Lily’s Pov)
As I walked gently and quietly down the hospital’s building and heading to the ward where my dad was, my heartbeat increased, it dawned on me that my life was about to change forever, even though it wasn’t a good one but I didn’t care that much since it was for my father, I can do anything to get him on his feet again.
As I approached the staircase I held the bag I used in loading the food very tight and was extra careful on how I walked on the slippery well tiled floor. City Hospital is one of the best in town and it’s beautiful environment speaks for it, and when it comes to life supporting machines, they have everything any good Hospital should have. In our family, City Hospital does it for us.
Soon, I got to my father’s room and as I opened the door I saw a fair, slim and lanky nurse attending to him, I stayed aside and watched them until she was done getting every information and doing every checkup she needed to do.
“I’m done ma’am” the nurse said putting her record book in order and getting ready to leave
“oh, thank you, I appreciate” this time I moved closer to my dad and even though he didn’t say a word to me at that time, I saw how happy he was to see me, happiness was written all over his face.
“all he needs right now is rest” the nurse said as she left me and my dad in the room closing the door behind her.
“you heard what she said right? You need rest, enough rest” I warned my dad because I know how worried he can be
“My girl, my Cinderella” my dad has a habit of calling me Cinderella whenever he loves how I look in a particular clothe, so whenever he calls me that, I just know he loves my dress.
“My Cinderella” he continued, smiling at me and winked at me
“Dad stop, the nurse said you need rest” I know my dad wouldn’t stop even if I told him to
“So how does admiring my daughter affect my rest? Please I’m resting, My Cinderella, your mother must be proud of you, you look so much like her” Dad isn’t the only one who tells me that. My mom was a beautiful young woman and I the fact that I looked as beautiful as her gave me butterflies.
If I listened to my dad flattering me then I wouldn’t be able to serve him food because he will never get tired of doing that, he had it as a hobby.
I reached out for the bag I used in packaging the food and just as I opened the lid of the food flask, I could see joy written all over my father’s face.
“I made your favorite” I said as I scooped some fried rice into an empty plate.
The aroma oozing from the food flask was enough to feed a hungry man. “you shouldn’t have disturbed yourself” my dad said looking disturbed.
Me and every other person who knows my dad very well would know he didn’t mean what he just said. When it comes to fried rice and turkey wings, my dad can’t resist it, it was like a weakness to him.
I served him some rice and turkey wings with water. I helped him sit straight on the bed and set the bed feeding table for him for easy feeding.
I watched my dad struggling to feed himself, his left hand was on drip and his right hand was shaky, I wept in my heart, I couldn’t watch my dad so I offered to feed him and he nodded in agreement.
I fed him until he was full.
“thank you Princess” he said stretching his hand to get the bottle of water on the table.
“don’t worry dad let me do that” I carried the bottle of water and poured some into a glass cup and lowered my hand as he gently sip the water from the glass cup.
“Hope you enjoyed the food” I didn’t need a soothsayer to tell me that my dad enjoyed the meal but I still asked because I love when I’m been complimented. Of course dad didn’t disappoint, he said he enjoyed it and that it was the best fried rice and turkey wings he tasted in a very long time. Our maid has been the one doing all the cooking in the house all these while since I was always busy with work, dad didn’t have much choice but to eat whatever she cooked and however she cooked it, after all she didn’t know the family recipe.
After feeding my dad, I allowed him some minutes of rest before finally telling him about the contract the next day.
“Dad, they called”
“Who?” he asked with an inquisitive look on his face.
“Jack, I’m signing the contract tomorrow” I tried so hard not to breakdown but I failed myself. Tears rolled down my cheeks immediately.
“I’m sorry” my dad who already bent his head down in regret said, I could tell it wasn’t easy for him as well.
“I didn’t mean for all these to happen, I’m really sorry” he begged holding my hands.
I could hear the sound of my dad weeping, but blaming him would be adding more salt on an open wound.
“I’m sorry too dad, I’m sorry for the way I reacted at first, I was just confused and mad that you didn’t care to tell me” this time I was soaked in my own tears.
“I was still thinking about it and I didn’t know how to face you, I couldn’t bear the fact that I was giving you out as a collateral” I saw the pain in my father’s eyes and voice as he apologized to me
“stop dad, it’s okay but you have to promise me there will be no more secrets” I just wanted him to promise me so I can be sure it won’t happen again even though it didn’t change anything.
“Any more contracts to sign?” I asked my dad smiling as tears rolled down my cheeks
“No, no more contracts and I promise it won’t happen again” he understood the joke and smiled at me too. I couldn’t help but hug my dad at that moment.
“I’m here for you, I love you Dad” I said as I kissed his forehead.
