Chapter: 11

This terrible news shocked Bethany to her core. Her legs went Limp, and she almost crumpled to the floor in despair.

But time was of the essence. Bethany rushed to the airport and boarded the next flight out. Only when she was on the plane did she think to ask Aimee to explain everything to Carson.

The sun was already setting by the time Bethany landed in Odonset.

She hailed a taxi to the hospital and found her mother had been moved from the resuscitation room to the ICU.

Seeing her mother's pale face, Bethany tried to hold back her tears, but she couldn't. They fell silently, landing on the white hospital sheets.

“Don't cry..."

Marie Adams weakly peeled her eyes open and tried to wipe her daughter's tears, but she didn't even have the strength to hold out her hand.

"Who said I was crying?" Forcing a smile, Bethany wiped her face with the back of her hand. "Mom, the doctor said you just need to rest. Don't worry; you're going to be okay."

Marie nodded weakly, too tired to say anything more. After a while, her attending doctor came and called Bethany out of the ward.

“Dr. Dawson, what happened? How come my mom suddenly had a heart attack? Didn't you say she was in stable condition?"

"We've been doing our best, but it's because she didn't receive treatment in time," Casey Dawson said with a sigh. "What's your plan? If your mother doesn't have surgery soon, episodes like today will happen frequently. You need to be prepared for the worst."

Without hesitation, Bethany asked, "How much will the surgery cost?"

"At least a million for the surgery. The follow-up treatment will be an added cost, but it isn't as urgent.”

ALL the color drained from Bethany's face. The doctor mentioned one million as if it were a trivial amount, but for Bethany, it was an insurmountable sum. It would take her years to earn that much, and by then, it would be too late.

As though seeing the turmoil in Bethany's eyes, the doctor sighed again and cautioned, "Think about it."

Then, the doctor left.

Bethany stood alone in the empty hospital corridor, enveloped in the nauseating smell of disinfectant.

It was her ringing phone that snapped her out of her reverie.

“How's your mother?" Aimee asked, her voice laced with concern.

"The doctor said that if she doesn't have the surgery, I should prepared for..." Bethany clenched her fists and gritted her teeth, forcing herself to ask the dreaded question. “Aimee, can you lend me some money?"

For so many years, no matter how hard things got, Bethany had never borrowed money from anyone. But this time, she was truly out of options. She had spent almost everything she earned to keep her mother alive.

"No problem. I have two hundred thousand. I'll transfer it to you now!" Aimee said without hesitation. "Send me your bank account details."

“The doctor said the surgery would cost one million. One million, Aimee! Should I just accept my mother's fate?" Bethany leaned against the wall and slowly slid down, tears streaming down her cheeks. "I can't raise the money in time. I really can't!"

Aimee was also anxious. “Don't give up, Bethany! There has to be another way!"