Chapter 4 Not Settling for Less

Lauren cleaned her tears and checked the time. She saw it was leading to the afternoon, and she knew the family would have gone to take care of their own businesses.

So she left the hospital and boarded a cab back home with the intention of meeting Mrs McCarthy. Since she wasn't in the family meeting, she thought she could talk to her to see if she would help her.

The cab stopped in front of the house, and Lauren ran inside. She stumbled on the maids.

It looked like she was the one they had been waiting for. They stood at the kitchen door waiting and glaring at her.

It seemed like they had planned what they would do to her.

"Do you think you are some special kid all because you are an illegitimate child of McCarthy?" One of them asked.

"What are you talking about? Lauren asked.

"You refused to do your appointed work. Instead, you chose to run around skipping work." Another maid said.

"I was busy, and I always do my work, I never ask you to do them for me," Lauren said and passed them by. They frowned and scoffed.

Lauren had seen that it might be Melissa that had asked them to gang up against her, so she decided to cool down about it.

Knowing if she tried to argue with them, they would take it up on her.

"She is going to get it one day," they said and left.

Lauren started doing her chores, and it seemed like they were more than usual that day. She knew instantly that it was Melissa's handwork. She didn't see any other maid come to help her which meant Melissa had instructed them not to do that.

By the time she finished them, she had become a little tired. She was also heartbroken and couldn't stop thinking about her mum.

She headed straight to Melissa's mother's room. She knocked on the door and walked in when she was asked to do so.

She entered and saw the woman sitting on a cushion in the room and sipping her drink while she was focused on something.

She raised her head when she saw who had walked in, she frowned.

"What do you want?" She asked.

"I came to ask you for something ma'am" Lauren mumbled.

"What?" The lady asked

"Well, I came to ask for your help. My mum is really sick and needs money for surgery. Please help me" Lauren said.

"Why should I help you? Did I send your mother to the hospital?" The lady asked rudely.

"No ma'am" Lauren said and bit her lips.

"Good, so why should I care if she is sick? Besides, I don't have any money to give" Mrs McCarthy said.

"The doctor said if we don't get money quickly, she will die," Lauren said.

"Well, she can die for all I care, " Mrs McCarthy mumbled without giving Lauren attention.

The door opened, and Melissa walked in, looked at Lauren, and frowned.

"What is this nitwit doing here?" She asked.

"Begging for some alms," Melissa's mother said and smiled at her daughter.

"Has she done what she is supposed to do?" Melissa asked.

"Yes, I have," Lauren mumbled, and Melissa scoffed.

She had wanted Lauren to work till night, but it seemed the girl was fast in doing her chores.

Melissa sat beside her mum and hugged her, then smiled broadly, Lauren was a little bit shocked. She hadn't seen Melissa let out a genuine smile.

"Ohh, my beautiful daughter, I can't believe that cripple thinks he can get you," Melissa's mother said, and Melissa chuckled.

"Mum, that guy has lots of guts. I should get married to a cripple" Melissa said and laughed after imagining how it would look like getting married to Alex.

She had gone to her mother to talk about it the day before since she wasn't there when the proposal was brought. It really made her mother laugh as she found it funny that Alex would think Melissa was going to marry him.

"That guy really needs to know his place. He believes that because he is rich, he can do anything he wants? Being crippled makes him no different from a poor man, yeah, he is handsome but what is the essence of a rich handsome man that can not be used to brag" Melissa said.

"I can't imagine you two walking to the aisle together. The stupid low-life fools would definitely mock us, saying you left them for someone like that," Mrs McCarthy said.

Mother and daughter gossiped, ignoring Lauren that was standing there staring at them.

"I am never choosing any of them, Alex or those fools," Melissa said.

"Trust me, I am planning something great for you, and I am sure you will like it" Mrs McCarthy said and winked at Melissa.

"Mum, just forget about that cripple, I am never going to get married to someone like him," Melissa said.

"I know my daughter, you will never settle for less," Mrs McCarthy said and smiled.

"Mum, I came here to get money, I and my friends are hanging out, and we need some cool cash, " Melissa said.

"How much will you be needing?" Mrs McCarthy asked.

Melissa told her the amount and Lauren gasped, the money was more than what she needed for her mother's treatment.

Mrs McCarthy brought her a card and gave it to her daughter, and then she stroked her hair.

"Use it as you like love. If that is not enough, you can text or call me" She said, and Melissa grinned.

"Trust you, mum, you know how it goes," Melissa said. She stood up, and eyed Lauren, who was still standing there.

"Your mum can die for all we care bitch" Melissa said, she brushed past Lauren and walked out.

"You said you didn't have any money, but you gave her more than what I needed" Lauren mumbled.

"What if I did? I said I don't have any money to give you" Mrs McCarthy said.

Lauren looked at the woman whose focus was back to her phone. She clenched her fist in anger. She knew they were really proud and cruel, but she didn't expect it would be up to that.

Lauren walked out of the room with one thought in her mind.

She brought out the proposal letter and opened it. She went through it again and thought of doing the first thing that came to her mind.

She squeezed the paper in her hand, and she walked out of the house like a crazy woman.

***

Alex sat on his wheelchair in his room, staring at nothing. A maid knocked in and walked in with caution. She put his meal on the table and bowed and then walked out.

He had asked them to bring the meal to his room since he wasn't interested in eating in the dining room.

He looked at the meal, not interested in it. His mind was occupied. He thought of asking Dan to call and ask for updates, but he decided against it.

He wasn't ready to accept rejection even though one part of his mind was telling him she might not accept to marry him and the other part was rest assured that he was going to get married.

It was just two days to when he chose to get married and he hadn't gotten a reply and that was what baffled him the most. But he hoped they were going to reply him soon.

He pushed his wheelchair to his bed and carefully crawled to the bed.

***

Jake walked into his father's office, and his face was not looking good at all. He sat on the chair opposite his father and sighed.

The old man looked up and furrowed his brow when he saw the look on his face.

"What's wrong, young man?" Mr Magnus asked

"What if Melissa accepts Alex's proposal?" Jake asked.

"She won't, you know the lady, she doesn't settle for people like Alex," Mr Magnus said, and Jake chuckled.

"I know, right, but he still thinks she is going to accept," Jake said.

"Let him keep dreaming," the man mumbled.

"Dad, does this mean if Alex can't get her, I can get her?" Jake asked, and Mr Magnus shrugged.

"Do you want her?" Mr Magnus asked.

"Yes dad, I mean it's not like I love her but I want to show Alex that he can't get her and I can always get anything I want besides she is too proud, I want to cut down her wings," Jake said.

"Then You can have her, " Mr Magnus said, and Jake smiled.

"Thanks, dad," Jake mumbled.

"There will be a meeting at the company tomorrow. You should go there," Mr Magnus said.

"Why?" Jake asked.

"To taunt Alex and see if he is up to anything." Mr Magnus said and Jake nodded.

Since that was what he loved doing the most, annoying his cousin.