“It looks like our dinner plans will have to be cancelled,” I say to Christopher as soon as I drop the call on my Mum.“Your sister is hospitalized?” Christopher asks me with a slight frown. “Yes.” I release a deep breath. “She has a bad kidney and needs a transplant urgently, so she keeps getting hospitalized once in a while.” Christopher holds my gaze for a moment before turning to order the chauffeur to take us to the hospital before shifting his attention back to me.“It seems like you are really not loved for someone who is the biological daughter of her parents.”Christopher’s statement cuts deep into me. Note that I’m not mad at him, but at my situation. I can’t even feel proud of my background.The thought of getting together with someone like Christopher makes me so ashamed that I think less of myself.I bet that in the other part of his mind, he must be regretting having me as a partner because I’m not even useful to him. I’m just the daughter of a rich known busine
“What do you mean?” I ask Mum, unsure of what she had just said to me. Maybe I’m mistaken, so I need her to clarify the matter with her. “Didn’t you hear me? Are you deaf?!” Mum shouts in my ear. “I said you won’t leave this place without giving a kidney to your sister! I don’t care of you hate her or not, but you will be the one to save her. Is that clear?” I scoff, burying my face in-between my knees. May God help me not to explode on my mother. Is she alright by the way? How can she threaten me about giving a part of my body out, and that to to a human being I hate so much? I am left in shock as I lift my head to meet Mum’s gaze. “I want to take what you just said to me as a joke. Don’t bother repeating it again.” Standing to my feet, I look her in the eyes and continue, “I won’t give my kidney to Brenda, and no one has the right to force me into d—.” ‘Pah!’ Instantly, I feel a sting on my left cheek and my palm fly up to my face to clasp it. Mum had just hit me, and fo
Christopher’s POV.When the ten minutes time interval I gave to Emily expired, I wait for another extra minute before pulling out my phone to call her.The phone rings for a while before going straight to voicemail.‘Why is she not picking up?’ I think to myself as I try her contact again and this time around, the mechanical voice says her phone it’s off.I don’t need another sign to know that something wrong has happened. Immediately, I unclasp my seatbelt and order the chauffeur to unlock the car.“I’m going up to find Emily, keep the car close,” I instruct the chauffeur before stepping out of the car.As soon as I into the hospital, I stop at the front desk and give the Wilson’s family name and immediately the nurse tells me their room number and directs me on how to get there.Something had better not happen to Emily otherwise, I won’t spare anyone.It’s possible that I might be thinking too much about the situation, but I can’t just rule out the possibility of Emily’s parents doi
“Christopher, she’s just unconscious. It’s a sedation for the procedure,” Mrs. Wilson said, her voice trembling, but I barely registered her words. All I could focus on was the worry etched into my heart.“What procedure?” I demanded, rising to my feet, my protective instincts kicking in full force. “You had no right to do this without my consent!”“We had to prepare her for surgery!” Mr. Wilson replied, raising his hands defensively. “She’s a match for Brenda, and time is running out.”“Don’t you dare use that as an excuse!” I spat back, stepping closer to them. “You think this is just a transaction? You think Emily is an object to be given away? She is not just your daughter; she is a person with her own life, her own choices!”“I assure you, we didn’t want this,” Mrs. Wilson pleaded, desperation creeping into her voice. “We only want to save Brenda.”“Then save her without dragging Emily into this,” I shot back, feeling a swell of anger at their selfishness. “You don’t get to decid
Emily’s POV.The moment I opened my eyes, I was met with a soft, warm glow from a dimly lit room. My vision blurred as my head throbbed painfully, as if I were waking from a fever dream.I felt weak, my limbs almost too heavy to lift, and I had to blink a few times before my surroundings came into focus. This room… it felt different. Familiar... in a way that comforted me immediately.Almost immediately, a cold shiver coursed through my body as the memory of the hospital seeped back in. My mother’s cold gaze, the sterile smell of antiseptic, the way she looked at me as though I were nothing but a means to an end. My stomach churned, and without thinking, my hand flew to my abdomen, pressing against the softness there, fearing they might have gone through with it—cut me open, taken what they wanted. I waited, almost frozen, trying to feel for any pain or incision.But there was nothing. No ache, no wound, just the pounding of my heart against my ribs and a lingering ache in my
Christopher’s words sent a fresh wave of emotion crashing over me, and I had to look away, afraid that he’d see just how deeply his kindness affected me with the tears starting to well up in my eyes.I took another sip of the soup, trying to focus on it and not anywhere else but I felt Christopher’s gaze on me, steady and unwavering as he pulled out the chair next to me and settled down.Taking this as a cue to leave us alone, the housekeeper packed the peas and excused herself.On the other hand, Christopher gestures for me to continue eating.“Tell me immediately you feel uncomfortable and the doctor will come and check on you. Is that clear?” Christopher said to me as his brows deep.I saw the concern that flashed across his eyes and felt a sense of relief wash through me.“I will,” I answered softly and continued eating, devouring everything in my plate as he watched me silently.“Do you want more? You didn’t get to have dinner with me as planned, you must be famished,” he
Christopher’s POV The soft clink of dishes and the gentle morning light spilling through the dining room window felt peaceful, reminding me of last night; the softness of Emily's body in my arms. She had somehow clung to me in the middle of the night and I must say that I did enjoy having her in my arms. My heart eased the moment I finally saw Emily stepping toward me, a faint smile lighting her face. The colour had returned to her cheeks, and there was a subtle strength in her step that had been missing just yesterday. “Good morning, Christopher,” she greeted, her voice calm and a touch lighter than I’d expected. It was as if she’d managed to pack away yesterday’s pain, tucking it at the back of her mind. “Good morning, Emily,” I replied, watching her settle in the chair beside me. “That’s a fine choice of outfit for today,” I added, gesturing to the crisp navy dress she wore as if I wasn’t the one that picked it out for her. Emily’s eyes widened slightly, a hint of
Emily's POV. After parting ways with Christopher on the last floor outside the elevator, I made my way into my office and walked straight to my desk, breathing in the familiar brisk scent of the office. The cleaners had been long gone after finishing their duties. I settled my bag, powering on my own computer, and felt the need to start my daily routine right—espresso for Christopher. It seemed like the right thing do at this moment and besides, it will allow me an opportunity to meet him so soon again. With my heart all warmed up by him, I have come to this point where I no longer wanted to hold back my feelings for him. After every single things he had done for me, it's only right that I started to reciprocate his feelings. Balancing the cup carefully in a tray, I made my way to Christopher's office. His smile softened as I placed it on his desk and took a step back. “You didn’t have to go through the trouble,” he said with a low chuckle. “I already had coffee with yo