Heart's Tug Of War: From Tomboy To Awesome Stepmom

A car was moving at a slow speed with a handsome man driving and an eight-year-old girl on her device beside him. Suddenly, a woman screamed and fell, causing the car to stop abruptly. "What happened, Dad?" Amelia asked, surprised. "It seems like I hit someone," Harry replied, a little nervous.

The two of them rushed out, and sure enough, a girl was lying right in front of Harry's car.

"Oh, Lord!" Amelia let out a muffled scream while covering her mouth. "Dad, is she dead?" Amelia asked innocently. Harry checked the unconscious girl; he placed his finger on the girl's nose, and she breathed a sigh of relief. "She just fainted."

"Then what, Dad?" Amelia asked, afraid. "We'll take her to the hospital." Harry said. The two of them took the girl to the hospital, where the doctor did an examination. Harry and his daughter waited anxiously.

Anna woke up in a typical hospital room and immediately noticed the strong smell of antiseptic. "Hospital?" she mumbled softly. She remembered what had happened to her instantly. The grandmother worried that Anna hadn't brought her boyfriend home, tried to match her with a stranger.

The man appeared to be acceptable both in terms of his physical health and his wealth. However, Anna felt uneasy under his intense gaze, which seemed to be suffocating her. As a result, she decided to leave immediately. But before she could take any action, a bright light suddenly appeared and blinded her. Shortly after, everything went dark.

Suddenly, the door to the room opened, and not long after, a man who Anna was sure was a doctor came in accompanied by two women in nurse uniforms.

"Good evening, Miss Joanna." The doctor said.

Anna looked at the doctor in a daze before finally saying, "Evening, doc. What happened to me?"

"You were unconscious after you fell when you were hit by the car," he explained, "so we will carry out another examination."

"Okay, Doc," Anna said. Immediately afterwards, the doctor and medical team carried out a detailed examination for 35 minutes. Anna was relieved when the doctor said there were no serious injuries. However, an MRI will still be carried out to ensure there are no internal injuries, especially on Anna's head.

"Doctor, who brought me here?" Anna asked when she saw the doctor getting ready to leave the room. She remembered that it was impossible to have reached the hospital alone after being hit.

"Oh, yes. They are at the front," answered the doctor. "They will come in shortly."

Anna nodded in agreement. But she felt a little dizzy and closed her eyes. She didn't notice a man and a cute little girl enter the room. Suddenly, a baritone voice startled her, causing her to open her eyes. The man asked, "Good evening, miss. How are you feeling now?"

Anna gazed at the two people standing in front of her, feeling disoriented. After a moment, she managed to speak. "I... um... my head is still spinning," she said. The man in front of her nodded sympathetically. "You should rest," he advised. "The doctor said you weren't seriously injured, just in shock." He handed her a bottle of water, and Anna gratefully took a drink. It was a stroke of luck, as she had been feeling quite thirsty.

"What's your name?" asked the petite girl. "I'm Amelia. This is my Dad, Harry." Anna looked at Amelia, who smiled. Unknowingly, Anna smiled back at the child. "I'm Joanna, call me Anna," she said. The child nodded.

Before handing over Anna's bag, Amelia suddenly hit herself on the forehead. "I almost forgot! Anna, these are your things," she said. Anna held back a laugh and replied, "Thank you, dear." Her gaze then moved back to Harry.

"Sorry, were you guys the ones who brought me here?" She asked. Harry, who had been silent until now, immediately nodded. "That's right, you were lying unconscious in front of my car. So, I immediately brought you here."

"That means you hit me," Anna said. "It wasn't on purpose because you suddenly passed while running," explained Harry. "Luckily, my car was slow so nothing serious happened."

Anna smiled awkwardly–feeling bad. With her escaping, how many people have been troubled? Of course, her family is now also panicking because they haven't found her, even though Anna is known as a brave girl. However, Anna suddenly got goosebumps when she remembered her grandmother. If she returned now, would that woman still force her into marriage? Additionally, the man she was betrothed to might seek revenge.

"Miss Anna, are you okay?" Harry asked, bringing Anna out of her reverie. Anna looked up and saw Harry and Amelia. Suddenly, a crazy idea popped into her head!

"My head feels so heavy. You have to take responsibility for hitting me," Anna said seriously.

The man assured her that he would be responsible for all her medical expenses and would request further examinations from the doctor.

