"Get out of here!!!" Suzanne's voice thundered across the office.
Crack! The edge of her heel slammed against his forehead.
"Ma… respectfully speaking, I was framed," Daniel stammered, his face contorted in agony.
It wasn't just a disaster—it was as if chaos itself had descended on his life. Losing his license and his car earlier in the month had only been the beginning. Now, the final blow had come crashing down.
"Madam Suzanne, please… give me a chance to explain," he pleaded, voice trembling. "My life depends on this job. And my mother—"
"Shut up, nitwit!" she bellowed, slamming a folder shut. Papers scattered like wounded birds. "Clear your desk before you leave!"
Daniel's chest tightened. This woman—the same woman who once praised his brilliance in this very chair—was now discarding him like a common thief.
"I said leave! Or I'll have security escort you out."
As if on cue, the door creaked open. A security guard stepped in, his crisp white-and-blue uniform perfectly tucked, his belt gleaming under the fluorescent lights. His expression was grim, but his voice carried a note of kindness.
"Mr. Daniel, please… this way."
Daniel swallowed hard. Of all people, it had to be someone he'd built a rapport with. Perhaps that was why the guard softened his tone, even as he carried out the cruel order.
It was going to be a long walk.
Outside the office, the city felt louder than usual. His phone buzzed in his pocket.
"Hello, Mister Dan?" A low female voice crackled on the other end.
"Yes—who is this?" His steps faltered.
The caller inhaled shakily. Then came the words that sliced through him like a blade.
"Please… you need to come to Lagora City Hospital. Your mother was rushed here by neighbors. She's in the ICU—"
He didn't wait to hear the rest. Heart pounding, Daniel broke into a run, darting across the road like a madman.
"Honk! Honk!"
Tires screeched. A car swerved, missing him by inches.
"Are you insane?!" the driver roared, leaning out the window.
From inside the car, a sharper, feminine voice cut in, dripping with disdain. "Some people are so unfortunate!"
"I'm sorry!" Daniel gasped, bowing his head, but he didn't dare look inside.
The driver scowled. Behind them, a chorus of horns erupted.
"Drive!" the woman snapped. She had already lifted her phone again, eyes narrowing at the ruined footage on her screen.
"Twenty minutes wasted," she hissed, resetting her sunset lamp. This was supposed to be a flawless lifestyle brand collaboration. And now, thanks to some reckless stranger, frustration painted her face.
******
The smell of antiseptic hit him the moment he reached the hospital. Monitors beeped in harsh rhythm, nurses in white uniforms dashed about, clutching vials and clipboards.
Three doctors crowded around the bed where a woman lay unconscious.
"Doctor Timon, her pulse is weak," a junior doctor reported, panic etched in his voice.
Nurse Amanymti, is the patient's relative here yet?" the senior doctor barked, eyes never leaving the woman's fragile body.
The room fell into a tense silence, broken only by the frantic beeping of the monitor.
The patient's condition was critical. And time was running out.
**********
"Excuse me please, do you know where the woman that was rushed in here is?" A shaky voice asked at the reception.
No response. The receptionist didn't even glance at him. She continued chewing her gum loudly, tapping on her keyboard like no one had spoken.
Daniel shifted uneasily. He had never felt so invisible. Maybe if he was dressed in a fine suit, things would have been different.
"Excuse me, ma'am," he tried again, this time louder. "She was taken to the ICU!"
The receptionist finally raised her eyes and gave him a long, slow look that dripped with contempt.
"Oh… Are you her husband?"
Daniel clenched his jaw, holding back his irritation.
"No. I'm her son."
She shrugged, unimpressed. "Well, you can't see her right now, Mr…" She paused, as if searching for a reason to care.
"Daniel," he said firmly. "The name is Mr. Daniel."
"Right. You can wait over there." She tilted her head toward a nearly empty couch by the wall.
Daniel sat down, every second stretching longer than the last. His chest tightened with worry.
After five minutes, the sharp echo of footsteps filled the reception hall. A man in a long white coat approached the desk, flanked by nurses and interns in scrubs. His presence carried authority.
"Is the relative of Miss Miller here?" he asked.
Daniel shot up immediately. "Yes, doctor! I'm her son. How is she? Can I see her now?"
The doctor's expression shifted slightly, a shadow passing over his face.
"No… you can't. Not yet."
Daniel's heart skipped. "Why? What's going on?"
The doctor hesitated for a moment before speaking.
"I have some news for you."