4
My heart tightened, and a bad premonition shot straight to my head.
"I'm... No, who are you? Why do you have my mom's phone?"
"The owner of the phone suddenly fainted in the supermarket and has been sent to Evergreen Hospital. You should come quickly!"
My mind went blank, and I ran straight into the street to hail a taxi.
"To Evergreen Hospital!"
The driver initially wanted to curse at me, but seeing my distraught state, he swallowed his words.
Arriving at Evergreen Hospital, I ignored the unbearable soreness in my body and rushed towards the emergency room.
Beckett was pacing anxiously at the door of the emergency room.
"Dad, how's Mom?"
Beckett, a man who wouldn't shed a tear even with a broken arm, had red-rimmed eyes and tears welling up.
"Your mom is still being resuscitated. The doctor said she has a tumor in her brain that's pressing on her nerves, making the rescue very difficult..."
Watching Beckett's mouth open and close, I felt a buzzing in my brain. How could this be happening?
Just yesterday, before I left, Tammy had pretended to be serious, knocking on my head and telling me not to stay out all night.
How did she end up in the emergency room today?
Seeing my state, Beckett quickly held me and sat me down on a chair.
"Kathie, don't worry. Your mom has always been kind-hearted and never done anything bad. She'll be fine!"
I nodded blankly, my whole body wrapped in fear, breaking out in a cold sweat.
Suddenly, a familiar scent hit my nose.
I looked up and saw Howard surrounded by people. He was so dazzling that he stood out even in a crowd.
Maybe my gaze was too intense because he turned his head and looked over.
I quickly lowered my head and moved to hide in the corner.
After all, he had just told me this morning not to appear in front of him again. If he saw me, I couldn't imagine the consequences.
Fortunately, Howard's steps didn't pause, and he walked right past me.
I breathed a sigh of relief, but there was a bit of disappointment in my heart.
But the disappointment didn't last long. The doctor came out of the emergency room, and Beckett and I hurried to meet him.
"Doctor, how is she? Is my mom out of danger?"
"Don't worry, your mother is out of danger, but the tumor in her brain needs to be operated on as soon as possible."
"But you don't need to worry. Mr. Wilson specifically arranged for the most authoritative neurosurgeon to come and perform the surgery in a few days."
Hearing this, Beckett and I were stunned.
Howard?
"And you don't need to worry about the surgery costs either. Mr. Wilson will cover them."
I was even more confused. Howard didn't want to see me, so why was he helping me so much?
But soon, I didn't have time to think about it.
Tammy's surgery costs were covered, but she needed to stay in the ICU until she was completely out of danger.
The ICU cost $10,000 a day, and we needed to hire a specialized nurse for her care.
How could an ordinary person like me afford that?
Moreover, I had already spent all my savings on buying information about Howard.
The only money I had left was the $1 million check Howard had given me.
I had thought about cashing the check, but every time I did, Howard's stern face and his words would flash in my mind.
One must maintain their dignity, and I really wanted to prove myself.