Ch. 131..140

Chapter 131

“Anna Garcia, do you have to speak to me in such a sarcastic way?” I could sense that he was stifling his fury at the moment as he hissed at me.

“Mr. Shaw, it's after office hour now. If there's nothing urgent, I hope you don't call me again and disrupt my private time. Thanks for your understanding!” Oblivious to Michael's anger, I answered coldly.

I was reluctant to have anything to do with him. When snippets of how he put me in hot water in the office flashed across my mind, I was boiling with anger again.

“I know about your family matters,” Michael uttered slowly when I was about to hang up.

I stiffened momentarily before I lashed out at him, “Michael Shaw, are you investigating on me? I have nothing to do with you now. Why are you still doing that to me?”

I was enraged, thinking of how he tried to meddle with my family matters. We have nothing to do with each other anymore. Why is he still investigating my family conditions? What is he intending to do now?

“Huh! Investigate your family situations? Do you think that I'm so free and have nothing to do? Anna Garcia, don't you think that you are thinking too highly of yourself?” he snorted.

“If you didn't do that, how would you know about my family matters? Michael Shaw, please bear in mind that there is nothing between both of us now. Can you please set me free and stop interfering with my life?” I refuted.

Michael's words did not make any sense to me. I was convinced that his findings were obtained via the

investigations. It was as if my privacy was unveiled and exposed to others, causing me utter discomfort. To me, it was a privacy invasion when Michael mentioned my family matters.

“Anna Garcia, don't jump to conclusions without any evidence. It's your mother! She gave my secretary a call and requested to speak to me just now!”

I was dumbfounded and at a loss for words instantaneously. It was out of my expectation that my mom would make the move to call him!

My goodness! She seems to have no sense of shame and is willing to do anything for Steven! She doesn't even know Michael in person. Just because Michael has given us one hundred thousand to settle our financial crisis before, she shamelessly called him to ask for money again!

Right that instant, I had lost the courage to hold my head up. I had owed him a lot all this while. Now that my Mom asked for his help so daringly, I felt totally humiliated.

“I'm sorry for misunderstanding you. I have to apologize to you on behalf of my mom. Sorry for causing you trouble. Don't take her words seriously,” I apologized sincerely to him, suppressing my displeasure toward my mom.

Feeling awkward to face Michael, I intended to hang up right away. It seemed he could sense that I was about to do so. He said in a commanding tone, “Anna Garcia, don't hang up first. Listen to me, I'm the only person who can help you now.”

My heart skipped a beat and I was touched at that very moment. Even so, I came to my senses within seconds and rejected coldly, “Mr. Shaw, you don't have to do that. You and I are merely boss and

employee. I really hope that you don't get involved in my family matters again.”

“Anna Garcia, I'm volunteering to help you. Mind your manners!” There was a bellow of rage from the man on the other end of the line. I had seemingly infuriated him again by rejecting him.

“I don't need your help. If there's nothing else, I will hang up first,” I blurted out the words and hung up hastily. His offer was simply irresistible to me. Thus, I was fearful that I would change my mind and accepting his financial aid again.

My previous affair with him was all for money. Now that it had finally come to an end, I did not wish for history to repeat itself.

After hanging up the phone, it took me a long time to cool myself down. It was undeniable that Michael's words had spurred my emotions.

At the same time, I was pissed off with my mom for being shameless. She seemed to have lost her mind as she was trying to save Steven by all means. How dare she contacted Michael to borrow money from him when she is clueless about his actual identity? Did she think of me before making the call? Has it ever occurred to her how I would face Michael from now on?

Everything between Michael and I seemed to be linked with money. To make things worse, my mom called him impulsively to borrow money again. In his eyes, I must be a scheming woman who would tangle with him just for the sake of money.

Alone in my bedroom, the utter frustration was driving me insane. I had called almost everyone on my contact list. To my disappointment, they gave me all sorts of excuses to not lend me money. No matter what, I could not blame them for that.

I was rendered helpless and on the brink of tears.

When I heard the sound of the knob twisting and the door opened, I knew that Natalie had reached home.

She knocked on my door and yelled excitedly, “Anna, I bought a lot of fresh strawberries on the way home. Come out and have them with me!”

“Alright, I will come out in a while.” After replying her, I took a deep breath and forced a smile in front of the mirror. Natalie has had enough to worry about me. I mustn't let her sense anything amiss.

When I stepped out of my room, Natalie was already sitting with her legs crossed on the couch in the living room, savoring the strawberries.

“Anna, these strawberries are fresh and juicy. Come and try one!” Natalie waved at me and handed me a big strawberry innocently.

Natalie was a typical glutton and optimist. No matter what she had encountered, she would be able to put everything disgruntling out of her mind after enjoying a meal. I was envious of her ability to cheer up speedily. How I wished I could cheer myself up as easily as her. If I were an optimistic person like her, I would not be worried sick at the moment.

I took the strawberry given by Natalie, yet I was not in the mood to enjoy it. At the moment, any sumptuous food was tasteless to me. What was more, I was preoccupied with my family's financial crisis. Thus, I had no appetite for anything.

While enjoying eating her strawberries, Natalie sensed something awry about me. She knitted her brows in bafflement.

“Anna, are you alright? Is anything troubling you?” Natalie stopped munching and asked me with great concern.

“I-I... nothing actually. I'm just not in the mood.”

Chapter 132

I thought I had kept my feelings well-hidden, but Natalie was always the first to notice whenever I was in a bad mood.

“This is about your family, isn't it? I bet you gave in again, didn't you?”

Natalie was so smart that she figured it out without me saying anything. After all, my family matters were the only things capable of stressing me out.

Seeing as she had already guessed it, I decided to not keep it from her and said helplessly, “Nat, I know it's best if I just ignore it, but... they're my family, and I can't bring myself to be so heartless toward them. My parents would be so upset if anything happened to Steven.”

I sometimes hated myself for being so soft-hearted as Steven probably wouldn't have turned out like this if I stood firm back then.

Natalie gave me a pitiful look and grumbled, “Your parents are taking advantage of your filial piety. That's why they always count on you to solve every little problem. Honestly, I don't understand them at all! You're both their children, yet they treat you and your brother so differently. Is it really just because of your genders?”