Anna shook her head when Harry mentioned accountability. "I don't need to cover medical expenses," she said. "What do you mean by responsibility?" Harry looked confused.

Anna took a deep breath, mentally preparing herself, and then looked firmly at Harry. "Marry me," she said.

"What?" Harry was shocked and rounded his eyes.

Harry shook his head, clearly not believing Anna's words. "Did I hear correctly?" he asked sharply, "Married?"

"Yes, but it's a fake marriage," replied Anna innocently.

Harry closed his eyes, feeling that Anna's words didn't make sense. Could the fall she had earlier have caused a concussion? Harry turned to his daughter. "Sweetheart, stay here, okay? I need to see a doctor. Miss Anna has a medical condition."

Anna's eyes widened as she heard the man's words. "Hey, wait... wait. I'm not concussed. I'm normal, healthy, and fully conscious," she quickly replied. The man snapped back, "Then why are you talking nonsense? Do you think marriage is a game? You don't even know me yet. I already have a daughter, you know? Have you even considered how my wife might feel?"

Anna immediately looked down, realizing her ridiculous actions. It was natural for the man in front of her to be angry. However, Amelia suddenly interrupted her father's words, "Daddy, who is Daddy's wife? Don't I have a mother?" The girl smiled mischievously, making Harry look a little nervous. "Yes, that's an example, dear," Harry replied to Amelia. "So, you can't just ask to marry a stranger you don't know," added the man, again making an arrogant face at Anna. Amelia seemed to nod in agreement.

"Sorry, I didn't mean a real wedding," Anna finally said after taking a moment to compose herself. "Just pretended to be getting married so my grandmother wouldn't keep insisting that I settle down." Anna paused for a moment before continuing, "The truth is, I don't want to get married at all. That's why I ran away until I was hit by your car," she explained without being prompted.

Harry rubbed his forehead, trying to understand. "What do you mean?" he asked. Anna let out a sigh and rubbed her forehead. "It's hard to explain," she said.

Anna's cell phone vibrating made her immediately open her bag. She had 7 missed calls from her mother and father. Anna immediately called her mother's contact back and answered, "Hello-"

"Anna, where are you? Why haven't you answered Mom and Dad's calls earlier?" Her mother's voice shook with anger.

"I'm sorry, Mom. I just opened my cellphone. I had an accident and just woke up, so I picked up your call," Anna explained.

"An accident? What kind of accident? Anna, what exactly happened?" Her mother's voice now carried a tone of concern.

Anna sighed and began, "Mom, earlier, I ran away until I was hit by a car. I'm in the hospital now, but don't worry, I'm okay. I'll be home soon; please try to stay calm."

"What? Calm down?" her mother shouted, "How can I be calm? What's going on? Why did you run away? Jack was furious with your grandmother earlier because he felt like she was playing him. He said he couldn't tolerate being humiliated like this."

"Why won't he accept it?" asked Anna, furrowing her forehead. "What did he lose? Has he incurred huge expenses? I will compensate him."

"It's not about the money, Anna." Her mother sighed. "The issue is that your grandmother got so angry after hearing Jack's words that she had a heart attack. And now, her condition is critical."

"What?" Anna exclaimed in disbelief. " Oh, God! Critical? Is Grandma in critical condition?"

"Well, come here quickly!" said Mom firmly. "If something bad happens to Grandma, your uncle and aunt will definitely blame you, even though they love you." Then, the call was disconnected. Anna closed her eyes, and tears began to flow down her cheeks without her realizing it.

When Amelia saw Anna crying, she asked her what was wrong. She even held Anna's hand and rubbed it gently to comfort her. "Why are you crying, Anna?" she asked. Anna explained that her grandma was critically ill, and it was all because of her. Amelia hugged her immediately, and the little girl was so touched that she cried with Anna, even though they had just met.

Harry softened as he surveyed the scene. The man took a deep breath before asking, "What happened? Can you tell me slowly? My daughter is crying."

When she heard Harry's voice, Anna suddenly became aware of her actions. She slowly released her embrace on Amelia and attempted to put on a smile for the little girl. "Why are you crying, Amelia?" she asked softly, wiping away the little girl's tears.

"I was sad to see you crying, Anna. I also remembered Grandma," Amelia said. "Well, I'm not going to cry, but you don't cry anymore, okay?" Anna persuaded, which was greeted with a nod from the child.

