An Hour Earlier
The ticking clock on the wall did little to comfort Esther as she sat beside her sister in the cold, sterile hallway of the Oncology Ward. The smell of antiseptic hung heavily in the air, mingled with the distant murmur of hospital machines and the occasional footsteps of rushing nurses.
Then, the door creaked open.
A man stepped out, tall, broad-shouldered, clad in a crisp white coat that bore the faintest traces of long hours. His name tag read Dr. Raymond Sillah, and though his presence was calm, the weight in his eyes said enough.
"Miss Cole?" he asked gently, looking between Esther and Zianab.
They both stood immediately.
"Yes," Zianab answered, her voice tight with emotion.
Dr. Sillah gave a small nod, motioning for them to follow him to a quieter corner near the nurse's station. His face was kind, but there was a firm gravity in his tone, the kind that prepared you for news you didn't want to hear.
"I won't sugarcoat it," he began, folding his arms gently. "Your mother has stage four glioblastoma, a very aggressive form of brain cancer. From her scans and reported symptoms, it's likely this has been developing for some time."
Esther felt her knees weaken. Zianab reached for her hand.
"She knew," Esther whispered, mostly to herself. "She's been hiding it…"
Dr. Sillah nodded sympathetically. "It's not uncommon. Patients often hide symptoms out of fear or to protect their families."
"What can we do?" Zianab asked, though her voice cracked at the end.
There was a pause.
"We're doing what we can to manage her pain and stabilize her here, but" He sighed, "this hospital simply doesn't have the advanced equipment or specialist resources required for any intensive treatment. I'm recommending that she be transferred abroad, preferably to a neurological cancer center in the States."
"The States?" Esther repeated, her voice barely above a breath.
Dr. Sillah nodded. "Some facilities in Boston or Houston are among the best for treating aggressive brain tumors. But I won't lie to you, it's extremely costly. Between air ambulance services, international admission fees, treatments like radiotherapy and possible surgery, you're looking at… well over a hundred thousand dollars, possibly more."
The figure struck like a thunderbolt.
Esther blinked, stunned. "We don't have that kind of money…"
The doctor offered a sympathetic smile. "I understand. But if there's a chance, even a small one, it's better to pursue it early. The longer we wait, the narrower the options become."
He left them with a copy of the report and his referral, then gave a brief nod and walked away, his shoes echoing down the corridor.
Esther stood frozen, the weight of reality settling like a stone on her chest.
Her mother was dying.
And the only hope of saving her… lay far beyond their reach.
"How are we even going to come up with that kind of money?" Zianab broke down, crumbling her hands against her thighs as she sank onto the waiting bench. "I should've known… I should've noticed her symptoms," she whispered, pain lacing every word. "I should've forced her to come with me to the hospital earlier."
"It's not your fault, Zianab. None of us could've seen this coming. We didn't know what she was going through," Esther replied softly, placing a comforting hand over her sister's. Yet even as she spoke, guilt gnawed at her. She had seen the signs too the headaches, the dizziness, the trembling hands , but she'd taken their mother's word for it that it was nothing serious.
Had she known… maybe it wouldn't have gotten this far. Maybe they could've caught it in time.
"I don't care how, but I'm going to come up with the money," Zianab said between sobs. "I'll empty my account. I have five hundred thousand Leones saved.."
"Zianab, I know you're trying," Esther interrupted, her voice cracking. "But that's not going to be enough."
She hesitated, then let the words slip out.
"Maybe… maybe I can sell a kidney. Or..some part of me."
"Are you insane?" Zianab snapped, sitting upright. "Why would you even say something like that?" Her eyes burned with tears. "We'll find another way, Esther. We're going to save Mom. But I'm not letting you harm yourself to do it. Mom would never want that."
Esther bit down hard on her lip, her fists trembling. "Then what do we do? Where do we even start? That kind of money isn't lying around.."
A wave of frustration and helplessness surged between them, unspoken yet shared.
And then Zianab remembered. Her savings or what was left of them spent trying to build a life with a man who shattered her. Abu.
A fresh sting of betrayal pierced her chest.
"Where's Sarah?" Esther asked finally, realizing her second sister's absence. "Why isn't she here?"
"I don't know," Zianab murmured, wiping at her eyes. "I called her before I called you. She said she was coming. I don't know what's keeping her."
Zianab folded her hands tightly and whispered toward the ceiling, "Dear God, please… work a miracle in our lives. Don't let our mother die. Please."
