Chapter 1 Chapter 0001

•SLOANE•

I was working through a report that had kept me up all night when my cell phone rang. I didn’t want to be distracted, but when I saw my sister's school's name on the caller ID, I picked it up.

"Hello?"

"Miss Hart," her class teacher answered. "I am sorry to have called at the wrong time, but it's your sister."

My chest tightened instantly. I sat up straight and tried not to overthink.

"What's wrong? Is she okay?"

"She collapsed while running and we have done everything possible to revive her, but we failed. We called 911 and they took her to the children's hospital at MountainView."

"My sister was running?" I snapped as I grabbed my handbag from my desk and walked out of my office. "I thought I told you about her condition and strictly forbade you from getting her into any sports. What's wrong with you?"

"I am sorry, Miss Hart, but she assured us that—"

"Listen and listen carefully," I answered, cutting her off. "If anything happens to my sister, I will hold the school accountable. Do you hear me?" I sneered as I opened the front door in our building and headed to the parking lot.

"We are sorry, Miss—"

I hung up the call before she could finish talking. I got inside my car and drove to the hospital.

My heart was pounding so hard against my chest, praying and hoping that my little sister would be alright.

She and Mia, who was in college, were all I had. As the firstborn daughter, I was sacrificing everything for them.

Our parents died when Piper was only a year old. They were coming back from work when their car collided with a truck and claimed both their lives.

Piper grew up calling me her mother, while Mia struggled to accept that our parents were dead.

When I got to the hospital, the receptionist directed me to Piper's ward. I found her with two doctors who were checking her vitals.

She seemed to have been stabilized, and I released a sigh of relief when I saw her opening her eyes and looking at me.

"Sisi," she muttered. "You came."

I leaned toward her and pressed my lips gently on her forehead. My racing heart finally settled down and I leaned back and caressed her cheeks.

"You scared me, Pip," I sighed. "Don't ever do that again, okay?"

She nodded. "I'm sorry."

I smiled at her before I turned to the doctors. "How is she? Will I be able to take her home?"

The two doctors looked at each other before they asked to speak with me privately. I looked at Piper one more time before I followed them outside the door.

The first doctor sighed before speaking. “Your sister’s collapse was caused by an underlying cardiac condition. It is more advanced than her previous diagnosis indicated.”

My chest tightened again. This had always been my fear when I transferred her to another school, thinking she would be safe there.

The last time she collapsed from her heart condition, I was told that we would need more than two hundred thousand dollars for a new heart transplant.

And the money was over a million dollars if they had to move her name up on the list for those awaiting a heart transplant.

"What's going to happen now?" I asked, my voice cracking.

“She needs a heart transplant surgery,” he replied. "And the only way for it to be as quick as possible, is if she's moved on top of the list."

I swallowed. "How much will that cost?"

They looked at each other before they answered me. "We rarely receive heart donations, which is why for someone like Piper to get a heart transplant as quickly as possible, it would cost her five hundred and fifty-six thousand."

"My goodness," I breathed, running a hand through my hair. I turned to the chair outside the door and sat down before I looked up at them. "Is she going to be okay without the surgery?"

"Your sister will die," they answered. "She needs the surgery as soon as possible. Her heart condition has gotten out of control and we won't be able to manage the symptoms until it gives out. We need to do the surgery within a month."

I didn't answer them. I covered my face with my hands and thought of how I was going to get the money for Piper's surgery.

I had used all my savings to pay off my student loan and to pay for Mia's registration fee at her college.

I had nothing in my bank account, except for the thousand dollars saved up for the rent payment for next month.

Five hundred and fifty-six thousand was a lot of money.

"We will give you some time to come up with the money, but if not, we will have to cross our fingers and hope that she gets a heart within the next month since she's on number 4 on the list."

My mind raced. I didn't even know what to do or where to go for help. But at that very moment, I thought of someone.

"Thank you," I thanked them, getting up from the chair. "I must go somewhere and will come back to check on my sister."

They nodded as I walked back inside Piper's ward and took my handbag. She was already sleeping when I left.

•••

I stopped outside Mike’s house, and took a moment before hopping out of my car, rehearsing how I was going to ask him for the money.

Mike and I had been dating for two years and had just celebrated our second anniversary a week ago when he received a huge promotion at work.

He was promoted to senior financial manager and was doing quite well for himself.

He had mentioned many times that he wanted us to be in a better place now that he would be getting better pay.

I used my access key on the front door and walked in. There were no housekeepers, which meant that Mike had been home the entire day.

"Mike, I—" I froze at the door in his bedroom when I saw him on top of another woman. Her legs were in the air while he was thrusting inside her.

I felt dizzy for a moment, and the earth tilted under my feet.

"Sloane..." The girl underneath him murmured. She was the same girl that Mike had taken me to dinner with, claiming that she was like family to him.

I believed every word he said about her. But now, standing there, I wondered how long they had made me believe that they were family while they were fucking each other behind my back.