Chapter 2

Amanda hopped into the first taxi she could get into and rushed to the hospital.

"Good afternoon, please I'm here to see my mother, Maria Diez." She said when she got to the reception.

"Hold on a moment." The nurse went through the sign-in book. "Room 34b, it's just down the hall."

"Thank you." She replied and ran down the hall.

"34b." Amanda muttered as she checked each room's number until she found her mother's room.

"Mum!" Amanda half screamed before she ran into her arms. "Are you okay?"

"I'm okay Amanda, I'm sorry I scared you." Maria said quietly.

Amanda pulled away from her and held her face in her palms. "What did the doctor say? What happened?"

"So far I'm fine but he said we have to wait for the results before I can leave."

She let out a breath of relief, "What happened mum?"

"I was working and I felt a sharp pain in my stomach, all of a sudden the room got fuzzy and I blacked out. It has happened before but not to the point where I fainted."

"This isn't the first time?!" She exclaimed. "Why didn't you say something? I could have brought you to the hospital and prevented all of this."

Her mother forced a smile. "I didn't want to worry you."

"How has that been going?" She sighed. "Why don't you lie down and take a nap, I'll deal with the doctor." She helped her mother to a better position. "Is that better?"

"Stop fussing over me Amanda, I can handle myself." Her mother said with a sad smile.

Amanda shook her head. "It doesn't matter whether you can handle yourself or not, I will always take care of you. So please tell me if something is wrong next time."

She sat down by the edge of the bed. "I have an interview coming up next week, a friend from college hooked me up and I'm positive that I'll pass and when I do, I'll make sure you don't stress a hair on your head again."

Maria smiled and patted her hands gently. "I want you to live for yourself Amanda. Go out into the world and do what makes you happy, your father would want that."

A sharp pain clawed up to Amanda's chest at the mention of her father. She didn't want to think about her father, not when her mother was lying sick in a hospital.

"You need to rest mum, I'll talk to the doctor when he gets here " She said quietly.

A moment later, there was a knock on the room door, it was the doctor.

"Maria Diez?" He asked.

Amanda stood up and walked towards him. "I'm her daughter Amanda. Are those the test results? Is my mother okay?"

"I'm as healthy as a fiddle." Maria chuckled.

The doctor fidgeted with the results in his hands, his eyes glued to the contents.

"Your mother isn't doing well." He said quietly.

Amanda glanced back at her mother. "What do you mean by that? What does the test result say?"

He took a deep breath, his jaw tight. "Your mother is sick, really sick."

"Sick as how?!" Amanda yelled, tension building up in her chest. "Just say what's wrong already!"

He looked up at Amanda and sighed. "She has stage three stomach cancer."

Amanda's breath siezed in her throat as the doctor's words replayed in her head.

"What? What did you say?" She whispered, her eyes glassy.

Amanda's mother's face had gone pale, her mouth slightly ajar as she stared at the doctor.

The doctor glanced between Amanda and her mother, compassion clear in his eyes. "I am really sorry."

****

Kain arrived at his family manor and went straight to the dining room.

The table had been cleared and his mother, father and grandfather were seated over wine. His parents, Elsa and Jonathan were busy talking to themselves while his grandfather read a newspaper with a scowl on his face.

"Good evening grandfather." Kain said when he walked in.

"You're late, I said to be here by six." His grandfather said not looking up from the newspaper.

"I had some important things I needed to settle first."

"Still you should make time for your family Kain, when you neglect them, you might as well be breeding failures." He said pointedly and placed the newspaper down. "Have a seat."

His father finally noticed his presence. "Hello Son, it's been a minute since I last saw you. How is work?"

"It's fine." Kain replied, his voice cold.

This was how his conversation with his parents went every time. They didn't know anything about him so they asked basic questions to avoid that fact ; How are you, how's work, Take care.

"That sounds nice." His mother smiled. "Are you hungry, Griselda!"

A moment later, a maid hurriedly came in.

"Yes madam."

Elsa pointed to Kain. "He is hungry, get him something warm and nice to eat."

"Yes ma'am." The maid bowed her head slightly before she scurried off.

"Where is Griselda?" Kain asked.

Elsa shrugged. "I think she went out for some errands or something. I don't know the names of the other maids so i just call her name and someone pops up."

A moment later his food arrived and he ate in silence while his mother and father told stories about the villages they had visited when they were in Europe.

Kain glanced at his grandfather from time to time hoping to pick out the reason for this dinner, but he kept a neutral expression as he read the newspaper.

"I'm sure you are eager to know why I summoned you here today." His grandfather said as he took off his glasses.

Kain smirked. "I have some ideas but you've always been quite unpredictable."

"I want to retire." His grandfather said dryly.

Jonathan and Elsa gasped but Kain remained unhinged.

"Are you sure father?" Jonathan asked, worry laced in his voice.

"Oh shut it Jonathan, you're supposed to be the one inheriting the company but you had to turn out useless, traveling the world with your equally useless half."

"My wife isn't useless." Jonathan defended.

"Maybe she isn't, she doesn't know much about our world but you did and you turned your back on everything because you were weak and selfish. You both don't deserve whatever happiness is flowing through you."

As those last words were spat out, the room fell silent. Kain's mother casted a tearful glance at her son before she stood up and ran off.

"Elsa wait!" Jonathan yelled as he ran after her.

His grandfather scoffed. "What a useless pair, sometimes I'm surprised that you're their child."

Kain remained silent for a moment before he spoke again. "Why are you retiring all of a sudden?"

He leaned into his chair. "It's not all of a sudden, I've been thinking about it for a while."

"Are you dying? Do you suddenly want to appreciate the little life you have left."

His grandfather burst into laughter. "Life should be appreciated everyday, we are all going to die one day."

Kain studied him closely. "So you are dying."

"No I'm not, I'm a whole lot healthier than you. I'm retiring because I've worked enough and it's time to give you what you deserve, you should be at least excited."

Kain picked up the jar of water and filled his glass. "Excited? No, Suprised? Very much. What's the catch?"

His grandfather grinned at him. "You really are my grandson. It's not something difficult, just get married."

Kain glanced at his grandfather, his mouth slightly ajar. "What?"

"Get married Kain and M&A is all yours."