Meanwhile, April sat quietly, wondering why they had suddenly shifted from yelling at each other to whispering. Whatever it was, her mind was far from their argument. She hadn't phoned her dad yet. And her phone, Jorge had it.
Her thoughts crashed into memories of Maya. What if she died like their mum? Their mother had battled cancer for over a year before finally giving up.
Tears returned.
Her mind drifted back to Adrian's accusation. He had been so certain of what he was saying. Who could the woman's son be? Should she ask him? No. He would be too smug and sure of himself, proud of his stupid conclusions.
She tried to shake the thought from her head as she stood abruptly. The guys stopped whispering and turned to look at her,both of them suddenly silent.
She quickly wiped her eyes.
"Where are you going?" Lu asked gently.
"I need to call my dad," she murmured.
Lu walked over, handed her more tissues, and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder as he led her out.
"Stop crying. I can assure you she'll be fine. We have good hands here, okay?"
April nodded, glancing once at Adrian as they left. Their eyes met for a fleeting moment. She couldn't read his expression. Anger? Guilt? Ego? Or something else?
She didn't know. Nonetheless, as Lu took her hand, she sighted something sticking out of his breast pocket.
Maya's bracelet.
Her heart pounded instantly as fear clouded her features, but she didn't show it. Was Lu the cleaner's son? Well, she couldn't tell as he flashed her an alluring smile, leading her on.
"How did you know my name, by the way?" She managed to ask.
Unfortunately he had no chance to reply as they walked into her dad, and a nurse passing by, called for Lu. He flashed April a wink and a quick goodbye with the sweetest smile.
"See you later, okay?"
She forced back a smile and a wave before following her dad to the ICU where Maya was.
This was really creepy. Now, should she ask Adrian about Lu? She wondered. No way. She would rather find out things herself than make him think less of her, she decided. Her train of thoughts was paused when she saw the condition of her sister as they stepped into the ICU.
The doctor in charge of her case explained that Maya would need major surgery due to a crack near the base of her skull.
April's stomach churned. Surgery meant money.
Money they didn't have.
Her dad ran a hair salon and took odd jobs just to keep their home standing. And they were still struggling to clear the debts from their mother's illness.
He looked worn out.
"Hey, sweetie." He pulled her into a tight hug as she stood by her sister's bedside. She swallowed the urge to cry.
"She's gonna be alright, okay?"
"Yeah, I know," April said bitterly. "I've heard that line a million times."
"And you'll keep hearing it because it's true."
April folded her arms anxiously. "Dad… what about the bills? Where are we supposed to get all that money from?"
"Don't worry. I have the money."
April stared at him blankly. "You have what? Dad, don't tell me you sold the house."
He looked away.
"You tell me what I should have done when the bank has been breathing down our necks."
April's voice rose. "But you were supposed to hang in there until I got something, anything. How much do you think I will be paid here? Peanuts?"
He sighed heavily. "April… it's not just the house. We are in deep debt. I borrowed for your exams, Maya's school, your mum's hospital bills…"
She exploded. "I was a scholarship student! You only paid my exam fee. And why bring Mum up now? Didn't Uncle Hammer take care of everything?"
His voice softened, but there was finality in it.
"Our house is being sold. That's the only way to pay our debts and Maya's bills."
April shook her head. "No. That was Mum's life savings too. And you just woke up one day and sold it?"
"You think I wanted this?" he fired back, his pulse rising. "Frank is buying it. And maybe, if things change, we can buy it back later."
April stared at him. "Dad, what is this? Old Testament thinking? And if Frank is really your friend, why can't he lend you the money instead?"
"It's not that simple."
"Because it doesn't make sense!"
He rubbed his face. "You won't understand."
"And I don't need to," April snapped. "Just don't sell it. For Mum's sake. For ours. I will figure something out."
"Figure out what? Do you know how much this costs? Should we end up on the streets before you understand?"
"I will take care of Maya's bills! Dad, trust me…"
"Stop being stubborn, April. We are moving in two weeks. I've found an apartment."
Her heart cracked. "Really? You already concluded everything… without telling me?"
"April, listen…"
She didn't wait to hear the rest. She walked out before he could finish.
She moved blindly down the corridor, eyes wet again, and almost collided with someone.
"Wow, wow, wow… look who we've got here."
Lana Hayes blocked her path, folding her arms beneath her chest as if she had been waiting for this moment.
April's voice was tired. "Excuse me, Lana. I'm not in the mood."
Lana smirked. "I beg your pardon? Don't tell me you were dumped."
April clenched her jaw. "Lana, my sister is in the ICU and…"
"And I'm going to strangle you if you don't tell me the truth," Lana said lightly, lifting her chin, deadly playful.
April blinked. "What stupid truth?"
"How long have you and Adrian been dating?" Lana demanded.
April sighed deeply, slumping slightly as if the weight of the world rested on her shoulders.
"Why don't you ask him yourself?" she said quietly.
"So it is true, huh?" Lana pressed, stepping closer, eyes narrowing as if she could burn through April with a glare.
"No, it's not. I barely know him," April replied, shaking her head tiredly.
"You're a liar! I was at the ER door, I saw everything. No minion ever stands up to him like that without losing her job," Lana snapped, leaning forward.
April rubbed her temples, exhausted. "I'm on the verge of finding out if I even still have my job, ma'am. And stop calling me a minion."
"Shut the hell up!" Lana yelled. "That's exactly what you are! And guess what, you're not just a minion, but a liar, a flirt, and a slut. You made out with him in the elevator and the toilet, didn't you?"
April held her throbbing head. "Lana, I really can't do this right now. Check the footage if you doubt me," she pleaded weakly.
Lana scoffed. "Footage in the elevator and toilet? Are you dumb or just pretending to be smart?"
Naomi appeared then, walking with two first-year nurses. Her brow furrowed.
"What's going on, Lana?"
"She's Adrian's secret girlfriend," Lana announced triumphantly.
Naomi froze. "What? April?"
"It's not true," April said faintly, dizziness creeping in.
The slap came out of nowhere, hot, sharp, brutal.
"April!" Naomi screamed, rushing forward.
The world tilted. Darkness crowded her vision before everything went black.
Adrian arrived just in time, catching April as she fell.
Naomi and the other nurses scrambled to stabilize her. Adrian's voice thundered over the chaos.
"What the hell, Lana?! Do you want to rot in jail? Are you trying to kill her?" He shoved Lana away.
"Oh, are you here to defend your baby?" Lana sneered, arms crossed.
"What baby?" Adrian snapped. "What are you? A nurse or a murderer? Is this what you learned in medical school?"
Lana's nostrils flared. "Adrian, do you hear yourself? You know who you are talking to, right?"
"Yeah," he shot back. "So what?"
Lu emerged from a nearby ward, having heard the commotion. He took everything in
at a glance, anger blazing as he turned to Lana.
"I really think you need surgery for a brain implant," he said coldly. "Your behavior is highly abnormal."