Chapter 1

EMMA POV

Dr. Aaron's words hung in the air like a guillotine, poised to drop and sever all hope. Emma's heart raced as she clutched the armrests of the worn hospital chair, her knuckles weak with desperation.

"Hold on…Let me get this straight, Doctor," Emma said, her voice trembling. "You're telling me that my mother's surgery, her only chance at survival, depends on me finding a huge sum of money? And without the money there will be no treatment for her? Even if she dies right in front of you? Even if I am to pay that huge amount of money, I should be given time to do so, she is suffering and she is in pain right now the only thing stopping you to save a life is money?"

Dr. Aaron's expression was a mask of sympathy, but his eyes betrayed a hint of impatience. "I'm afraid so, Emma. The hospital's policy is clear: payment upfront or no procedure. Your mother's condition is critical, and time is running out."

Emma felt like she'd been punched in the gut. She thought she'd been prepared for anything, but this...this was a nightmare. "How much money are we talking about?"

"Thirty thousand dollars," Dr. Aaron replied, his voice firm but not unkind.

Emma's mind reeled. Thirty thousand dollars might as well have been thirty million. She was a struggling club worker, doing multiple jobs just to make ends meet. Where was she supposed to find that kind of money?

"What about financial aid or assistance programs? Or anything just to save her right now" Emma asked, grasping at straws.

Dr. Aaron shook his head. "Your mother's condition doesn't qualify for priority funding. I'm sorry, Emma. Time is running out, this is the only advice I can offer you and that is for you to be very quick,she can not survive it without undergoing a surgery"

Emma's eyes welled up with tears as she thought of her mother, lying in the hospital bed, fighting for her life. She felt a surge of determination. She would find a way, no matter what it took.

"I'll do it," Emma said, her voice firm. "I'll find the money."

Dr. Aaron's expression softened. "I'm sorry, Emma. I truly am. But I know you'll do everything you can. You just have to try." And with that he walked away

Emma nodded multiple times, it was as if she was going crazy “I can do it.. I must do it.” She murmured to herself.

Emma's feet felt heavy as she trudged through the hospital corridors, the antiseptic scent and muted beeps of machines her constant companion. She turned a corner, and her heart skipped a beat as she caught sight of her mother's frail form,her body weak as she lay on the bed, surrounded by the sterile glow of medical equipment.

Her mother's eyes, sunken and weary, met Emma's, and a faint smile flickered on her lips. Emma's throat constricted as she forced a smile back, trying to hide the desperation clawing at her insides. She approached the bed, her gaze drifting to the oxygen mask covering her mother's mouth, the soft whoosh of the ventilator scares her.

With a heavy heart, Emma turned away, her eyes drawn to the window. The view was breathtaking, a tapestry of city lights and stars twinkling like diamonds scattered across the velvet expanse. But the beauty was lost on her. She felt like she was drowning in a sea of hopelessness.

Sinking into the chair beside her mother's bed, Emma let out a shuddering sigh. Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes as she whispered, "I'm only 21...and yet I'm suffering like I've done something wrong for being in this world, cant I just be at peace for once? Why didn't he create me into the world of the rich? Why did he create me just to suffer and cry my eyes out." Her voice cracked, and she felt the dam break. Tears streamed down her face, hot and relentless.

"Oh God...what should I do? Thirty million dollars is beyond me, so beyond me" she said with tears, her head thrown back, as if expecting a miracle to descend from the heavens. Her body shook with sobs, the weight of her responsibilities crushing her.

Just then, her mother's hand stirred, the frail fingers extending toward Emma, she looked behind her and saw her mother's handing searching for her. With a jolt, Emma grasped the hand, feeling the fragile warmth and the faint pulse. Her mother's eyes, cloudy with medication and exhaustion, locked onto hers.

Emma's eyes locked onto her mother's, a desperate plea for help. "Please, Mother, you have to listen to me," she begged, her voice trembling with fear.

Her mother, once a pillar of strength, now seemed frail and uncertain. Emma's heart ached as she gazed at her, feeling the weight of her own mortality.

"If you die, it's over for me," Emma whispered, her voice cracking with emotion. "I'll never get to experience life, to love, to truly live, you are my only source of living."

Tears streamed down her face as she grasped her mother's hands, her fingers intertwining with hers. "You have to help me, Mother. You're my only hope, just stay strong for me." She said her voice shaking.

"I'll do everything in my power to save you, Mom," she vowed, her voice weak but resolute. "I won't let you die. I won't let you slip away from me."

Emma's grip on her mother's hands tightened, a surge of hope rising within her. Maybe, just maybe, she could cheat death. Maybe she could live.

As they sat there, hands clasped together, Emma felt a sense of peace wash over her. She knew her mother would stay strong and fight for her life, Emma knew she would move heaven and earth to save her.

“Sweetie...don't cry, Emma," her mother whispered, the words barely audible over the machines. "I'll be okay...I promise, I will be very strong and back to my feet again."

Emma's tears redoubled at the familiar endearment, the one her mother had used since childhood. She felt like she was losing her grip on reality.

"I'll find a way, Mom," Emma vowed, her voice trembling. "I'll get the money. I won't let you down,you will survive I promise you, even if it costs me more than I can offer, I will make sure to get the money and you are going to be alright."

Her mother's gaze drifted away, her chest rising and falling with labored breaths. Emma felt a surge of determination. She would move mountains, beg, borrow, or steal – whatever it took to save her mother's life.

Emma's trembling fingers grasped the phone, her eyes fixed on her mother's fragile form as she waited for Natalie to answer. The ringtone seemed to stretch on forever, each passing moment amplifying Emma's desperation.

"Hey, girl! What's up?" Natalie's cheerful voice was a jarring contrast to Emma's anguish.

Emma's voice cracked as she spoke, "Natalie, my mom...she's sick. And I need help."

The line went silent for a moment before Natalie asked, "Where are you right now? I thought as much, you didnt show up tonight"

Emma's gaze drifted back to her mother, the beeping machines and antiseptic smell a harsh reminder of her reality. "I'm at the hospital. Mom's condition is critical. I need money,Lots of it Natalie."

Natalie's tone turned serious. "How much do you need?"

Emma hesitated, her mind racing with the impossibility of her situation, she didn't know if she should say it but then she tries to open up to her. She took a deep breath and whispered, "Thirty..."

Natalie cut her off, her voice firm but gentle. "Don't say it, Emma. I don't have that kind of money, where on earth do you want me to see thirty and above?... But I can help you with something."

Emma's eyes narrowed, her grip on the phone tightening. "What is it?"

Natalie's pause was palpable before she spoke, her words dripping with reluctance. "You are going to make alot of money if you are smart tomorrow and if you can join the next batch of strippers tomorrow..."

The words hung in the air like a challenge, Emma's mind reeling in horror. Her eyes widened as she stared at her mother, the machines surrounding her like sentinels. The word "strip" echoed in her mind like a mantra, her thoughts racing with the implications.

And without another word, Emma dropped the phone, her hand trembling as she backed away from the bed, her eyes fixed on her mother's frail form. The machines beeped on, a steady heartbeat that seemed to mock her desperation.

And then everything went black.