Chapter 2: Betrayal

AUBREE

I walked back to my room cautiously, still holding the gauze against my arm where the needle had been.

When I got to my room, I sat down too dizzy and was almost losing consciousness.

They call this basement my room but I know even this wasn't mine.

 Nothing in this mansion was mine. Not the bed, not the clothes in the closet, not even the air I breathed.

Everything belongs to him including me. I struggled to my feet and went to the calendar, I marked another day off.

I staggered back to the bed and fell back as I thought back to three years ago, when all the madness began. 

[Three Years Earlier]

I ran through the hospital halls, my heart pounding so hard I thought it would explode. 

I had eleven missed calls from my mother and I am too terrified to listen to them. 

God, please let nothing happen to Lily. I found them in the ICU waiting room. 

My mother was sobbing into my father's shoulder. Her makeup was ruined, as well as her mascara, which was running down her face. 

Vivian stood by the window looking perfect as always in her designer coat and heels. 

Even in such a crisis, she looked like she'd stepped out of a magazine.

"What happened?" I gasped, trying to catch my breath. "Where's Lily? Is she okay?"

My mother looked up at me with swollen red eyes. "The doctors say... They say she needs a bone marrow transplant. Soon. Or she'll..."

She couldn't say it, but I understood what she meant. 

My sixteen-year-old baby sister was dying.

"How much does it c-cost?" I asked. My voice trembled at the last word.

My father's face crumbled. "Ten million dollars. For the transplant, the medications, and the recovery. The insurance won't cover most of it. They say it's experimental."

Ten million dollars.

We barely had two hundred dollars in the bank.

I was already working three part-time jobs just to pay for my community college classes. 

My parents had sold their car months ago. Vivian made decent money at her marketing job, but not nearly enough.

"We'll figure something out," I said, even though I had no idea what. "We'll take out loans. We'll…"

"I already tried every bank in the city," my father answered weakly. 

 "No one will give us that much. Not with our credit. And certainly not with nothing to offer as collateral."

It felt like I was drowning and the hospital walls were closing in on me.

Around us, other families whispered and cried. The ICU waiting room was full of tragedy.

And we were just one more broken family watching someone we loved slip away because we didn't have money. 

As we sat down waiting, a man in a suit walked in. 

I couldn't help but notice how expensive the suit was. This suit could probably cover some part of the hospital bill.

It must be good to be rich. I sighed. 

He stopped in front of us. "Mr. and Mrs. Hayes?" Even his voice sounded expensive. 

My father stood up with uncertainty in his eyes. "Yes?"

"My name is Richard Cohen. I'm an attorney representing the Winter family." He pulled out a business card and handed it to my father. 

"I understand your daughter Lily is very ill."

Wait? The Winter? Like the winter family? The richest of all the wealthy, the one all socialites would swoon to be close to, is introducing himself to my family?

 How did he know Lily? And worse, how did he know our names?

Oh Lord, what if my father borrowed money from one of their companies and they are here to sue? Oh no! 

My gaze quickly swerved to my father who stared at the card as if it might bite him. 

"She... yes. She's dying."

"I may have a solution to your financial difficulties." Mr. Cohen opened a leather folder. "My boss, Mr. Dominic Winter, suffers from a rare genetic blood disorder. Without regular transfusions from a very specific blood type, he will die."

I felt Vivian's eyes on me, and with the way she was looking at me, it seemed she knew already. 

"What does this have to do with us?" my mother asked, her voice trembling.

Mr. Cohen looked directly at me. His eyes are empty. "Your daughter Aubree has that blood type. We've been searching for a compatible donor for six months. She's the only match we've found in the entire United States."

My blood type.

I had donated blood once in high school for a blood drive. They told me I had a rare type. 

Some combination of letters and numbers I didn't understand. I never thought it mattered.

"What exactly are you proposing?" my father asked.

"Mr. Winter is willing to pay all medical expenses for your daughter Lily. The bone marrow transplant. The medications. The hospital stay. All follow-up care. Everything." Mr. Cohen's voice was so calm. 

Everyone gasped in hope but I felt the back of my hair stand. 

"However, in exchange, Aubree would donate blood twice weekly for a period of three years."

My racing heart immediately stopped for a second.

 I looked at my father, hoping he wouldn't do as Mr. Cohen was suggesting, but he didn't say anything; he only stared at the card.

