Chapter 7: Meadow
Cassie sat on the floor below the bed with an opened beer can in her hand. Her eyes were streaming with her tears.
Taking a sip of cold beer she wiped her tears off.
"Why do I feel so bad?"
She has already forgotten about Ron and was currently thinking about Jack.
"He has never left me alone."
Her eyes glanced at the white can and she took another sip.
"So why now! I know for sure that he doesn't have any project to do!"
"He was lying!"
Sadness moved over her body again, and her eyes were so dry from crying already that new tears stopped coming out.
She only looked at the wall in front of her in a daze. Thoughts wreaked havoc in her mind.
"Is it because he has a girlfriend now? But why do I feel bad, I should be happy for him!"
Her heart ached at the thought of Jack having a girlfriend. She remembered all the time she has spend with him and how she enjoyed his company more than anyone.
He was her best friend, she didn't even like to talk to her family as much as she liked to chat with him.
"He must be talking to his girlfriend..."
She took another sip of beer.
.....
Jack on the other hand clicked his tongue and moved away from her apartment.
He knew that she would be very depressed since she didn't get to gossip to him and release her frustration.
However, by now he fully believed in his cheat and decided to trust it.
Moving inside the apartment he placed the Helmets and the Bag on the couch.
Sitting down he took his phone out, and just as he expected there was another message.
However this time the message shocked him even more.
($50000 have be credited to your account. Account No ending with ******69420. By sender - Love Meter)
"50000!"
Last time he only received ten thousand and however this time he received fifty grands.
The shock was visible on his face.
"Why did I receive 50000 this time?"
"Could it be because it was her second heart? If that is the case then how much will I receive for three hearts? And what about Five Hearts?"
With this sudden realization, a thrill ran through his body.
"If that is the case then I won't have to work overnight shifts at the shop."
A smile formed on his face.
This cheat of his could become an unlimited money machine, all he has to do is to make multiple women fall in love with him.
His smile widened and turned somewhat evil.
Suddenly he received another message.
It was from his mom.
(Jack come home quick! Meadow is in critical condition!)
His brows furrowed at the message.
Reading the name Meadow, image of a mature lady flashed in his mind, she was Jack's first crush, however, because she was married, he gave up on her.
Meadow was his nebhigour, actually, both Jack and Cassie were her nebhigour.
Jack remembered how when they were in high school than both he and Cassie would play badminton in Meadow's backyard.
Just like her name she, was also beautiful and serene, always treating them gently.
Jack knew that last year she was in an accident and dislocated her joint, after which her husband left her. She only survived with her daughter.
However, the money left behind by her husband was pretty low, and she couldn't even pay her hospital bills.
Which lead to her decline, a few days ago Jack's mother told him that Meadow was admitted to a hospital because of severe iron deficiency.
He didn't think of it much, however now she was in critical condition.
After wearing new clothes Jack quickly ran out of his apartment. And just as he did so he saw Cassie outside.
She had also changed into new clothes, a Geans and a Blue Tee. Her cheeks were red because of all the booze she has consumed, however, one can see a worried expression on her face.
"Did you get the message?" Cassie asked with a worried tone.
Jack nodded. "Let's go."
After that, he moved in front and Cassie followed him. This time they didn't take the elevator, however, used the stairs instead and reached the basement.
Sitting on his bike, Jack signaled Cassie to sit at the back.
The ride to their home was about half an hour and to the hospital that Meadow was admitted to was about an hour.
Igniting his bike, Jack and Cassie both left their apartments.
About an hour and ten minutes later both of them reached in front of a big multispecialty hospital, parking the bike. Both of them ran towards the fifth floor.
It was the floor, Meadow was admitted to.
Reaching the fifth-floor hallway, Jack's eyes landed on the few people sitting outside a room.
"Mom." Jack ran towards his mom and dad, both of them were standing outside the door talking with a hospital staff.
"Madam, we have administrated the emergency medicine, however, someone had to hurry and confirm her status for the operation."
The man in the blue shirt and grey pants said he had an ID card around his neck.
"Sir, I will need some time to arrange so much money, can you start the operation now? I promise I will pay it back."
Suddenly a girl around the age of nineteen came forwards, she had a worried expression on her face.
Jack looked at the girl and identified her as Meadow's daughter, Sofia.
Jack's mother also looked at the little girl. "Sofia, you shouldn't worry about money, we will manage it." Jack's mother said.
However, Sofia's expression turned dull, "Aunty I know you have helped us a lot in the past, we can't take such a big amount of money from you."
"Don't talk nonsense, you haven't even grown up yet! And you don't even work so how are you gonna get such money from? Just leave it to adults."
Jack looked at his mother and then at Sophie and suddenly time around him stopped and everything turned black and white.
[1. Help Sophie by giving her money. (+2 Hearts, +50 Ero points.)
2. Don't help Sophie. (+0 Hearts, +0 Ero Points.)]
Jack looked at the options and chose the first one without any hesitation, even if there weren't options he would have still helped Sophie and her mother after all Meadow was his first love.
He developed feelings for Cassie later.
Jack stepped back from their conversation and looked inside the gate, through a small glass window.
There she was, laying on her bed unconscious, he still felt it for her, 'Don't worry, I will help you!'
Besides her sat Cassie's Mom and even Cassie went inside now.
Jack looked at the blue shirt staff that was already standing in a corner.
He went near him.
"Hello, I am Jack, I am with them." He pointed at the group chatting, "Can you tell me the amount needed to start the operation?"
The staff took out the file in his hand and started explaining to Jack.
After a few minutes of talking with the Blue Shirt guy, Jack understood why even his parents were this stressed.
Turns out she has a high risk for cardiac arrest and needed immediate surgical treatment. And what was even worse was that she didn't even have an insurance.
And the surgery cost was nothing to scoff at. It was a whopping $150k without insurance.
Jack wasn't sure if even his parents were capable of pulling out such money let alone Meadow, who was already in debt.
He opened his phone and looked at his bank balance. He only had $66k in his account.
Ten grands came when he had Nicole, Fifty Grand Came when he filled Cassie's second heart and the last six grands were his total savings from working at Nicole's shop.
"I have sixty thousand now, can you start the operation with this much? I will get the rest in a few days."
The blue-shirt guy nodded, "Yes, you just have to sign a debt."
Jack listened to the guy and gulped his saliva, a Debt of approximately $90k was a huge sum. However, he was sure that with the help of his meter, he could definitely pay this loan off in a few months.
"Ok." Jack nodded.
And just as he did so, Sophie came near them and looked at the documents.
Her brows furrowed. "Jack, you don't have to do this." She looked at him with misty eyes.
Jack looked at her determined expression and sighed, he knew her from the high school years, she was a stubborn girl and hated taking favors.
"I am not doing you a favor. You can pay me back later when you start earning money yourself. With interest."
And as soon as he said that, Sophie hugged him as tears started dripping down her eyes.
Jack looked at the meter above her head and two of the five hearts filled out in front of him and he could feel his phone vibrating.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone