Chapter 4

The sound of splashing water woke Elena from her deep sleep. She blinked slowly, then furrowed her brow.

"God!" Elena groaned at the headache and hangover that hit her.

Not only was she dizzy, but she could feel her whole body breaking down. All her joints felt stiff, and all the discomfort was centered in her private parts, which ached when she moved her legs.

"Ouch! Shit!" Elena massaged her temples as she opened her eyes a little wider.

Elena's eyes bulged as she found herself in a room, lying on a bed with a thick blanket covering her body. Her heart was beating wildly. She looked at her body under the blanket, then held her breath as she saw herself completely naked.

"Oh my God! What have I done?" Elena's heart was beating faster and faster. She tried to remember the last thing she had done.

She remembered going to a club and having a few shots of vodka, hoping to forget about her problems for a while. She closed her eyes and strung together the vague memories that flashed by. A man tried to bother her, but another man came over. She remembered it was the same man she had met at the hospital. Opening her eyes, she saw a large photograph on the wall before her, confirming her memory.

Unfortunately, what happened after that seemed to fade from Elena's memory. She had trouble remembering what happened next. However, looking at her condition at the time, naked on a large bed with pain almost all over her body, especially in her private parts, Elena was sure that something hot had happened that night.

It was something out of her control. She had been drunk and had no idea what she was doing. Whoever the man was, Elena didn't want to get involved with him any further. So, she crawled out of bed, gathered her scattered clothes, and put them on. She had to get out before the man came out of the bathroom. Elena made sure that none of her belongings were left behind. Then she quickly fled the room and the man.

Elena wanted to forget, no matter what had happened the last time. After all, this man didn't know her, so it would be best if she forgot everything.

She staggered down the corridor. Her trembling knees and the pain in her groin were two things that almost made her give up. But she had to go soon.

While waiting for the lift doors to open, Elena checked her phone. Dr. Evans had called several times. But just as she was about to call him, she remembered that she had an appointment with Mr. Harris to meet the company's CEO, whom she had interviewed the day before. It was almost 8 a.m., and Elena was still stranded in the middle of nowhere in a very messy condition.

"Shit! I can't be late," Elena cursed.

She took a taxi to the company for her meeting with the CEO. She tidied up quickly; there was no time to shower and change. Elena asked the taxi driver to drive faster, but the traffic jam was unavoidable. She finally arrived at the company at 8:30.

"I hope I still get in." Elena looked up at the skyscrapers towering in front of her.

She ran her fingers through her hair and entered the lobby. She met the front desk clerk and said, "Excuse me. I'm Elena Wilson. I have an appointment with Mr Harris today."

The front desk clerk looked at Elena from head to toe as if to say it was Elena's unlucky day. Then she smiled kindly and said, "Please wait a moment. I'll call Mr. Harris."

Elena waited, praying that there was still a chance for her. A moment later, the front desk clerk said, "I'm sorry, Ms. Wilson. Mr. Harris said he's already hired someone else."

"What? But I'm only 30 minutes late. Isn't there a chance for me?" said Elena, looking frustrated.

"I'm sorry, but that's all Mr. Harris said," the receptionist replied politely.

Elena was speechless. The day before, Mr Harris had warned her not to be late, but she had missed the opportunity. She knew it was her fault, not his. She was too tired to argue, so she turned and left with disappointment and regret.

Outside the lobby door, Elena's phone rang. She reached into her bag and pulled the phone out. Dr. Evans' name appeared on the screen, and Elena hurried to answer the call.

"Yes, Doctor?" Elena greeted him once the phone was connected.

"I've been trying to contact you since last night. Are you okay?" the doctor asked.

"Apart from losing my chance of getting a job, I'm fine. How's my mum?" asked Elena wearily.

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. Um, yeah. I need to talk to you about your mum. Can you come to the hospital now?" The doctor's tone was stern.

"Has something happened to my mum?" asked Elena with a worried look.

"Just come to the hospital," Dr Evans pleaded.

"Okay, I'll be right there," Elena said.

Whatever Dr. Evans was about to say sounded important. Elena didn't waste any more time. She was rushed to the hospital.

Elena's long legs walked quickly towards Dr. Evans, who was waiting for her.

"Dr Evans," Elena greeted.

"Elena?" The doctor looked Elena over from head to toe. "You look a mess. What happened?" he asked worriedly.

Elena moistened her lips and replied, "Just a bit drunk. I'm fine."

There was doubt in Doctor Evans's face. But he had more important things to say. He only hoped that Elena was telling the truth about her condition.

"I have some good and bad news," the doctor said.

"Just tell me, Doc. Whatever it is, I'll listen," Elena said. Her life was already a mess. One more piece of bad news seemed like something she could handle.

"I have found a match for your mother," the doctor said. Then he took a deep breath, as deep as his look at Elena.

"And?" Elena was sure that was the good news, and she waited for the bad news that Dr Evans was about to tell her.

"I know this is difficult for you," Doctor Evans continued, looking at Elena worriedly. "The transplant will only be done if you at least put down a deposit as security."

Money. That was Elena's biggest problem at the moment. She needed a lot of money. Even though Dr Evans mentioned that she only needed a down payment, it could be as much as the rent for the house she shared with her mother.

Elena took a deep breath, tears streaming down her face as she blinked. Her chest felt tight, but she tried to stay strong.

"When do I have to pay?" Elena asked, her voice shaking.

"With your mother's condition, the sooner the better," the doctor replied gently. He rubbed Elena's arm and said, "Listen! I-"

"I'll pay for it!"

The baritone voice caught Elena's attention. A voice that reminded her of someone sighing. The voice belonged to a man whose face Elena recognized.

The man took a firm step, making Elena's heart beat faster with each step. He stopped beside Elena, glanced at her, and then at Dr. Evans. "Do the transplant. I'll take care of all the costs," he said firmly.