We were having a sweet, lovey dovy father and daughter before the nurse walked in and told me that the doctor wanted to see me.
I excused myself from my dad and headed for the doctor’s office. The doctor’s office was on the last floor of the building so it took me some time getting to his office.
The nurse led me there and pointed at the doctor’s office, telling me to go ahead and enter.
I entered and saw the doctor flipping some pages of a record book that I guessed should be my dad’s.
“Miss Lily Hailey? He asked using his fingers to trace whatever that was on the record book he was flipping
“yes sir” I answered, ready to hear whatever he had to tell me and hoping it would be a good one.
He looked at me and kept on tracing and reading the content of the record. After some seconds, he closed the record and looked at me from the upper side of his old eye glasses.
“you still haven’t said anything about your father’s surgery, do you realize how dangerous it can be if nothing is done on time?
Knowing fully well that after signing the marriage contract the next day Jack would clear every debt, I promised the doctor that if he could start the surgery on my dad that I would pay him unfailingly the next day but he didn’t agree.
“I’m sorry Miss. Hailey the hospital has protocols and I can’t break it, I’m sorry” he kept a straight face and looked me in the eye as he said it was final and he can’t do anything to help me until we make a deposit.
“How bad is his health?” my heat skipped as I sat there waiting to hear what he was going to Say about my father’s health.
He kept mute and didn’t say a word for a while, whatever it was he wanted to tell me, I knew it must have been heavy for him.
“not too bad, but you really need to do something, and please, do it fast”
I didn’t want to breakdown in front of him but I knew my father’s health must have been bad but maybe he didn’t want me to start panicking.
Just as I was about to leave his office, he called me back, gave a heavy sigh of relief and said to me, “we’ll try our best to save your father but we can’t do anything right now until you’ve deposited the bill”
What he said didn’t change anything, I just nodded and left his office. Heading to my father’s hospital room, hot tears rolled down my cheeks, I stood still at a point and wept quietly before, finally cleaning myself up and went to meet my father dozing off.
My father never deep sleeps, so he was able to know when I walked in. “oh you’re back, what did he say? Am I dying?” he gazed at me and maybe saw my red eyes and knew that I’ve been crying. “I’m dying, am I not?”
“no dad, you’re not, the doctor said we just need to provide the bill so they can commence with the surgery, so once they’re done with the surgery we’ll go home” I said holding his hand
He made a sad face that I’ve never seen him wore before “what’s the problem dad” I asked
“what if I don’t make it” I felt the pain in his voice as he said that and it made me tear up again.
“Don’t say that, nothing will happen to you, you will make it and we’re going home very soon, trust me” that was all I could say to my dad as he closed his eyes and wept.
We both sobbed and consoled each other, isn’t that what family does? Being there for each other every time.
(Lily’s Pov)It’s already 5am in the morning and all I had in my mind was signing the contract and paying for the hospital bills, I can’t remember sleeping in the night, I was filled with so much anxiety, it was like the longest night of my life, I watched my Dad sleep so peacefully, each time I looked at him, I went close to him and put a finger close to his nose just to make sure he was still breathing since I didn’t hear him snore as usual. My dad is such a chronic snorer that one would hear him snore even in the next room, so it gave me great concern when I didn’t hear him snore all through the night.The day was getting brighter and the hospital was filled with sounds of patients and guardians greeting each other and praying, the cry of children wasn’t exempted, there was a particular kid who didn’t allow the whole ward rest in the night, he kept on crying out of pain and I wished he could get well that night but wishes aren’t horses.I got prepared and woke my dad up to tell him
(Jack’s Pov)After Lily signed the contract, I felt a little bit of happy, not happy that she was my wife, contract wife, I was happy that I was going to have an heir, someone who would replace me and who will inherit all my properties since Karen didn’t give me any.In our society where money has so much influence, it was hard to find a woman who truly loved me for me, all the women who once surrounded my life was because of what they stand to gain off me. I loved Karen, we met in a night club and I loved her energy, we got to know each other and I found myself falling in love, “stupid me” I gave a heavy sigh“thank God for my life” she almost ripped me of everything I had after we got married, she made me believe she had some health issues as to why she wasn’t able to conceive and the doctors are asking for a huge amount of money to treat her.Each time I remember my story with Karen, it makes me bitter, and that’s why I will never attach myself to any woman, sometimes I see Karen e
