Chapter 2: Mother's Call

The next day, Helen was sitting on her bed, studying for the exams she had the following week.

It was 2:00 p.m., and yet she had not bathed nor eaten breakfast since morning. Due to her plus-size figure, Helen was trying to lose weight.

She busied herself studying for her project test and the practicals coming up the following week.

Tasha Thompson returned from lunch and looked stunned to see Helen curled up on the bed with her books in her hands, especially since it was Saturday.

"Damn it, Helen! How could you not leave this room for a whole day just because we have examinations and practicals next week? Come off it!" Tasha said as she strolled to the bed to meet Helen. Her hands reached for the book Helen had been studying; she snatched it and shut it closed.

"Tasha, give me back my book. I do not want to fail this exam," Helen said, frowning at her best friend's behavior.

"You are a beauty with brains, Helen. Obviously, you wouldn't fail even if you didn't study your books for a week. So get out of bed, have your bath, and eat breakfast. It is already 2:00 p.m. I will only return your book to you after that," Tasha replied bluntly, refusing to return Helen's book.

Helen, wearing a white nightdress, grimaced and got out of bed.

"Tasha, I am trying to lose weight, and that is why I haven't had breakfast. This weight-loss plan is a joke," Helen said, unable to believe that despite the time she spent trying to lose weight, she remained plus-sized.

Tasha moved closer to the bed. She sat down, wearing a red top and black skirt. She smiled and said, "Maybe you need a boyfriend to lose weight. Think about it. Sex is the only exercise that will make you burn off all these calories you are carrying."

"Tasha!..." Helen's eyes widened in shock.

"I don't need a boyfriend, and don't say that crap again," Helen said as she prepared to bathe.

"Think about it, Helen. You will thank me later," Tasha said, her lips curling into a smile.

"Damn you!" Helen cursed as she ran out of the room to the girls' bathroom. It was Saturday, and they had no classes.

However, after Helen left, Tasha's phone rang; it was an incoming call from Samuel.

"Hello, Sam," Tasha said with a grin. Samuel had promised her that if she helped him convince Helen to be his girlfriend, he would pay her 1 million.

Though Tasha liked Helen, she could not refuse such a huge offer. Besides, she wasn't from an influential family like Samuel.

"How is the deal going? Have you succeeded in convincing your friend?" Samuel asked. His voice was calm, but Tasha rolled her eyes.

"It's not going to be easy to convince Helen," Tasha said, looking around to ensure she was the only one in the room.

"You know the exams are next week, so you have to exercise patience until after we are done with the practicals and the main exams," Tasha added. Her voice was soft, and Samuel sighed.

"Hmm. I will await your results. If you don't help me out, then forget about the money." The call ended, and Tasha bit her lip hard.

*Why can't Samuel date me instead of Helen? What does he see in her? Is it because she is a virgin?* Tasha pondered, gritting her teeth.

"Damn that chubby girl," she cursed.

***

Meanwhile, Helen had bathed and returned to her room to dress. She received a phone call from her mother informing her that her father had fallen sick.

"What?" Helen shuddered.

With examinations the upcoming week, Helen could not leave for her family home to see her father.

"Mom, how is Dad? Is he recuperating?" she asked, her voice tinged with sadness.

"He is not getting better. The doctor advised that we should prepare for the worst," her mother said, and Helen wiped her tears.

Helen was unable to focus on anything. She couldn't read and wanted to leave for home immediately.

If anything happened to her father, Helen knew her brothers would fight over who would take over the family business, which was no longer booming as it had been when her father was younger. With his declining health and age, her father's small pharmaceutical company was headed for bankruptcy.

Sitting in the room while her roommates were out, Helen thought about her final year. She had only one year left to graduate as a pharmacist from the renowned university. If she could not pay the 500,000 for her tuition and hostel accommodation, how would she graduate?

As Helen's eyes filled with tears, Tasha returned and saw her crying.

"What's wrong, Helen? You don't look cheerful. What happened?" Tasha asked.

Picking up her white handkerchief, Helen wiped her tears and said, "It's nothing. I will be fine."

"Don't tell me that. Talk to me," Tasha said, sitting beside Helen on the bed.

"It's nothing for you to worry about. I will be fine," Helen replied. She did not want to tell Tasha about her family background. Helen was not from a rich family, even though she was brilliant. She hid her family status from her friends because she didn't want them to mock her.

"It's fine, if you do not want to tell me," Tasha replied, not pressing further. But she could see that Helen was not alright.

As the week passed, the examination and practical week arrived.

Helen was unable to focus, as she received another call from her mother saying her father had not improved. In short, he had suffered a stroke after losing a huge sum of money in a scam.

The scammer had posed as Kingston Pharmaceutical and defrauded Roberts Pharmaceutical. Claiming they would supply her father with a huge shipment of new products, the scammer led her father to trust him, but the man had run away with all the money.

Helen could not focus on her exams, and her lecturer, Mr. Theodore Ruben, noticed her melancholy state. He invited her to his office after the exam.

"Helen, what's wrong? I noticed that you haven't been active or happy since this exam week. Is anything the matter at home?" Mr. Ruben asked as he sat in his office chair.

Helen lowered her head, not wanting to discuss her family. It was not something she wanted to share, but she knew she would have to repeat her final year if anything happened to her father.

Dressed in a blue dress and black shoes, Helen avoided Mr. Ruben's eyes as she replied, "It's nothing, sir. I am fine."

"Hmm. It's okay if you do not trust me enough to tell me your problem. But if it's about money, I can help you. You are one of the most brilliant students in this university, and I do not want you to lose focus. Moreover, you received a credit instead of the excellent 'A' you usually get."

Helen couldn't say anything. Her lips trembled, but she smiled tightly and replied, "I will do better next time."

"Hmm. It's fine. You can leave," Mr. Ruben dismissed Helen. He was a 32-year-old man and single, but he knew Helen wouldn't take him seriously, even though he liked her. He kept his feelings to himself and decided to wait for her to graduate.

Mr. Ruben had joined the university four years ago when Helen was a new student. He believed he would get her eventually.