That day, I returned to the hospital and told Gina everything that conspired between me and Liam and as expected Gina was shocked to know it was Liam, my high school bully who had promised to donate the blood. She was afraid for her friend for his sudden return and was sure nothing good would come from it. It would be hell again. She agreed with me to reject the marriage proposal.
"I wouldn't have even advised you to go if I knew he was the one that has been chatting. I swear I would have blocked him already. Why did he even dare to show his face to you? Oh Lord, if you had not made that mistake that night..." She hissed a frustrated sigh and tried to console me again.
But come to reason it, Liam was the child's father, wouldn't it be a great mistake to refuse his offer and risk the child's death? I became upturned between decisions. What if I told him the child was his so he would offer his blood? But that would be another scandal. It will be a greater reason for him to want to marry me.
It was between this indecision the doctor came up with a new hope.
"Ms Olivia, I have some good news for you."
I sprang to my feet.
"I got someone willing to donate. He got an alternative blood group and he is safe and ready for transfusion. But...there is one thing." He paused and added. "He has a high demand."
"What's his demands?" My voice was urgent.
The doctor placed the papers with the demand agreement in my hands and I took some seconds to go through it in the end my eyes went wide with the hell of a demand written on it.
He is willing to donate his blood, but in exchange, he demands a commitment from me to provide financial support for five years. Specifically, he requires that I give him half of my monthly salary every month for the entire five-year period regardless of the amount of my salary. This means that I will be obligated to pay him half of my income for the next five years in exchange for the blood donation.
The world was indeed cruel!
The person who must have given me this must have been a good friend of wickedness. Giving myself to these demands will mean caging myself for a lifetime because five years was so too far for me to share whatever my hard-earned salary would be.
How will I share my salary with the tones of bills that already awaited me with ones still yet to come?
Even if I agree to this Felix will never consent to the decision. I'm not even a hundred percent sure Christine will fully recover after the transfusion, I don't even know if in the future we will be back here again with Felix blaming me for accepting this hell of a demand.
"Um, Ms Olivia, I know things had been hard for you in these years of your efforts in keeping your daughter alive. It's not easy for you and will not be for anyone in your shoes, you're really a strong soul and I hope you will continue to be courageous, my dear. Never let your hope down." The doctor spoke kindly to me.
Doctor Williams has shown me nothing short of love and kindness. Whenever we ran to him, he was always willing to go the extra mile with all his efforts and the help he offered us in hard times to make sure Christine survived. And Felix and I have grown to be so thankful to him and we have built a good relationship with him.
"Since you have seen a good donor and with his demands I'm seeing my heart feels nothing out of pity, so have decided to help you. I know things are hard for you so I've decided to make the burden less for you. From now on, forget about the hospital bills, I will take care of it."
"Doctor you mean you will do the transfusion without taking money from us?"
"Yes, I will, my dear," He nodded with a firm assurance and smile. "Think about the donors' deal, if it's something you can accept, you let me know. But remember, you have to make your decision quickly, Christine doesn't have much time left. I will go ahead now, see you later." He smiled and left.
"Think of it this way Olive, this will be much better than getting married to that dangerous man, Liam. You will get to keep your relationship with Felix and also keep Christine alive. Now the doctor has blessed you with such a good heart of his, you should grab the opportunity. Five years is not too far my dear; in a twinkle of an eye, it will be over. You don't even need to tell Felix about it, hmm?" Gina advised and after another round of thinking, I came to accept the deal. It was way better than marrying Liam Blackwood.
After telling the doctor about my decision, that afternoon I returned to Christine's bedside. "Be strong for mummy, my dear. Always know mummy loves you and will do everything for you." Placing a kiss on her forehead I watched from outside the door window as the doctors took control.
A few hours after the transfusion, I met the doctor just as he was coming out of the room.
"The blood transfusion went successful my dear, her pulse is becoming stable again. We will keep praying for her quick recovery." He excitedly informed me.
My joy was over the moon as I ran my hands around Gina with the good news.
"Thank you so much, doctor. We will forever be indebted to you," Gina said also thanking the doctor.
"Don't mention it. I'm glad to help this good soul here. Everything will be fine, Olivia." He assured with a smile.
"I can't thank you enough doctor," I responded.
"You're always welcome, my dear. I will be going now. See you later." He gave a curt nod and I watched as he left in a hurry.
