VALERIA
I was pacing, I couldn't stop. I was still in shock. I couldn't believe what happened.What a way to make a first impression, V.I screamed for the umpteenth time."It wasn't so bad," Nicole repeated for the 7th time. She was leaning on the toilet door to avoid anyone from coming in."It was! It was!" I shouted. "I almost lost my job. If not for Mr. Ben, I would have lost my job. How would I have paid for Nessa's treatments?" I started breathing heavily, my heart was pounding in my chest. I leaned on the sink and looked at myself in the mirror. This was really messed up.Nicole walked towards me and rubbed my shoulders which really seemed to help in that situation."Relax, babe. You didn't lose your job; you are fine.""Yeah, for now. What if he fires me tomorrow?"She laughed, "He isn't going to do that. Mr. Ben explained, remember? You said that yourself.""Still," I whined. "I'm so scared."She turned me to face her, "Don't be, you're fine," She paused. "Thank you for standing up for me." She smiled.I smiled back, "You're welcome babe." I turned to the mirror again."Mr. Adam is rude. I wasn't expecting that."She laughed, "I told you, didn't I?"I looked at her through the mirror and shook my head. Then, my phone lit up, I removed it from my pocket and opened it, and I saw a missed call from Doctor Charles which was weird, and 10 missed calls from Vanessa, which alone shot up my anxiety level."You good?" Nicole asked, she noticed the change in my demeanor."I hope," I muttered as I dialed Vanessa's number. She didn't pick after 3 tries. My heart started racing. I didn't want to start thinking the worst so, I called the doctor."We've been trying to reach you." He said on the first ring."I'm so sorry, I was caught up with work." I tried to sound calm. "Is she with you?""Yes, and you have to come to the hospital right now." He replied before hanging up. I looked at Nicole, tears welled up my eyes."Is something wrong??" She asked worriedly."I don't know, I have no idea but I need to leave, the doctor asked me to come right now.""Go, I'll take your shift.""But…""Just go." She said and I ran out, praying that everything was fine with my baby sister.***I counted down from 10 to 1 slowly before walking into the building. Hospitals made me so scared because they reminded me of bad things.One, they reminded me of how my parents died. They died when I was 22. They were on their way back from a wedding and had a ghastly accident. They made it to the hospital alive but lost so much blood so they died on arrival; they died in my arms.Two, they reminded me of how my sister discovered that she had leukemia at the age of 16.Nothing good comes out of being in the hospital, believe me.I walked into Doctor Charles' office and saw Terrence — my ex-boyfriend — sitting and conversing with him. I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion."What are you doing here?" I asked calmly."Nessa called me, she said she couldn't reach you so she called me to take her to the hospital.""Oh, thank you so much," I said. I hadn't told Vanessa that we weren't together anymore so it was understandable.Terrence and I were high school sweethearts but at some point, it felt forced because we kept breaking up and coming back together mainly because of him. It took a lot of introspection to realize that it was completely over so, I had to end it. We were broken up for a month now and I certainly didn't regret it. It just felt like I was holding on to something that was no longer there."It is good to see you." He said with a smile. I smiled back then turned to the doctor."I'm here, Doc," I said, taking a seat and picking my fingers, a habit I cultivated to reduce my anxiety."Vanessa's cancer is worsening." He started. I felt a part of me break. This was the exact thing I was avoiding; the exact thing I didn't want to hear."What do you mean?" My voice was shaking. Terrence looked at me with pity.The doctor looked at him, which Terrence understood was a signal to leave."I explained to you 2 years ago, that she has stage 3 cancer. I told you about coming to the hospital regularly for exams and tests, but you didn't." He started."I told you doc, I couldn't afford it, I could not," I argued."I understand you Valeria, but it has gotten worse. She has stage 4 cancer. I examined her, her platelet count is low, she has anemia, and her liver is swollen. These are a few symptoms of stage 4 cancer. Along the line, the symptoms may worsen and you know what would happen next." He concluded.I didn't know when tears started falling down my cheek."So, what is next?" I asked, I couldn't see the doctor again, he was blurry because my eyes just kept