Chapter 3 - Fake affections

Camila's heart stuttered. “Wh-What’s that supposed to mean?” 

The woman raised the bottle up. “This isn't Sacubitril as labelled on the bottle but Digoxin. It's still a pill for the heart but if you consume three pills of it regularly, it won't be helping you anymore but harming you.” 

She paused as if letting Camila digest it, then continued. “If your heart failure is severe and you must take it, the doctor has to monitor your heart at all times as you can drop dead if you have even a slight heart attack after consuming it for a long time. You can–”

“Does three years count as a long or short time?” Camila interrupted, her voice low. 

“Ma’am, I can't say for sure. You should meet your–”

“Can I have the real medicine?” She cut the woman again.

The woman nodded, reaching for the middle shelf across from Camila and placing the bottle before her. “Twenty dollars, I'll still advise–”

Camila placed her card on the counter. “Can you make it quick?”

The woman swiped the car before handing it back to her. “Are you alright, ma'am? I can–”

Camila faked a smile, picking the bottle from the counter. “Yes, I've to go. Thanks for your time.”

How can she be fine when her entire world was crumbling before her. Everything about the last three years was a lie. She forced back the tears welling up in her eyes. 

“Get the hell out of my way, lad.” A fat woman yelled, shoving her aside.

The shove was so hard that Camila lost her footing, hitting her head at the edge of the door. For a second or two, Camila felt her vision blur before her slightly.

“Hey Miss, are you okay?” A nurse asked, helping her to stabilize her footing. 

“I'm fine,” Camila stepped away from the nurse, grabbing her head.

“Oh my! Your head is bleeding.” The nurse said, grabbing her hand again. “Let me help you.”

Camila's chest suddenly tightened, the hallway tilting before her eyes. The last thing she could remember was that usual traumatizing feeling like she was drowning as the voices around her became distant.

***

Camila's lashes fluttered open slowly, the grey ceiling walls told her she was in her private room. She grabbed her head as a sharp throbbing pain seared through it.

“Are you sure that's fine?” She heard Miles's voice.

Her gaze darted to its direction and there by the door stood Miles talking with Pete with their back on her.

She leaned towards them to hear their voice better but her hands mistakenly pushed down the glass of water on the bedstand.

The two men snapped their gaze towards her direction immediately.

“You're awake,” Miles said, walking towards her with that perfect polished smile.

The smile made her skin crawl instead of that usual tingling feeling she felt in her heart. She pretended like she didn't hear him, pushing herself to sit up.

Miles reached out to help her but her body reacted too quickly slapping his hands away the instant it touched her skin before her mind could catch up.

His brows furrowed for a second but then he smiled. “Are you still angry that I didn't allow you to join me at work today?”

Camila ignored him, lowering her head. She won't blame him after all that was how she was in the past. Always throwing tantrums whenever he doesn't allow you to go to the company.

She clenched her fist consumed with anger and shame at the thought of how silly and blind she had been in the past.

Miles mistook her silence as sadness and pulled her into his arms but Camila shoved him away so hard that he almost fell off the bed.

His face twisted into a frown. “Did something happen, Cami?” 

Camila stared dead into his eyes wondering how he could all those things to her while smiling at her gently.

“Did something happen at home–”

The sharp ringing of his phone interrupted him. His expression changed the moment he saw the caller ID. He quickly excused himself and left the room to answer it.

The door opened again seconds later and he stood at the door, panic clearly written on his face.

“I'm so sorry, Cami. I can't accompany you back home something came up at the company.” 

He didn't wait for her reply before banging the door shut.

Camila scoffed as she listened to his rushed footsteps. “The company, indeed.”

When she couldn't hear the footsteps anymore, she pulled the drip off her hand and stood up. Without glancing back, she left the room and walked out of the hospital.

***

The morning sun streamed into a huge purple room through the half opened curtains. Camila rolled slightly to the left side of the bed before sitting up.

One glance at the mirror reminded her how horrible last night was as the dark circles under her eyes made her shudder.

Her phone suddenly chimed and she picked it up. It was a message about the new launch of the Winston automobile. The Winston corporation was the top leading corporation in the market.

Another message followed, listing the number of shares available in the newly launched company. A 1% share in any of its company was ten times the worth of a share in the Griffin's corporation even though they were ranking fifth in the market.

Something suddenly clicked in her head, she quickly picked up her phone and called the company's finance department. Less than three seconds later, her account balance chimed.

A smile slipped into her face slowly as she stood up, disappearing into the bathroom. Minutes later, she was done freshening up and stepped out of her room with a brown bag in hand.

The mansion was silent as usual and as she had expected, Miles didn't return home last night. She swallowed nothing down enjoying the silence she always detested.

Her eyes narrowed when she found the dinning table filled with all kinds of delicacies.

“Margaret, are we expecting someone?” 

Margaret placed another bowl on the table. “I don't know, ma'am. It was just an order from–”

The front door opened instantly, cutting her off as Miles stepped in holding a baby and followed closely by a woman.

Camila pressed her lips together, her grip on her phone tightening.

“Going to the company already?” Miles asked, swirling the baby gently in his arms as he walked towards her. “I thought I could surprise you.”

“Suprise?” 

“Yeah, this is–”

“Finally glad to meet you Camila,” the woman smiled, her eyes crinkling slightly as she stretched out her hand. “I'm Portia Smith.”