“You know how it is, Nat. Patriarchy is a very serious problem in the village, and every family there practices it. If my brother would just get himself a proper job and work hard like he's supposed to, I wouldn't have to work my butt off like this!” I said with a helpless sigh.

Although I had gotten used to the patriarchal ways of my parents, Steven gambling away all the money I sent them took a huge toll on me over the past few years.

My parents would always have me pay off his gambling debts. It wasn't that bad when he first started out, so I was still able to afford them. However, his gambling addiction worsened over time, and I found myself no longer able to pay them anymore.

“I feel really bad for you, Anna. I really want to help you out, but... Well, you know how much a regular office worker makes, right?” Natalie said regretfully.

I knew she was sincere about lending me a hand, but Steven owed way too much money for her to be of any help.

“It's okay, Nat. You've helped me out a lot over the years we've known each other for.”

Natalie was always the first to come to my aid whenever I found myself in trouble, so I was grateful to her even if she couldn't do much this time.

“Here, take my card, Anna. It's not much, but it'll have to do for now. As for the remaining amount... Well, I'm sure we'll figure something out!” she said while handing me a bank card from her wallet.

“No, these are your savings. I can't take this money!”

I refused her offer as I knew she didn't have a lot of money left for herself, and I couldn't possibly pay her back anytime soon either.

“All right, then. Just let me know if you ever need it, okay?”

Natalie chose to respect my decision and not force the money on me.

The next morning, I saw Yuval's car parked outside my residential area when I left for work.

I assumed it was over between us as it had been a few days since he last contacted me, so I was quite surprised to see him there. Feeling curious, I walked over to his car.

He got out of the car and opened the door for me when he saw me approaching.

While getting into his car, I couldn't help but wonder if he had come to break up with me or if he was okay with my family.

Yuval started the car after getting into the driver's seat, and the atmosphere felt a little tense as I wasn't sure of his intentions.

After a few minutes of silence, I looked at him and asked, “Um... So, why did you come to see me today?”

“I had a lot of cases to deal with in the past two days, so I was in court most of the time. I'm sorry I haven't had the time to contact you. I hope you're not mad at me,” Yuval replied, his tone as gentle as always.

Judging by his tone and attitude, he doesn't seem like he wants to break up with me... Well, I can't say for sure, though. After all, the situation with my family isn't something that most people find acceptable.

“I see... I thought you didn't contact me because you weren't okay with my family.”

Yuval claims he was too busy with work to contact me, but I know my family situation must have played a huge part in it too. I bet he gave it a lot of thinking ever since I told him about my family, so he must know the burden he would have to bear in the future if we get married.

“It's true that the situation with your family is a tricky one, but I believe that marriage is between the two of us. Of course, that doesn't mean we'll ignore the problem. I just think that we should keep our involvement to an appropriate level, that's all.”

Although Yuval didn't plan on breaking up with me, I could tell he wasn't too comfortable about the situation either.

“Yeah, I get what you mean. I know it's not a good idea to get too involved with them, but... every time my mom calls me, I just can't bring myself to refuse her...”

Yuval and I had the same thought in mind. I had told myself that I wouldn't help them this time, but hearing Mom's cry softened my heart instantly. They were my family, after all.

“All right, enough talk about this depressing topic. We need to get to the root of your brother's problem if we are to solve it.”

Yuval dropped the topic when he saw how uncomfortable I was.

“Mom said they would break Steven's legs if he couldn't pay up today. I'm worried that they'll actually do it.”

The deadline to pay up was tonight, but I couldn't even fork out ten thousand.

Chapter 133

Noticing how anxious I was, Yuval reached out and held my hand as he comforted me, “Don't worry. I doubt they have the guts to do that because it would constitute assault and battery, which can result in some pretty serious legal repercussions.”

“Really? They won't?”

Yuval was a lawyer and knew the legal system like the back of his hand, so I felt a little relieved after hearing what he said.

Still, Steven owed them more than a hundred thousand this time, so it was hard to say how far those men would go.

Yuval tightened his grip on my hand and said with a firm look in his eyes, “Stop worrying so much. Your frown is so deep that you look like an old lady right now!”

“Thank you.”

His words of reassurance worked like a charm, and I flashed him a faint smile in response.

I was actually very grateful to Yuval. Even if he wouldn't be able to fully accept my family's problems, the fact that he chose to stay with me this time proved how big-hearted he was.

“There is no need to thank me. I am your boyfriend, after all!”

The look on my face grew awkward the moment I heard him mention “boyfriend”. We had known each other for a few months, but it felt like we were friends instead of lovers.

Maybe I just haven't adjusted to it... Yeah, that's probably it!

Yuval left after dropping me off at work, and I made my way to my desk with a heavy heart.

Millie came running over before I even sat down and asked excitedly, “Anna, who was that guy who dropped you off just now? Is he your boyfriend?”

I had never told anyone at work about my boyfriend and had brushed off their questions whenever anyone asked about it. That was probably why Millie felt so shocked when she saw Yuval send me to work.

“Yeah, that's right.”

I felt awkward calling Yuval my boyfriend, but I did it anyway because he was big-hearted enough to stay with me despite the situation with my family.

“What does he do for a living? He looks pretty rich!”

If Millie and Natalie had one thing in common, it was how nosy they were. Millie was determined to find out everything she could after hearing me call Yuval my boyfriend.

“He's a lawyer.”

I kept quiet after saying that as I didn't want to discuss too much about Yuval at work.

“That's nice! How about you bring him into the office next time so we can all assess him for you?”

Millie couldn't really get a clear view of Yuval from the window all the way up here.

“Oh, I almost forgot... I have to deliver some documents to Mr. Shaw. Excuse me...”

Not wanting to discuss Millie any more about Yuval, I grabbed a folder and walked toward the CEO's office after saying that.

Upon arriving at Michael's office, I took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

“Come in.” Michael's unique, cold voice came from inside.

I opened the door and entered, only to have him grab me by the arm and pin me against the wall as he closed the door.

“What the hell are you doing, Michael? You almost scared me to death!” I shouted at him angrily in response.

