1. A 70.000 Dollars Offer

"Seventy thousand dollars?" I squealed, not believing my ears. The clerk nodded his head as he handed me the bill.

I didn't know what to do. My mother's hospital fees were far beyond what I could afford. But I also didn't want to give up, I didn't want to lose my mother, my only family.

My mom has liver cancer, which was discovered 2 years ago. Her illness is worsening and requires more and more money every day.

"Sorry, we overheard your conversation earlier. Are you in trouble?" too focused on my own emotions, I didn't realize the presence of a pair of men and women who were already standing in front of me.

I quickly wiped away my tears, looking at the two people dressed in fancy office suits before me. 

"That's right, my mother is sick and needs a lot of money. Otherwise, the doctor won't take any further action," I said in a hoarse voice. 

The woman smiled sympathetically, stepped closer to me and took a place right next to me. 

She then extended her hand, inviting me to shake it. "My name is Krystal, and that man is my husband Richard," she explained without me asking.

“Hello, my name is Nikkie,” I introduced myself and shook Krystal's hand with a look of astonishment on my face. As if understanding my confusion, Krystal then continued the conversation.

Krystal invited me to talk at the hospital cafeteria. Her husband followed us but did not sit with us. 

"We have a problem. We've been married for five years and still don't have any children. We're looking for a solution to our problem," Krystal said. 

I couldn't understand where Krystal was going with this, why was she talking to me about it. What does she have to do with me?

I didn't understand why I was willing to go along with Krystal's wishes and was stuck in a cafeteria seat, listening to her story. I shouldn't have time for this, but my gut feeling told me that this would work in my favor.

"The problem is with me. My uterus has a problem, my chances of getting pregnant are below 20%. We've both tried several different pregnancy programs. Unfortunately, nothing worked out. Meanwhile, time is running out," Krystal said. Her face didn't look good.

"I'm sorry to hear that. But what does this have to do with me?" I asked directly. Richard came in with a tray in his hand, gave a cup of tea to me and Krystal and left a cup of coffee for himself.

Krystal glanced at Richard, while he seemed to know what she was trying to say. Richard nodded his head as a gesture, which made me not understand even more.

"As I said earlier, we are looking for a solution to our problem. We think you can help us solve our problems. We want to make an offer, how about we pay for your mom's medical expenses, but on one condition, you have to do something for us," Krystal explained.

"Really? You're going to give me a job? But what kind of job... you heard it costs 70 thousand dollars. And that's a lot!" I exclaimed, unable to stop myself from fluctuating between excitement and confusion. 

"Of course, it's no ordinary job. Will you be a surrogate mother for us?" asked Krystal with a hopeful smile. 

My eyes bulged, unable to believe what I was hearing. A surrogate mother? I had heard about this unusual job. I also knew that the pay was not small. 

But I never thought of becoming one!

"We will pay for your mother's treatment as well as cover your living expenses during pregnancy until the child is born. How old are you now?" ignoring my surprise, Krystal continued to bombard me with questions. It was as if she was certain that I wouldn't refuse her unusual job offer.

"Wait a minute! I'm still 20 years old. Don't you have any other work for me to do?" To be honest, I wasn't ready. 

Let alone getting pregnant, I didn't even have time to think about having a boyfriend. My life has been too busy earning money for my mother’s hospital bill. So I don’t have time for my private life.

"You're at the right age. And I don't have any other job that offers such a high salary. Not even if you have a bachelor's degree," Krystal said with a shrug of her shoulders.

I glanced at Richard who had been silent and sipping his coffee.

"Think about it, Nikkie. This is a good deal. It's not easy to get that kind of money nowadays. You get helped, we get helped, win-win solutions. You can have a medical checkup at this hospital tomorrow," Krystal was still relentless, trying to persuade and urge me. 

"Think about it for a few days. If you agree, call this number," Richard finally spoke up. He placed a piece of business card in front of me, then glanced at his wife. I let out a long breath, feeling saved from a difficult situation.

Krystal looked unhappy, but the woman didn't try to prolong the matter. She smiled at me, said her goodbyes and left with her husband.

After they left, I decided to take some time for myself. Trying to digest what had just happened to me, then the scary thought of 70 thousand dollars came back to haunt my mind. 

I decided to go back to my mother's ward to get my things and head home for my part-time job at night. 

In the hallway, I came across an unusual sight. Doctors and nurses were seen running hurriedly and suddenly my heart sank as I realized that they were heading to where my mother was! I tried to ask the nurse but she told me to wait outside while the doctor helped my mother.

My tears welled up again, I couldn't stop praying that God would save my mother. 

When I opened my eyes after praying, I saw the doctor approaching me and said, 

"Miss Nikkie, your mother's condition is getting worse. She needs to surgery as soon as possible."