The Contracted Ever After (Cordelia and Ronan)

Chapter 4

Ronan was sizing up Cordelia, trying to figure out her real agenda for spending the night with him. Did

she purposely leave her phone in his room to grab his attention? But now that she was playing hard to

get, he was seeing her in a new light. Still, if she changed her tune later, he would think even less of

her. After all, playing hard to get was so last season in his book.

"Alright, you can leave now," he said coldly.-

Back in the office, Cordelia wasn't pissed, just a bit bummed out. But since she had turned Ronan

down, she decided to put it all behind her. What mattered most now was staying with Lumos

Enterprises, the cream of the crop in Millstone.

While mulling over this, she got a message from her brother, Adrian. [Cordelia, the doc said you need

to drop by the hospital at 4 p.m. today.]

Cordelia replied. [I'll still be at work at 4.]

[Then you deal with the doc yourself.] Adrian retorted.

Cordelia knew it was no use talking to Adrian about this. It was already 3 p.m., and if she was to make

it to the hospital by 4, she needed to leave the office at half past three. That meant she had to ask for

leave again from the finance director.

Cordelia was top-notch, an outstanding student in college, and had made a name for herself at work

after graduation. But her frequent absences, especially now when it was crunch time for interns, didn’t

look good.

Just as she expected, when she went to ask for leave, the finance director, Jordan, said, "Cordelia,

even though you're a good egg, your constant absences make it hard for me to write a glowing report

for you. You want to stay with Lumos Enterprises, don't you?"

"Lumos Enterprises is a great company, and of course, I want to stay. But I do have things to sort out. I

promise to make up for any work I miss," Cordelia said humbly.

Jordan reluctantly agreed, and Cordelia was off, catching the bus to Millstone Hospital.

Cordelia's mom had been lying in the neurology ward for two years.

"Cordelia, your mom's hospital bill is due. Did you bring the money today?" Dr. Devon, her mom's

attending physician, was well aware of Cordelia's family situation. He knew that Adrian was a deadbeat

and that Cordelia had been hustling to pay the medical bills.

"Oh, I didn't bring it. I won't get paid until the day after tomorrow," Cordelia mumbled.

"Make it quick then, or the hospital might have to take action," Dr. Devon warned.

"Got it," Cordelia mumbled.

After visiting her mom, who had been on oxygen for the past two years without ever responding to

Cordelia's words, she left the hospital.

Cordelia's father had been a project manager at a construction site, and they used to be a happy family

of four. But six years ago, he tragically fell to his death from a twenty-story building. The incident hit

Cordelia's mother hard, leading to her car accident. The compensation from her father's death and the novelbin

settlement from the car accident had kept her mom in the hospital for over five years, but eventually,

the money ran out.

Once the money started drying up, Cordelia began doing odd jobs at school and tutoring to pay her

mom's hospital bills.

Her brother suggested they pull the plug to save money, but to Cordelia, that was heartless. Having a

mother to call, even if she didn't respond, was better than not having her at all.

Now, holding her mom's hand, Cordelia said, "Mom, I'm preparing for my CPA exam. I know you'll help

me pass. Once I do, my salary will skyrocket, maybe even reaching a million a year. Then, paying your

medical bills will be a piece of cake."

Cordelia even managed to smile at her mom, who gave no response. For the past six years, Cordelia

had been hoping for a miracle, for her mom to suddenly wake up and talk to her, just like when she was

a child, calling her Della.

"I have to get back to work now. I haven't passed the CPA yet, so my priority is to stay with Lumos

Enterprises," Cordelia psyched herself up.

Staying with Lumos Enterprises meant a steady paycheck, at least enough to cover the rent and her

mom's medical bills. But with her constant absences, staying on was becoming a tall order.