"That's... that's insane," my mother whispered. "You can't just... Ask something like that from anyone."

"It's a medical contract," Mr. Cohen corrected. "And it's completely legal. Aubree would live at the Winter estate to ensure consistent donation schedules. She would be provided for, with full medical monitoring. And most importantly..." He paused. "Your youngest daughter will live."

Lily would live.

My baby sister, who still believed in fairy tales and wanted to be a veterinarian, would live but at the expense of my health. I didn't mind.

"How much blood?" I heard myself ask.

"Aubree, no," my mother rebuked sharply.

"How much?" I repeated, looking at Mr. Cohen.

"Approximately three pints per donation. Twice weekly. Well within safe limits for a healthy adult. Dr. Morrison, one of the country's top hematologists, would personally oversee your care."

"And after three years?"

"The contract ends. You're free to leave. By then, we hope to have developed a synthetic alternative." His face was expressionless. "Or found another donor."

I didn't mind giving three years of my life for Lily's entire future.

"I'll do it," I announced.

"Aubree…" my father started.

"I'll do it!" I said louder. My hands were shaking. "If it saves Lily, I'll do it. I'll sign whatever you want."

My mother started crying harder. Vivian just stared at me like I'd announced I was joining a cult, I guess she had not expected I would do this.

Mr. Cohen nodded once. "There are a few conditions you should be aware of."

"What conditions?"

"The arrangement must remain private. You are not permitted to discuss your employment with anyone outside your immediate family. If asked, you would say you work as household staff."

Household staff, a maid. Like I was nothing.

"Fine," I said. My voice didn't even sound like mine anymore.

"Additionally, Mr. Winter is engaged to be married. His fiancée and his family cannot know about his medical condition. It would damage the family's business reputation and stock prices."

Engaged.

So I would be his secret. His dirty little secret while he lived his perfect life with his perfect fiancée.

"I don't care," I lied. "As long as Lily gets her transplant."

Mr. Cohen's lips curved into something that wasn't a smile. "Excellent. Mr. Winter will wire the first payment to the hospital within the hour. Lily can begin treatment tomorrow morning."

Tomorrow. Lily could start treatment tomorrow.

"I'll need you to come to our offices the day after tomorrow to sign the official contract," Mr. Cohen continued. "Someone will be in touch with the details."

He closed his folder and walked out.

Just like that. My fate was decided in less than ten minutes.

My family sat in stunned silence.

The ICU machines beeped around us. Someone down the hall was crying.

"You don't have to do this," my father finally said. "We'll find another way. We'll…"

"There is no other way." I looked at him and saw the defeat in his eyes and the shame. "You know there isn't."

Vivian's phone rang. She answered it, then her face went pale.

"That was my boss," she said slowly. "Dominic Winter's office just called. They want me to come in tomorrow for an interview. For a senior position. Working directly under him."

My mother's confusion was obvious. "What? That fast?"

“ What is fast?” I asked my mother. 

Looking guilty as if I had caught her doing something bad.

 “ I don't know. I am just happy for Vivian.”

I didn't question her, I just went to get water to quench my thirst. 

When I returned, I found that Lily had been moved to a vip room in the hospital so I went to find my family.

When I got to the room, I heard whispering and murmuring. I should have just pushed the door open and entered, but something told me to stay calm and listen, which was what I did.

“ I told you, she would fall for it,” Vivian chuckled.

“ Vivi, you are so brilliant, now you can marry Dominic since he is going to live long and we can finally enjoy wealth.”

The bottle of water in my hand fell and they all turned to look at me. My mother looked guilty but not enough to say sorry or explain.

So this was my family and this was familial love people spoke of.

[ Present]

I finished the apple juice box that Dr. Morrison gave me and I threw the empty box in the small trash can.

That was three years ago and it was the day I learned exactly how much I was worth to my family.

My phone buzzed and a text from Lily popped up on my screen.

["Aubree! Guess what? I got accepted into veterinary school! They gave me a scholarship! I can't believe it! Thank you for everything. I love you so much ❤️❤️❤️"]

I stared at the message until my vision blurred with tears. 

She was alive, and she was healthy, not just healthy, but she was going to be a veterinarian just like she dreamed.

I pressed my hand against my chest where it hurt.

This was why I was here, it was just the remaining six months for the contract to end, and I would start afresh and forget about it all.