Chapter 2:- Hope

OLIVIA

“Johnson! Johnson, please wake up!” I screamed, shaking my brother’s lifeless body on the cold floor. His skin was burning with fever, and his breathing was so slow and unsteady, I could barely see his chest rise and fall.

I didn’t have a phone to call for help. I didn't even have money for a taxi. But I couldn’t let him die. Not Johnson. Not the only family I had left.

Somehow, I managed to get him on my back and stumbled down the stairs. Mrs. Chen heard my cries and rushed out of her apartment. She helped me carry Johnson into a taxi and even paid the fare when I told her I had no money.

“Go, child,” she said softly. “Save your brother.”

The ride to the hospital felt like an eternity, it literally felt like I was going to the far end of the town. Johnson was unconscious in my arms, his head lolling against my shoulder. I kept whispering, “Stay with me, Johnson. Please don’t leave me too.”

At the emergency room, doctors rushed him inside while I waited outside, pacing and praying. I begged God not to take the only person I had left in the world. After what felt like hours, a doctor finally came out to speak with me.

“Are you Johnson’s sister?” he asked.

“Yes, sir. Is he okay? Please tell me he’s okay.”

His face was serious. “I’m afraid your brother has the same kidney disease your mother had. We ran tests, it’s the same genetic condition. The good news is, we caught it early. It’s still in stage one. With proper treatment, we can save him.”

Hope bloomed in my chest for a brief second before crashing back down. “How much will the treatment cost?”

“Twenty thousand dollars for the full program. We need to begin immediately, or it could progress quickly.”

Twenty thousand dollars.

I felt my knees buckle, and I collapsed in the hospital hallway. “Please, doctor,” I cried, crawling toward him and grabbing his coat. “Please save my brother. I’ll work, I’ll pay you back, I promise. He’s all I have left. Please don’t let him die.”

The doctor looked uncomfortable as he gently helped me stand. “I’m truly sorry. Hospital policy requires payment upfront for this kind of treatment. There’s nothing I can do without the money.”

“But he’s just fifteen!” I sobbed. “He hasn’t even lived his life yet. Please, I’m begging you!”

“I truly am sorry,” the doctor repeated, walking away. “We’ll keep him stable for now, but we can’t begin treatment without payment.”

I ran out of the hospital, my mind spinning with panic and desperation. Johnson was going to die, just like Mom, if I didn’t come up with twenty thousand dollars. But where was I supposed to get that kind of money? I was just a twenty-year-old girl with no job, no family, and no hope.

I found myself running aimlessly through the streets, tears streaming down my face. I wasn’t watching where I was going when suddenly, a sleek black Lamborghini came speeding around a corner. I jumped back just in time, but stumbled and fell hard onto the pavement.

The car screeched to a halt, and a man stepped out. He was tall, maybe twenty-four, wearing an expensive suit that probably cost more than we paid for rent in a year. His dark hair was perfectly styled, and his cold blue eyes looked at me with pure disgust.

“Are you completely insane?” he shouted. “Do you have any idea how much this car costs? If you scratched it, your pathetic life wouldn’t be worth the damage!”

“I’m sorry,” I stammered, trying to get up from the ground. “I didn’t see you coming..”

“Of course you didn’t,” he snapped, cutting me off. “Poor people like you never pay attention. You’re too busy worrying about your next meal to use the little brain you have.”

His words cut deep, because they were true. I was worried about my next meal. I was worried about keeping my brother alive.

“Look at you,” he sneered, glancing at me up and down like I was filth. “Dressed in rags, crying in the street like some kind of beggar. People like you are what’s wrong with this city. You drag the whole place down.”

Before I could respond, his hand flew across my face in a sharp slap that made my head snap sideways. The sting brought fresh tears to my eyes.

“Maybe that’ll teach you to watch where you’re going next time,” he said coldly. “Stay out of the way of your betters.”

He turned to get back into the car and muttered to his driver, “Chris Blackwood doesn’t have time for street trash. Let’s go.”

Chris Blackwood.

Even in my despair, I recognized the name. He was the heir to one of the biggest fortunes in the country, constantly in the news for his businesses, his wealth, and his cold heart. And he had just humiliated me in public like I was nothing.

The Lamborghini sped away, leaving me on the sidewalk with a red handprint on my cheek and a shattered spirit. I didn’t think I could feel any lower, but Chris Blackwood proved me wrong.

I wandered the streets for the rest of the day, numb and directionless. As evening fell, I ended up sitting on a park bench, crying quietly, thinking about Johnson lying in that hospital bed. How was I going to save him? How could I save us?

I didn’t even notice the black sedan that pulled up until a car door closed. A man approached the bench, and I looked up into kind brown eyes filled with concern.

“Hey,” he said gently, sitting beside me. “Are you okay? You look like you’re in trouble.”

I wiped my eyes, not trusting this stranger. After what happened earlier, I didn’t know if I could trust anyone.

“I’m Daniel Black,” he said, extending a hand. “You don’t have to be afraid. I just want to help, if I can.”

There was something about his voice that made me believe him. Maybe it was desperation. Or maybe it was the calm sincerity in his eyes. Whatever it was, I found myself opening up.

“My brother is dying,” I whispered, then broke down completely. I told him everything, about Mom, about Johnson, about the hospital bill, our eviction notice. Everything poured out while I sobbed on that park bench to a complete stranger.

Daniel listened without interrupting. When I finally finished, he stood and held out his hand.

“Come on,” he said. “Let’s go to the hospital.”

“What?” I stared at him in disbelief.

“Your brother needs treatment, right? Let’s go get him treated.”

“But I told you, I don’t have the money…”

“I do,” he said simply. “Let’s go.”

The ride to the hospital felt like a dream. Daniel didn’t ask more questions. He just drove while I sat in stunned silence. When we arrived, he walked straight to the billing office and asked for the doctor treating Johnson.

“I’d like to pay for Johnson’s treatment,” he said. “All of it.”

I watched in disbelief as he handed over his credit card like twenty thousand dollars meant nothing. The doctor’s entire demeanor changed the moment the payment cleared.

“We can begin treatment immediately,” he said, smiling.

I dropped to my knees, overwhelmed with gratitude. “Thank you,” I cried, grabbing Daniel’s hands. “Thank you so much. You saved his life. You saved his life!”

Daniel helped me up, his expression gentle. “It’s okay,” he said. “He’s going to be alright now.”

Within hours, Johnson was stable and starting treatment. Daniel even bought us food from the hospital cafeteria, and we sat together while Johnson slept peacefully for the first time in days.

“I can never repay you for this,” I said quietly as we ate. “I still don’t understand why you’d help strangers like us.”

“Sometimes people just need help,” he replied with a warm smile. “Besides, you seem like someone who’d do the same if you could.”

“I really need to find a job,” I murmured. “I have to take care of Johnson now. I don’t know how I’ll manage school, work, and everything else.”

Daniel paused, then looked thoughtful. “Actually, I might be able to help with that too. My parents are looking for household help, someone to cook, clean, and help around the house. The pay’s good, and it comes with housing if you need it.”

My heart jumped. A job with housing? It sounded too good to be true.

“Would you be interested?” he asked, his eyes searching mine.

I opened my mouth to answer, but his phone rang loudly, interrupting the moment. He glanced at the screen and frowned.

“I have to take this,” he said, stepping away. “But think about what I said, okay?”

As he walked off to answer the call, I sat there, stunned. Was this really happening? Could our luck finally be changing? And if it was… what would working for Daniel Black’s family mean for my future?