Katie's POV
I heard some voices. People talking in the background. I was awake but not fully. My head hurts really bad. Maybe it is from the fall or stress, I don't know. All I know is that it hurts really bad.
"Arrrrgggghhhh." I screamed in agony. I tried opening my eyes but the light was too bright and it sent a wave of pain from my eyes to my head. So instead of opening my eyes at once, I tried opening it little by little to adjust it to the brightness of the room.
"Where am I at?" I asked immediately I was able to open my eyes and I saw a nurse.
"A hospital, you got rushed in because you blacked out on the streets." The nurse replied me.
Obviously, I know that I am in a hospital I was asking which hospital. Maybe I wasn't clear enough but she answered me like I was dumb or I just woke up from being under an anaesthesia.
"Which hospital am I at?" I asked her again.
"Kings Hospital." She informed me. Hold up… this is where Dr. Chris is at. This is the hospital where Evie is getting her treatments from. What are the odds, Doctor Chris must have called it in since we were on call when it happened so it makes sense that I am here.
"Evie." I said in a panic tone. The nurse tried to stop me but I was faster than she was. I bolted out of my room to go search for Evie but Chris caught me before I made a scene.
"Let us go to my office." He said to me. We left for his office and we just sat in silence for almost five minutes before I broke it.
"Where is Evie? Is she fine? What happened to her?" I just kept the question going but he remained silent.
"The silence is killing me Chris. Tell me something." I panicked. Maybe something bad had happened to her and he is not telling me.
"Evie just had one of her numerous episodes but she is fine now." He said in an assuring tone.
"What do you mean by numerous episodes? You said she will be fine if she takes her medications and I have made sure it was always available to her." I said confused about what was going on.
"Evie didn't tell you?" he asked surprised.
"Tell me what?" I asked him back. I am really really confused as to what is going on here. I just need an explanation and he is hesitating to tell me.
"The price on the medicines doubled after the World Health Organization's budget got cut into half because 'you know who' pulled out." Chris said to me.
"Are you telling me that she has been buying half of what she was suppose to get? She has been buying a week worth of medication instead of two? How long has this been on for?" I was almost crying at this point.
"Three months now. I am surprised she was able to hold out till now." He said like it was something good.
Why must everything be this bad? Did we do something real bad in our past lives or what?
"Why the fuck is Mother earth fucking with us." I said super close in tears but I swallowed back my tears and wore my big girls pant because I don't want Evie to be worried while fighting for herself.
"I can't hide it anymore Katie. It is bad…you blacked out because of stress and I am not supposed to say anything till you got really bad but there is no time again. I can't delay with this. Evie needs to get surgery done. She can be discharged after she wakes up today but she needs to get the surgery done sooner. The drugs can't do anything for her again at this point." Chris informed me.
"Thank you. Take me to her. I want to see her." I thanked Chris after much silence and battling with myself not to cry. Throughout the entire walk to her ward, I was silent. I wasn't even thinking about the cheating bastard. I forgot all about him like he was never there to begin with. All I had in mind is how to get myself a job so I can pay at least 70 percent so Evie can have the surgery done and be fine for life.
"Hey cutie pie." I said to Evie. She was already awake.
"I am so sorry Katie. I just didn't want to see you struggle because of me again." Evie apologized. She is smart enough to know I already found out.
"It is fine baby." I assured her but she broke out in tears and I did too. I couldn't hold it back anymore.
"I am sorry. Really really sorry." She kept on apologizing and I kept on reassuring her that it was fine and we would be fine. I filled out some documents, pulled out all our savings and paid for both our hospital bills. There was no insurance to cover it.
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We got home safely. I made something for us both, we ate and we watched something together. After I put her to bed, I updated my resume and started searching for a job and that was what led me to Mr 'Give me an heir and I will pay you 200 million dollars.'