watering. I was very sure I looked pathetic in his eyes."A bone marrow transplant." He paused. "She needs to undergo it to replace her bone marrow with healthy cells.""So, we have to check if you're a match first, then we would begin the surgery instantly."I sighed because I knew exactly what was coming next. I knew he was going to mention the price to be paid and I honestly didn't want to hear that."Valeria, I understand that this is painful for you, considering all that you have been doing. I know you've tried your best, but if you don't do this, we might lose her." He paused and took a deep breath."Don't continue, I don't want to hear it. I don't want to hear anything again." I said harshly and got up."I want to see my sister.""Alright, you know where she is."I nodded and turned around, clutching my phone tightly, hoping it would in some way, hold back my tears.***"Hey, are you good?" Terrence asked. He was standing beside the door, waiting for me, I presumed.I fought back the tears with all my might. "Yeah, I am," I said with a gulp."You know you can talk to me, right?" He soothed."Look, I can't do this right now, I need to see Nessa." I started walking."I'll come with."I ignored him. While walking, I started imagining how she currently looked.When she was diagnosed with cancer, I took a picture of her before she started losing her hair; so she wouldn't forget how beautiful she looked. Vanessa looked exactly like me, just the younger version. We had the same color of hair and eyes. People usually assumed we were twins but after looking at us clearly, they could pick out the younger one.I opened my phone and searched for the picture. On seeing it, my heart melted. She was lying in a hospital bed, in severe pains, but she was still able to smile and do the "peace" sign.I stopped walking and stared at the picture. My eyes welled up again."Are you okay?" Terrence asked, he was beside me all along."I…I can't…I can't see her Terrence." I choked."I can't, I just can't.""You can, you know you can. You need to see her. You seeing her would make things better for her, you know that." He said."I'm scared. I'm so scared. I don't know what to do. I don't know how she is going to survive. What am I going to do?" I looked at him, weeping.He pulled me into a hug, "I'm here for you. I promise." He said calmly. "Let us see her, she is waiting for you, I'm sure." He advised as he took my hand gently and guided me into her room.***"Have you been crying??" Vanessa laughed. I studied the room, they were a lot of medical equipment around. She had tubes inserted in her too. Her eye circles were more obvious, and she was wearing something that looked like a beanie. She had been wearing it since her hair started falling off. She didn't like seeing herself without hair, she didn't want to be reminded of her predicament. It was too much for her.Regardless of all these, she still stayed strong and she still tried to make everyone around her laugh which I found really admirable."No, I haven't," I replied, rolling my eyes."Come here." She said with a grunt. I walked up to her and hugged her, trying so hard to not hug her tightly. I could say we hugged for 30 seconds, I honestly didn't want to let her go."I'm so sorry, I didn't know you and Terrence had broken up for the umpteenth time." She said. I broke the hug and looked behind me, but he wasn't there."I told him to leave." She smiled. "So, are you guys done for good now?""Yeah, we are.""I hope so." She said sarcastically and I laughed.There was a pause. An awkward one. And then, she took my hand and squeezed it tightly. I felt how light and dry my baby sister's hand was, it sent shivers down my spine. I didn't want to lose her."I'm so sorry, Val." Her voice was breaking. "It is my fault.""No, it isn't your fault, don't say that. Don't blame yourself. You didn't cause this. You are going to be fine, I promise you." I tried so hard to convince her.She started weeping. I hugged her tightly, she had no one else but me; I was going to do everything in my power to ensure that she survived. And by anything, I meant anything.