Esther turned her face away, blinking back her own tears.
And in that moment broken, desperate, but still standing , she knew what she had to do next.
At another end the night had deepened into a quiet hush as Daniel stepped through the doors of his mansion. The glow from the hallway lights stretched softly across the marble floors, casting long, tired shadows behind him. His jacket hung loosely over his shoulder, his mind still tangled in the heaviness of the day.
He barely made it five steps before he heard the rush of footsteps.
"Daddy!"
Betty appeared at the top of the stairs in her nightgown, her tablet already in hand. She descended quickly, her fingers flying across the screen before she reached him.
"Did you talk to her? Did you convince her to stay?"
He paused, his heart twisting. He hadn't expected her to be awake, let alone still clinging to that promise.
He knelt down in front of her and brushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear.
"I tried, sweetheart. But… not yet."
The words seemed to shatter something in her expression. She blinked, her mouth opening slightly, though no sound came.
It pained him more than anything else , that look of disappointment. That helplessness he had grown used to seeing ever since the day her voice disappeared.
Just as he stood to comfort her further, his phone buzzed in his pocket.
A number he didn't recognize. Foreign.
He didn't usually answer unfamiliar numbers, especially after hours. But something about this one , something in his gut, made him answer.
He brought the phone to his ear. "Hello. Who's this?"
A pause. Then came the voice.
"Mr. Lewis… it's Esther. Can we meet? I've reconsidered."
For a brief second, time seemed to freeze.
He looked down at his daughter, who was watching him with wide, hopeful eyes.
And slowly, a small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth, his first genuine one all day.
"Don't worry, princess. Daddy is going to fulfill his promise," Daniel said, turning back toward the door with a newfound purpose in his stride.
As a seasoned businessman, he knew the weight of calls like the one he'd just taken. He could tell from her voice, Esther was desperate, backed into a corner only he could pull her out of. And he would. Not just because of the leverage it gave him, but because something about this girl lingered in his mind.
Minutes later, he arrived at one of his private villas, a sleek property tucked quietly on the city's edge. The twilight air was cool, a hush falling over the space like it was waiting.
And then she arrived.
Esther walked through the villa's stone path, her figure hunched slightly under the weight of exhaustion and something deeper, pain. Her eyes were dull, her clothes modest and slightly wrinkled. Yet, she held herself with quiet strength.
"Thank you for agreeing to meet," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
"The pleasure's all mine. Please, sit," Daniel gestured to a cushioned seat in the villa's outer lounge. He'd sent his driver personally to pick her up from the hospital.
"I've decided to accept your offer," Esther began, hesitating as the words caught in her throat. "But I have a request…"
Daniel leaned forward, his gaze unwavering. "I'm all ears, Miss Cole."
She took a breath, then another.
"This might sound… a bit much. My mother has been diagnosed with stage four brain cancer." Her voice trembled, and she forced the rest out. "I…"
"You want me to sponsor her treatment," Daniel said, finishing for her.
Esther's eyes widened slightly.
"From what I know," he continued, "there isn't a single hospital in this country equipped to handle Glioblastoma. She'll need to be flown to the States for proper treatment."
"Yes, but..how did you?"
"How I know isn't important," he cut in gently. "What matters is your mother's condition. Getting her the help she needs will cost a significant amount, treatment, relocation, medical clearances."
Then his eyes darkened slightly, not cruel, just calculating.
"What do you have to offer in exchange for such a demand?"
A chill ran down Esther's spine. She felt like the room had narrowed in on her, air thinning.
"I would do anything," she said softly. "As long as it gets my mother the treatment she needs."
Daniel studied her in silence, as if weighing her soul. Then, he called out.
"Thomas."
From the villa's entrance, his assistant stepped forward, a file in hand.
"Give it to Miss Cole," Daniel said.
Thomas placed the folder on the table. Esther opened it hesitantly. Her fingers traced the pages, a contract.
"It's a formal agreement," Daniel explained. "In exchange for your mother's treatment, you'll move into my home. You'll serve as Betty's full-time governess and emotional guide for the next year."
Esther's heart pounded as he continued.
"I expect progress. Healing. You're not just there to fill a role, you're there to bring my daughter back to life. If, by the end of that year, Betty is in a better place, this contract is fulfilled… and your mother will have had the best shot possible."
Esther looked up from the paper, her eyes meeting his.
"Do we have a deal?"