Contracted Hearts

"Sorry, Miss, but I can't proceed with the surgery until the payment is settled. I suggest you pay it as soon as possible so I can handle your brother's case promptly, as the heart condition needs immediate attention before it worsens," explained the doctor to his patient.

In front of the doctor stood a woman trying to hold back her tears as she listened to the explanation about her brother's heart condition.

"Isn't there any way to proceed with the surgery right away, Doctor? I promise I'll do my best to pay for my brother's treatment as soon as possible, but please, perform the surgery now," the woman replied with tearful eyes.

Her name was Gabriella Wilonka, commonly known as Ella. She had been alone with her brother since their mother passed away two years ago, just like their father who had reportedly died when Ella was still a child.

"Sorry, Miss, it's hospital policy. I can't change it just like that."

Ella took a deep breath, trying to hold back her tears. "Alright then, excuse me, Doctor," she replied before rising from the chair and leaving the doctor's office.

Ella's composure broke, and she burst into tears. "What should I do? Where am I supposed to find fifty thousand dollars?"

The woman sat in a chair, her body weak, tears streaming down her face as she worried about her brother's fate if she couldn't get the money for his surgery.

"Why does God give me such heavy burdens?"

These words were deeply moving. Ella stood up from the chair and wiped away her tears as she remembered her brother, who was alone in the inpatient room. She quickly went there.

The woman slowly opened the door to her brother's room when she arrived. Ella couldn't hold back her tears as she saw her younger brother, still unconscious with tubes attached to his body.

"Vico, I'm sorry I haven't been a good sister to you," Ella whispered apologetically to her brother, Vico. She also held Vico's hand, which was free from IV tubes.

"Sorry that you can't be operated on right away because I don't have the money," Ella continued, still apologizing amid soft sobs. Her gentle hand stroked her ten-year-old brother's head.

Ella wiped her tears roughly when she realized she shouldn't cry in front of her brother, even if Vico was still unconscious. "I'm sorry again, Vico. I'll do my best to get the money for your surgery so you can be operated on soon."

After that, the room was filled with silence, with Ella just sitting quietly, trying to stop her remaining tears.

"And once again, I'm sorry, Vico. I have to go home for a while to get all your necessities so you can change your clothes. I'll be back soon," Ella said after about ten minutes. She got up from the chair and left Vico's room reluctantly and with a heavy heart.

****

"Be careful on the road, darling," said a glamorous and somewhat sexy woman, waving her hand at a man driving away from the yard of a luxurious house.

"Yes, darling, see you tomorrow," replied the man with a sweet smile, waving back at the woman who appeared to be his girlfriend.

After the man left, the glamorous woman walked toward the door of the luxurious house, carrying several shopping bags.

"Do you need any help, Miss Harley?" The offer came from one of the security guards standing near the tall entrance.

"Yes, take all these to my room," replied the woman called Harley in an arrogant tone.

"Someone seems happy. Did your boyfriend take you shopping?"

A voice from the living room caused Harley to stop in her tracks.

"None of your business!" snapped Harley before striding towards the elevator inside the luxurious house.

Meanwhile, Harley's boyfriend had arrived at an even grander mansion.

"Just got back, Frans?"

"Yes, Mom, I was out shopping with Harley and dropped her off," replied the man, who was Harley's boyfriend.

Francisco Alexander was the son of a wealthy business family with several companies domestically and abroad. Frans was one of the successors to the family business, making him a successful heir at twenty-nine years old.

The middle-aged woman who had asked Frans was his biological mother.

"Honestly! It's like you don't have any work to do. All you do is accompany your girlfriend shopping. It's a total waste of time." Frans' mother, Julianna, seemed disapproving of his relationship with Harley.

"Besides, she's a model. She should have an assistant to take her shopping or wherever she needs to go, not you. You have your own work to do," Julianna continued.

Frans rubbed the bridge of his nose, trying to suppress his irritation at his mother's tirade. "Mom, you don't need to worry. I'm the boss, so I don't have to do all my work myself, right? Besides, Harley is my girlfriend, so it's natural for me to be with her when she needs me," he replied calmly, without showing any emotion.

But deep inside, Frans was holding back his frustration with his mother.

"Anyway, I want to freshen up. I'll be in my room, Mom," Frans added, not wanting to continue the argument.

Julianna just huffed. "Don't forget to come to the dining table for dinner later," she said as Frans disappeared into the elevator.

Dinner at the Alexander household was brief. Five family members were present: Frans' parents and his two younger brothers, who were of different ages.

"Ahem, Mommy has something to say to you, Frans," said Julianna after everyone had finished dinner.

Frans' younger brothers exchanged glances and seemed indifferent. In contrast, Theodor, Frans' father, looked at his wife with a questioning gaze.

"What is it?" asked Frans, still a bit irritated with his mother over their earlier conversation.

"Don't you plan to get married, Frans? You're old enough, and Mommy wants to have grandchildren," said Julianna casually.

"Uhuk!" Frans choked on his drink at his mother's words.

Theodor was a bit surprised by his wife's remark, as were Frans' younger brothers, Ernest and Reynald. The two brothers struggled to contain their laughter at their older brother's flustered reaction.

"I'll discuss it with Harley, Mom."

Julianna cleared her throat briefly. "But Mommy hopes you don't end up marrying her. She's always busy and focused on her career. I can't imagine her as your wife, Frans," she said calmly before leaving the dining room for the kitchen.

After Julianna left, the four men at the table fell silent, with Ernest and Reynald exchanging glances as if communicating silently.