CHAPTER 4

Lily hurried home after settling the matter. Upon arriving, she immediately prepared to study. She was sitting in her study chair when she heard her cell phone beep. She opened it and saw a message from Kevin.

Kevin: Why does it have to be him? You know he’s my rival.

Unnoticed by Lily, her tears suddenly started to fall. She felt she had wasted her time on someone like Kevin, who was manipulative and a cheater. Minutes passed, and she continued to cry. However, she did not reply to him. She let him think whatever he wanted. Her attention shifted when her phone beeped again. This time, it was an unknown number popping up.

Unknown Number: Are you free tomorrow?

Lily raised an eyebrow at the message. She never replied to unknown numbers, so she ignored it and focused on studying until ten o'clock. Later, she went downstairs to drink water. Entering the kitchen, she noticed a man with his back turned. She recognized it was his father drinking water.

"Dad?" she called. Her father turned around and smiled.

"Lily, honey," her dad replied, approaching and hugging her.

"You’re early tonight," Lily remarked. Her father usually comes home around midnight.

"I'm not feeling well, honey," her dad responded, still hugging her. She loosened her embrace on her father and looked up at him.

“Do you want me to call Dr. King?” She asked, worried about her father. Dr. King is their family doctor.

“No, Lily. I’ll just take my medication, OK? Don’t worry about me,” her father said, reassuring her.

“OK, Dad,” she replied and let go of the hug. She got a glass of water and drank.

“Anyway, I’ll go to our room, OK?” Her dad asked.

“Yes, Dad,” she replied.

Mr. Gray left and went to his room. Meanwhile, Lily returned to her room. She noticed her phone lighting up, so she picked it up. She received another message from an unknown number.

Unknown Number: This is Mykel.

She realized she had given her number to Mykel because of the car accident. She typed a reply saying, “Yes.” But then, she erased it. She did not know what to reply to him. Thinking of him sends unexplainable feelings. She guessed it was because, throughout his relationship with Kevin, he had badmouthed Mykel.

Suddenly, a scream disrupted the whole house causing Lily to put her phone down without being able to reply. Anxious, she quickly ran out of her room and down the stairs, where their housemaids were also running. Rushing into the master's bedroom, she found her father fighting for his life. Mr. Gray was having a heart attack, so Benny quickly called for emergency help. Lily immediately went to her father, unbuttoning his shirt and helping him sit in a comfortable position. With Mrs. Gray supporting his back, they tried to calm him down.

“Dad, please,” she muttered as tears rolled down her face.

Shortly after, the ambulance arrived, and Mr. Gray was quickly loaded into it. Mrs. Gray went together with the ambulance. Meanwhile, Lily followed in their car, along with Benny. Arriving at the hospital in a daze, they found Mr. Gray being rushed into the emergency room, so they ran to the waiting area.

Every minute they waited for the news, Lily and Mrs. Gray experienced intense anxiety. Their hands were clasped together, trembling with fear. Nurses were constantly entering and exiting the emergency room. They kept asking for updates but were always told to wait. After a few more minutes, the doctor finally came out, causing both of them to stand up.

"How is he, doc?" Mrs. Gray asked the doctor.

"He is safe, Mrs. Gray. But we still need to monitor him. We are going to transfer him to the Cardiac Care Unit," the doctor answered.

Lily and Mrs. Gray both breathed a huge sigh of relief, feeling as if a weight had been lifted off their shoulders.

"Thank you so much, doc. Thank you," Mrs. Gray said, repeatedly bowing and expressing her gratitude to the doctor.

"You’re welcome, Mrs. Gray. I should go now," the doctor responded and bowed. The doctor then turned and walked away, while Lily's mother continued to bow repeatedly. After the doctor had left, the two embraced each other.

A week passed and Mr. Gray's recovery was slow. The visiting hours were also limited. Nevertheless, Lily's mother hardly returned home, thinking that her husband might need her and look for her. Lily was touched by the love her parents showed for each other.

Meanwhile, Lily's final examination approached quickly. It was on a Friday, and she went to school early for their examination. Despite some sleepless nights accompanying her mother to the hospital, her school performance remained good. This was because she often studied in advance before her father had a heart attack.

The examination was easy for Lily, but not for her friend Allison. After the exam, all Lily heard were Allison's complaints.

"Oh my God, Lily. The exam was too hard," Allison complained, making her laugh.

"My God. I might fail," Allison repeated.

"What are you saying, Alli? Fail now? We're about to graduate," Lily quickly reassured her pessimistic friend.

"The exam was really hard," Allison said, pouting.

"Just trust yourself, Alli. We will pass," Lily responded confidently.

When they both reached the car park, they went their separate ways to their respective vehicles. Meanwhile, Lily headed straight to the hospital, where she found her mother crying.

"Mom?" Lily called to her mother. She immediately went to embrace her. Her mother hugged her back and began to sob.

"Mom, what’s wrong?" Lily asked, worried.

"Honey, we have a problem," her mother said, hiccupping through her tears.

"Tell me, Mom. I might be able to help," she responded, tightening her hug.

"Because of your Dad’s situation, the firm’s investors are withdrawing their investments in the company," her mom explained between sobs. Lily let go of her mother and faced her.

"What do you mean, Mom?" the young woman asked.

“We’re on the verge of bankruptcy, Lily.”