(Lily’s Pov)After the horrible experience I had with Jack, signing the contract, I rushed back to the hospital to deposit the hospital bill so that the doctor can proceed with the surgery. I got to the hospital and I went straight to the accountant to make my payment.“here’s your receipt ma’am” the receptionist who doesn’t have a smiling face handed me my receipt of payment and I headed to the doctor’s office to give it to him so he can start the surgery immediately.“here you go” I stretched my hand out giving the doctor the receipt“what’s that Miss. Hailey?” the doctor asked looking all surprised“the receipt, I’ve paid all, please can you do it now?” I teared up as I dropped the receipt on his table. The doctor picked receipt and saw that I’ve paid everything and asked that I sit down.“you see, Miss. Hailey your father needs to calm his nerves before we can proceed, go and get him ready, the operation room will be ready in the next 10 minutes” that was exactly what I wanted to
(Lily’s pov)Nights after nights, I couldn’t sleep, I prayed for a miracle but it wasn’t coming, I had no one to cry to, not even one person to console me, the only friend who should have consoled me betrayed me with my ex fiancé, Austin.My dad was the only one I shared my pain with but now that he is gone I was left to bear all the pains alone, I almost exploded. All my hope has been swept off, I saw what was before me but I wasn’t ready to face it, not alone, not with someone who I could run to when I can’t bear it anymore, not with my dad. Pain became my food, I fed on pain day and night.While I mourned my father, I started getting weak, strength left me and I couldn’t do anything to help myself anymore, there was no one to ask me how I was doing since our nanny stopped work when dad got sick.I wished to die and join my parents but death wasn’t coming.Since I was the only family my dad had left, I planned his burial all alone, paid the mortuary bills from the money Jack gave me
(Jack’s Pov)I dived and was resting on the sofa in my room when my assistant knocked at my door and told me that I had a visitor, I knew I don’t make friends and I wasn’t expecting anyone either, so who could that be.“who did you say is looking for me?” I wanted to know if it’s something I should care about.“she said her name is Lily sir”“oh, but she said she wouldn’t be coming to house without a wedding” I muttered to myself without my assistant hearing me. “is she with bags?”“no sir, she isn’t”“you can go now, go tell her I will be there in a second” my assistant left without looking backI wonder what she was doing in our house that early when she said she wouldn’t be coming until we were properly wedded. I reluctantly dragged myself downstairs putting on my shorts and a hoodie to protect me from the cold weather.“you asked to see me? How can I be of help to you? You aren’t supposed to be here until after the wedding? She looked at me as though she wanted to hit me, she look
It was the morning of their wedding, Rose had no much preparation to make except getting her wedding gown that she bought with intention of reselling it once she’s down with the wedding.Jack at his own end had only Jane to take with him to the wedding. He had woken up early that morning to prepare for his second wedding with a woman he had no feelings for. He lazily dragged his footwear with him into the bathroom and switched on his shower, he had a long bath and when he finally came out of the bathroom, he cleaned his body with his big white towel that was almost half of his big bed bedsheets size.He applied his body lotion and picked up the sky blue suit that has been well ironed and carefully placed on his bed, he brushed his hair with the smooth hair brush that was given to him by his mother on his 223rd birthday.Because of how rich he became since their parent’s demise, he had most of the expensive perfumes, he applied them on his armpits, neck, wrists and his buttocks. Amongs
(Lily’s Pov)We had gotten home that afternoon and Jane took me to my room where I would be staying, I removed my wedding gown and wore a casual clothe, she did too but we didn’t know about Jack who left us for his room as soon as we arrived. Jane was so kind enough to take me round the house and showed me every other places I needed to know within and outside the house. She was a sweet soul, she made me feel at home, I wonder what I would have done if she weren’t Jack’s sister.The tour round the house took almost 4hours, every part of the house came with its own story and Jane was a very good story teller. She started from my own room telling me it was their cradle room when they were still children and how she played around with Jack in the room. The way she told the story made me wish for a younger sibling and I didn’t hide that from her, she gave me to room to share whatever I feel with her and I was happy I had someone I can share my feelings with even though everywhere was stra
(Lily’s Pov)I didn’t even know it was morning already until Jane came knocking by my door, she felt sorry for me as she saw me lying down and stained with blood.“I’m sorry honey, it’s okay, be strong, you have me”“Jack raped me” my voice was already faint and almost lost because of how long I’ve cried.“I’m sorry Lily” Jane consoled me.She helped me get up and walked me into the bathroom for a wash. “Darling you’re going to take your bath, and dress up while I go prepare breakfast” she helped me fill in the bathtub with warm water. “please hurry up, you need to eat, you can’t be starving yourself” she said and ran off to the kitchen.I sank myself in the bowl filled with warm water, I could feel my thighs tearing apart. Lost in my own thoughts, so many things ran through my mind and I just wished to get pregnant as soon as possible and end the contract so I can start my life all over again, even though there was nothing for me out there but I preferred starting all over again to l