I saw a job offer to just be at an event tomorrow night and get paid 10 grand. It was a huge opportunity I couldn't pass. They will pay 5 grand upfront so I applied and in just few hours I got a message that I got accepted to be there by 6pm to get ready before the commencement of the ball which starts at 9pm. I went to bed with a lot going through my mind. It took a while before I dozed off.
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Ding! That was what woke me up this morning. I struggled to pick my phone since I was still trying to adjust my body to the morning. I picked up my phone to check what message got in. It took a while for my eyes to adjust to the brightness of the screen but when I saw it clearly, I jumped off my bed instantly and let out a scream.
"Who the hell sent me 5 grand?" I shouted… I thought about it for a while then remembered about last night. Okay it has been ascertained that they are not a scam which is okay but what about my safety. I brushed it off immediately I remembered Evie.
"I will be fine as long as Evie is." I said to comfort myself.
"Are you not going for work today, Katie? You will be late." Evie said and that startled me immediately because I did not hear her come in.
"What are you? A tardiness soldier?" I said to tease her. I was avoiding telling her but guess I can't get away with it again.
"Talk Katie." She commanded.
"Okay! You caught me. I got fired…. (silence) how did you find out anyways. Am I that bad to have been caught real fast?" I asked her. I didn't expect her not to know for a very long time. Knowing Evie, she catches up on things really fast except she wants to tease you.
"Saw your laptop. It was opened so I took a quick peek when my eyes caught something." She said and cleared me immediately before I question why she is snooping around my things.
"I was going to tell you eventually when I get a new job. Though I didn't get a job, I got a gig that is paying 10 grand for just this night. That should be enough to cover 20 percent of your surgery." I said to her. Oh yes, she knows about the surgery. Like I said, it is really hard to hide something from her.
"Yes, I saw that. I don't want you to take it up. They are offering to pay too much for just a night. It is ridiculous and doesn't sound safe." She said. I was going to tell her they already paid half upfront but I know she will just try to talk me out of it so I didn't say anything and just nodded.
"I have heard you ma'am." I said to her to keep her less worried.
"Why are you all dressed up?" I asked her.
"I am going out to meet Daniel." She answered me.
"You are not going out to meet anyone, you should be resting at home." I said with worry laced in every word.
"I will be fine. Moreover, resting will just make me think and that will worsen the whole situation. Don't worry, Daniel knows about my health so I am safe. I haven't seen him in a while, I just want to get out of the house and be out not confined in this space that screams depression for us both." She said and she was totally right. I couldn't refuse her again so I let her go but told her to be back before 3pm.
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This is already past five and Evie is not yet back. I called her several times and she didn't pick up. I was so worried and set to go out to go look for her when I got a video note from her saying she was fine and still with Daniel. I heaved a sigh of relief and got ready to go to the gig I have tonight. I got to the building which is super huge. The colours, the floors and ceilings… everything screams perfection. I fell in love with this place instantly.
"How can we help you ma'am." The receptionist asked with a huge smile on her face.
"Oh, hi. I got a gig here to be at an event." I said while showing her evidence. She asked me to provide my details and after so many processes, she gave me a card and showed me to a room. The room is filled with so many girls around my age. All with a number tag on them. About an hour later, a lady-like man came in to address us.
"Today, you all have been chosen to be a part of a momentum. You all will be in the midst of great minds. Billionaires from all parts of the world. And you, you, you (he said while pointing to one person or the other) will be the reason so many poor people out there get a reason to live. This is a charity masquerade ball and you are the MVPs." He ended his speech with a smile and everyone clapped. Some dudes in black came in and started giving out some sort of paper.
"You all will have to fill an NDA. For those who do not know what it is and how it works, it is a Non-Disclosure Agreement binding by the law. What you have with you simply states that whatever happens here in this building stays in this building and if you are caught telling anyone, you will be fined with ten million dollars. The people coming here are high profiled individuals and to ensure their safety and privacy, we need you all to sign this." He said to us.
