Chapter 46: I’ll pay you back

The hospital corridor felt colder than usual.

Emily sat alone on one of the plastic chairs outside her mother’s room, staring at the floor.

The vending machine across from her hummed quietly, its lights flickering every few seconds. Nurses moved through the hallway, doctors spoke in low voices, and somewhere farther down the corridor, a phone kept ringing.

Emily barely noticed any of it.

Her phone rested in her hand.

She opened her banking app again.

Then closed it.

She already knew what it would show.

Not enough.

She had spent most of what she had on her mother’s treatment. The money she had managed to raise by selling a few things was almost gone too.

And now there was another bill.

She rubbed her forehead.

"How am I supposed to do this?"

Her voice came out barely above a whisper.

Her mother was stable.

The doctor had told her that several times.

But stable didn’t mean free.

There were still medications. Tests. Treatment. Follow-up care.

Every time Emily thought she had managed to get through one problem, another appeared.

Her phone buzzed.

For a second, she thought it was Damian.

It wasn’t.

She opened the message.

Hospital Billing:Additional treatment charges have been added to the account.

Emily stared at the message.

Her stomach sank.

She locked her phone.

"No."

She stood and walked toward the restroom.

She needed a minute.

Inside, she leaned against the sink and stared at herself in the mirror.

She looked tired.

More tired than she wanted to admit.

She opened her phone again.

Her thumb hovered over Damian’s name.

She should call him.

She should tell him everything.

He had already told her he was there if she needed him.

And if she asked, he would probably come.

Emily closed her eyes.

Damian would help.

She knew he would.

But she also knew that once she accepted his help, things would change, she may begin to seem like a burden to him.

Maybe not immediately.

Maybe not in an obvious way.

But she didn’t want their relationship to become about money.

Her eyes opened.

Then another name came to mind.

Adrian.

Emily immediately hated the thought.

She stared at his contact for several seconds.

"No way."

She put the phone away.

Then remembered the bill.

She took it back out.

Five minutes later, she was still staring at Adrian’s name.

Finally, she pressed call.

He answered on the fourth ring.

"Emily?"

She swallowed.

"Hey."

There was a pause.

"You okay?"

"No."

The answer came too quickly.

Adrian went quiet.

"What happened?"

Emily looked toward the restroom door.

"My mom’s in the hospital."

"Is she okay?"

"Yeah for now but There are more expenses."

Adrian understood immediately.

"How much?"

Emily hesitated.

"It keeps increasing ."

"A downside of hospitals that needs fixing."

She let out a small breath.

"I need to borrow some money."

Silence.

Emily’s fingers tightened around the phone.

Then Adrian asked calmly,

"Again How much?"

She told him.

Another pause followed.

"That much?"

"Yes."

"Okay."

Emily blinked.

"Okay?"

"I can give it to you."

Relief hit her so quickly that she almost felt dizzy.

"Thank you."

"Don’t thank me yet."

Her relief disappeared.

"What?"

"I want to see you."

Emily frowned.

"I don’t understand."

"Come by tomorrow."

"Adrian—"

"Just come by."

She stared at the bathroom mirror again.

"Why?"

"Because I don’t want to have this conversation over the phone."

There was something in his voice she didn’t like.

But she had already asked him for help.

"Fine."

"Tomorrow?"

"Yes."

"Good."

The call ended.

Emily lowered the phone.

She didn’t feel relieved anymore.

She felt like she had just stepped onto a road she wasn’t sure she could turn back from.

The next afternoon, Emily stood outside Adrian’s family home.

The same black gate.

The same large compound.

The same perfectly maintained garden.

She almost turned around.

Then she remembered why she was there.

The gate opened.

A few minutes later, Adrian stepped outside.

He looked at her for a moment.

"You look tired."

"I’m fine."

"You clearly don’t."

Emily ignored that.

"About the money—"

"Come inside."

She followed him.

They sat in a quiet sitting room.

Adrian didn’t say anything for a few seconds.

Emily kept her hands together.

"I’ll pay you back."

"I know...I mean that’s the whole idea of borrowing money."

"I mean it."

"I believe you."

She looked at him.

"Then what’s the problem?"

Adrian leaned back.

"There isn’t one."

"Why then does it feel like there’s strings attached ."

He smiled slightly.

"You’re more direct than you used to be."

"Adrian."

"Relax."

He reached for his phone.

"I can transfer the money today."

Emily’s shoulders loosened.

Then he stopped.

"But I want something in return."

Her expression changed immediately.

"I knew it."

