Izzy suddenly asked, making Carl frown even more.
"Since you have a car, I’d save on Uber rides."
She wasn’t shameless—she just needed help, and she knew Carl was used to it.
They’d been best friends for almost seven years, but the difference was Carl grew up with money while she’d been raised in a rough neighborhood.
"Izzy, you already have two jobs. After this shift, you work until 2 AM, and then you have class at 6 AM. Are you trying to kill yourself?"
Carl asked, his voice full of concern.
"Carl, I know it’s exhausting—I’m the one working, after all. And you know how much I need this. If I could go without resting, I would."
She said with a forced smile, making Carl shake his head.
"I know. Your mom’s sick, and her meds are crazy expensive. But still, you shouldn’t be pushing yourself like this. You need to take a break, Izzy."
Izzy gave a bitter smile upon hearing Carl state the painful truth.
Her mom had cancer. She knew that working nonstop without rest might cause her to collapse before her mom did.
She took a deep breath and forced another smile.
"I can do it, Carl. It’s exhausting, sure, but as long as I can, I won’t stop fighting for my mom’s life. I’ll do anything, even just to extend her life a little longer."
Izzy said seriously, meeting Carl’s worried gaze with determination.
"Izzy, your boss is calling you to the office."
Izzy immediately stopped wiping the tables when she heard her coworker’s words, feeling an inexplicable nervousness.
"I-I’m not getting fired, am I?"
She asked without thinking.
She had too many responsibilities—losing her job wasn’t an option.
Her two part-time jobs weren’t even enough to support her mom.
"Hey, relax! Maybe he just has something important to talk to you about. Don’t overthink it. Now go, he’s waiting for you."
Chris said with a smile, making Izzy move quickly.
She hesitated outside the boss’s office, debating whether to knock. The nervousness wouldn’t go away.
She kept wondering if she had done something wrong or messed up at work—but she couldn’t think of anything.
Taking a deep breath, she finally mustered the courage to knock.
"Come in."
She heard from inside before she turned the doorknob.
"You called for me, sir? Is there a problem?"
Izzy asked worriedly. Her middle-aged boss smiled at her, and she exhaled in relief when he shook his head.
"No problem. You’ve got a call here. It’s from someone important—they called my office, so you should probably call back."
Her boss said with a smile before handing her the phone.
He’d even dialed the number himself.
Izzy fell silent when she heard it ringing.
"Hello? Izzy, is that you?"
Her heart pounded in her chest when she recognized her Uncle Oscar’s voice on the other end.
"Y-yes, it’s me. Is something wrong? How’s Mom?"
"That’s why I called, Izzy. We rushed your mom to the hospital."
"Which hospital, Uncle? I’m on my way!"
Izzy asked, holding back tears.
She didn’t waste another second after hearing the hospital’s name.
Thankfully, her boss immediately allowed her to leave.
Izzy half-ran as she searched for a cab, not caring where she stepped in her rush.
She gasped when a fancy car honked behind her. Before she could react, its bumper hit her hip, causing her to fall to the ground.
"Ouch..."
She groaned softly and tried to stand up, but before she could, she saw the driver step out of the luxury car.
"Jesus, are you okay? Why the hell weren’t you watching where you were going? You were right in the middle of the street, lady!"
The man, who looked to be in his thirties, snapped at her. He wore a black suit, and with his sharp features and expensive-looking clothes, he was clearly someone important—and undeniably handsome.
"S-sorry, I was in a hurry... I know it was my fault. I’m okay—"
"Well, get up already. I’m gonna be late for my meeting. Are you sure you’re okay?"
His annoyed expression shifted to concern when he saw her struggling to stand. She winced in pain.
Before she could react, the man carefully lifted her up.
"No, you’re not okay. And I’m sorry, miss. I’m taking you to the hospital."
He said firmly before placing her inside his car without a second thought.
"I-it’s not necessary. But... can you take me to the hospital? I’m in a hurry."
Izzy asked, still wincing.
The man stared at her for a moment before speaking.
"Well, if you insist. Which hospital?"
Izzy quickly mentioned the name. He simply nodded, got in, and drove off.
"My name is Seth Santiago. Sorry for hitting you. I was in a hurry too. Didn’t mean to be rude—I forgot to check if you were hurt. And clearly, you are. Are you sure you don’t need treatment?"
He asked seriously, keeping his eyes on the road.
Izzy looked up and shook her head.
"I-I'm fine. I don’t need a doctor. I’m Izzy Vergara."
She introduced herself.
Seth suddenly stiffened and turned to look at her.
"D-do you know me?"
She asked uncertainly.
"No. Are you famous?"
He replied indifferently before looking away.
"N-no. You just looked at me like you already knew my name."
She said shyly, wincing when her side throbbed again.
"No, I don’t know you."
That was all he said before falling silent.
Minutes later, they arrived at the hospital. Izzy quickly reached for the door but realized it was locked.
"You have a patient here or something?"
Seth asked. Izzy nodded hesitantly.
Without a word, he handed her a small card.
"W-what’s this?"
She saw him clench his jaw before looking at her intently.
A gaze so intense she had to look away.
"That’s my business card. Since you refused treatment, call me if you need anything."
He said expressionlessly.
Then his next words left her speechless.
"It’s nice to finally meet you, Izzy Vergara. See you around."
- Writer