Michael simply stared me down coldly and emotionlessly as he said, “As if anything in this world could possibly scare you.”

“Stay away from me!”

I placed both hands on his chest and tried to push him away.

“Considering how close we used to be, I'd say we're quite far apart now,” Michael said ambiguously as

he kept me pinned.

I pushed against him with all my might, but he didn't even seem to budge.

“What are you saying? You're literally inches away from me right now! How can you call this far apart?”

His lips are almost touching mine for goodness' sake! If he calls this being far apart, then what on earth does he consider to be close?

“Exactly, I'm not pressing against you yet. The distance between us used to be negative, remember? A part of me going inside you? That's what I call being close to each other!”

Michael's words made me burn bright red instantly. How on earth can a man say such shameless things so casually? He may not mind talking about the stuff we did in bed, but I do!

“Don't talk to me about sex, Michael. We're no longer in that kind of relationship.”

For some reason, hearing him casually bring up our sexual history made me really mad.

Noticing the look of anger on my face, Michael then let go of me without saying anything further and made his way toward his desk.

Feeling relieved after putting some distance between us, I walked up to him and placed the folder on his desk.

“This is my latest edit, Mr. Shaw. Please have a look and let me know if there are any issues with it.”

I tried my best to sound as formal as possible while suppressing my dissatisfaction toward him.

Michael skimmed through the files and said, “The overall structure of this proposal is all right. You may proceed to come up with a more detailed one.”

I let out a huge sigh of relief when I heard him finally approve of my proposal.

“Understood, I'll get to it right away,” I replied as I picked up the folder and began making my way out of his office.

“Hold on!” Michael's voice came from behind.

I paused in my tracks and looked at him in confusion.

“Is there anything else, Mr. Shaw?”

He kept quiet and walked up to me before handing me a check.

“Here's two hundred thousand. You can use it to solve the financial crisis your family is facing right now,” he said, sounding as indifferent as ever.

Two hundred thousand...

 

Chapter 134

Forking out two hundred thousand was a piece of cake for someone like Michael, and it was incredibly tempting to accept his offer as I really needed the money.

However, my ego and pride forbade me from doing so. I knew very well that I should not use any more of his money.

“Thanks for the offer, Mr. Shaw, but you can keep your money. I'll figure something out on my own,” I said coldly and quickly left his office before he could respond.

Why would Michael still want to give me money? Is he doing it to repay me for our previous sexual relationship? Or is there some other reason?

My mind was all over the place as I returned to my desk, and I shook my head to empty all those thoughts.

I was a little out of place at work the entire day as I had yet to gather enough money, nor did I know how things were going back at home.

I couldn't tell if those men were only trying to intimidate my family like Yuval said, but wouldn't actually have the guts to carry out their threats.

After spending a very stressful day at my desk, I was the first to leave the office after work.

I made my way back to Natalie's and was pacing about frantically in the bedroom. I wanted to call home and check on things, but I couldn't bring myself to tell Mom that I didn't have the money ready.

At that moment, my phone began ringing, and I answered it when I saw my mom's number on the caller ID.

“Hello, Mom.”

“Anna, when will you be transferring the money over? Those guys just called us and demanded that we pay up in an hour or Steven would be done for!”

Mom was so anxious that it sounded like she was crying.

“I'm sorry, Mom. I still don't have the money.”

I felt guilty when I heard how anxious my mom sounded.

Mom got even more anxious after hearing my reply, and her tone was filled with reproach as she said, “What? What do you mean you don't have the money? Didn't you promise me you'd get it? What will Steven do now?”

I knew she was only acting that way out of fear and desperation, so I didn't blame her even if it made me very uncomfortable.

“Mom, I really want to help, but there's only so much I can do. I don't have much on me, and I've already borrowed a lot from my friends, so none of them are willing to lend me any more money now.”

Most of them knew how my family was like, so they wouldn't lend me any money even if they could afford to. I understood that very well and had given it my best effort, but this was really all I could

manage.

“Excuses! I bet you want them to hurt Steven, don't you? That's why you never intended to help him to begin with! I can't believe I raised such an ingrate! So, this is it, huh? You're just going to abandon your family now that you're all grown up and successful?”

What? Mom thinks that I'm deliberately choosing not to help them?

“It's not what you think, Mom! I really am trying to help, but I just don't have that much money! If there really is a way, I would definitely go for it!”

I was incredibly upset with what Mom said, but I tried my best to explain myself anyway because I didn't want her to think I was unwilling to help Steven.

“This is unbelievable! You f*cking ingrate! I will never forgive you if anything happens to Steven!”

I felt my heart ache when I heard Mom's heartless words, but she hung up on me before I could say anything further.

Mom has pushed all the blame on me... Why can't she be a little more understanding? She has never considered how difficult things are for me! As much as I hate how frivolous Steven is, he is still my brother, and there is no way I wouldn't help him if I could!

Tears rolled down my cheeks as I squatted down on the floor and hugged my knees with my face buried in my arms.

Mom probably sees me as an enemy now... Knowing her, it's completely possible that she would never

forgive me for the rest of her life should anything happen to Steven. Right now, all I can do is pray that he will be all right...

Natalie heard me crying and knocked on my bedroom door before coming in.

She quickly helped me to my feet when she saw me crying on the floor.

“What happened, Anna? Why are you crying?”

Not wanting her to see me like this, I wiped my tears dry as I said, “It's nothing.”

Natalie too, has become rather depressed lately because of all my negativity. I shouldn't let my problems affect her mood.

“You wouldn't be crying like this for nothing! Come on, we've been besties since forever! You know how well I know you!”

I wasn't the type who would show my negative emotions easily, so me insisting that I was fine with tears down my face wasn't going to fool Natalie.

“I'm fine, really. I was just dealing with my family. My mom gave me a call just moments ago and said some really hurtful things. That's all,” I explained with a forced smile.

What Mom said left me feeling like crap, but having Natalie by my side cheered me up quite a lot.

The look on Natalie's face grew cold when she heard that my mom had called. “I knew it had something to do with your family! Your mom was pushing you for the money, wasn't she?” she said

sympathetically.

