Ariel's POV (FLASHBACK)

The machine beeps repeatedly, with the pungent smell of bleach which fills up the hospital air.

     “She has two months to prepare for surgery. If you don’t start payments. I’m afraid… She’s not going for the surgery.” The doctor said adjusting his glasses while his hands went back into his scrubs pockets. I sat quietly on the hospital bed cross-legged with my fingers gripping the sheets tightly while I watched my mother sleep.

    My eyes flicked from the doctor to my mom and back again repeatedly.

   I know how much my mom hates hospitals! It was hard convincing her to get treated here where the doctors will cater to her health with their full attention.

    Her last words before leaving home were. “Make sure you visit me every day. I can’t spend a day without you.” Before she agreed to get admitted.

    Her words brought tears to my eyes as I blinked them back whenever I remembered those words. That’s the reason I can do whatever to make sure she’s treated.

       “You better hurry to get the complete deposit for her surgery. Cancer has formed in her blood tissues, nerves, and joints. It’s risky and I’m afraid to say she’s closing into…” He added and paused with a sigh.

   “What do you mean Doctor?” My soft voice had a trace of worry laced in it as a cold shiver ran through my spine.

    “I mean she’s closing into the final stages of cancer and I’m afraid it’s serious surgery. It has eaten deep into her. I’d prefer you pray and also hurry to get the money for her surgery.” He cocked his head to the side where my mom laid and his mouth twitched.

   “But doctor…”

   “Have a nice day Miss Ariel.” He walked out of the room and shut the door, not minding, listening to what I had to say.

  I felt he knew I was going to bombard him with questions and questions he wasn’t sure of their fate.

 Questions like. How long will the surgery take? Can she be cured of cancer completely after the surgery? Will she survive? Even though it scared me to ask such question, I have to. I’m grown and deserve to be told the truth.

      “Ariel…” A strained weak voice called out to me and tapped my back.

   “Mom.” I was snapped out of my thoughts and fixed my full attention on her.

   “Why are you crying?”

    “No, I’m not..” I felt tears streaming down my cheek. Unbeknownst to me, I’ve been crying and I wasn’t aware of it because I was lost in thoughts.

     “It must be the weather. My eyes must have caught dust.” I added smiling at her.

   “You don’t have to hide your pain from me, my child. I’m a burden to you and it’s hurting to see you cater to my needs. All I’ve ever created for you is hell.” Mom says with a sorrowful voice, her eyes mirroring the sadness and pain she was watching me go through.

   “None of this is your fault. I’ll get the money to get you treated. Don’t worry about me, okay?”

   “Where will you get such huge amount of money? We barely have a comfortable roof over our heads and clothes on our back. Matthew has eaten a huge dent into the bills. How are you going to manage all that and my troubles?” She laments, her eyes pooling with tears.

    “Shush… Stop worrying everything will be fine. You have to trust me.”

 “Why won’t I worry? I hate to see you going through stress. Please don’t worry about me anymore. I’ve accepted my fate. I’m going to… “

  “No!” I screamed at her angrily as my body shook with trepidation.

  I’ve lost the biggest support system in my life and I can’t add her to the list. My mom means the world to me and there’s no mountain too high or path so deadly I won’t cross to make sure she’s hale and hearty.

  Mom and Matthew are the only families I have left in this cruel world. What would become of me if I lost her?

   “I won’t lose you, mother.” My body fell over the bed as I snuggled closer to her.

     “I’m sorry for scaring you.” She apologised with tears streaming down her tear duct. I don’t know how she feels but I’m sure she’s heartbroken inside.

   I promise to pay for the surgery and make her happy no matter what it takes. So I leaned closer and wiped the tear marks from her cheeks.

   “Stop crying ma.”

    She nods and gives me her happy smile. Oh Lord, I’ve missed how life used to be. It was joyful before it was stolen away.

  *Buzz* I picked my phone that buzzed in my jean pocket and it was a text.

   ‘Ariel you have ten minutes to get your ass down here. Where are you?’ I rolled my eyes. It was from my best friend Eunice. Eunice was a model by day and a stripper by night and she did earn huge bucks… bucks I wished to earn to save up and support Mom’s surgery.

   “What is it?” She enquired gazing at my phone.

   “It’s a text from Eunice. I got a job as a model. So I have to be there for a luxury brand casting today. It’s scheduled for 2:Pm.” I answered by picking my keys from the bed and tying my brunette hair into a ponytail.

   She nods. “I must have wasted your time.” With a weak voice.

    I smiled widely at her showing my sets of nice teeth. “No ma.”

  My fingers drew a line across the rim of my lips and I watched how her face lit up.

“You see I’m smiling so widely because I’m here with you. You’re the reason why I wake in the morning and sleep at night. Don’t you dare die on me? I won’t forgive you.” I added.

   She brought her pinky finger. “I promise.”

       “Promise.” I brought mine and we clicked with a smile plastered on our faces.

 I kissed my mom goodbye and left the ward with a heavy heart. 

