Shadows of revenge

Chapter Eleven

Megan's slim figure was sprawled on the floor, gasping for air. She was asthmatic but hadn't had an attack for almost two years. Cindy thought she had overcome the attacks and had stopped pestering her about not frying. But seeing her on the floor now made her regret it.

"Oh my God! Megan!" She rushed to her side and tried to help her sit up as she dialed the emergency line.

Cindy cried for ten minutes before the ambulance arrived and took Megan to the hospital. She sobbed all the way to the clinic. She was supposed to watch Megan, but she had been busy with her so-called fiancé. Now look what had happened: Megan was in critical condition, and Cindy prayed that she would come out alive.

When they got to the hospital, Cindy had to wait outside the emergency room while the medical personnel worked to revive Megan. She didn't want to lose her friend. Her mom and Megan were the only family she had. Megan was more than a sister; she was a best friend.

Almost an hour later, a doctor came out of the emergency unit, and Cindy rushed up to him. He had a passive look on his face, so she couldn't read him. Frantically, she searched for a sign of relief from the doctor, but he had none. Impatiently, she asked, "Doctor, how's she?"

The doctor sighed before saying, "She is out of danger now, but she's still weak and will need lots of rest. Are you her family?"

Cindy breathed a sigh of relief. "Her husband is abroad. So for now, I'm the closest thing she has to family."

"Alright. You can see her immediately."

"Thanks, doctor!"

"See the finance department for the bills."

"Alright, doctor," Cindy said as the doctor walked away.

She didn't want to think about how the bills would affect her right now. Her friend's life depended on it. It wasn't going to be a huge amount; she would be able to afford it. She walked down the hallway, searching for the room where her friend was lying.

She entered the room and saw Megan lying on the hospital bed, her face pale and her hair ruffled. Cindy walked up to her bed and sat close, watching her as she slept.

"You wouldn't have gone into the kitchen," she said softly, removing a stray hair from Megan's face. Tears slid down her cheeks as she continued, "Killian would be mad at me if he knew I put you in danger."

"Killian would not make a big fuss out of it like you do," Megan suddenly said. She had been awake for a while but kept her eyes shut, wanting to keep them closed for a few more seconds. She hadn’t thought that preparing a simple meal for Cindy would land her in trouble. She had caused Cindy more trouble than she had helped her. Sighing, she realized it couldn’t be helped; what had happened had happened.

"Killian would surely kill me," Cindy smiled.

"I bet he would," Megan smiled back.

"Alright, you need rest. Can I leave you for a bit?"

"Yeah, you can. Get out of here. Go wash up. I figure you haven't had a single minute since you got back. Later, when you get back, tell me how your visit to your future mother-in-law turned out."

"Alright. I'll be back. What should I get you?"

"Anything spicy."

"Alright."

Cindy got up and left, contemplating whether she should visit her mother first or go home to take a shower before heading there. She decided to see her mom first. Megan had been rushed to Bryan Hospital, so both she and her mother were in the same hospital but on different floors.

"Mom?!" she called out when she arrived. Her mother was sitting up; she seemed much stronger than before, though dark circles still lingered under her eyes.

"Cindy dear!" Sophia said excitedly, smiling as Cindy walked over and hugged her.

"I can see that you're stronger today."

"Yeah, my condition has improved a bit."

Cindy smiled. "I'm happy." She looked at her mother lovingly but then remembered that Sophia would have to undergo surgery to stay alive, and her smile faded.

"Are you alright, Cindy?" Sophia asked skeptically, noticing her daughter's mood change."Yes, Mom," Cindy forced a smile back onto her face. "Mom, I wanted to discuss something with you, and I hope you'll take it well."

Sophia's smile faded, and her face turned serious. "I hope it's not anything serious."

"Hmmm... not really. It depends on how you see it."

"Okay, what is it?"

Cindy assessed her mother's face to gauge her mood. She didn't want to cause her any distress, especially considering her health was still fragile.

"I'm getting married."

Sophia's eyes widened in bewilderment. "What? How come you never told me about a boyfriend or fiancé? You never mentioned that you got engaged. How come I'm just hearing about this now?"

"I'm sorry, Mom. I didn't want you to worry about me. I know you're not strong health-wise, so I didn't want to add any stress. But I decided to tell you because the wedding's close, and I don't want you to find out later that I was already married."

"Close? How close?"

Cindy paused, then sighed. She knew she had to tell her in the end. "In two weeks."

"In two weeks?! And I'm just hearing about it? Am I that much of a burden to you that I'm unimportant?" Sophia said, tears forming in her eyes.

"No, Mom," Cindy hugged her tightly. "I just didn't want you to worry, and it all happened so fast. I want you to concentrate on getting better." She tried to wipe away the tears that had already slid down her mother's face. "Mom, you're the most precious thing to me."

Sophia sobbed, "Don't ever forget that."

A few minutes later, Sophia was calm and asleep. The news had saddened her but also made her happy, knowing Cindy had not spent all her life solely for her but had been seeing someone. She had thought she ruined Cindy's chance of making a life for herself, but now she was relieved that was not the case.

Cindy drew the quilt up to her mother's face and stood up to leave. She headed out of the hospital, needing a change of clothes and some rest before returning.

The next morning, Cindy prepared to visit Megan and then her mother. She had thought about a lot of things the previous night. Should she back out of this deal? Should she find other means to save her mother? Her supposed fiancé was annoying to the core; she doubted she would be able to stand him. Maybe she could borrow money from someone else or seek charity funds. But none of the ideas she had came close to what she presently had. Her mother's surgery would cost a fortune, and she needed her mother to live. So she had to accept her fate. She carried the fruit basket she had gotten for Megan and left for the hospital.

Max headed out early that morning for a quick run. He had the habit of going for runs in the morning before preparing for work; it helped him stay alert and clear-minded all day. On his way, he saw two guys in an argument. They looked like they were about to hit each other square in the face any minute. But when he watched closely, he noticed they were in a friendly-like argument. He smiled. He and Aiden always argued like that before. Then his smile fell—that was before Cindy appeared in their lives.