Chapter Three : DEATH

"Dad! I got the money; I'm on my way to the hospital." Emily uttered, her voice laced with excitement as she sat down comfortably in the back seat of a cab.

"Oh great!" Mr. Jones expressed gratitude towards her; his facial expressions changed to a calm and reserved one. "I'll be expecting you at the hospital; I'll inform the doctor to get us the donor." He spun into action immediately.

Emily giggled at the small mirror at the top of the driver's head, gazing directly at her on reflection, smiling back at her. "I'm so happy right now; Mom is finally seeing me grow to be a real woman before she dies." Emily mused thoughtfully, and the call ended on a peaceful, cool smile on both their faces.

As she sat down, her mind began to reel on the possibility of saving her mom; her thoughts swung to the man she bumped into twice. "He looks familiar!" She mused thoughtfully, but the excitement of saving her mom overshadowed her in the long run.

"Oh, Mom, you'll finally fulfill your promise of seeing me get married, even though..." She said and paused as the car unknowingly hit a bump by the road, jolting her front and back to the seat.

"Careful, sir!" Emily muttered in a low tone; she fixed her worried gaze at the cabman in the mirror above his head.

"Sorry, ma'am!" The cabman pleaded, andLoosen up a bit on the speed.

Meanwhile, her mind drifted back to the promises she had made to her mom, the wild things she had been waiting to do when she finally got free from her parents. Her whole cheek felt the electrifying mood she's into.

****

After a few minutes drive from GREYSONS COMPANY LTD to New York City Hospital, she took her bag on hearing the screeching sound of the car tires. "Thank goodness," Emily said when they arrived. She paid the driver without hesitation.

But just as she step toward the hospital entrance, her phone rang again. This time, something in her chest twisted - like a warning.

As she walked up to the main entrance of the hospital, she overheard her phone ring and vibrate, piercing her ears, but she ignored it the first time with the thought that the tone must be for someone else. Then it rang again, and this time it waslouder than before, so she took her phone.

"Dad!" She exclaimed in surprise, "I'm already here!" She asserted to herself, with a smile glued to her face. Emily dropped the call and walked through the main door.

Emily didn't bother to go see her dad or visit her mom's ward before proceeding to make payment with the cashier.

A young, beautiful nurse dressed in her corporate gown. "Welcome, ma'am!" She greeted her as Emily appeared before her.

One of the nurses stared at Emily, unsure whether to speak.

“You said Mr. Grey helped?” She asked.

Yes, Emily replied confused.

The nurse nodded slowly, strange. He used to come here often… a few years ago, after those of his patients from his company ended up in our renal unit.

"Hello, I've just sent 100 thousand dollars to the hospital account; please confirm!" She declared strongly and patiently waited for her confirmation.

“The nurse but her lip, glancing nervously at her colleague. It's just that…there was a note added to the file.”

“What kind of note?” Emily asked.

But before the nurse could respond, a man in a sleek suit entered and whispered something into her ear.

The nurse blinked. “It's nothing ma'am. Your transaction is successful.”

The nurse looked at her screen, then looked up. “That's odd…” she said, her fingers frozen above the keyboard.

Emily's heart skipped.

“What do you mean odd”.

While waiting for the transaction confirmation, Emily thought of reaching out to Clara George, her best friend, and sharing the goodness with her.

Clara has been her friend during and even after university. "I need to let Clara know I've seen the money, and she can just come around to our house when she comes back from London." Emily whispered to herself, her face calm like a cat's.

She dialed her number. Waited for her to pick it up. After a few seconds of empty ringing in her ears, a soft tone echoed.

"Emily! How are you? How's Mom?" Clara's curiosity heightened, but she noticed Emily's sudden smiles.

"Clara, relax, my mom is fine now, and ..."

Emily paused mid - sentence. A shadow moved in the door way. Her father stood there - face pale, trembling and completely broken.

Emily said, her voice barely above a whisper yet firm.

"What happened? Tell me." Clara's demanding tone pierced through her ears.

Emily's face lipped up as she shared the good news with Clara. "Can you believe it? The surgery is covered! Mom can finally get the treatment she needs." "I've gotten the money, and I've just paid it as I'm speaking to you."

Clara's eyes widened. I'm surprised. "That's amazing. Emily! Your family must be so relieved."

Just as Emily was about to respond, her father appeared in the doorway, his eyes red-rimmed and tears welling up. Emily's expression softened as she rushed to his side.

"Dad, what's wrong?" She asked. concern etched on her face. Ignoring what the receptionist was telling her about the successful transaction.

Mr. Jones took a deep breath, trying to compose himself. "It's just... I was talking to your mom's doctor, and he said... He said the surgery was a success, but there were complications after the surgery."

Emily's eyes welled up with tears as she hugged her father tightly. "No... No... no, it can't be true, it just can't be true!" Emily's voice decreased to the minimum, her eyes filled with pain.

"It's the truth, dear," Mr. Jones uttered, his deep voice breaking down, and he couldn't finish his words properly. Mr. Jones remained gripped by pain, as did Emily, who threw her bag to the flashy tiled floor.

"Mom, can't die yet, Dad, please take me to her." Emily draws him upward from the leather chair he sat on, weeping like a child lost in the wilderness. "Let's go, Dad; where is she?" She demanded.

As she turned her back, heading to the ward, she was her father trying to hold on to her, but she didn't stop walking in an aggressive manner. Until she was stopped by a man pulling out a stretcher across the hall, its wheels squeaking softly on the polished floor. Emily's heart sank as she saw the sheet covering her mother's body.

She rushed towards the men, her eye fixed on the figure beneath the sheet. As she reached the stretcher, she gently pulled back the sheet, revealing her mother's peaceful face.

Emily's eyes welled up with tears as she gazed at her mother for the last time, taking in every detail of her belowces features. She whispered a final goodbye, her voice barely audible over the sound of her own heart breaking.

"Haa! Mom, wake up and tell me it's a prank! Mommy!!!" She screamed aloud, her whole voice and body consumed by anguish.

"Goodbye, darling!" Mr. Jones whispered, his voice cracking with emotion. "I'll miss you so much."

Mr. Jones carries guilt both for being unable to save his wife, and for dragging his daughter into this mess. He struggles to either confess his failures and protect Emily - or stay silent and let her pay the price.

As Emily stood there, frozen in grief, the world around her seemed to fade away. All that was left was the ache in her heart and the memory of her mother's love.

Just as Emily held her mother's lifeless hand, the doctor approached hesitantly.

“I'm… I'm sorry, Miss Emily. There's something I must tell you.”

Emily looked up, drained.

“Your mother… she passed before we received the money. But someone - someone powerful - asked us to delay telling you until after the payment was processed.”

Emily's eyes widened. A single name came to mind.

Richard Grey

But as she crumbled to the floor, clutching her mother's cold hand, she felt a vibration in her bag.

Her phone buzzed violently. On the screen: Richard Grey.

But beneath his name, a second message appeared. One she hadn't seen before:

“Now that she's gone… you're mine completely.”

Emily's tears froze. This wasn't grief. It was war.