***"You know you have work, right?" Vanessa asked, sipping the water beside the bed."I can stay here, you know?""No, you have to go. I'll be fine." She convinced with a tired smile. I didn't want to leave, I wanted to stay with her, and I wanted to be at her beck and call, but she was in a hospital, people would certainly attend to her needs."Bye then, call me if you need anything." I gave her a light peck.She smiled, raised her index and middle fingers together, and placed them close to her lips. My heart melted on seeing that. We both came up with that sign, we agreed that it would be our secret way of saying "I heart you". I returned the sign and she smiled.When I came out, I didn't see Terrence which was strange. I shrugged and walked to the doctor's office to continue from where we stopped."How is she?" He asked as soon as he saw me walk in after knocking."Bad joke?" I asked before sitting."No, I'm being sincere.""Ugh, I know. She is fine, she is alive." I responded."That's good, I'm glad she was happy to see you.""Yes, she was," I sniffed. "So, how much is it?""I thought you didn't want to hear it.""Well, I want to now."He looked at me and sighed, "Look…" He started."Doc, just say it, please," I begged. I tried to maintain composure but deep down, I was scared. I was so scared of the figures that would come out of his mouth. I had nothing in my bank account. I didn't have savings anymore. I had nothing to my name, except our family house. There was nothing anymore. Everything went into Nessa's treatments. I bit my bottom lip just thinking of how overwhelming everything was."Should I give an estimate instead?" He asked calmly. He noticed how hard I was trying to keep myself in place.I nodded slowly."50 to 70.""Sorry? 50-70 what?" I asked."Thousand dollars." He added.I couldn't hear anything again, my ears suddenly blocked. I didn't know when my legs took me to the door. I didn't know when I walked out of the hospital's exit, but all I could remember was how I cried on my way out.VALERIAThe road back to the hotel was a long one. I was seated at the back seat of a luxurious bus, which was sort of hidden so crying more was very much easy. 50,000 dollars to 70,000 dollars? Where was I going to get that kind of money? Hell, I didn't even have up to 2,000 dollars in my name. If I decide to save right now, Nessa would be long gone. What am I going to do? Get a new job? Where? How? How can I juggle a 9 to 5 with other jobs?Are there online jobs now? What can I do?What can I possibly do to obtain quick cash?I bit my bottom lip so hard to push back a new round of tears; I bit it so hard that I could taste blood.What the hell was I going to do??I stood in front of the building and thought to myself about how life decided to make me feel extra shitty today when I saw a car drive past me slowly. I studied the black captivating Mercedes Benz closely, the glasses were tinted so I couldn't see anything but it felt like a pair of eyes were watching me. As soon as th
ADAM"So, how was the meeting with Madeline?" Michael asked as he handed me a glass; we were seated by poolside.As soon as I left my mother's, I went to Michael's place. Okay, not his place, his father's. Michael's father owned a billion dollar company and he had done a hell of a job keeping the company in vogue. I admired his dad a lot; he was wealthy, accommodating, nice, and most of all, faithful, unlike you know who. One thing I've noticed about being rich, most of the people you are close to, are also rich. It's automated. I didn't understand why it was that way.“Oh you know, the usual." I responded after taking a sip."Mothers." He chuckled. "I'm not prepared for that conversation right now, so let's hope your mum doesn't put that in my mum's head.""Yeah, we can only hope." "She feels I haven't been in a serious relationship because of what my dad did to her.""Is that the case?" He asked. I shrugged, "I have no idea, honestly." "That may be the reason, you change women e
ADAM“You’re done for the day; I’m going to spend the night in one of the hotel rooms.” I stated this to the driver while getting down. “Okay, boss, have a nice night.” He said as he drove away.“Yeah, you too.” I muttered as I made my way into the hotel. I checked the time: 10 p.m., I had a few things to cover up, and I was extremely exhausted. I needed something to keep me awake. Food. I hadn’t had a meal since I arrived due to obvious reasons, so I decided to stop at the kitchen first. I mean, I haven’t even had the time to meet my employees. As I walked into the building, the thought of that lady ran through my head. Why was I thinking of her? I had no freaking idea. As amusing as it was, I found myself in front of the front desk, stylishly looking for her. I only saw one person, a man, and felt this slight wave of disappointment. As soon as he saw me, he sprung up.“Good evening, Sir,” he said. enthusiastically. “I am so sorry I wasn’t able to see you earlier today; I’m on