I kept quiet, so Natalie took my silence as a confirmation to her guess. Mom would never call me unless she wanted money from me, and Natalie knew that all too well.

“Hey, you tried your best to help, but this is simply beyond your capabilities. I'm sure your mom will come to understand that someday. Come on, let's just forget about this and move on.”

Natalie chose to drop the topic when she saw how upset I was.

Will Mom really be able to understand? I bet she'll just blame everything on me like she always does, but that's okay because I'm used to it anyway. However, I am worried about what the debt collectors would do if they don't get the money...

 

Chapter 135

“Natalie, do you think they'll really break Steven's legs? My parents value his life over their own, so they'll definitely lose their minds if anything happens to him!”

Natalie gave me a pat on the shoulder as she comforted me, “I think he should be fine. I mean, what else can they do if your family doesn't pay up? Kill him? Don't worry, Anna. Your parents aren't dumb, so I'm sure they'll know to call the police if those men try to hurt him.”

What Natalie said made sense, and I felt a lot better after hearing it.

“It's getting late, you should get some sleep. I'll wait and see if my mom calls again. She said those men would be collecting the money in an hour, so I'm really scared that something bad might happen.”

“Nah, I'm not tired. Besides, I can't possibly fall asleep knowing how anxious you are. I'll wait here with you,” Natalie said as she sat down beside me and put an arm around my shoulder.

Time ticked by, and two hours soon came to pass with no call nor text from Mom whatsoever. I felt somewhat uneasy as I glanced at the time on my phone.

Why hasn't Mom called me yet? Did those men really let them off the hook so easily?

“Why hasn't my mom called? It's been so long now...” I mumbled to myself worriedly as I gripped the phone tightly in my sweaty palms.

“Maybe you should try calling her to find out what's going on over there. Who knows, maybe those men left after realizing they wouldn't be getting any money!”

Natalie grew anxious as well when she saw me panicking.

I nodded and dialed my mom's number on the phone, but it just kept ringing until I got to her voicemail.

That gave me a bad feeling in my gut, so I tried calling her a second time.

The call got through right as I thought it would go to voicemail again, and I could hear Mom's voice on the other line.

“Hello, Mom! How are things over there? Did those men leave?” I asked anxiously before she could say anything.

The next thing I knew, Mom was wailing loudly into the phone.

“What's wrong, Mom? What happened? Talk to me!”

Mom went silent for a brief moment all of a sudden, and the bad feeling in my gut intensified as I waited in suspense.

“They broke your brother's legs, and it's all your fault! Are you happy now, you f*cking ingrate? You're no longer my daughter!”

My heart felt like it was being squeezed by an iron grip when I heard Steven's legs were broken.

Oh, god... My parents must be devastated!

“Mom, how is Steven right now? Is he okay?” I asked frantically after regaining my composure, but Mom hung up on me without saying a word.

My phone slipped out of my hand and fell to the floor with a soft thud as my tears flowed uncontrollably.

Natalie had heard the whole conversation on the phone and gave me a distressed look as she asked, “Hey, Anna! What happened? Are you okay?”

“What do I do now, Nat? They broke Steven's legs! What am I going to do now?”

My mind went blank, and I grabbed Natalie's hand while my body trembled all over.

“Calm down, Anna! Whatever happened has happened, and panicking isn't going to help. We should focus on figuring out our next course of action.”

Natalie patted me on the back of my hand as she tried to comfort me.

“No... The hospital... I have to go see him at the hospital!” I mumbled while reaching for my handbag and putting on my shoes.

We don't have any decent medical facilities in the village, so Steven must be in the city's hospital if his legs are broken!

“In that case, I'll go with you!”

Natalie tagged along out of concern for my well-being, and the two of us took a cab to the hospital.

“Sir, could you please go faster?”

I kept urging the taxi driver to go faster even though he was already speeding.

“Why are you in such a hurry, miss? I can't go any faster or I'll exceed the speed limit, and that's very dangerous here in the city!” said the taxi driver while glancing at me through the rear-view mirror.

“But I have to get to the hospital urgently! It's an emergency!”

I knew it was unreasonable of me to keep urging the taxi driver like that, but I just couldn't help it.

“Calm down, Anna. We're almost at the hospital, so it won't be long now.”

Natalie grabbed me by the hand and motioned at me to calm down.

It wasn't easy, but I managed to keep my emotions in check, and we soon arrived at the hospital.

Having lost all sense of rationality from the fear and panic, I began checking all the wards in the orthopedic department one after another for my brother.

Fortunately for me, Natalie was smart enough to ask the front desk which ward Steven was in.

“Stop looking, Anna! Your brother is in ward 1201! Come on, let's go!”

The door to ward 1201 was shut tight, but I could hear Mom's cries coming from inside and hesitated to open the door as I was afraid of finding Steven in worse condition than I imagined.

“Go on in, Anna. You'll feel a lot less worried that way,” Natalie said when she saw me stop in my tracks.

I took a deep breath and opened the door.

Mom's cries sounded much clearer as I entered, and I felt my heart ache when I heard her cry her heart out like that.

Chapter 136

My heart skipped a beat when I saw my mother weeping. It was safe to assume that Steven must have been gravely injured.

As I dragged my way over to the ward, I saw Steven lying on the bed. He was completely drenched in blood with a plaster cast applied to both his legs.

There was no way I could stand seeing him in such a state no matter how much I was irked by his actions. After all, at the end of the day, he was my only sibling.

I strode toward his bedside, staring at him, and noticing that he was bruised all over, especially his face. Although my parents hadn't sustained any serious injury, they weren't exactly fine.

What the heck is wrong with that brutal bunch? They didn't pull their punches at all! How dare they beat Steven up to a pulp? Aren't they afraid of being arrested?

“M-Mom...”

Overwhelmed by emotions, I was unable to finish my sentence.

Torrents of grief streamed down my cheeks. I approached my mother and looked at her with my face scrunched up in guilt.

Although it was Steven's fault for getting himself involved, I felt bad as I wasn't of much help. If only I was capable enough to turn the tables around, Steven wouldn't have ended up heavily injured.

When she heard me, she stopped weeping and glared at me in the eyes. A few seconds later, she

stood up and marched over in my direction.

