Elana sat dejectedly in a hospital waiting room, a bill in her hand. She stared blankly at the rows of numbers, far too many digits for her to process.
Where could she possibly get that much money to pay the bill anytime soon? The modest savings she had painstakingly built up over the years had already run out when her mother was first hospitalized, and she had also used them to pay off her debts in installments.
Her mother had undergone colon surgery and was still being treated at the hospital. She wasn't allowed to go home until the bill had been paid.
Elana was just an ordinary staffer at a company that wasn't particularly large. Her monthly salary was decent, but only enough to cover day-to-day living expenses. She wasn't just supporting herself, but also her mother and younger brother. Especially since her brother was currently in college. He did have a scholarship, but his other expenses were just as substantial.
Once again, Elana stared at the rows of numbers. There was no way she could borrow money from someone, especially a loan shark. Her entire life had consisted of paying off loan sharks—debts her father had left behind when he chose to run away and dumped the whole burden on her alone.
Should she try an online loan?
The thought flashed through her mind, but she quickly shook her head and rejected it herself. Otherwise, she and her family would be harassed if she couldn't keep up with the payments.
Or should she try borrowing money from a bank?
Elana shook her head quickly. She had no collateral whatsoever. She didn't own a personal vehicle, which meant she had no vehicle documents to use as collateral either. All she had was an old house. But there was no way she would use it to secure her debt. That old house was the only shelter her family had.
Then where else could Elana find the money?
Both of Elana's hands hung limply at her sides. She slumped even further. Right now, even lifting her face felt impossibly difficult.
Then, by chance, the corner of her eye caught an open magazine beneath a chair, displaying a familiar figure she knew.
Elana blinked slowly, clearing the tears that had just begun to well in her eyes. She reached out, picked up the magazine, and studied the photo of a handsome man dressed in a business suit.
She knew the man in the photo very well. Arkananta Sangkara.
It was a business magazine. How had it ended up lying around in a hospital like this? Maybe one of the visitors had brought it and accidentally dropped it there.
Whatever the case, the magazine—and the name inside it—sent Elana's memories flying back to her college days several years earlier.
"Lana, if you ever need my help in the future, my office door will always be wide open for you. You know where to find me, right?"
Back then, Elana had merely clicked her tongue softly. She didn't want anything to do with Arka beyond being his errand girl and his boss's subordinate. That's right—in college, Arka had been her boss because Elana had received a great deal of money from him in exchange for completing all his assignments. The last thing she had heard after graduation was that Arka had gone abroad to pursue a master's degree. No wonder. That man had everything. Studying overseas would have been easy for him too.
Elana swallowed bitterly, running her fingers over Arka's name in the magazine and the name of his company.
Back then, she hadn't wanted anything to do with Arka ever again. But now, should she try her luck and ask him for help?
Collect on that man's promise?
Hadn't she done Arka a huge favor throughout college?
There was no harm in trying to collect on his promise this time.