After successfully resolving the situation, Rosalind returned to her hotel room to begin packing her belongings.
Thankfully, the business trip had been uneventful, apart from Mr. Chan’s anger.
She struggled to suppress thoughts of Ulric’s face, but her mind refused to comply until her phone on the table urgently started ringing. She hurried over and, upon seeing the hospital’s number, her heart sank.
As she pressed the answer button, even her hand trembled uncontrollably. “Is this Miss Ruell? Your mother just suffered a sudden heart attack. Her condition is critical, and she has been rushed to the emergency room. You need to come quickly!”
“…”
Rosalind’s vision blurred, and she almost lost her balance.
However, there was no time to waste. After a brief pause, she immediately rearranged her flight and swiftly made her way to the airport.
Only then did she remember to ask Tilda to inform Mr. Chan about the emergency on her behalf.
By the time Rosalind arrived back in Northville City, darkness had descended.
She hailed a taxi and headed straight to the hospital, where her mother had just been transferred from the emergency room to the intensive care unit (ICU).
Seeing her mother’s pallid face, Rosalind’s tears flowed uncontrollably onto the sterile hospital bed.
“Don’t cry…”
Eva Perkins weakly opened her eyes, attempting to lift her hand to wipe her daughter’s tears, but she lacked the strength to do so.
Rosalind hastily wiped her face and forced a smile. “Mom, I’m not crying. I just got sand in my eyes! The doctor advised you to rest well and not think about anything!”
Eva nodded weakly. After a while, her attending physician approached Rosalind and called her outside.
“Dr. Wong, how did my mother suddenly have a heart attack? Didn’t you say her condition was stable before?”
“We did everything we could. Given her condition, it’s only a matter of time,” Dr. Wong sighed. “What are your plans? If she doesn’t proceed with the surgery soon, incidents like today’s will continue to occur. You need to be prepared.”
Rosalind immediately inquired, “How much does the surgery cost now?”
“Prepare one million yuan initially. You’ll need the surgery, and subsequent treatments can be managed later.”
The doctor’s mention of one million yuan seemed effortless, but for Rosalind, it would take years to earn such an amount. By then, it might be too late.
“Take some time to think it over,” the doctor advised before leaving.
Rosalind stood alone in the empty hospital corridor, permeated with the scent of disinfectant, for a long time. She was still standing there when Tilda called.
“How is your mother?”
“The doctor said if we don’t proceed with the surgery… I should be prepared for the worst,” Rosalind clenched her fists and mustered the strength to speak. “Tilda, do you have any extra money you could lend me?”
Throughout the years, no matter how difficult things became, Rosalind had never borrowed money from anyone. But this time, she had no other choice. She had exhausted every penny she earned in an attempt to prolong her mother’s life.
“I do! I have two hundred thousand yuan. I’ll transfer it to you right away!” Tilda agreed without hesitation. “Send me your account number!”
“The surgery costs one million yuan,” Rosalind informed her.
“…”
“Tilda, am I really going to lose my mom this time… I can’t come up with one million yuan, it’s impossible!” Rosalind leaned on the wall, sliding down weakly.
Tilda, equally anxious on the other end, responded, “Don’t give up yet, there must be another solution!”
Another solution?
Rosalind paused abruptly, a spark of hope igniting within her.