“Mom, I'm so sorry—”

I wanted to express my utmost apology, yet I wasn't even given a chance to finish my sentence. She slapped me in the face without holding back the moment she reached my side.

“Get the hell out of my sight at once!”

She yelled at me with a pair of teary eyes and bellowed at me to leave the ward immediately.

Seconds after I returned to my senses, I looked at her with my eyes widened in disbelief. I had a hard time fathoming the rationale behind the brutal slap.

Staring at my mother's scrunched-up face, my eyes started brimming with tears. The emotions I had been holding back almost came flooding out, but I knew I couldn't afford to be vulnerable.

Irked, Natalie had to resist the urge to confront my mom. She tried her best to maintain her composure and asked, “Hey, how could you slap Anna?”

Sniffling, I expressed my apology once again, “Mom, I'm so sorry—”

“Get out of my sight immediately! You're not my daughter!”

She couldn't be bothered by my apology at all. Instead, she dragged me out of the ward with all her might, indicating she deemed me liable for Steven's injuries.

“Mom, how can you say that? I'll always be your daughter! How can you chase me away when you need someone by your side?”

Although I wasn't of much help, I wasn't the one at fault! I can't believe she's chasing me away! Has she never thought of my feelings?

“Where are you when we need you the most? Since you can't be of much help, stop considering yourself a member of the family! I'll just consider it a waste of my time and effort raising you over the past two decades!”

It was evident that she held a grudge against me for not being able to resolve the issue on the family's behalf. In another word, she held me accountable for everything that had occurred.

Is she implying that I'm the one at fault for the family's current situation? Does she think I'm having a great time when they're having it tough?

In an attempt to defend myself, I looked at her in the eyes and repeated, “Mom, haven't I made it clear? I don't have the required sum! Over the years, I have given you everything! I don't even have a single cent left!”

It wasn't fair to hold me accountable for the things that had occurred.

“Don't try to deceive me! You have been working for years! I'm sure you're able to make more than a few hundred thousand within a year! You're just selfish and unwilling to help your brother!”

There was nothing I could say that would convince her otherwise since she had already decided that I

was the one responsible for the misery that had befallen Steven.

My heart went cold when I caught her staring at me with contempt. I wondered if she would react the same if I was the one heavily injured instead of Steven.

All these years, I was the breadwinner of the family, yet an accident was all it took to nullify my contribution over the years.

That's so unfair! Steven is their child! But so am I! Are they taking things out on me just because I'm a female?

Natalie couldn't stand my mother's arrogant behavior anymore. She tried her best to suppress her wrath and enunciated her reply, “Are you telling me you're not aware that Anna has transferred more than half of her monthly wages home? What do you expect from her when she's just an executive-level employee? She has been trying her best to cover Steven's debt over the past two years! What makes you think she must bear the consequences of his actions?”

Natalie's statements took my mother by surprise as she interrupted our conversation. However, seconds after my mother returned to her senses, she began taking her frustration out on Natalie.

“Who the heck are you? What makes you think you're in a position to interfere when I'm trying to teach my daughter a lesson? Why are you even here in the first place?”

In spite of being relatively straightforward, Natalie had never once mispresented the facts. Nonetheless, that wouldn't work with someone like my mother.

“I'm just telling the truth! To be honest, I can't stand it anymore! I'm supposed to show you some

respect since you're Anna's mom, but I don't think you deserve it at all! Don't you know she's going to feel bad as well? How can you blame her when she's not the one at fault?”

Natalie went on and on without paying heed to my mother's fury.

“Natalie, that's enough! I'm sure Mom is just frustrated because of the things that have occurred over the past few days!”

My mother had always been an unreasonable person. As such, I was afraid that Natalie would get herself involved in another fight, so I tried to stop her.

“Anna, they're holding you accountable because you have always tolerated their nonsensical demand! I'm well aware of the things you have gone through over the past two years! It's fine even if they don't appreciate your effort, but I can't believe they're blaming you when you're not even involved in this! They don't deserve to call themselves your parents!”

Natalie was never afraid of blurting out the things she had in mind. Therefore, she didn't bother to rephrase her sentence even when she was conversing with an elder like my mother.

Never would I bring up something of that sort in front of my mother, however, for I knew she would reprimand me for being unfilial and ungrateful if I did.

“Anna, is this your friend? Has she no manner at all?”

Unable to defend herself, my mother glared at me in the eyes and started picking on me instead of Natalie.

 

Chapter 137

“Mom, I'm sorry! I'm well aware that you're upset, but Natalie isn't trying to offend you either!”

Although I was still upset she had slapped me in the face, I knew she didn't mean it. She was just worried about Steven and needed to take her frustration out on someone.

“Get the hell out of my sight at once! Don't show up in front of me anymore in the future!”

Although she was relatively calm as compared to the moment I showed up in the ward, she insisted on chasing me out of the room.

“But Steven needs someone to look after him since he's heavily injured. Mom, just let me stay behind to keep an eye on him.”

It felt awful to be chased away over and over again. I would be lying if I said I wasn't bothered by her harsh remarks.

“No! I want you to scram, now! Also, you'll be the one to settle the medical bills of your brother!”

No matter what I told her to defend myself, she refused to listen to me. She simply pushed me out of the ward with all her might before slamming the door shut in my face.

Staring at the tightly shut door, I felt a prickling sensation behind my eyes. Although I was aware that she was irked, the fact that she actually chased me out of the ward took me by surprise.

Natalie, who had been suppressing her wrath, approached me and grasped my hand before announcing in a gentle tone, “Anna, let's just go home.”

However, I would never leave my family in times of emergencies. Hence, I asked Natalie, “Natalie, I wish to stay here to keep an eye on my brother, but Mom doesn't want me anywhere near them! What should I do?”

“Your mom's never going to let you back in. You need to stop wasting your time here. You're only causing yourself more grief if you stay. Why don't you listen to me and return home for the time being? Let your mom cool off for a bit and maybe she'll reach out to you in a few days.”

Natalie glanced in the direction of the ward and let out a long sigh. Helplessness was written all over her face.

Since Natalie's advice made sense, I stopped insisting and paid the attending physician a visit to find out Steven's actual condition instead.

