Chapter 6

~Megan

I walked through the front door of my house, still reeling from what had happened at the hotel. I hadn't meant to humiliate Charles like that, but he deserved it for worsening the pain I felt after I caught Steve and my friend Anna in bed. It felt so good to see him squirm.

"I hate men now."

I felt a little guilty, but I was mostly just relieved to be done with that chapter of my life, and relationships. 

I tossed my keys on the counter and headed for the kitchen.

"Where is everyone*? I called out for my parents and my sister, but there was no response.

I decided to walk to my room and take a shower.

After a long, relaxing shower, my stomach growled, prompting me to head down the street for breakfast.

While I was waiting to cross the street, I heard a man sitting in a mini-van saying something like, “He seems very irritated, very likely because of the marriage. Believe me, our plan’s gonna work.” 

They are probably mafia so I pretended to hear nothing and walked away as soon as the light shifted. Within moments of walking, I heard a car tire screech and rushed towards the sound. A shocking scene unfolded—it was an accident. 

To my surprise, I found my best friend Jenny lying on the ground. Tears welled up in my eyes as I approached. 

Desperate for help, I scanned the area and spotted a G-wagon parked across the road. "Could he be the reckless driver that ran my friend over ? I thought to myself. 

I also found the mini-van I saw earlier as it drove away speedily. Could it be a gang war? It looked like that person in the mini-van planned this accident.

There was no time for that thought, so I ran towards the car. I pleaded with the driver who left to roll down his window and listen to my plea to help take my friend to the hospital.

Regrettably, he ignored my cries and drove away.

I stood there, in shock, watching the driver drive away. I couldn't believe what had just happened. I looked down at my friend, who was lying on the ground, unconscious, and continued to shout for help.

"Please, please, help!" I yelled out to the driver, but he didn't stop. He just kept driving, leaving us there alone. I felt helpless and afraid. I didn't know what to do.

Just as I was trying to figure out what to do next, I heard the sound of sirens in the distance. An ambulance and a police car were heading toward us. They pulled up to the scene, and the paramedics jumped out of the ambulance.

Jenny was sent to the hospital.

As I was filling out the paperwork as Jenny’s friend, my phone started ringing. It was my parents.

"Hello?" I said, my voice shaking.

"Megan," my mom said, her voice sounding distraught. "We need you to come home right away, it's very urgent."

I felt a wave of panic wash over me. What could possibly be so urgent that they needed me to come home immediately? 

"I looked at Jenny who was lying unconscious. 'I can't leave her here alone all by herself,' I thought to myself."

"I'm so sorry, Jenny," I said, my voice breaking. "I need to go home, but I'll come back to check on you as soon as I can."

I gave her hand a gentle squeeze and then followed the nurse out of the room. 

As I was leaving, I saw the doctor come in to examine Jenny. I felt a sense of helplessness and worry as I walked out of the hospital. 

I walked into the house, feeling a sense of unease. When I saw my parents and sister, I knew something was wrong. 

They were all looking at me with a mixture of worry and concern on their faces.

"What's going on?" I asked, my voice trembling.

"We need to talk," my mom said, leading me to the living room. We all sat down on the couch, and my mom took a deep breath before starting to speak.

"We've got some bad news, honey," she said, her voice shaking.

"Our business has gone bankrupt," my dad said, his face looking ashen. "We're facing financial ruin."

I felt my heart sink. This was terrible news. I didn't know what to say. I looked at my mom, who had tears in her eyes.

"There's something else," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "We've been offered a way out of this mess. But it comes with a price."

I was confused. A way out? 

"What do you mean, a price?" I asked, feeling a sense of dread wash over me.

My mom took a deep breath and looked me in the eyes. "There's a man, a billionaire named Mr. McCall," she said. 

"He's offered to help us get back on our feet, but there's a catch."

My heart started racing. I had a feeling I wasn't going to like what she was about to say next. "What's the catch?" I asked, my voice shaking.

"He's offering to save our business only if you agree to marry his son in a few days, as soon as possible.

"Jesus!" Mom, Dad, that's impossible, why a few days, and why the rush?" I asked them, my voice shaking.

They both remained silent, staring at me.

"I can't do that," I said, my voice rising. 

"I can't just marry some random man I've never met! I have a life here, friends and family. I can't just get up and leave all of that behind!" 

"My best friend , Jenny , had just been involved in an accident, and all you care about is saving your business."

That's being selfish!

My parents looked at each other, and then back at me. "We understand that this is a lot to ask of you, Megan," my mom said, her voice soft. "But we don't see any other way out of this mess. Mr. McCall is offering us a lifeline, and we're desperate."

I stared at them in disbelief, and swiftly ran up the stairs, my heart pounding in my chest. 

I heard my sister, Celene calling after me, but I ignored her. I just needed to be alone. I slammed the door to my room, and sank down onto my bed, sobbing.

A few moments later, I heard a soft knock on my door. "Megan, please," I heard my sister say. "Let me in. Please."

I ignored the knocks on my door, when my phone started ringing in my hand. 

I swiped the screen and put the phone to my ear. "Hello?", I said, my voice shaking.

"Hello, Ms. Megan," a voice on the other end said. "This is Doctor Smith, from Mercy Hospital. I'm afraid I have some bad news." Could you come to the hospital right away?

My heart stopped. My hands began to shake. "Wh-what is it?" I stammered. 

"What's wrong?"