And don’t forget about the old woman in the hospital. If her health deteriorates, the medical costs alone could ruin Elizabeth.
Elizabeth attempted to rise, but her legs refused to cooperate, leaving her feeling utterly helpless. The weight of her family’s expectations pressed down on her, a relentless shadow. No matter how far she fled, she couldn’t escape it, couldn’t truly break free. With a heavy heart, she collapsed back onto the floor and explained the situation to her lawyer.
The lawyer confirmed that nine hundred thousand dollars was a justified amount, given the circumstances. However, Elizabeth only had eight hundred thousand dollars from her recent acting job—an advance granted by Soren, who, knowing of her recent divorce, wanted to ease her financial burden. Pushing for more would risk appearing greedy. Borrowing crossed her mind, but Camille, struggling with her own family issues, was unlikely to have funds available.
After careful consideration, Elizabeth decided to rely solely on herself. With gritty determination, she got up, changed into her most empowering outfit, and went out. She efficiently obtained a credit card, withdrew a substantial sum of cash, and combined it with her advance, reaching the required amount to satisfy Oliver’s demands.
Anxious to avoid delays, she contacted her lawyer immediately after leaving the bank, urging him to expedite the apartment transfer. Oliver, perhaps sensing her urgency, cooperated readily, swiftly finalizing the legal proceedings. Only when she held the property deed, her name freshly signed, did Elizabeth allow herself a moment of hard-won peace.
Life had a way of throwing everything at her at once. Just as she was unlocking her front door, her phone rang—a call from the hospital where Gracie was being treated.
“Ms. Elizabeth, I’m afraid your grandmother’s condition has deteriorated significantly. We need to transfer her to the ICU immediately and adjust her treatment. Unfortunately, this will increase the costs. Could you please come to the hospital as soon as possible to discuss these changes and arrange payment?”
For Elizabeth, it felt like a cruel reminder that life’s unforeseen challenges could easily overwhelm her best efforts. Without hesitation, she quickly changed and rushed to the hospital.
She found Gracie lying in her bed, a shadow of her former self, surrounded by tubes and beeping monitors. Having been raised by her grandmother, Elizabeth’s bond with Gracie was profound. Memories flooded back—simpler times, ice cream outings. A young Elizabeth, with earnest eyes, had promised to one day take her grandmother to lavish restaurants and faraway places.
Now, standing by her bed, Elizabeth clung to those cherished memories—Gracie’s warm hand in hers, their shadows stretching behind them under a golden sunset. Yet here they were; her promises unfulfilled, Gracie confined to a hospital bed, far from the joyous future Elizabeth had envisioned.