All Chapters of The Bet: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

Jo woke up in a hospital bed facing a screen made of green fabric. A similar one stood on her right side, while on the other, there was a white wall. The place looked like a cell, not a hospital room. ‘What a terrifying place!’ She thought. She felt the warm sunlight coming from overhead. There had to be a window there. When she tilted her head slightly, she saw a glass wall behind her, partially covered with blinds. She wanted to get up but as soon as she raised her head, she gave up. She felt dizzy and nauseous. In addition, she found a drip attached to her right hand and she wondered what had happened to her again."She should wake up soon. I have to check on her. I will see you later."She heard a familiar voice. Mike was talking to someone."See you later."Jo heard another male voice. This time it seemed like it belonged to an elderly person."I will review your data as soon as possible. I will send you my assessment

“Traitors you say… that’s interesting… very interesting, my best buddy.” Matthew said sarcastically. “Of course ‘best’ in the past tense.” He continued with a strong stress on the word ‘best’.“Bro, you won’t understand.” Mike was truly furious. His little secret was uncovered and his long friendship was in danger.“What should I understand? You have been hiding under my roof for over two months and I don't even know the real reason for this hide-and-seek play. You owe me an explanation.”“It’s complicated… ““Be a man, bro! The wording ‘it's complicated' is a typically female explanation for the guy they want to get rid of. Something synonymous to ‘let's be friends’. Did you get it?” He waited for a moment, but there was no reaction, so he continued. “I am expecting a meaningful answer!”

When Jo and Matthew arrived under a beautiful late-gothic chapel, there were already a lot of people waiting outside with many cars parked in the make-shift parking lot.“Are we late?” Jo asked. She was concerned because she wasn’t one to be unpunctual or even be fashionably-late.Matthew checked the time on the navigation system in his car, then he looked at his watch. “No, we are 30 minutes earlier.”“Maybe there is some other wedding being held in the chapel.” She speculated.“I don’t think so.” Matthew said, opening the car’s door for Jo. “I just saw Chris at the side entrance so everything looks fine. Let’s get ready and find Natalie.”“Ok. I really feel sorry for her; it must be extremely difficult for her that her brother's friend, and not her father, or brother will lead her down the aisle.”“Life, babe.” He was appalled but th

The reception venue was located on the outskirts of the city. It took them almost half an hour to reach the place. There was a lot of greenery around and it looked more like an exclusive sports club or conference hall, maybe a training centre rather than a traditional hotel. Tennis court, a swimming pool and a beautiful park with gazebos, fountain and a lot of beautiful nooks with stunning flora; a perfect place not only for a break, but also for taking photos. It was everything one could dream of, but not imagine such a place to be like. ‘That’s a dream scenery for outdoor photo sessions!’ Jo thought as she wished she could have brought her camera. If only she knew about the trip and the wedding earlier!  Looking around at the outdoor scenery, she decided to come back here with her equipment for some photo shoot in the near future. The banquet hall looked simple but was very elegant. It was a huge rectangular room, one longer wall of which was m

Jo and Matthew tried to escape the crowd and the reception as soon as possible. In reality, both of them didn’t like events like that, but escaping Natalie’s family and friends wasn’t an easy task. They informed Mike’s parents about the address and the time the wedding was going to take place. She thought that they had the right to know, even if Mike had a different opinion. Natalie’s parents realized that by not attending their daughter's wedding, they were committing a mistake they would never be able to fix. Finally, they both accepted the choice of their daughter and were present at the wedding ceremony and gave her their blessing. The most important part was that Natalie’s father led his precious daughter to the altar. All this was enough for Jo. She was happy and after exchanging courtesies with them, she considered the case closed, but Mike’s mother still wanted to talk to her so Jo had to diplomatically avoid her all evening. Most of t