He told me that Steven's condition was bad and he would require an immediate operation. However, the cost of the operation and the rehabilitation process that comes soon after would cost a fortune.

As I was as poor as a church rat, my heart sank to the bottom when I heard that. I couldn't think of any way to gather the required sum within such a short span of time.

Nonetheless, I had to come up with something because I couldn't afford to waste any time as Steven's condition was at stake.

My mind was all over the place after we returned to Natalie's place. I couldn't think of anyone who would offer their help. Truth be told, they had all turned me down when I brought up the request before.

Therefore, it was obvious it would end up the same.

In an attempt to figure out my next best course of action, I started pacing back and forth in the living room.

It was then I received a call from Yuval. I took a deep breath to calm myself before picking up the call.

Confused by the reason he had called, I asked, “Yuval, why are calling me in the middle of the night?”

“Anna, Natalie has told me everything you're currently going through.”

Yuval cut the small talk and got straight to the point the moment the call got through.

Hearing him mentioning my family, I frowned and wondered if I should acquire Yuval's help.

A few seconds later, I shrugged that thought off my mind because we had just gotten into a relationship. It wouldn't be wise to get him involved, let alone get him to lend me a few hundred thousand.

“What should I do? Steven is currently unconscious after having both his legs broken! He needs a few hundred thousand for the upcoming series of operations.”

I almost burst into tears when I shared my concerns with him. It was rare for me to have an emotional breakdown in front of others, but I had run out of options.

“The culprits are the ones liable for the damages they have willfully caused your brother. It's better for you to file a lawsuit against them and get them to compensate you for your loss.”

Yuval answered my queries in a serious tone. Perhaps it had something to do with his profession, he started analyzing the situation and told me the available alternatives.

“But that's going to take a long time! Steven can't wait that long! His attending physician told me the operation has to be conducted tonight, and a hundred thousand is required!”

When I reached the hospital, they were in the middle of preparation for the operation. As of now, Steven is still unconscious. I'm pretty sure Dad and Mom don't have the required sum after spending most of the fortune Michael has bestowed them...

After a few seconds of silence, Yuval added in a callous tone, “It is quite a challenge.”

Although I had no intention to ask for his help, I couldn't help being hopeful. To my surprise, he had just implied he wouldn't offer his help.

“Thanks for calling in to check on me. If there's nothing else, I'm hanging up now.”

As soon as I figured out Yuval had no intention to help me, I didn't want to waste my time engaging in a pointless conversation anymore. The only thing I had in my mind was to gather the required sum as soon as possible.

Yuval wrapped up the conversation as though he couldn't be bothered at all. “Alright, you need to calm down first and call it a day since it's getting late.”

As I couldn't think of anyone who could be of aid, I got increasingly anxious after hanging up the call with Yuval.

I couldn't figure out if Yuval had no intention to offer his help or if he had merely forgotten about it. However, it was evident he valued money over everything else.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, my mind was in a mess. As such, I went to the hospital again in the middle of the night.

My father was no longer in his prime, and I was afraid that my mother would have to take care of both my father and Steven. As such, I couldn't bear to leave them alone.

When I reached the hospital, I found out she was in the attending physician's office again. She was begging the doctor to carry on with the operation and promised him she would gather the required sum as soon as possible.

Nonetheless, the doctor couldn't be bothered at all. I barged into the doctor's office and helped my mother up immediately.

“Mom, what are you doing?”

“Anna, since you're here, have you gathered the required sum for the operation? We can't afford to drag this on any longer! Otherwise, your brother's going to be wheelchair-bound for the rest of his life!”

When she saw me, she behaved as though her only hope had shown up. She gazed at me with a panicked look in her eyes.

“Mom, I'm still trying to get the required sum. I can't gather that much of a fortune overnight.”

Afraid of looking at her in the eyes, I lowered my head in guilt.

She had been holding a grudge against me ever since I refused to settle the debt on Steven's behalf. Now that there was a possibility of Steven spending his life in a wheelchair, I was overwhelmed by guilt.

Chapter 138

“If you haven't gathered the required sum, why the heck are you here?”

The moment my mother found out I still hadn't gathered the required sum, she pushed me away with all her might and glared at me in the eyes.

I was upset by her response. Staring at her in the eyes with sorrow written all over my face, I answered, “I'm only here because I'm worried about you and Dad. I thought I can help keep an eye on Steven in the ward.”

“If you still care about us, why don't you get us the money we need for the operation? He needs it urgently or he'll end up crippled! Are you really going to forsake your brother?”

Up until that very moment, she still thought I had been keeping a fortune from her for myself.

Sighing, I looked her in the eyes and announced, “Mom, can you stop being so unreasonable? If I had the money, I would have given you already.”

Glaring daggers at me, she repeated herself, “If you still consider yourself a member of the family, gather the required sum at all costs! If anything happens to Steven, I won't forgive you!”

Once again, I had no choice but to bear the burden of the family.

“M-Mom—”

I had no intention to blame her for forcing me to gather the required sum, but I couldn't stand her threatening me over and over again. Is she actually saying that she would hold me accountable if

Steven really ends up crippled?

I'm equally upset by Steven's condition! But how can she make it sound as if I was the one who brought upon his misery? What else am I supposed to do?

“Well? Get going already!”

She pushed me out of the doctor's office without expressing any concerns over my feelings.

Perhaps he couldn't stand my mother's unreasonable behavior anymore, the doctor stepped in just then and stopped my mother from pushing me. he offered, “Alright, that's enough. I'll carry on with the operation, but you need to settle the medical bills first thing in the morning. Otherwise, I'll get in trouble as well.”

“Thank you so much!”

I heaved a sigh of relief when the doctor agreed to carry on with the operation.

He nodded and repeated himself prior to departing from his office. “I'll head over and check on the patient's condition. Meanwhile, please gather the required sum as soon as possible.”

With that, my mother and I were the only ones left behind after he marched out of his office.

Seeing that I was still standing at the entrance, she pushed at me and yelled, “Well? What are you waiting for? Hurry up and get going already!”

A few seconds later, she went after the doctor and marched in the direction of Steven's ward.

