Chapter 1

Sarah's POV 

“I carefully arranged the presentation files on the conference table, placing each one in front of a seat, and set a bottle of water next to each file. I wiped my clammy hands on my dress and exhaled as I stepped back to admire my work. Everything was in place for the meeting with the CEO, Adrian Blackwood.

Just then, the door swung open, and the board members began to file in. I took my seat beside my manager, pulling out my iPad and light pen, ready to take notes.

A few moments before the meeting was set to begin, my phone buzzed in my pocket. “Excuse me,” I said to my manager, “I need to use the restroom.”

“Better get back here on time,” he replied curtly. “I don’t want you to miss a thing in this meeting.”

I rushed out, and as the elevator doors opened, I found Adrian Blackwood stepping out, his eyes glued to his phone. His rich cologne enveloped me, making me inhale sharply. I held my breath until he walked past, his assistant trailing behind him.

Once inside the elevator, my phone rang again. I answered it but couldn’t hear the caller clearly. “Hello? Can you hear me?” I asked, straining to catch a response.

“Sarah, you need to come to the hospital now. There’s an emergency,” the voice on the other end of the line said, urgency lacing every word. My heart dropped; I didn’t need to ask who was involved. 

“Is she okay?” I managed to whisper, panic rising in my chest.

“I can’t say right now. Just hurry,” the caller urged before disconnecting.

I rushed into the next elevator, pressing the button for the ground floor with trembling fingers. My mind raced as I barely waited for the doors to open before dashing to my desk, grabbing my things in a flurry. I’d explain to my manager later—right now, nothing mattered but getting to my daughter.

When I arrived at the hospital, I was completely out of breath. A familiar nurse spotted me and quickly approached. “Sarah, You need to see Dr. Sherry; we’ve been waiting for you.”

I followed her down the sterile hallway, dread pooling in my stomach. Dr. Sherry, an elderly woman with kind eyes, met me in a small consultation room.

“Sarah,” she began gently, “we need more money to commence the next level of treatment for Nora. Her condition is worsening.” 

My heart sank as she continued, “The medications we’ve been using are no longer effective.” 

Tears streamed down my cheeks as her words hit me like a punch to the gut. “What do you mean? What does she need?” I asked, my voice trembling.

“The treatment is expensive,” Dr. Harris explained softly. “We’re talking about over two million dollars.”

I felt weak, my knees threatening to buckle beneath me. “I don’t have that kind of money,” I whispered, despair flooding through me. My last paycheck had gone toward her previous medications, and I wouldn’t be paid again for another three weeks.

“Please, can I see her?” I pleaded.

Dr. Harris shook her head sadly. “You need to wait for about an hour; we’re still trying to stabilize her and check all her vitals.”

As I stood there, my mind raced with thoughts of how I could possibly come up with that amount of money. My heart ached for Nora—my sweet girl who deserved a chance at life—and here I was, helpless and desperate.

An hour later, I stepped into her room. Nora lay there on the bed, visibly weak, her small body barely moving. When she saw me, her mouth stretched into a faint attempt at a smile, baring her teeth as she mouthed the word, “Mummy.”

I rushed to her side, enveloping her in my arms, feeling the warmth of her fragile body against mine. “It’s okay, baby,” I whispered, holding back tears that threatened to spill over. “Everything’s going to be fine.”

I squeezed her gently, wishing I could transfer my strength to her. “I’m here,” I promised, trying to stay strong for both of us but inside, I was crumbling.

My phone buzzed with multiple notifications. My eyes widened in shock as I saw the multiple texts my manager had sent me within a short time. “Oh, no!” I looked from Nora who was now sleeping to my phone, conflictingly. “I'll come back later tonight, baby.” she kissed her forehead and walked out. 

When I finally returned to the office, my heart was still heavy with worry for Nora. As soon as I stepped through the door, I spotted my manager, standing by my desk with a scowl etched across his face. 

“Sarah!” he barked, his voice sharp enough to cut through the office chatter. “Where have you been? You can’t just leave like that without informing me! I had to handle everything on my own!”

I took a deep breath, feeling the weight of guilt settle on my shoulders. “I’m really sorry, Sir,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady. “I had an emergency at the hospital with my daughter.”

“An emergency?” he scoffed, crossing his arms tightly over his chest. “That doesn’t excuse you from abandoning your responsibilities. We had a meeting today, and you left me to deal with all the fallout.”

“I understand, and I truly apologize,” I replied, my voice barely above a whisper. “I didn’t mean to leave you in a bind.”

He sighed heavily, shaking his head in disappointment. “Well, your apology doesn’t change the fact that we’re behind now. Here,” he said, shoving a pile of reports and documents onto my desk. “This is all the work you need to catch up on. It should keep you busy until nightfall.”

I stared at the mountain of paperwork, dread pooling in my stomach. “But—”

“No buts!” he interrupted sharply. “You need to get this done. We can’t afford any more delays. We need to turn in with Mr. Blackwood tomorrow.”

As he walked away, I let out a long sigh of despair. I glanced at the clock; it was already late afternoon, and I knew I’d be working late again tonight. The thought of missing another precious moment with Nora weighed heavily on me as I began sorting through the endless tasks ahead.