Chapter 15 No Man Is to Be Trusted
Noah talked and talked, recounting tales of their shared childhood. However, Michael did not hear a word. He walked into the office, bypassing Noah without a goodbye. He rode the CEO's private elevator up.
"Mr. Brown, with Zenith's lawsuit, do we need more lawyers?" the secretary asked, stepping in with a stack of papers. "They've got a top-notch international attorney."
Michael, unfazed, adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses and signed the document. "No. Attorney Moretz will handle it when she's back."
The secretary's worry vanished. "Attorney Moretz's coming back? With her, Zenith doesn't stand a chance!"
Indeed, any big case Jasmine defended for Brown Group had never ended in defeat.
Michael added, "Before you go, get some fruit and supplements. Take them to Havenview General Hospital, V1 ward."
"Right away, Mr. Brown."
Once alone, Michael pulled out a fresh marriage certificate. In the wedding photo they had taken as a formality, Emma was beside him, smiling stiffly. He brushed the photo with his finger with a sigh and locked the documents away in his safe.
…
The hospital reeked of disinfectant. Emma sat in the V1 ward, waiting. It had been two hours since Abigail stirred from her coma.
"You're awake, Mom! The surgery's set, and I've signed the papers," Emma said, barely holding back the tears.
Emma was elated. Abigail, though, wrinkled her brows in concern. "Emma, where's the money for this coming from?"
"I borrowed it."
Emma could not bring herself to lay the stark truth on her mother's shoulders.
Yet claiming it was a loan was not exactly a stretch. After all, the funds for the surgery were coming out of Michael's pocket for now. However, she was determined to pay back every penny once she could.
"It's got to be a hefty sum, right? Who'd lend you that much?" Abigail's tone grew fierce as she attempted to sit up. "Give it to me straight! You didn't resort to anything... unsavory to get this money, did you?"
"It's not like that!" With nowhere else to turn, Emma spilled the beans. "I've met someone, a boyfriend. He's the one who lent me the money."
That did not sit well with Abigail at all.
"Forget the surgery, then. Give the money back to him!"
Desperation creased Emma's brows. "Mom! Your life, it…"
"I'd sooner meet my maker than have you indebted to any man, let alone a rich one!"
Abigail's voice was emphatic. "I've told you time and again, men are trouble—particularly the ones with deep pockets. They can't be trusted!"
Abigail's own past was a testament to this belief. Sacred promises crumbled after marriage, culminating in betrayal and a child born out of wedlock.
"What do you expect me to do?" Emma's fatigue broke through, her voice hitching with emotion. "Dad's as good as gone, and if I lose you too, I'll be all alone in this world!"
There was a moment of heavy silence.
Emma exhaled slowly, caressing her mother's hand. "Mom, I promise I'll pay him back. Will that make things right?"
She had a year, just one year according to their agreement. She would work out how to settle her debt with Michael when the time came, even if it meant waiting until the divorce.