4
Time later...
Suzanne didn't like the expression on the man's face in front of her, even though he wore a white coat and there was a doctorate certificate in medicine on his wall.
Perhaps that was the problem; his face only reflected bad news, news related to her father's health.
"Miss Peyton... your father has colon cancer," he said seriously.
The news hit her like a bucket of cold water.
She bit her lip, and her eyes filled with tears at an alarming rate. She stared at the doctor, not knowing if it was because she was expecting him to say it was a joke or because she was in shock.
Her brain seemed to have disconnected from her body.
"Doctor... are you sure?" It was a silly question, and she knew it, but she couldn't help asking.
Her voice came out so low that for a moment she doubted he had heard her.
"I'm sorry to bring such bad news," the professional said, and a sob escaped the girl's throat. "He needs to start treatment urgently..."
Suzanne lost her breath when she heard the necessary amount. Where was she going to get such a large sum of money?
"This is a nightmare, what are we going to do now?" she thought with anguish.
She tried to pay attention to what the doctor was saying, but it was practically like Chinese to her, although the glimmer of compassion in the man's eyes only broke her heart even more.
Suzanne left the office with the crumpled results in her fist, feeling like her feet were heavier than ever as she walked despondently toward her father's location.
The appearance of the older man, exhausted and in pain, tied her chest in knots. She tried to put on a smile, although she didn't achieve the success she had hoped for.
"What did the doctor say, Suzie?" her father asked her lovingly.
The knot in her throat seemed to grow in tandem with the anguish in her chest.
"You're... you..."
How could she tell him that he was very ill and that moreover, the treatment was practically impossible to afford? She felt her legs weaken.
"Is it that bad?" the man expressed, managing to read his daughter's expressions. "I could sense that something was wrong, but I didn't want to speculate..."
"We'll figure it out," she said trying to smile, placing a hand on her father's shoulder. "We always manage to push through despite everything, right?"
That was an undeniable fact; from a young age, she had to take care of the household because what her father earned was not enough, and her mother had left them to be with her lover.
"I don't want to be a burden, Suzie..."
She turned to him with a furrowed brow.
"Don't even joke about that, Dad," her voice broke on the last word. "Who told you that you were a burden? You know you're the only family I have left, I'll take care of the situation, you'll see..."
"Hey!"
He interrupted, not just because of the exclamation but also because of the firm bump he collided with, spilling something warm on his arm. That "bump" had a furious gaze and looked incredulously at his own stained clothes.
"Oh, I'm sorry..."
"Watch where you're going, will you?" the tall man snapped, trying to remove the stain from his clothes. "This is great, just perfect!"
"Mr. Strong?" the girl stammered, looking at the man in front of her with wide eyes.
He furrowed his brow when he looked up and then raised an eyebrow upon recognizing her. What was she doing in the hospital? Was she sick?
He quickly shook his head to dispel those thoughts, which he told himself were none of his business, yet the doubt lingered in his mind.
"Suzie... Miss Peyton," he hurried to correct himself.
He noticed that his secretary had red-rimmed eyes, and she was accompanied by an older man who watched the scene with growing curiosity.
"I apologize," Suzanne bit her lower lip, trying to be courteous with him despite his usual arrogance. "I didn't see you there."
“Why do our encounters have to be like this?” the man thought, raising an eyebrow.
He could still remember the haughty and rude way she had behaved, unaware that he was her boss. He found it amusing how her attitude completely changed upon realizing whom she had been yelling at.
The girl had a strong character, but there was something about her that caught his attention. She seemed willing to do anything to keep her job. That's how he discovered about her debts, and now... he found her in a hospital.
"What are you doing here?" she cleared her throat, noticing his silence, bringing him back to reality.
He realized the harsh tone he hadn't planned to use but couldn't help with his annoying and cynical boss demeanor.
His proposal had thrown her off and that's why the next day she told him that she had to think it over and that she couldn't accept it at that moment.
"I came for... routine exams," that question gave her the opportunity to inquire as well. "And why are you here, Miss Peyton?"
She bit her lip, looking somewhat uncomfortable. However, she gestured to the older man beside her.
"I came with my father... also for some exams," her somewhat subdued tone caught his attention. "Dad, he's my boss, Mr. Nathan Strong."
"A pleasure, sir," Suzanne's father said, extending his hand. "I'm Gabriel Peyton."
"The pleasure is all mine, Mr. Peyton," Nathan said kindly, shaking his hand. "I hope everything went well with your exams."
Nathan couldn't help but wonder if she was going through more serious problems than he had no idea about. Although her rejection of his proposal had left him more than resentful, he hadn't been able to dismiss her from the company. He planned to find some reason with human resources for an unjustified dismissal.
"Well..." Suzanne hesitated. "Of course, boss," she cleared her throat, hurrying to leave to avoid talking more with that man. "If you'll excuse us..."
"Are you leaving already?" Nathan raised an eyebrow, taking a step forward. "I can give you a ride if you'd like."
"No!" the girl exclaimed, in a very loud tone, catching her father's attention. "I mean, we don't want to inconvenience you, Mr. Strong. We'll take a taxi."
"I can perfectly..."
"I appreciate your offer, but we really have to go," she waved goodbye, taking her father's arm and quickly leaving the hospital, feeling an almost frantic urgency to get away from that man.
She couldn't help it; she only tolerated him in the office because she had no choice, but he wanted to even act like a gentleman, when she knew perfectly well what his intentions were.
Her father was astonished and bewildered by his daughter's behavior, which seemed quite out of character.
"Suzanne, what on earth was that?" he asked, somewhat breathless from the effort. "Why did you run away from your boss like that?"