Chapter 48
âMe, like her? As if!â Samson waved dismissively. âYou gotta be joking me!â
Just as he spoke, Vidonia pushed the door open, âWhat joke?â
Hearing it, Samsonâs voice vanished into thin air.
âWho are you gossiping about? Vidonia asked with a curious look on her face. âYouâre not keeping secrets and juicy gossip from me, are you?â
Letitia struggled to hold back a giggle.
âNo, no, no,â Samson gestured with his hands. âOur Designer Sanders here thought she got overpaid and came to check
with me about it.â
âOh, right, Letitia, youâve got to treat us now that youâve got your paycheck!â
Letitia nodded her head, âSure, Iâll treat. What do you guys want for lunch? Itâs on me.â
Samson was her careerâs lucky star, and Vidonia was her best friend. Without their help and support, she wouldnât have been able to do the job she was good at and loved.
âI guess itâs only fair to have you spoiling me with a lavish meal then,â Vidonia said, her eyes sparkling with mischief, âI want steak! The kind that costs top dollar per person at those swanky places!â
Letitia agreed to it.
However, Vidonia was just teasing. After enjoying their high-end steak meal, when Letitia went to settle the bill, she found out it had already been paid.
Thatâs what true friends are like. Letitia felt a warm glow in her heart.
After lunch, she went back to the company and headed for the CEOâs office.
âRanen,â she asked, âis Mr. Ramirez in?â
âMr. Ramirez should be napping around this time, maâam. Would you like to go in?â
âI wouldnât want to disturb him.
âIâm just guessing though, Ranen added, âMr. Ramirezâs sleep hasnât been great. If itâs urgent, you can go in.â
After a momentâs thought, Letitia gently pushed the door open and walked in.
Elgin was sitting on the couch, head back, eyes closed, resting. Beside him lay a scented candle.
Letitia tiptoed over, picked up a blanket, and draped it over him.
When she looked up, she caught his deep gaze.
âYou⦠youâre awake, Letitia said, startled, quickly withdrawing her hand.
Elgin gave her a cold look and tossed the blanket aside, âLetitia, youâve hated me for so long, no need for this fake. concern!â
âIâm not here out of concern, Letitia retorted. âI just donât want you to catch a cold. Sick people are even moodier, and Iâd suffer too.â
âWhat are you doing here? Who let you in?â He frowned in displeasure. âRanen!â
came in by myself!â Letitia hurriedly explained. She didnât want to get Ranen into trouble.
Elginâs gaze remained fixed on her.
âIâm here to pay you back, Letitia said âI borrowed twenty thousand from you before, and I said Iâd pay it back
He squinted at her, âWhere did you get twenty thousand from?â
Just ten for now. I got my paycheck today. Iâll pay you the rest next month.â
Chaple 48
Either pay it all at once or donât bother paying at all.â
Letitia bit her lip, then replied. âThen I can only pay you next month.
âGet out.â Elgin said pressing his temple. âNext time you disturb my nap, Iâll throw you out myself!â
Letitia immediately headed for the door. Before she left, she glanced at the couch. The scented candle was nearly
burned out
Clearly, Elgin used it often.
Letitia decided to make him a new one. She went to buy the necessary materials and, with a brand-new scented candle in hand, retumed to the CEOâs office.
The door was ajar, and voices could be heard from inside.
âMr. Ramirez, came Ranenâs voice, âwe just got a call from the nursing home. Mrs. Sandersâ condition is stable, but itâs a bit tricky
âSheâs awake, isnât she?â
âShe is, but she needs to be on an expensive medication for a while.â
Elgin raised an eyebrow, âExpensive?â
In his world, there was no such thing as âexpensive. He could afford almost anything he wanted.
âYes, a special medication for coma patients, fifty thousand a pill,â Ranen reported. âOne pill a month, for five years, for the best therapeutic effect.â
Elgin frowned
Suddenly, a determined voice cut through the chaos, âMy mother needs this medicine!â It was Letitia, bursting into the
scene
She was still clutching the scented candle, looking at him with hopeful yet cautious eyesâ¦
Such an expensive medication was beyond her means, but Elgin could afford it.
As he glanced at the scented candle in her hand, something flickered in his eyes.
Yet, his words were still merciless, âIâm giving you a chance to be a good daughter, Letitia. You can go and pay at the hospital now and get the medication for your mother.â
Fifty thousand a pill, once a month. That was way too much for Letitia.
âWhatâs wrong? Elgin said coolly. âIf you canât afford it, then donât use it.â
âButâ¦â
âGet out!â
Letitia mustered her courage to ask, âWhat would it take for you to pay for the medication?â
She had no other options but to negotiate with Elgin.
Even though she knew the hope was slim, but she had to try. She gently placed the scented candle on his desk, âI made this for you just now.â
Elgin, with his legs crossed, looked down at her abdomen.
Knowing what he meant, Letitia gasped.
His voice was cold, âIf you want me to pay for the medication, thatâs fine. Letitia, go to the hospital and get an abortion. and Iâll get them to dispense the medication immediately.â
Letitiaâs pupils constricted.
ginâs heart was cruel, presenting her with such a dilemma! On one side was her mother, on the other was her child. oth were the dearest to her!
to forsake one to save the other would leave her with a lifetime of guilt.
âCanât do it? You want to keep the child?â Elgin sneered. âThen donât save your mother.â
âNo..
âYou can think about it.â Elgin tilted his chin up. âIâll give you time.â
Her hands clenched and then released as she slowly walked out⦠like a zombie.
Elginâs voice followed her, âAfter you get the abortion, tell my grandfather you accidentally fell and miscarried.â
Letitia tasted blood in her mouth. Her body felt numb, her heart torn and struggling.
She just kept on walking, tuning out the world as she left the Ramirez Group behind, weaving through the crowd with a vacant, defeated look in her eyes..
Until someone stepped in front of her, blocking her path, âLetitia
Letitia looked up blankly
âWhatâs going on? Walden asked with concern, âIâve been calling your name for quite a while, didnât you hear me?â
âWalden⦠itâs youâ Suddenly, a glimmer of hope sparked in Letitiaâs eyes, âCan you lend me some cash?â
Afraid that Walden might refuse, she quickly added, âNot a lot, just forty grand. Iâll pay you back, I swear Iâll find a way!â
âOf course, Walden replied, âIâll transfer it to you right now, and you donât have to worry about paying me back.â