Someone said she wanted to leave and she was asked to pay back triple the upfront money as it was stipulated in the description. I definitely didn't see it when I read it over and over again but for some reason, it was there when I checked again.
There is something fishy, something they are not telling us. It just feels off that we can't back out now and something that was not there before is now suddenly there. I shook the feeling off since I was here because of the payment for Evie's surgery.
They gave us food, a dress and did out make up for us. We got all glammed up and was moved into another room. The ball started and they started taking the girls outside one by one and people will call some money like it was an auction so I thought maybe the girls are the ones holding the product that is being auctioned off until it got to my turn.
I entered and was on the stage. Everyone present was on a mask except me and the other girls. Then they started calling numbers that felt ridiculous. I looked around for the product which they wanted to sell at a very high price and didn't see anything besides me and the host or do they call them the auctioneer. Then it dawns on me that I was being auctioned off for the night.
"One million dollars, going once, going twice…." The auctioneer said.
"100 million dollars." Someone in the crowd said and everyone gasped including myself. Who the fuck wants to pay 100 million dollars for a night with me. I wondered.
"Gone. Sold to you, number 41." The auctioneer said and I was taken into a room, told to wait and got locked in. So many things went through my mind. I imagined the worse happening to me. Few minutes later, I heard the lock… someone was coming in.
"Enjoy your night sir." A male's voice.
He came in. I stood up and moved a bit closer. I really shouldn't have. Then I heard a ding. I checked my phone, it was a credit from them, they balanced up. Apparently, they doubled my pay because they got more than they expected with just me. Since my pay is confirmed, my sole goal is to bolt out of here.
I was about leaving when he came at me abruptly, he pulled me and aggressively leaned my back to the wall, lifted his hand and placed it above my head on the wall. He came closer and closer and closer as if he was not any closer before. He was coming in on me like he wanted to enter me or match with me like a sandwich.
"Is it just me or there is heat here." I said under my breath in fear. I couldn't see his face because it was covered with a mask. I mean, that is what this whole ball is about anyways.
I could feel his breath on mine. His fingers gently caressing my lips like he owned it.
Suddenly his hands went below my chin and lifted my face up to look right into his. I got lost in his familiar oceanic blue eyes. It was beautiful, commanding, sexy yet void of emotions.
"Give me an heir and I will pay you 200 million dollars." He said to me and that jolted me awake fast. It pulled me out of the trance his eyes made me fall into. Bro is offering me double what he just paid for a night with me just for me to carry his baby. The most expensive baby mama ever.
I pushed him off of me instantly but he only stumbled a bit backwards like my little push meant nothing. It however, gave me enough space to make for the door.
"I can't be bought." That was all I said when I made a run for the door like my life depended on it. Maybe it did and maybe it didn't, I can't tell now since I made a run for it.
"I'll pay half upfront. In case you change your mind, I'll still be here for an hour." He said to me just before I could leave.
"What a creep." I said this just when I got to a safe space.
I got home but Evie wasn't back yet. My phone is dead already so I plugged it in. After I charged it for half an hour, I turned it on only to see that I have numerous missed calls from an unknown number, Chris and Evie. I called Evie's number first and Daniel picked up.
"Evie is in the hospital." Daniel said sobbing over the phone. I didn't even ask him anything and just went for the door. I took a cab to the hospital and Chris told me she needed the surgery. The money with me was not enough to get started so I went back. Only a crazy person like me will refuse 200 million dollars to be a baby mama.
I got there and went straight to the room. Drenched in my own sweat, I entered looking really tattered and completely out of breath.
"I almost didn't make it." I said and smiled at him to cover up my desperation but I think he sensed it because he smirked.
"I knew you will come back." He said with a smirk still on his face. He knows I am desperate so I decided to make a crazy offer too.
"Marry me." I said with a dead ass straight face. I wasn't messing around and bro was shaken.