Chapter 7 - Longing

Anya kept the black business card in her bag carelessly, trying not to think that Aiden was looking for her. She didn't have time to think about that man.

She immediately got ready and went to the hospital to visit her mother.

Her mother had been in a coma for three years and is living in the hospital. During those three years, Anya struggled alone. Struggling to finish college and also to make money for her mother's hospital fees.

Her mother used to be a perfumer, a famous perfume creator. Since childhood, Anya often heard stories about her mother's work. With her perfume, her mother could make women feel much more confident.

Anya's mother's stories gradually became part of her dream, leading her to major in chemist during her college days. She hoped that one day she can become a professional perfumer like her mother.

Because of her job, her mother owned a small piece of land which she used for farming. Every weekend, her mother often invited Anya to plant various kinds of flowers and told her about various kinds of knowledge about the world of perfume.

By relying on that knowledge and sharpness of smell, Anya used her abilities to earn money. She made perfume and aromatherapy for sale in small shops.

That was all she could do right now to survive. Unfortunately, that alone was not enough to pay for her enormous necessities of life.

After finishing getting ready, she used her bicycle to head to the hospital. Anya tries to save money so that she doesn't use the money to take public transportation. Usually, he would go on foot. If the journey was far enough, he would use her bicycle.

The hospital was like a second home to her. The free time she had would be spent visiting the hospital, checking on her mother's condition. Every trip to the hospital, she always prayed and hoped that her mother would wake up and greet her with a smile like when she came home from school. But unfortunately, every day she had to be heartened to accept her hope that kept falling apart.

Today was the same as the previous days, Anya saw the figure of her mother who was still fast asleep and showed no sign of waking up. Various machines surround her, keeping her mother in a stable condition.

As time went on, her mother's appearance began to change. Her shoulder-length black hair was graying. Her once smooth face started to wrinkle and her body looked very thin, as if time had eaten up her youth.

"Mother ... Anya misses you." She said softly, "Come on, wake up, Mom. Anya needs Mother."

That day, it felt like all the feelings that were buried in her heart were pouring out. The incident that happened to her today seemed to add to the burden that had accumulated in her heart, making everything she felt seemed to be overflowing out of control.

The tears came down one after another. Anya could not hold back her sobs.

She really missed her mother. The place where he leaned and complained. A place where he shared laughter and stories. The only person who loved her sincerely and was willing to do anything for her sake.

However, Anya knew there was no point in crying. The crying couldn't wake her mother.

Her sadness could not make her mother recover right away.

She couldn't be weepy! She must survive and keep fighting for her mother!

"Mom, Anya will continue to fight for you, so get well soon, mom…" Said Anya, wiping her tears.

Only silence greeted those words. There was no reply or warm smile. However, that did not discourage Anya. Anya knew that one day her mother would come back to her.

Anya was about to leave the hospital when one of the hospital administrators called her. It had been 3 years since her mother had been in the hospital so that the hospital staff even recognized her.

"Anya, the deposit you gave to the hospital is only enough to pay for your mother's medical expenses until next week," She said, looking at Anya sympathetically. She knew that Anya was fighting alone for her mother. Only Anya was the only person who kept coming and visiting Diana.

Anya's face immediately looked sluggish when she heard the news. Her savings had been used up to pay for her daily expenses. She still had to pay for her mother's hospital fees, not to mention her tuition fees for next semester. Where did she get that kind of money?

She was just determined to keep fighting, but the repeated problems kept her falling, as if it didn't give her room to get back up.

What should she do now?

She could not rely on her income from making perfume alone. She also did not have any jewelry or items to sell.

The only thing that Anya and her mother had right now was the flower garden. Should she sell the land? But if the land was also sold, Anya would lose the only job to make ends meet. In addition, the ownership of the land was in the name of her mother. Only her own mother could sell the land.

Anya also had time to ask her father for help, but her father refused on the grounds that his own family was also having a difficult time. However, when Anya went to her father's house, Anya saw luxury cars still lined up. Mona was still wearing fancy clothes and her cellphone was also the latest model.

Should she try to ask her father for help again?

But Anya realized that actually her father had an excuse. Her father did not want to help her mother because they had separated. Even though they were together, her father felt that now they had lived their separate lives so that her father did not want to be burdened with other people's problems. Even spending money to pay for Anya's college, her father was not willing.

Suddenly, Anya remembered the black business card with gold she had received before heading to the hospital. The business card was still in her bag. She took out the business card and looked at it as if all her hopes hinged on the little black sheet of paper.

Aiden Atmajaya, CEO of Atmajaya Group.

Should she meet this man? Anya did not know what Aiden really wanted from her and what purpose he wanted to meet her.

But Anya knew that the Atmajaya Family was one of the ruling families in this city. Maybe she could ask Aiden for help and borrow money. Or maybe Anya could beg Aiden to give her a job. Even as a servant, Anya was willing as long as she could pay for her mother's hospital fees.

It sounded absurd to ask a stranger for help. Moreover, this was the first time Anya met Aiden this morning. But she had no other choice. She really was desperate.

'Should I ask him for help?'