A Price Too High

That man was a complete bastard.

The thought stayed in Lumi’s head as she pushed open the door to her friend’s apartment and stepped inside. She slammed the door shut behind her with more force than necessary, the sound echoing through the quiet space.

Her chest rose and fell quickly. While her hands trembled at her sides.

“How dare he,” she muttered under her breath.

She dropped her bag onto the couch and began pacing the small living room. Her steps were uneven, her anger still fresh and sharp.

Who did he think he was?

Ordering her around. Telling her what to do with her own body. Offering her money as if that was enough to control her.

Her jaw tightened.

“I’m not one of those women,” she said aloud. “I’m not someone he can just buy.”

She ran a hand through her hair and let out a frustrated breath.

The apartment was quiet.

She paused and looked around.

“Emily?” she called but didn’t get a response.

Of course.

Emily would be at work.

Lumi let out a tired sigh and sank onto the couch. Her body still felt weak from everything that had happened, but her mind refused to rest.

Her eyes moved to her phone.

For a brief second, the thought crossed her mind. Call him. Say everything you didn’t say before.

Curse him out.

Tell him exactly what kind of man he was.

Her fingers twitched and she almost reached for it. But then she stopped herself.

“What’s the point?” she muttered.

He wouldn’t listen.

He never did.

He only cared about control.

She leaned back against the couch and closed her eyes. Everything felt overwhelming and too much at once.

Her father

.

The baby.

Aaron.

The deal.

The money.

Her life felt like it was slipping out of her hands, piece by piece.

Before she could sink deeper into her thoughts, her phone suddenly rang.

The sound startled her and her eyes snapped open as she reached for it quickly.

Emily.

Lumi frowned slightly in confusion before answering.

“Hello?”

“Where the hell is your phone?” Emily’s voice came through immediately, loud and irritated.

Lumi blinked. “What?”

“I’ve been calling you for over an hour! It kept going straight to voicemail!”

Lumi looked down at the device in her hand.

“Oh… it died earlier,” she said. “I just got back and plugged it in.”

She sat up slowly.

“Why are you yelling? It’s just been an hour.”

There was a brief pause on the other end. Then Emily spoke again, but this time her tone had changed.

“Lumi…”

Something in her voice made Lumi’s chest tighten.

“What?” she asked, her grip on the phone tightening slightly.

“It’s your dad.”

Her heart skipped.

No.

And her body went still.

“What about him?” she asked quickly, her voice already shaking.

There was another pause.

Then—

“He had a heart attack.”

Everything around Lumi seemed to go silent.

“What?” she whispered.

“He collapsed this morning,” Emily continued. “They rushed him to the hospital. The doctors said—”

“I’m coming,” Lumi cut in immediately.

Her voice came out fast, panicked.

“I’m coming right now.”

She didn’t wait for a response. She ended the call and stood up so quickly that her head spun.

“No, no, no…” she muttered as she grabbed her bag.

Her hands shook as she rushed toward the door. She didn’t change her clothes. Didn’t fix her hair.

Didn’t think.

All she knew was that she had to get there.

Now.

She ran out of the apartment and down the stairs, her breath coming out uneven as fear gripped her chest.

Outside, the sun was already high in the sky. The day had moved forward. But for her, everything had stopped.

She stepped onto the road and raised her hand, flagging down a taxi.

“Hospital,” she said quickly as she got in. “Fast, please.”

The driver nodded and started the car.

Lumi sat in the backseat, her hands clenched tightly in her lap. Her heart would not stop racing.

Please be okay.

Please be okay.

She stared out the window as the city moved past her in a blur.

Every second felt too slow.

Every stop felt unbearable.

She pressed her lips together, trying to hold herself together.

But her thoughts wouldn’t stop.

What if she was too late?

What if something had already happened?

What if—

“No,” she whispered. “He’ll be fine.”

He had to be.

He was all she had left.

The car finally pulled up in front of the hospital. Lumi didn’t wait for the driver to open the door.

She pushed it open herself, handed him some money without counting it, and rushed inside.

The hospital was busy. People moved around quickly. Voices filled the air. But Lumi didn’t pay attention to any of it.

She moved straight toward the reception area, her eyes searching.

“Excuse me,” she said quickly. “My father—”

Before she could finish, she turned a corner and nearly ran into someone.

“Watch it—”

She stopped suddenly.

It was one of the doctors.

He looked at her, then recognition crossed his face.

“Miss Reeves.”

Relief and fear hit her at the same time.

“Doctor,” she said quickly, stepping closer. “What’s going on? What happened to my father?”

Her voice was already breaking. The doctor adjusted his glasses, his expression serious.

“He had a cardiac relapse,” he said.

Lumi’s stomach dropped.

“A relapse?” she repeated and he nodded.

“His condition has worsened,” he continued. “If we don’t perform a major surgery within the next thirty-six hours, we might lose him.”

The words hit her hard.

“No…” she whispered.

Her eyes got filled with tears instantly.

“No, that can’t be…”

She shook her head, her breathing becoming uneven again.

“Then do it,” she said quickly. “Please, just do the surgery. I’ll sign whatever you need. Just save him.”

The doctor’s expression shifted slightly.

“Miss Reeves,” he said carefully. “There’s an issue.”

Her heart dropped again.

“What issue?” she asked.

“You still have outstanding bills from his previous treatments,” he explained. “We’ve already extended goodwill by continuing his care despite the delay in payment.”

Lumi stared at him.

“I’ll pay,” she said quickly. “I’ll find a way. Just start the surgery.”

The doctor shook his head.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “Hospital policy requires payment before we proceed with a procedure of this scale.”

Her chest tightened painfully.

“You can’t be serious,” she said, her voice rising.

“I am.”

Tears spilled down her cheeks now.

“Please,” she begged. “He doesn’t have time. You just said that yourself. Thirty-six hours—”

“I understand,” the doctor replied, but his tone remained firm. “But without payment, there’s nothing we can do.”

Lumi felt her legs weaken.

She reached out slightly, as if trying to hold onto something.

“Please…” she whispered again.

But the doctor had already stepped back.

“I’m sorry,” he repeated before turning and walking away.

Just like that.

He left.

Lumi stood there, frozen.

People around her had started to notice. Some glanced at her. Some whispered quietly.

She could feel their eyes on her.

Feel their judgment.

Her hands trembled as she wiped at her tears, but they kept coming.

What was she supposed to do?

Where was she supposed to get that kind of money?

Her mind raced, but no answer came.

She felt trapped.

Completely trapped.

After a moment, she turned slowly and walked away from the crowd.

Each step felt heavier than the last. Begging wouldn’t help. Crying wouldn’t help. Nothing would change unless she did something.

Her fingers tightened around her bag. Her heart still pounded in her chest. She stopped walking and stood still for a moment.

Her thoughts returned to one person.

Aaron.

Her jaw clenched immediately.

No.

She didn’t want to think about him.

Didn’t want to go back to him.

But…

Her father’s life was on the line. Lumi closed her eyes briefly. She needed a solution.

And she needed it fast.

Because time was already running out.