Happily Married To An Asshole

chapter 3 : hope

Maya's P.O.V.

"Mira," I called out, but she seemed lost in her thoughts, not noticing my presence.

"Aunt Maya," she said in a sad tone.

"Mirabel, you don't have to worry about anything. Your mum will be alright. Are you hungry?" I asked, trying to get her mind off things.

"No, I'm not. I just want my mum. That's all."

"She'll be alright. Do you think, when your mum wakes up, she'll be happy seeing your beautiful face all wet and teary? So, here's what I want you to do—wipe your face and put on your signature bright, beautiful smile."

"Okay." She nodded, wiping away her tears.

"Where's Dad?" she asked.

"He'll be back soon. He had to go out for some important work. Don't worry, okay?"

"Okay." I patted her on the head. "Stay here, I'll be back soon. I need to talk to the doctor."

She nodded, and I went straight to the doctor's office.

Knock, knock, knock.

"Come in," came the voice from the other side. I entered and saw the doctor reading a file. He motioned for me to sit, and I did.

"Doctor, how long do we have until the operation?" I asked.

"Immediately after the payment is made, Ms. Collins," he replied.

"Ca... Can I pay in installments?" I asked, clearly taken aback by what I was about to ask. A woman from such an insanely rich family asking for this was almost unheard of.

"Sorry, ma'am. We don't take payment in installments. If all of our patients paid in installments, this hospital would run at a loss."

"Okay, I understand. Please give us two weeks to gather the money," I requested.

"Alright, but don't take too long. The longer you wait, the lower her chances of survival," he cautioned.

"Okay, doctor. Thank you."

Just as I was about to leave, a nurse came in to inform the doctor that Amilea was awake. The doctor said we could go and see her now. I went to where Mirabel was and told her that her mum was awake. She immediately ran to her mum as soon as she saw her.

"Mummy!" Mira exclaimed, full of happiness. "How are you feeling now?"

"Mira, I'm feeling much better now," Amilea replied.

"Mummy, I'm really sorry. I didn't listen to you. It's all my fault," Mirabel said, feeling guilty.

"Don't say that. I'm just stressed out, that's all. It's not your fault, Twinkle," Amilea reassured her.

Amilea looked into my eyes, understanding everything that had happened. She knew she had no more than two months left. She hadn't told Eathan because she knew he wouldn't have done anything.

"Are you feeling better, Amilea?" I asked, breaking the silence so Mira wouldn't notice anything.

"Yes, Maya. Thank you so much."

"Let's go. The doctor said you're discharged. I'll drive you both home."

On the drive home, Amilea and Mirabel sat in the backseat. Mirabel had fallen asleep in Amilea's arms. I took the opportunity to tell Amilea everything that had happened at the hospital, including how I'd decided to pay the hospital bills. But she refused, saying I had already done enough for her. After much back-and-forth, we agreed to split the bill.

One Week Later

Amilea and I had barely raised half of the money needed for the surgery. Amilea refused to involve her father—not because he didn't love her or wouldn't help her, but because she was scared for Eathan's life. Her father was a very dangerous man who loved his children deeply. If he found out what was going on in her married life, he would probably have Eathan's head on a silver platter—and if he was feeling generous, he'd bury him six feet under.

With her ego set aside, Amilea finally asked Eathan for help.

Amilea's P.O.V.

I looked at the glass beside Eathan's study room. My hair had long gone, my face was pale like there was hardly any blood flowing through me, and my legs were so weak I had to sit in a wheelchair with an oxygen tank following me everywhere. And yet, I refused to give up. I wanted to fight for my life, for my child.

I asked my nurse to stay in the room so I could talk to Eathan.

I rolled closer to his door and knocked twice. No response. So, I decided to enter to see if he was there. I found him sitting at his desk, busy with something on his laptop.

"Eathan, I need to talk to you."

No answer.

"Please, Eathan, I don't have enough money for my surgery, and I need to be here to take care of my daughter." I finally said, my voice shaking.

He looked up. "Woman, when are you going to realize I DON'T CARE about you, about anything you do? You are only here because my parents chose you. That doesn't make you my responsibility. Are you really too dumb to realize that?"

"What's your problem, Eathan? I want to know, what's your problem? Why are you always pushing me away, acting like everything is on me? You know you're not the only one forced into this marriage. I've tried so many times to make this work, but the only thing you've ever given me is pain. Why are you acting like I forced you into this? You could've said no to this marriage, but you agreed because of your selfish interests. NOW, TELL ME, WHAT WAS MY FAULT IN THAT?" My voice strained at the last part as my body refused to shout. I started coughing violently, but Eathan didn't care.

He started moving closer, bending down to my sitting level, staring into my eyes. "Did you just raise your voice at me?" he said in an intimidating tone.

"I... I'm... sorry," I could barely say, coughing in between words.

Without another word, he left, not even looking back at me. I slumped in my chair, tears rolling down my cheeks as I continued coughing out blood into my hands. I felt useless.

My thoughts were interrupted when my phone rang. It was Maya. I picked up the phone with my bloodied hand, trying to suppress my coughing.

"Maya."

"Amilea, get ready. We're leaving for the hospital tomorrow. I've got the remaining money."

I quickly wiped my tears and sat up straight.

"Maya, where did you get the money on such short notice?" I asked, though I knew I should be happy. I didn't want her to go to extreme lengths just to save me.

"You don't have to worry about that, okay? Now you can finally get the surgery done."

"Thank you so much, Maya. I don't know if I can thank you enough."

"It's okay, Amilea. I'm just doing what my brother should've done. Now, no more talking. Be ready by 10 tomorrow morning. I'll pick you up. Bye."

She hung up before I could respond.

Thank you so much, Maya. There's just one last thing I need to do before I leave for the uncertain—talk to my daughter.

I took a deep breath and rolled out of the room.

Apologies for the late update—life had other plans, but we're here now.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on where this story is heading. What do you think of the characters so far? What are you feeling? Don't be shy, drop a comment. It's your thoughts that keep this going.

As always, vote if you're enjoying the ride, and let's keep this going.

Stay connected.💫