CHAPTER 001: A Cheat?

"I'm sorry, Ethan, but your mother is dying; we can't do anything to help her at the moment except giving her the treatment she needs!” Doctor Albert’s words rang like a haunting gun in the ears of Ethan as he stared at him blankly.

He blinked his eyes countless times as he sat in the doctor's office, his hands that were positioned on his laps clutched tightly to his clothing.

If he was planning on obtaining any message or information about his mother’s health, it definitely wasn't about her dying. She was all he had; she was all he wanted to have in life, but hearing she was dying, his heart raced with nothing but fear and uncertainty.

“Did you hear what I just let out to you?” Doctor Albert asked as he looked at him. He was trying to find out if Ethan was still present in the room with him.

“Mr. Ethan!” He called out again just to bring his thoughts back to reality.

“I'm sorry, Albert, but... I was just lost for a while. What do we do? How much is the money needed for her surgery?” Ethan inquired, swallowing loudly and nervously. He was broke at the moment and didn't even have enough to take care of himself.

“You just need $40,000 to take care of your mother's surgery. She'll…” Doctor Albert was going to say, but Ethan didn't let him finish; he wasn't sure what to say to him either at this moment.

“I... Doctor Albert, but is there really nothing else to do to keep her alive? I don't,” he was about to speak out, but then Doctor Albert scoffed, rolling his eyes with disgust. Staring at Doctor Albert, one could tell that he was irritated by Ethan's gestures.

“You don't have money? Is that what you want to say?” Doctor Albert's brows creased as he stared at Ethan, waiting for a response from him.

“We are speaking about your mother's life here, Ethan, and you don't still have money? How broke must you be? Why must you suffer from poverty all your life? Why don't you change?” He barked as he glared at Ethan sitting before him.

Doctor Albert and Ethan had known each other right from college days, and it was always the same story from college. Albert was becoming impatient too.

“It's not that I don't want to pay for her surgery, Albert. I just don't have it at the moment. I am really out of funds. Why don't you treat her while I pay you installmentally?” Ethan pleaded as he swiftly lifted his hand and reached for that of Albert.

“Let go! You should be ashamed of yourself, you poor bastard! I can't believe I admitted your mother into this hospital! I don't want anything to do with you! I bet your mother would die anytime soon because of how wretched you are! Disgusting prick!”

Albert mocked him as he stood to his feet angrily. He walked over to the door before Ethan could utter a single word to him. He opened his door and turned to look at Ethan, who was still seated in his office.

“Get out, Ethan!” He commanded, his eyes grimacing, and scowling as he spoke with nothing but loathing and irritation.

“Come on, Albert. I accept I am poor, but can't you save her life for now? I promise to pay, please!” Ethan begged, his eyes becoming teary at this point.

“I hate it when I lose my patience, Ethan, and right now, you are making me lose it! Get out of my office before I do something crazy to you! Broke ass nigga without a sense of smartness!" Albert taunted as he stared at Ethan.

At this point, Ethan just wanted nothing but to save his mother, and to do that, he shouldn't have to make Albert get extremely infuriated.

He stood to his feet and left the office with his head bowed to the floor in embarrassment. The second he walked out of the office, Albert slammed the door forcefully behind him, making it echo relentlessly in Ethan's ears.

He turned to look at Albert's door one more time, and his fist tightened with nothing but disappointment. He could still recall when he had helped Albert back in school, but now that they were all doing well, he was a useless and worthless person.

Ethan sniffled, and without hesitation, he wiped away the tears that were trickling down his eyes. He walked over to his mother's room, and before opening the door, he had to make sure he wasn't looking troubled. He pushed the door open, and seeing his mother at the verge of death, he couldn't hold back his tears.

“Mother!” He whispered below his breaths, his voice shaky and his eyes all teary. They were all red.

His hands trembled as they reached for her hand that was placed by her side.

“E…Ethan?” She fought to speak to him. She was really dying. Ethan's heart bled, and his thoughts kept whirling.

“Don't cry, Ethan... I… I am still here, you know.” She tried to reassure him, but Ethan knew that she wasn't with him anymore, and he knew that he needed to do something for her to get the surgery.

“You are not, mother!” He muttered, lifting his gaze to hers as he tightened his grip on her hand.

“I need to help you, and I can't do that because of how foolish I am. I can't even get you the money you need! A failed son, that's what I really am!” He shook his head endlessly as tears trickled down from his eyes.

“Don't say that, Ethan! I love you and…” His mother was going to say, but just then, she began to cough, and it made her pause her statement. Ethan rushed to give her water, and she drank.

He stared at his mother, and all he could see was pain. He really wished to save her; he really wished to help her.

‘I can't sit here and keep crying. I need to find a way immediately; if not, I'll be losing my mother!’ He said inwardly, as he desired to save her.

Just then, it came to him, and he remembered one person: Camilla, his girlfriend. She was supposed to have money, at least now that her father was a contracted worker because of Ethan's hard work.

“I'll be right back with your bills, mother!” He stated, and before his mother could ask him a question, he rushed out of the room and headed for Camilla's house.

His mother, whom he had left all alone in her room, had coughed up blood, but Ethan didn't get to see it.

“I wish you well, Son,” she muttered as she stared weakly towards the room door.

Ethan, on the other hand, had gotten to Camilla's house looking all disassembled and sweaty. He couldn't enter a cab because he couldn't afford it. He knocked on the door countless times, but no one responded to him.

The fifth time he knocked on the door, it opened narrowly, making him surprised. His girlfriend never left the door open.

He walked in slowly, and the second he got into the house, he found Camilla still in her bra and undies.

“Ethan, what... what are you doing here?” She asked with shock in her eyes.

Ethan didn't want to waste any time, so he went straight to the point.

"Please, Camilla, you are my only hope. I need some money. I need money to pay for my mother's bills. She is…” Ethan was going to keep saying when he got the worst shock of his life.

“Hey baby, who is there?” A deep but familiar voice echoed from behind her room door.

“Who is that?” Ethan questioned with his eyes widening in confusion.

His heart was racing too because he couldn't forget the owner of the voice; even if he was sleeping, he knew who it was, and just as expected, it was confirmed the second he opened the door.

“You are cheating on me with Gideon?” He splintered, still trying to understand what was happening before his eyes.