Chapter 2: The Other Side

30 minutes ago, St. Veronica District ...

A woman can be seen running at full speed, she's already running out of breath but she doesn't care as she is so desperate to go to the hospital fast where her mother was taken. Her bestfriend Khelly suddenly called her saying that her mother had collapsed and lost consciousness while buying supplies at the market. She hurried to the emergency room where her mother was temporarily staying. There, she see the doctor talking to her friends Kaylene and Khelly.

"Doc, how's my Mom's condition?!" The woman asked immediately so the doctor face her. "Ah, you must be the patient's daughter?" She nodded in response. "Can I talk to you on private Ms. Patricio? Right?" Again she nodded and went out with the doctor. Just standing up beside the doctor makes her nerves shiver with fear, as if the news he will bring will make her world crumble down miserably.

"I'll get straight to the point Ms. Patricio. I don't want to make you worry but this is an urgent matter." The doctor breath deeply before speaking again. "I have a good news and a bad news. For the bad news, your mother was diagnosed with a primary brain tumor, which means she has a lot of abnormal cells in her brain that wasn't supposed to be there. It's a critical condition 'cause its already malignant, the bad cells keep increasing the pressure inside your mothers' skull. Any growth inside that restricted space can cause further brain damage, and it can be life-threathening."

Lots of tears streamed down her pale face after hearing the doctor's long explanation of her mother's current condition. Even the doctor explained it very well, her brain refuse to accept all the things he said. "But don't lose hope yet, because the good news is the location of the tumor allows us for easy and safe removal, meaning we can perform surgery on her to remove the cancerous cells."

She breathed a sigh of relief and have a little hope after hearing what the doctor said. "It was indeed a good news Doc! But, what are the things I need to prepare for the surgery?"

"Since she needs surgery as soon as possible to prevent the spreading of cancerous cells to the healthy cells, she needs the surgery as soon as possible. Not only your mother needs to be ready, you also need to be prepared, gain a lot of courage, patience, and hope that may your Mom's surgery be a success. 'Cause actually, the surgery is a bit risky; infection and bleeding, sometimes it's inevitable."

"It's alright Doc, I'm willing to take a risk. I know how strong my Mom is, she will definitely fight, and I have faith in all the doctors. But, is that all? What about the money? I know operation costs a fortune, how much exactly will it cost me?" The girl bravely asked even though she already have an idea of how much it will cost.

"I'm not really in the position to say anything about that, but expect it to be expensive Ms. Patricio. We might even need to transfer her to another hospital that specializes on neurology and neurosurgery, so I need you to be prepared for that. For now, that's all the things you need to know. Anyway, I have to leave first to check on other patients. If you need anything, you can just call the nurses to assist you. And don't forget to always pray for a miracle, excuse me."

The woman bid the doctor goodbye and walk her way back to the emergency room, but her knees were shaking so she decided to sit in the benches first to think of her next move. What will I do? I want Mom to have the surgery but I don't know where will I get a large sum of money for the bill. She insanely thought to herself, racking her brain for a solution.

Alright, I'll step on my pride for now to ask for his help. He's my only hope so far, I need to get on his good side. She march out of the hospital full of determination to get a help even though she's not sure if that person will help her due to their past misunderstanding. She picked up a tricycle to take her to the market place where the person she's looking for is situated. After a few minutes, she safely arrived and heads straight to the narrow lane going to the small but elegant store. She enter silently, the office room have a tight space that's why she instantly saw the man she's looking for sitting like a king across the large table.

He smiled broadly when he saw the girl walking towards him. "Scarlet! What a surprise to see you here! What brought you to my little haven? It's impossible that you're visiting me, unless you need something from me." The man said sarcastically.

"I would like to talk to you." Scarlet's short answer that made the man more grumpy. "Talk?! Did you ask me if I want to talk to you? After you drive me away and humiliated me last time, do you still think I would like to talk to you?!" The man replied who obviously could no longer hide his anger towards the girl. His outburst take Scarlet by surprise, but she took a deep breath and pretended that that was nothing even though inside she's getting scared.

"That's why I'm here, I want to apologize to you. I know what I did was wrong so I'm s-sorry." She said sincerely because she knew that what she did that day to him was so shameful. "Scarlet, I'm a businessman. I've met a lot of people already so I know who's telling the truth and those who's not, I also know if people just went to me because they need something. So tell me, what really brings you here?"