   My hands wiped the tears that kept spilling when I left her ward. Walking out of the hospital entrance quickly so I don’t let the emotions that come with this place ruin my day, rock-hard chest bumps into me. I fall to the ground and my eyes catch the darkest raven black hair, gray-blue eyes, hard jawline with a muscular build that would have girls lovesick and screaming their heart out in wanton lust.

And in the process, steps on my toes and I’m sure must have caused an injury from the bad sting.

  The pain shoots through my brains, and I could see red stars and blinding lights at the same time as my head spun.

 “Ouch, oooh!” I groaned as I tried using my hands to massage my hurting toes. I watch him walk away majestically without care for what he has done.

  No apology?  He couldn’t help me off the floor? What the hell! I got upset and limped after him and when I caught up with his pace. I tapped at his shoulders, and he turned him to face me with his phone pressed to his ear.

  “I’d call you back.” He muttered over the phone and hung up.

  Did I hear him speak? I forgot my hurting leg for a minute as his sultry voice made my heart jump.

 Whoa! He seems to be rich. I could see his expensive clothes, scent his expensive cologne, and the diamond wristwatch on his wrist.

   I sent him a smile and before I could explain why I tapped him, and what his actions had done he snarled at me.

“Get your hands off my shoulders you poverty-stricken piece of shit!” He snarled with gritted teeth as his eyes scrutinized me with a disgusting look.

That infuriates me to the core as I take a look at my clothes. I was dressed in a simple hoodie and joggers with my trainers (running shoes).

  My brunette hair was packed in a tight ponytail and my face looked pale with sunken eyes and dark circles encircling around it. I looked like a ghost.

  “If you want alms go over to the gate and beg you shouldn’t devise cheap means to steal from my personality. Dumb bitches!” He seethes and pressed some digits on his phone.

Who the hell is the proud motherfucker? The King of England? Even if he was, so we should be trampled under his feet?

  His words cut through me like a knife. I’ve never been insulted in this manner in my entire life.

“Bitch? Did you wake up on the wrong side of the bed? When did I ask you for alms? You bumped into me and not only that stepped on my toes. I wouldn’t run after you if you acted like a gentleman rather than an egoistic jerk and apologized. How hard is it for you to say sorry?” I retorted, staring back at him. I was angry at him for bumping into me, angry at my ill-luck for getting into an ugly incident, angry at myself for the delay in getting to the event.

 His fingers went through his neatly styled raven hair and ruffled it as he bit his inner cheek.

  He leaned closer to an extent his blue orbs were staring intently at my honey brown eyes and he smirked. “You have no right to question me, you should be glad I stepped on someone from your class. I’m the villain your favorite romance novel warned you about.”

  My blood boiled, as my fists clenched at the sides and I wanted to deliver deadly blows to that handsome face of his till it’s ruined and looked swollen.

  Did I call the arrogant jerk Handsome? Well, he is extremely handsome with a dirty attitude which is a total turnoff.

  “Listen to me and listen well I won’t take nonsense from you even if you’re the President! I deserve an apology and you better be quick about it or else…” I responded with fury.

 “Hahahaha..” He licked his bottom lip seductively and took a menacing step towards me and I stepped back till my back hit the hospital wall and I shuddered. I gulped when I noticed I let him get to win, while I rant like a toothless bulldog.

 He placed his hands to the walls as he cornered me with a proud smirk. “What can a lowlife like you do to me? Tell me the best you got in your sleeves?”

   He roamed his eyes over my petite frame.

 His face moved from my eyes, cheek, lips and flickers on my breasts hidden under the oversized hoodie and back to my face. “I’m not of those men willing to fuck that tiny pussy of yours. You’re not my class.” He added and pulled my hair down, letting it fall all over my face.

  Did he just call me a whore?

  “I wanna break your toes for your disrespect! I don’t care if you’re rich or perhaps powerful that doesn’t give you the fucking right, for you to hurt people and do whatever stupid shenanigans and walk away with no care for your barbaric action!”

 I screamed at him, tightening my fists to a ball. If wishes were horses I would have delivered deadly blows to his proud face. He looked stronger, his muscular build and strong arms made me shake in fear inside.

  “I bet you didn’t say that.” He looked at me amazed at my courage clenching his jaws.

  “I did!” I leaned closer to him, fisting my hands tightly and watched him smile in amusement.

  Does this look like a joke to him? What the hell! My eyes moved to his hands and I knew what to do.

   I snatched his phone and smashed it across the wall as it shattered to the ground with a loud thud that made others turn with shock written on their faces.

 He thinks he can say anything because he feels I’m below his class.

  I hate disrespect and value courtesy. My financial situation doesn’t affect how I should be treated or treat others. I’m not a weakling, I’ve been looking after Mother and my little brother since I was fourteen.

  If he had shown concern and apologised.

 I would have understood it was just an accident. No one is above mistakes and simply walk away without creating a fuse about it. But getting to the man in the picture was a distasteful human! He’s a proud and egocentric peacock who thinks his expensive and handsome looks will make me shy away in fear and kiss his distasteful ass.

  I left him standing there bewildered and enraged with his phone shattered to the floor as I walked out triumphant and elated.

    He got a befitting punishment!