A confused Lura

Tiredly, I dragged myself into my cramped apartment in Queens, every step heavy with exhaustion. I was extremely tired. I sat on the edge of my bed.

The damp carpet faintly smelled of old coffee, and the only brightness in the room came from a thin beam of sunlight slipping through the tiny window.

I pulled the contract papers from my bag and stared at them, studying them the way a coach would study his best player. focused, as if trying to see something unstoppable within them.

Suddenly, my phone buzzed.

The hospital was calling.

“Hello, Miss Lura,” the doctor’s voice came through, low and heavy. I clutched the phone tightly.

“Your sister, Catherine… her condition is worsening. We’ve done everything we can with the current treatment.”

I pressed the phone harder to my ear.

“Doctor, how bad is she now? What is the next solution?”

“Very bad. We need to start the next procedure immediately. But we can’t continue without a deposit. You have to act fast, very fast.”

I swallowed hard, my throat instantly dry.

“Doctor, please… I need a little more time. I’ll balance everything. I promise.”

“I’m very sorry, Miss Lura,” he said gently. “Time is what Catherine doesn’t have anymore.”

The line went silent, except for the faint hum of hospital machines in the background.

My phone slipped from my fingers and fell onto the bed. I sat motionless for a long time, my chest echoing with the doctor’s words. Helplessness pressed down on me until breathing felt difficult.

Will I lose the only family I have left because I can’t pay medical bills?

Slowly, I turned my head and looked at the contract again. The papers seemed to glow like a doorway to a better life.

A symbol of good living.

“Three million dollars,” I whispered, staring at the pages. “More than enough to buy my sister’s life back.”

But I shook my head.

“No,” I told myself. “I’ll get my allowance tomorrow from my waitress job. It won’t be enough for the full deposit, but at least the doctor can continue her treatment. For Catherine.”

For a brief moment, my chest steadied. Relief brushed against me until reality crashed back in.

If I gave the hospital all my allowance, I’d have nothing left for rent, food, or transportation to work. And my parents’ debts were still waiting.

My breath hitched again. Depression wrapped around me like a cold blanket.

I stared at the contract once more and shook my head.

“I work hard every single day,” I whispered. “I pay what little I can. Why does doing the right thing never pay the bills?”

My exhaustion simmered into angry at life, at fate, at myself, at a world that never gave me a chance to rest.

“No matter what, I need to visit the hospital tonight,” I told myself as I pushed up from the bed. “I need to see Catherine. I’ll beg the doctor to continue her treatment and promise the money as soon as I collect my allowance tomorrow.”

Fear burned inside me, but so did determination. Catherine was my priority. I would do anything to keep her alive, anything except signing a contract marriage with Xavier that might destroy my own life.

“No situation will stop me,” I whispered firmly. “I’m going to the hospital tonight. I won’t give up on Catherine.”

It took nearly a mile of walking before I reached the hospital gate, city lights blurring around me. I hurried inside, desperate to see the only family I had left.

The bright hospital lights bleached the color from the walls and from the hope I was desperately holding onto. I met the doctor in his office.

“Please,” I begged, my voice cracking. “I’ll bring the deposit tomorrow. Please continue Catherine’s treatment. She’s all I have.”

“Miss Lura,” the doctor said, avoiding my eyes, “you must deposit immediately. We can’t proceed without it. Sell your phone, sell your parents’ property, sell anything, or get an instant loan.”

He spoke kindly, then left before I could respond.

I wasn’t allowed to see Catherine.

I stumbled out of the hospital, hot tears burning my eyes. I tried applying for an instant loan, hoping it might save me but it was immediately denied because I hadn’t been able to pay taxes regularly.

My world kept shrinking.

Morning came like a slap of cold water.

Nothing changed. Hardship greeted me like it always did. The sun rose, life continued, and I barely managed an hour of sleep.

I sat on the edge of my bed, my hands resting on the floor, remembering the joyful and happy days Catherine and I once shared before tragedy struck. The memory tightened something in my chest.

“I won’t give up,” I whispered, standing to bathe. “I need to get to work.”

My phone rang.

My boss.

“Maybe she wants to pay me early,” I whispered hopefully.

I answered. “Hello?”

“Lura, you’re already late. Don’t bother coming until further notice.”

“Just like that?” I asked in shock.

The line went dead.

“What?” I whispered, eyes wide.

I abandoned my bath and rushed through the crowded New York streets, pushing myself harder than ever. No one offered help or a free ride. When I reached the restaurant, my heart froze.

Someone else was working at my counter.

“Am I dreaming?” I murmured.

My boss didn’t pretend to be gentle. “Lura, you’ve been replaced. You can’t work here anymore. Please leave and find another job. You’re always late.”

“But I’m not late,” I whispered. “It’s 8 a.m. The same time I always arrive.”

“It’s already decided,” she said, turning away.

My lips parted, but no words came. I bit my lip hard to stop it from trembling.

“At least let me collect my allowance for the month I worked,” I whispered.

I stepped toward the bar, but a security guard blocked me.

“You’re not allowed inside. The boss said you have no business here anymore. Please leave.”

“I worked here an entire month,” I said weakly.

My boss walked past without looking at me. “Escort her out. Don’t let her in again.”

I was shoved onto the pavement.

“Why is it always me?” I whispered. “Why do I deserve this? Why was I even born into a life like this?”

I wiped my tears roughly. “I promised the doctor I’d bring money today… and now I have nothing.”

I walked toward my second job, my steps heavy, tears falling before I could stop them.

“Will I ever save Catherine without signing Xavier’s marriage contract?” I choked out.

The thought made my knees weak.

Just as I was about to give up, my phone buzzed.

A new message.

An unknown number.

My stomach flipped.

You have twelve hours left.