Scarlet suppress her anger. One of the reason why she's not falling for him even though he had been pursuing her for more than two years now is his very arrogant and self-centered attitude, his that confident because his family is one of the wealthiest people in there province.

"I don't care anymore if you won't believe me that I'm sincere in my apology. And since you already asked, I came here to ask you a favor. Yes, I know that I'm shameless but I'm really desperate. I would like to b-borrow some m-money to have my Mom treated and get surgery." Scarlet said straight away even though inside her heart is beating so fast.

The man bow his head and think about what Scarlet had said. He knew that the cost of a surgery is no joke so he didn't have the confidence that she could pay for it, but he figured out a plan for her to stay and pay off her debt at the same time. "All right, it's a deal ... but on one condition."

Scarlet waits breathlessly for the man to state his condition because she is sure that she will agree with anything that he would ask, that's how desperate and vulnerable she is right now. "Marry me." The words he said is like a bomb exploding in Scarlet's ears.

She's taking back what she said. She will not accept his condition. He could ask and wish for anything, but marriage is the thing that she never thinks she can give to anyone as of the moment. "I'm sorry Miguel, but I can't do what you want. I'll just find another way to - " Scarlet did not even finish what she has to say as Miguel violently grab her by the hand.

"You can't or you don't want to?! That's completely different Scarlet! What else do I need to do huh? I already gave my all, but why it is still not enough?!" He said angrily as he's still holding tightly on Scarlet's arm. She knew that she will have a wound on her arm as his sharp nails penetrates her skin. She's already scared but she didn't want to show it, it might trigger Miguel to hurt her even more if she show how afraid she was.

"Let me go Miguel! It hurts! Let go of me!" She tried to get away but what she did makes him more angry that's why he forcefully pull her into a kiss. She was shocked at what he did, but her body reacted quickly and promptly kick him at his manhood. Miguel fall on the floor screaming out of pain, she wasted no time and grab the opportunity to run out of there.

Just as she close the door, she suddenly bump into Miguel's ferocious looking friends. "Aaaahh! Scarleeeet! Come back here you bitch!" The man shouted loudly inside, his friends heard him and gave Scarlet an evil gaze. They act immediately and grab her by the hand, but she also acted quickly and kick the stranger in the same spot where he kicked Miguel, the guy loosen his hold to her and writhes in pain.

Seeing their friend down, they all got furious and start to attack her. One of the man grabbed Scarlet by her hair getting her curled in pain. She twisted her body and deliberately slammed her head into his head, he got out of balance letting her free from his hold. She give him a hard punch at the face, her hands become sore from the impact but it's worth it as long as she gets her hair a revenge.

"That's for tweaking my hair! You can mess up everything except for girl's hair! You bastard!" Scarlet yelled before running away because Miguel's men were still arriving. She runs fast, not daring to look back. Her legs were so sore that she stop for a moment to see if they were trailing behind her, she feel ecstatic to find that there was no trace of the men's shadow.

She took a deep breath and continue walking. Her feet takes her to the church of St. Veronica, the place where she finds solace. She went straight at the back entrance as the front gate is close. Maybe there's a holy sacrament is going on that's why its close, she thought. Arriving there, her eyes capture the secret sanctuary; the mini garden with many flowering plants and the wishing well among them all.

She pause for a moment and took in the fresh air. After a few minutes, he took out a coin and began to wish at the enchanted well. "Dear wishing well, please listen to my plea so that my wish will be fill." After she mentioned those words, the tears she's holding back since earlier at the hospital falls so quickly.

"Heal my mom please, I can't afford to lose her. I can't live without her so please help me. Or you can just give me a job that pays a lot so I can have a money for her surgery. Help me please? Thank you very much."

She said to the well as if it will answer her back, she's still crying so much but it didn't stop her to kiss the coin before dropping it into the depths of the wishing well.

She stare at the sinking coin until it disappears from her sight. But she was surprised when a huge vine suddenly collapse. She was even more surprise to find someone lying on the floor. "Omo! Hey! Are you okay?!" She asked. Scarlet noticed that the guy stiffened and looks petrified upon hearing her voice.

The man slowly raised his head to look at her, and when he saw her, the man becomes pale and look at her as if he were seeing a ghost.

"Skye ..."