"You have a reason to smile now, Olive my dear, quit the tears," Gina said excitedly wiping the tears off my face and chuckling.
"Thank you, Gina. I can never forget your kindness." We engaged in a long hug before I replaced my sad look with a smile and went to see Christine.
She was calm and her body system was normalizing as the doctor had assured.
"You know what my friend, I will go get us some scrumptious meal to celebrate this good news," Gina exclaimed, but it was not until a minute she dashed out of the room, Christine's body changed. In front of my eyes, she began convulsing again.
"Somebody help!"
"Doctor! Nurse!"
"Somebody...Please help!"
The door burst open with a nurse and the doctor screwing in. Gina returned with the doctor taking action immediately.
After a few more minutes of their professional work again the doctor's face was not pleasant at all when he turned looking at me.
"What is the problem? What happened to my daughter?!"
"I'm sorry, Ms. Olivia, I think we've done everything possible to keep her alive but it seems..." He was shaking his head. "I'm sorry," He muttered. "Please take heart, Ms Olivia." He nodded and declared. "Time of death, 1:pm."
D–Did...I hear the doctor, right?
"Doc..." The words stuck in my mouth as I saw the doctor leaving without saying any more words. "Doc...you promised me she was al... No! This can't be true." I shook my head decisively at the doctor's stern voice as he left me in that shock. I didn't want to believe it.
"Gi–Gina, what... happened now? He promised...she was... okay right?" My eyes bore into Gina's.
"He just promised...me...a while ago that she was going to be alright. I saw her alright a while ago, why is she suddenly..."
"Come, Olive, come." Gina was wrapping me in a hug.
"I can't lose her, she must not die. I have sacrificed a lot. She can't die. No, she can't."
"I think we should let faith take its course. I'm sorry Olivia." Gina said and I went crazy!
"No! I will get Christine back to life. She is my daughter, my child, she can't die, she must live!"
"Come, Olive, if it's heaven's wish we have no other choice than to obey," Gina began pulling me out of there.
"No! Gina wait! It can never be heaven's wish. No!" I refused to agree. It dawned on me.
"I must accept Liam's offer."
"Olivia, you have gone through a lot already."
"I had been foolish to see the light that would have brought me out of this. I will accept his offer. There's nothing I won't risk. After all, he is her father, I should have known from the beginning." I was so stupid to be thinking that now. I can't believe my foolishness.
"Come on, you're not even sure if she would survive even if he gives his blood."
Yes, I was sure of it already. I knew his blood would cure her because he was a werewolf. Knowing all these and thinking I would have survived by agreeing to a deal that turned to absurd, I hated myself right now.
"I will call Liam and accept the deal." Courageously I wiped the tears off my face and took my phone to dial his number.
"I accept your marriage proposal, in exchange you will donate your blood for my daughter as you promised."
"What?! What made you change your mind?" There was an excitement from his end.
"Whatever made me change my mind is none of your business. What's important is you give me what I want." My voice was cold and at this moment, I knew I was at his mercy again. "This marriage must be private, please don't make it public." I weakly demanded from him.
"As long as you're going to be mine, I will do whatever you want. Text me your address and I will send my driver to come pick you up."
My fist clenched with this decision and tears returned to my eyes. I had to wipe them off. I had to be ready for the marriage. I took a deep breath and steeled myself for what was to come. A few minutes later, his driver arrived.
After a 30-minute ride, I saw myself seated beside Liam Blackwood, signing my life into his hands.
I couldn't believe I was being forced into this situation, but I knew I had to be strong.
I did well to hide my tears and stood up straight, trying to compose myself. I had to be ready for this marriage, no matter how much it felt like a prison sentence.
I thought of all the reasons I was doing this - for Christine, for survival. I had to keep reminding myself that this was a necessary step, even if it felt like a betrayal of my own heart.
As my signature was scribbled on that agreement paper, I knew I had become forever entrapped in his deadly charms.
I took another deep breath and let my clenched fist relax, trying to release some of the tension that had built up inside me. I was ready to face whatever lay ahead, no matter how difficult it might be.
"I'm done" My face came stern, "Congratulations, Mr. Liam Blackwood, you're now happily married to Olivia Montes." The words left my lips with a smile on my face which in every way was forced.