I thought of waiting for Steven outside of the operating theater, but my mother got worked up the moment she saw me. In the end, I had to leave the hospital because she wouldn't stop chasing me away.

It started raining cats and dogs the moment I stepped out of the hospital. It felt awful, but the fact that I was completely drenched had nothing to do with my foul mood. Instead, it was because my own mother had always deemed me replaceable.

Wandering on the streets in the middle of the night, I couldn't think of anything that could allow me to gather the required sum overnight.

Out of nowhere, Michael's image crossed my mind. He was the only one amongst my acquaintances who could whip out over a hundred thousand within a night.

That being said, he's someone who would never involve himself in a losing trade! If I'm acquiring his help, I'm pretty sure there's a hefty price to pay... And the only thing he wants from me is...

Ugh! As much as I want to stay away from him, he's the only one I can turn to! I don't have any alternatives anymore!

I ended up walking my way to Birchwood as I couldn't hail a cab in the middle of the night. To make things worse, there was a heavy downpour. I was just glad that Birchwood was merely a few streets away.

As I wandered in the deserted street with the rain splattering down me, the helplessness I felt

intensified.

After a long while, I finally made it to Birchwood. As I had moved out of Michael's place, I couldn't make my way in since the key was no longer with me.

I started shivering in the cold and reached for my phone to call Michael.

To be honest, I was afraid he would miss the call since it was the middle of the night, and he might have already fallen asleep. Besides, there was also the possibility where he might not want to make his way here even if he managed to figure out the things going on.

After ringing for quite some time, and just when I was about to give up, he finally picked up and asked, “Yes?”

Judging by his hoarse voice, it was evident that he had been roused from his sleep.

I was at a loss for words when I heard his voice. Coupled that with the awful feeling in my heart, I started weeping over the phone.

I knew that if I told him the truth, I would have to sacrifice myself again. Therefore, I was unsure of how to start the conversation. I just couldn't bring myself to ask for money from him.

Seeing how I was silent, he raised his voice and asked, “Where are you?”

I couldn't help but wonder if he was worried about me.

Sniffling, I forced myself to form a complete sentence and muttered, “I-I'm at Birchwood.”

“Wait for me.”

He hung up the call as soon as he assured me he would reach me soon.

As the beeping tone sounded, I lowered my phone, and I could no longer suppress the pent-up emotions and grievances that I felt.

Ironically, Michael was the only one I could rely on when we had merely spent a few nights in bed before.

I ended up shivering as I sat leaning against the entrance in anticipation of Michael's arrival. No longer could I pull myself together after spending such a long time walking over to his place in the rain.

As the pent-up fatigue caught up to me, I started dozing off, my eyelids getting heavier.

“Anna!”

Just when I was about to fall asleep, I heard Michael's voice. I forced myself to open my eyes and noticed that he was now standing in front of me.

I beamed at his presence and brought myself up immediately. Nonetheless, I could barely stand on my own feet. It felt as though I would pass out at any time.

“Hey. You're finally here.”

The very moment I brought myself up, I staggered and ended up in between Michael's arms. His familiar scent allowed me to feel a sense of serenity. I felt a strong urge to stay in between his arms without doing anything else.

Michael gaped at my actions with a perplexed look.

After a short while, he broke the silence and asked, “Why are you completely soaked in the middle of the night? Are you getting yourself wet on purpose?”

As a result of water dripping off my completely soaked shirt, Michael's shirt was partially drenched as well.

“Michael, can we go in first? I'm so tired...”

 

Chapter 139

I was on the verge of collapsing, but I had to pull myself together to gather the required sum for the operation.

Michael pushed me aside and accessed the keypad. I was shocked to see that he had changed the lock of the place to a keypad lock.

He marched his way to the couch in the living room and took a seat after showing me the way into the foyer.

Staring at me with his legs crossed, he queried, “So, why were you looking for me in the middle of the night?”

I was pretty sure he could easily figure out that the only reason I was looking for him was that I had something to ask of him. After all, I had suddenly shown up after having been avoiding him for the past few weeks.

When I caught him sizing me up, I pursed my lips in an attempt to make up my mind.

Although it wasn't the first time we had some raunchy fun, the upcoming one was one with a purpose. I thought I wouldn't get myself involved with him again after the last session we had. Unfortunately, just a few months later, I had to return to him because I was in desperate need of cash.

As I remained silent at the foyer, he asked with his brows arched, indicating he was about to lose his patience, “What? Cat got your tongue?”

He has always been an impatient man. I'm pretty sure I'm about to get on his nerves for real if I don't

talk to him soon.

Staring at him in the eyes, I started undressing in silence. I deemed it unnecessary to bring up the request prior to the session.

Seeing that, he narrowed his eyes to a slit with a curious look.

After removing every garment I had on, I stood bare in front of Michael. His lust was written all over his face.

“Did you get me here in the middle of the night just to seduce me?”

Once he finished his question, he got up from the couch and stalked toward me, the desire in his eyes intensifying.

Coming to a stop in front of me, he looked down upon me with a smirk.

My heart skipped a beat when I caught a whiff of his unique scent. I stared at him with my eyes brimming with tears.

“If that's what you want, I'll give it to you, then.”

Smirking, he lifted me in between his arms and brought me to the bedroom.

After throwing me on the spacious bed, he started undressing. Meanwhile, I started feeling lightheaded and wondered if it had something to do with him throwing me around as if it wasn't a big deal.

Once he removed his top and exposed his sturdy pecs, he got on top of me and started the session with an amorous kiss.

Soon, he ran his tongue all over my body as though he couldn't wait to devour me.

I had no choice but to brace myself through the session. In spite of my heart racing, I couldn't resist the urge to fall asleep as the pent-up fatigue caught up to me once again.

Since the only thing I had in mind was to sleep, I allowed Michael to play with me however he wanted. I tried my best to pull myself together until the session was over, but I couldn't resist it anymore.

Noticing that I wasn't reacting, Michael moved his lips away from me. He placed his hands next to me and looked me in the eyes with a hint of wrath in his ebony eyes.

“Anna, have you shown up in the middle of the night and seduced me just to fall asleep halfway through the session?”

