A CALL

MIA'S POV

“I can’t believe he did that to you.”

Sophie wrapped her arms around me on the worn couch, pulling me close. I buried my face in her shoulder and let the tears come. They poured out hot and relentless, soaking her shirt. My whole body shook with sobs that tore from deep in my chest. Every memory of Logan’s cold eyes and Nyra’s smug smile replayed in my mind like a nightmare I could not escape.

“It is okay, Mia,” Sophie whispered, rubbing slow circles on my back. “Let it all out.”

I did. I cried until my throat burned and my eyes felt swollen. Not just for the breakup, but for the two years I had poured into a man who had replaced me with my worst enemy. The woman who had ruined my life at Michigan University now wore his ring.

I do not know how long I stayed like that, curled against my best friend. Eventually the sobs slowed into shaky breaths. Sophie loosened her hold and brushed damp strands of hair from my face.

“Feeling any better?” she asked softly.

I nodded, though I knew my face must have looked wrecked — red eyes, puffy cheeks, mascara streaked down my skin. “A little.” Sophie was my best friend. I did not have to pretend to be strong with her.

“I always knew that bastard was no good,” Sophie muttered, anger sharpening her voice.

I lifted my head. “What do you mean?”

“He tried to isolate you from everyone. He barely let me see you. He could not even—”

My phone rang sharply on the cushion beside us, cutting her off. We both turned toward the sound. My stomach dropped the moment I saw the caller ID.

“It is my mom’s doctor,” I whispered, my voice barely working. My hands turned clammy. I wiped them on my blouse before picking up the phone with trembling fingers. “Hello, Doctor Mike?”

“Hello, Mia.”

My pulse hammered in my ears. Doctor Mike never called unless something was wrong. “What is it? How is my mother?”

He sighed, the sound heavy with exhaustion. “Your mother is stable for now.”

For now. The words sent ice through my veins. I glanced at Sophie, who sat straighter, her face tense with worry.

“The person covering her treatment… that was Logan Brooks, correct?”

“Yes,” I managed, my throat tight.

“He has pulled out. He called the hospital earlier today and said he would no longer be paying due to unavoidable circumstances.”

The floor seemed to tilt beneath me. My mouth went dry. So he had meant every cruel word in the park. I had foolishly hoped it was just anger talking.

“He stopped?” The question came out hoarse.

“Yes. And you know your mother’s condition, Mia. She cannot survive much longer without the next round of chemotherapy.”

I shot to my feet and began pacing Sophie’s small living room, my free hand pressed against my forehead. “What do you mean the next round? That should be her fifth by now.”

“I am sorry to tell you this, Mia. Logan stopped paying two months ago. She has been surviving on basic medication I have been providing on credit.”

The phone nearly slipped from my fingers. Two months? While I had been planning Logan’s training sessions and believing he was supporting us, he had already abandoned my mother.

“Why didn’t you call me sooner?” My voice cracked. Guilt crashed over me like a wave. I had failed her. My own mother.

“I hoped you two would work things out and the payments would resume,” Doctor Mike said gently. “The current bill is two hundred thousand dollars, plus the hospital bed and meals. Her condition is critical, Mia. I wish I had better news.”

The line went dead. I stared at the phone, the screen blurring through fresh tears. My legs felt weak. The small apartment suddenly felt suffocating, the walls closing in.

“Mia, are you alright?” Sophie was beside me in an instant, her hand warm on my shoulder.

“I need to talk to Logan.” My words tumbled out in a rush. I scrolled frantically through my contacts, unblocking the number I had sworn never to use again. My hands shook so badly I almost dropped the phone.

“Mia, maybe you should think this through first—”

“No.” My voice rose, sharp with desperation. “For my mom, I will do anything. Even if it means begging him.”

The call connected after two rings. Logan’s voice came through, already sounding irritated. “Mia.”

I swallowed hard, my heart slamming against my ribs. “Logan, it is about Mom. You cannot just—”

“Stop it already, Mia,” he snapped.

The harsh tone made me freeze. This was not the man who used to hold me at night. This was a stranger.

“You need to handle your own problems. I am not your personal ATM or a dumpster for all your family’s issues.”

Nausea rose in my throat. I gripped the phone tighter. “You promised. No matter what happened between us, you said you would never abandon her treatment.”

Logan let out a cold chuckle. “And you actually believed me? I never thought you were this naïve, Mia.”

Tears streamed down my face. “You should have at least told me when you stopped paying.”

“Sort yourself out. That is your problem now, not mine.” The line went dead.

I stood frozen, the phone still pressed to my ear. The room felt ice-cold. My knees buckled. Sophie caught me before I could collapse and guided me back to the couch.

“That is not really him, right?” I whispered, voice breaking. “He would not do this.”

Sophie pulled me into another tight hug. Her body was rigid with anger. “It is okay, Mia. We will figure this out. He is just a heartless jerk.”

“You should have heard the way he spoke to me,” I choked out. “He insulted my entire family. Called us nothing but burdens.”

Sophie’s jaw tightened. “I told you he never deserved you.”

After a long silence, she spoke again, hesitant. “What about Ryan’s offer?”

I shook my head violently. “No. I cannot. Never.”