Adrian looked at her.

"What did you think?"

"That you wouldn’t help unless there was something in it for you."

He didn’t answer.

That was answer enough.

Emily stood.

"Forget it."

"Sit down."

"No."

"Emily."

She stopped.

Adrian’s voice remained calm.

"I’m not asking you to date me or anything outrageous ."

She looked back at him.

"Then what?"

"I just want us to be partners you know ."

Emily stared.

"What does that even mean?"

"Dinner sometimes. Events. Hanging out. Things like that."

"Aren’t those activities for mainly couples "

"You’re too rigid if that’s how you see it "

"I’d rather Remain rigid"

"I want you to stop acting like I don’t exist."

Emily shook her head.

"You’re using this."

"Yes."

The honesty caught her off guard.

Adrian didn’t even try to deny it.

"You need money," he continued. "I have money. You came to me because you needed it. I’m not going to pretend I don’t have feelings for you."

"That doesn’t make this okay."

"I didn’t say it did."

Emily looked away.

He was making it worse by not pretending to be innocent.

Adrian leaned forward.

"I liked you before Damian."

"I met Damian before you ."

"But I’m not asking you to leave him."

Emily looked at him again.

"Then what are you asking?"

"Time. Like I said partners"

"You can say no."

Emily almost laughed.

Of course she could.

She could walk out.

She could call Damian.

She could tell him everything.

He would probably send the money before she even finished explaining.

But then she’d be doing exactly what she had been trying not to do.

She looked down at her hands.

"How long?"

Adrian’s expression softened.

"There’s no contract."

"That wasn’t my question."

"Whenever I ask you to meet, don’t automatically avoid me."

Emily remained silent.

"And if you want to stop, tell me."

She looked at him suspiciously.

"That’s it?"

"For now."

Emily knew exactly what the "for now" meant.

She hated it.

But she also knew what another day without the money could mean.

Her mother didn’t have time for pride.

Emily slowly nodded.

"Fine."

Adrian picked up his phone.

"Give me the account details."

She did.

A few seconds later, her phone buzzed.

She checked the notification.

The money was there.

Emily stared at the screen.

For the first time in days, she could breathe.

"Thank you."

Adrian watched her carefully.

"You’re welcome."

She stood.

"I need to go."

"Emily."

She stopped.

"Does Damian know about your mom?"

Her back stiffened.

"No."

"Why?"

She turned around.

"Because I don’t want him involved in my problems. He’s my boyfriend and not Mr fix it "

Adrian studied her expression.

"He’d probably become Mr fix it if you asked for his help."

"I know."

"Then why come to me?"

Emily’s voice became quieter.

"Because with you it’s a transaction that I can pay back ."

Adrian didn’t respond.

Emily picked up her bag.

"I’ll pay you back."

She walked toward the door.

"Emily."

She stopped again.

"She’ll be fine...your mom."

She nodded.

Then she left.

Adrian remained seated.

He looked down at his phone.

He had gotten what he wanted.

Just a door atleast.

Emily returned to the hospital that evening.

The payment had already been processed.

The nurse confirmed that her mother’s treatment could continue without another delay.

Emily finally allowed herself to sit.

She leaned back against the chair and exhaled.

For the first time in days, she didn’t feel like everything was collapsing at once.

But the relief came with a strange weight.

She had solved one problem.

She had also created another.

Her phone buzzed.

Emily looked down.

Damian:You home safe, babe?

She stared at the message.

A small smile appeared despite everything.

She typed.

Yeah.

She stopped.

Deleted it.

Typed again.

I’m at the hospital.

She stared at the words.

Deleted them.

Her fingers hovered over the keyboard.

She could tell him.

She should.

Instead, she wrote:

Yeah love. I’m good.

She sent it.

The reply came quickly.

Damian:Good. Get some rest, okay?

Emily stared at the screen.

Her chest tightened.

He had no idea.

He didn’t know about the hospital.

He didn’t know about the bills.

And he definitely didn’t know about Adrian.

Emily locked her phone and leaned back.

"I’ll figure it out," she whispered.

But this time, she wasn’t sure whether she was trying to convince herself or him.

Across the city, Damian sat at his desk with a completely different problem in front of him.

An acquisition.

Revenue.

Users.

Debt.

Ownership.

He was already thinking about his next move.

He had more money than he had ever imagined having.

And, he was beginning to understand what real wealth could actually mean.

Meanwhile, Emily had just borrowed money from the one person she never wanted to owe.

Neither of them knew how much that decision was going to change things.