THREE. THE COLD PROFESSOR
About ten minutes later, Cammila arrived at the hospital. Sarah was right that going by car was faster than going by bus. The crazy girl drove crazily on the busy streets until she was able to cut a twenty minute drive into just a ten minute drive.
Cammila looked for her stepmother in confusion. She finally caught her mother's face among the people who were crowding the hospital lobby.
"Mom, how is Avery's condition?"
Cammila gasped. Her heart was beating very fast seeing the unreadable expression on her stepmother's face.
“Her condition is critical. She is currently in a coma."
"Oh, God. How did it happen?" Cammila covered her mouth. She almost screamed to vent her sadness over what happened to Avery.
The only sibling she had had an accident and was lying in a coma. She remembered that at breakfast they were still joking at the dining table and talking about fun things. Avery was her biological older sister, her only support after her father died. Avery always protected her from her stepmother, who could sometimes be cruel. Avery was even responsible for running the company left behind by their father, which was almost bankrupt. Avery had been having difficulty finding investors. Their company couldn't be saved if they didn't get investors. And Avery had just signed a big deal with a rich man to save their company from collapse.
“No need to cry. There is no point wasting tears at a time like this.”
“What actually happened to her?”
“How would I know? The police only told me that Avery had an accident. She was probably careless and driving without paying attention to the surrounding traffic.”
"I want to see her. Where is her room?”
Before Cammila sped away towards the receptionist, Yvone grabbed her arm roughly and dragged her towards a quieter corner of the hospital.
"We have more important conditions than just worrying about Avery."
“But she's in a coma. You've been blackmailing her all this time to work day and night for that company that's almost collapsing."
“That's her duty as your father's eldest daughter. You and your sister have to save the company at all costs.”
Cammila looked away to the side. She was sad about her and Avery's condition, which had not been very prosperous since their father died. Yvonne had spent all their father's money on fun. In fact, it didn't stop there. Yvonne also owed a lot of money and used their company as collateral at the bank.
“The man who will be an investor in your father's company has made a deal with Avery.”
"We can tell him that Avery is sick and can't continue with the agreement."
"Not that easy. He has paid fifty percent of the total amount we need to pay off our debts at the bank. We cannot back down.”
"But what can we do?" Cammila shouted at Yvonne and tried to release her grip on her arm.
"Let me go. Let me see Avery.”
"You can't go anywhere before this is finished," Yvone glared at her and tightened her grip on her arm.
“We'll ask the man for some time until Avery wakes up. That's the only solution. Now let me see Avery.”
“You don't know what your sister has signed, huh,” Yvonne snorted sarcastically.
“Avery never told me the details. She just said she had taken care of everything.”
“You naive. Avery has signed an agreement to marry that man."
Cammila gaped in surprise. She narrowed her eyes suspiciously at Yvonne.
“You sold Avery to that guy. You must have forced her to do it, right?”
“Sshhh... Don't scream. We're at the hospital."
"I don’t care. But you are really cruel. You sold Avery's life to pay off your debts. If my father hadn't married you, we would have been fine. Our company will be fine.”
Yvonne laughed discordantly. She looked at Cammila like she was looking at a cockroach that she would trample any moment.
“But in fact, your late father preferred me. Your late father even entrusted me to hold his company accounts. Huh, you have been able to live a decent life so far only because of my mercy. I can kick you and Avery out of the house whenever I want. All the house certificates and assets belonging to your father have been transferred to my name."
“No way. You must have done something to my father. You manipulated him. My father couldn't possibly entrust his assets to you instead of his children.”
“Well, that's what was written in his will. You can check it yourself with your father's lawyer. I'm sure Winston will be happy to show you.”
Cammila's throat tightened. She suddenly felt like she had lost her footing on the earth. Avery never told her about it. But seeing how Avery had been so obedient to all of Yvonne's orders all this time, it had explained everything to Cammila that Avery had known everything all along. Her sister had been protecting the two of them, so that they could live properly in a house full of beautiful memories with their father and mother.
“Why are you just silent? Shocked, huh?”
“You're a thief. You took it from us.”
“There's no need to be angry with me. You will need me to pay for your sister's hospital treatment.”
Cammila's breath hitched at the thought. She just realized that Avery would need a lot of money for her treatment costs.
“Currently our cash is running low. I can't waste money on Avery's treatment costs. The doctor said that Avery would not survive long without life support equipment attached to her entire body."
“Please, don't. Don't let the doctors remove her life support.”
"Well, Avery can still get treatment at this hospital as long as you can get money for the treatment costs."
“I-I'm going to look for a job. How much does Avery's treatment cost now?”
“Ten thousand dollars. For one week.”
Cammila's legs grew weak when she heard the amount of money Avery needed. Her savings didn't even reach ten thousand dollars. To earn ten thousand dollars a day requires more work than just being a waitress. Meanwhile, she couldn't apply for a job at a prestigious company before she graduated.
"How? Can you make ten thousand dollars in a day?”
"I will try it."
“Tch, you idiot. You can't. Even Avery herself couldn't raise ten thousand dollars in a day. The only way you can afford your sister's treatment is to marry that rich man.”
“Wh-what do you mean?” Cammila asked in shock.
“You have to replace Avery to marry that man tomorrow morning. Nine o'clock at City Hall.”
-00-
Shane stood in front of his office window with one hand pressing the phone to his ear. He waited for someone to answer the phone while clucking impatiently.
“Ben, are you tired of working with me? It took you a really long time to answer my call, huh?”
“I-I'm sorry. Mr Jeff just came to visit.”
"Grandpa? What is he doing at the office?” Shane's lips thinned at the thought of his cruel grandfather's face. It was the old man who had educated him in a disgusting dictatorial style. He hated being a little soldier for his grandfather.
“Regarding the transfer of his assets to you. Mr Jeff will call it off if—”
“Tell him I will fulfill his ridiculous request immediately. Tomorrow night, I will bring my wife to meet him.”
“Sir, are you sure? Mr Jeff will know if you trick him again this time.”
“I'm not going to trick him this time,” Shane growled in annoyance.
He stepped back away from the window and returned to his throne.
“I will get married tomorrow at nine a.m. at City Hall. Tell that to my grandfather. He is welcome to attend if he really wants to witness his grandson's wedding. If not, I don't mind at all. What is clear is that I will not let grandfather's inheritance fall into the hands of his illegitimate child."
“Ok, sir. I'll tell Mr. Jeff.”
“You arrange dinner for three people tomorrow, at grandpa's favorite restaurant. Order his favorite foods too."
“Understood, sir.”
“Good. Do everything right, Ben. I want grandpa to be truly impressed with all the things I have prepared for him tomorrow night.”
Shane hung up the phone and put his cell phone on the table. He grinned imagining his grandfather's reaction tomorrow night when he met his wife. He made sure his grandfather would not find any more flaws because tomorrow he would marry a special woman.
“You will be my string puppet, Avery.”