ADAMI furrowed my brows upon meeting the door open. It was strange.Who could possibly be on the rooftop at this time of the night?I walked in and looked around. I hadn’t been there in a while, so everything looked new. I’m sure my mom had some things changed here, but it looked extremely new to me. As I walked towards the seating area, I saw someone and halted. I tiptoed backwards quietly and began observing the person. I wasn't surprised that my footsteps weren’t heard because the person didn’t see me. Thankfully, the lights were sort of bright, so I could tell it was a lady.Wait a damn minute. I knew who the person was.Valeria? What were the odds?And why was she there instead of her work station??I observed her more; she looked like she was crying because I watched her clean her face angrily. To my amazement, she started weeping, but she was quiet about it; she didn’t want anyone to hear her. I don’t know why I suddenly felt bad for her. I didn’t know what to do; I couldn’
VALERIAI was having the worst hangover ever. I can’t recall the last time I took alcohol; this one really messed me up. As I stirred in my bed, I tried to prepare myself mentally for the day and how I would handle this hangover because I could tell that it was going to last for an entire day. With my eyes still closed, I stretched my hands as far as they could and opened my eyes.Wait a damn minute.I was staring at the ceiling, and it didn’t look like the one I had at home; it looked different. I felt the bedsheets.What in the world was going on??Where was I?? I sat up and screamed when I met a man sitting by the couch, looking at his phone with his legs crossed. It was my boss!!!!!!!!I suddenly regretted screaming because it affected my head pretty bad. “You shouldn’t scream when you have a hangover; it makes things worse.” He mentioned while his eyes were still on his phone. I was still trying to assimilate what was going on.Where was I, and why was he there?? What the hel
VALERIA“I’ve been trying to reach you!! Victor said you left. What happened??” Nicole shouted over the phone. Once I was done taking a shower, I checked my phone and saw missed calls from Nicole and Terrence. I had to give Nicole a call because she had left me multiple texts.“I had to go home because I felt so sick, babe.” I responded, sitting on the large bed. “Really? I knew I shouldn’t have agreed to you taking my shift.” “It wasn’t your fault, babe; besides, I’m better now.” I said, forcing myself to let out a little laugh. “Are you sure?” She asked. “Of course I am.” I responded. “Okay, are you still home? Are you on your way out?” She asked.I swallowed hard. “Yeah, I’m home. I’m preparing for work.” The lie was so easy to tell.“Okay, don’t come. I’m going to take your shift.” “Nikki, you don’t have to do that. I’m okay now.” “No, I insist. Take care of yourself, go out, or something. Besides, Victor seems to take a little too much pleasure in his work, so I could get h
ADAMYes, I thought hard about everything. I saw it as a win. Valeria was going to get what she wanted as well as mine.I don’t want to see it as me using her sister’s sickness as an advantage, but this was the best opportunity I had to get my mother out of my back for a while, at least, till I returned to Turkey.You did not anticipate that I would remain here permanently, after all. Or did you?Do you know how tough it was to keep a good image in this country?? Since your mother owns one of the largest hotels in the nation, you are well-known from the moment you were born.That wasn’t how it felt in Turkey; I could do whatever and whomever I wanted without finding myself on the news.My club days are still vivid here. I remember leaving one of the clubs at five in the morning to see this disgusting headline on the news at eight: “One of America’s finest bachelors, seeking a wife at the club.”What the hell was that??Being popular was extremely frustrating and tiring. It was also di
VALERIAAs the door creaked open, I stepped into my home, the worn-out welcome mat beneath my feet a testament to the passage of time. I turned on the fan in the sitting room and listened to the soft hum filling the empty house. Although it was empty, I felt welcomed looking at the walls filled with family photographs. The loud laughter and boisterous conversations were still audible to me. The house was a bungalow with four bedrooms, each with its own story, whispered tales of joy, arguments, and dreams shared among all of us. My heart ached as I recalled all the beautiful memories and what had occurred presently.The only meal I had eaten that day was the bowl of soup my boss offered me at the hotel, so I walked into the kitchen to help myself with something to eat, silently hoping that there was something in the fridge at least. Sike. The fridge was totally empty; there was only a bottle of orange juice, which had been there for a very long time. With a shrug, I grabbed it, along