Chapter 0002

The next day, Helen was in the room she shared with her roommates, studying her books in preparation for the medical exam the following week.

It was past 2 p.m., yet she hadn't bathed or eaten breakfast since morning. Due to her plus-sized figure, Helen was trying to lose weight.

She busied herself reviewing for her project test and practical, both 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 hand—on a Saturday, no less.

"Damn it, Helen! How could you not leave this room all day just because we have exams and practicals next week? Come on!" Tasha said, strolling over to the bed. She reached for the book Helen had been studying, snatched it, and snapped it shut.

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

"You're beautiful with brains, Helen. You'd pass even if you didn't study for a week. So get out of bed, go take a bath, and eat some breakfast. It's already 2 p.m. I won't give your book back until you do," Tasha replied bluntly, refusing to hand it over.

Helen was wearing a white nightdress. She grimaced and climbed out of bed.

"Tasha, I'm trying to lose weight—that's why I skipped breakfast. This weight-loss plan is a joke on me," Helen said. She couldn't believe that despite all her efforts, she was still plus-sized.

Tasha moved closer and sat on Helen's bed. She was wearing a red top and black skirt. Smiling, she said, "Maybe you need a boyfriend to lose weight. Think about it—sex is the best exercise for burning all those calories you're carrying."

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

"I don't need a boyfriend, and don't say that crap again." Helen got out of bed and headed to take her bath.

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

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

Once Helen had left, Tasha's phone rang with an incoming call from Samuel.

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

Tasha's eyes had nearly popped out of her head when Samuel made the offer. Though she liked Helen, she couldn't refuse such a huge sum. Besides, she wasn't from an influential family like Samuel's.

"How's the deal going? Have you convinced your friend yet?" Samuel asked, his voice calm, but Tasha rolled her eyes.

"It's not going to be easy," Tasha said. She was alone in the room now.

"You know exams are next week, so you'll have to be patient until after the practicals and main exams," Tasha added softly. Samuel sighed.

"Mmm. I'll wait for your results. If you don't help me, forget 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's a virgin?* Tasha pondered, gritting her teeth.

"Damn that chubby girl," she cursed under her breath.

*****

Meanwhile, Helen finished her bath and returned to the room to get dressed. She received a phone call from her mother, who informed her that her father had fallen ill.

"What?" Helen shuddered.

With exams the following week, she couldn't leave for her family home to see him.

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

"He's not getting better. The doctor advised us to prepare for the worst," her mother said. Helen wiped away her tears.

She couldn't focus on anything after that. She couldn't study, and she wanted to rush home immediately.

If anything happened to her father, Helen knew her brothers would fight over his small business, which wasn't booming like it had when he was younger. With his declining age and worsening illness, her father's small pharmaceutical company was on the brink of bankruptcy.

Sitting alone in the room—her other roommates had gone out—Helen thought about her final year. She had only one year left before graduating as a pharmacist from the renowned university. If she couldn't pay the 500,000 in tuition and accommodation fees, how would she graduate?

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

"What's wrong, Helen? You don't look cheerful. What happened?" Tasha asked, noticing Helen's tear-filled eyes.

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

"Don't tell me that—talk to me," Tasha said, sitting beside Helen on the bed. But Helen just wiped her tears again.

"It's nothing to worry about. I'll be fine," Helen replied. She didn't want to tell Tasha about her family background. Helen wasn't from a rich family, despite her brilliance. She hid her status from her friends so they wouldn't mock or laugh at her.

"It's fine if you don't want to tell me," Tasha said, not pressing further. But she could see Helen wasn't okay.

That week passed, and exam and practical week arrived.

Helen couldn't focus. She got another call from her mother saying her father hadn't improved—in fact, he'd suffered a stroke after losing a huge amount to a scam.

The scammer had posed as King's Pharmaceutical and targeted the Roberts' small pharmaceutical company in their state, claiming they would supply new products. Her father had trusted them, but the man had vanished with all the money.

Helen couldn't concentrate on her exams or lectures. Mr. Theodore Ruben, one of her lecturers, noticed her melancholy state and invited her to his office after the exam.

"Helen, what's wrong? You've been inactive and unhappy all exam week. Is something the matter at home?" Mr. Ruben asked, sitting in his office chair.

Helen lowered her head, not wanting to discuss her family. It wasn't something she liked sharing, but she knew if anything happened to her father, she'd have to repeat her final year.

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

"Mmm. It's okay if you don't trust me enough to share. But if it's about money, I can help. You're one of the most brilliant students in this university, and I don't want you losing focus on your exams. You got a credit instead of the excellent A you usually earn."

Helen couldn't say anything. Her lips trembled, but she forced a tight smile and said, "I'll do better next time."

"Hmm. It's fine. You can go," Mr. Ruben dismissed Helen. He was a 32-year-old single man who liked Helen a lot but kept his feelings to himself, planning to wait until she graduated. He'd joined the university four years earlier, when Helen was a freshman.