My heart skipped a beat when I heard his hoarse voice. However, I simply couldn't bring myself to open my eyes anymore.

He arched his brows and placed his hand on my forehead. A few seconds later, he frowned and asked, “Are you having a fever?”

For a moment, I thought I could hear a hint of worry in his tone.

“M-Michael, I'm tired. I want to sleep...”

I fell into a deep slumber once I finished my sentence. I could feel Michael leaning over, but he seemed to be up to something else.

I couldn't seem to shrug the dizziness off me until I felt something cold on my forehead.

When I woke up again, a brand-new day had begun. I tried to open my eyes, but I couldn't due to the strong shaft of light in the room.

I still felt sick, but it wasn't as awful as it felt last night. Michael, who was next to me, was still sleeping soundly.

I sat upright and reached for my phone immediately. It was then I found out it was already eleven o'clock in the morning.

When I recalled the promise I had with the doctor, I sprang out of the bed to get myself dressed. I couldn't help but wonder if things were fine on Steven's end.

Michael was roused from his sleep by my frantic movements. He opened his eyes and looked at me with a frown. Judging by his look, it was safe to assume he was exhausted.

“You're finally awake.”

He struck up a conversation in a hoarse voice, indicating he had a long night.

I stiffened when I recalled the reason I had paid him a visit last night. Initially, I was about to offer myself to him, but I fell into a deep slumber halfway through the session.

Curious if he had finished the things we had started, I asked, “Did we... do it last night?”

If others weren't aware of my concerns, they would deem me a lustful woman who couldn't contain her desires to herself in the morning.

When he heard my question, he looked at me with a scowl and started making fun of me.

“You don't actually think I would do it with someone that's sleeping, do you? Did you show up just to spend a night in bed with me?”

As I could vividly recall myself dozing off before the best part of the session, I flushed when I heard his sarcastic remark.

Michael has always placed great emphasis on satisfaction when it comes to sex. I'm pretty sure he's having it tough since the session has been brought to an abrupt halt.

I was about to say something to express my apology, but I became tongue-tied.

On top of that, since nothing had occurred between us, I couldn't possibly bring up the request to get another loan from him. I was certain he wouldn't give in to my request until he was able to get his hands on the things he sought.

Once that particular thought crossed my mind, I stopped dressing up and pounced on him instead. I started kissing him on the lips.

That was the first time in forever I had taken the initiative. Michael's eyes widened in disbelief, but a

few seconds later, he wrapped his arms around my waist.

He returned my kiss with a frown. Meanwhile, as it was the first time I had initiated a kiss, my heart wouldn't stop pounding.

Chapter 140

Michael had always been a man with strong desires. Coupled with me riding on top of him completely bare, he was quickly aroused.

I let loose of myself as well since my goal was to seduce him into having sex with me. In order to please him, I stopped playing hard to get.

Pleased by my actions, he stopped kissing me and started running his lips across my neck instead. In the end, he moved away from me and peered into my eyes.

“Go on.”

Noticing that I had paused, he glanced at me in displeasure before placing my hands on his manhood, indicating that he wanted me to please him with everything I had.

He continued running his hands all over my body and added, “Anna, since you're the one who seduce me first, you need to finish what you started.”

Michael had always been a beast in bed. Therefore, it took a long time until he had his needs satisfied.

By the time we were done, I was completely exhausted. I felt a strong urge to take a nap once I was able to take a breather after the wild session we had.

Michael, who was laying next to me on the bed, looked at me with a bright grin and asserted, “You did great today. Let's try some new positions next time.”

Hearing that, I rolled my eyes at him. If it weren't for the fact that I needed money, I wouldn't have

seduced him in the first place and if possible, I wouldn't want to have a next time with him.

I turned around and looked him in the eyes when I recalled the reason I was here in the first place. However, as I gazed into his ebony eyes, I was tongue-tied once again.

“Actually, I...”

He interrupted me and asserted when I couldn't even finish my sentence, “You don't have to worry because I have instructed someone to bring the required sum to your family members.”

It took me a few seconds to figure out the things he had brought up since he made it sound as though it wasn't a big deal.

Once I snapped out of bewilderment, I asked, “You knew?”

Steven was rushed to the hospital yesterday! How the heck did he manage to find out about that so fast? He's way too capable!

“Isn't it obvious when you have repeated the same trick again? I mean, you're not going to get in touch with me and seduce me unless you need me to do you a favor. With that being said, you need to bear in mind it's not going to work for the third time.”

Michael got out of bed and started tidying himself up with a straight face. Thus, I couldn't tell if he was pleased or not.

I looked elsewhere to avoid his gaze when I found out he had long since guessed the reason for my visit.

“If you knew, why did you still...”

I couldn't suppress the urge to figure out the reason he had agreed to bed me in spite of being aware of the things I had in mind. Although I hadn't finished my sentence, I was certain he had guessed what I had in mind.

He brought himself to a halt and stared at me in the eyes. A few seconds later, he asked, “Anna, I'm sure you're aware now that only by being my woman, your life will be better.”

Although he hadn't made himself clear, I understood that he wished to maintain the sort of relationship we had.

“Michael, I...”

As much as I was against the idea, as the subservient one in the relationship, I knew I was in no position to make a decision.

“You're well aware of the things awaiting you because of your brother's condition, aren't you? It's going to involve a huge amount of money until the day he's able to stand on his own feet again. Are you sure you're able to withstand the burden?”

Michael was spot on. I couldn't even turn him down because I had no choice but to rely on him until Steven was completely recovered.

He's right... The doctor told me Steven needs to spend a few months in bed until he's able to walk again because his nerves have been severely damaged.

The fees for the operation weren't my sole concern as there would be a lot more additional cost after that. There was no way I could afford those with my monthly income.

Michael leaned over and repeated his offer in a seductive tone. “If you're willing to maintain our relationship, I'll get the best doctor to tend to your brother. I'll ensure that he's taken care of with the best available resources at no additional cost.”

I was tempted by his offer as I wouldn't have to go through any of the tormenting experiences anymore as soon as we came to terms with one another.

But what sort of relationship is he referring to? Does he want me to keep having this sort of secretive relationship with him?