Anna took a deep breath and glanced at Harry, who looked at her curiously. She explained that her grandmother had visited two days ago and kept pressuring her to get married. Anna wasn't ready to marry yet; she wanted to enjoy her life first. While her parents didn't have a problem with her decision, her grandmother was different. She kept urging Anna to get married and even forced her to accept grandma's choice of husband candidate.

Anna sighed heavily and stared blankly at the wall in front of her. "My grandmother made me go on a date with a wealthy man I had never met. I didn't enjoy it at all. He was rude, and how he looked at me made me nauseous," she recounted.

"If you're feeling nauseous, just throw up," Amelia interjected, causing Anna to be taken aback. "Amelia, that's not funny!" Harry scolded his daughter. "I'm sorry, Dad," Amelia replied sheepishly.

"I was looking for a way to ruin a date with that guy. Finally, I found an excuse to return to the room, then jumped off the balcony and ran away." Said Anna. "Grandma was very angry, especially as the man was angry with Grandma because he didn't accept being played with. Finally, my grandmother's heart disease recurred, and now she is still unconscious in the hospital," continued Anna.

Harry was slightly annoyed when he asked, "So you asked me to marry you for this?" He was concerned but didn't like being involved in other people's problems.

Anna replied softly, "Yes, but it's not real, just pretending."

"How can marriage be fake? Marriage is something sacred," Harry said firmly.

"It's sacred only if it's real. This is fake," Anna argued.

"Anyway, I don't agree with this crazy idea," said Harry.

Anna pleaded, "Please, I beg you to help me just this once. At least to save my grandmother's life." She looked sad and desperate because she didn't know what to do anymore.

"Dad, why don't you and Anna just date first?" Amelia surprised Anna and Harry with her idea. "In a relationship?!" they exclaimed, almost simultaneously looking at the child. "Well, it's already harmonious, hihi," joked Amelia, laughing. "It's harmonious, isn't it!"

Harry reminded his daughter, "Amel, don't joke around." Looking surprisingly adult, the little girl replied, "No, Dad. It's fake dating. Later, Anna told Grandma that you would be her future husband."

Hearing the girl's words, Anna became enthusiastic. "Wow, great suggestion! Amel, you're smart!" Amelia laughed and high-fived Anna. Harry noticed the closeness between Amelia and Anna. It was rare for him to see Amelia laugh like that, and it seemed like the kid really liked Anna.

Harry massaged his forehead before finally speaking, "Okay, I agree, but there are conditions."

Anna and Amelia were both surprised and stared at Harry.

"What are the conditions?" asked Anna quickly.

"You have to babysit my daughter," he said.

Anna and Amelia exchanged a glance. "Dad, I am not a baby and don't need a babysitter. We have a household assistant at home," argued Amelia.

"I mean, to accompany you because I have to go abroad for business next month. So, you won't get bored with a household assistant," Harry explained. The child nodded, "Oh... if that's the case, I agree." Amelia turned to Anna and asked, "What about you, Anna?"

"Deal, I agree," Anna answered quickly. "Great! From now on we're friends," Amelia cheered and invited Anna to give her a high five.

"Okay, I'll take you home," Harry offered.

"But I need to go to the hospital where my grandma is being treated," Anna replied.

"Are you planning to go to the hospital dressed like that?" Harry asked, observing Anna's slightly open evening dress, a little dirty from her earlier fall on the road.

"I'm not comfortable wearing this," Anna scratched the back of her neck. "Grandma forced me."

Harry finished the admin and drove Anna home after she agreed to postpone her visit to her grandmother. Unknowingly, a car had been following them since they left the hospital.

A man in a black Avanza was following Harry's car and reported, "Hello, Boss. Miss Joanna has returned to her house."

The boss asked coldy, "Who is she with?"

"The man who hit her, boss. There was a little girl too," replied the man in the Avanza.

"Okay, just keep an eye on her and investigate who the man who hit her is," ordered the boss.

"Understood, Boss!" replied the man in the Avanza.

Jack hung up the phone and smiled psychopathically. "Anna, you were mine from the start. I won't let you go, darling," he said.

****

As Harry's car arrived at Anna's house, Amelia asked, "Is this your home, Anna?"

Anna smiled and replied, "No, dear. This is my parents' house."

Amelia asked, "Anna, promise me you'll come to my house tomorrow?" and held out her little finger. Anna linked her little finger to Amelia's and answered, "Okay, but I have to go to the hospital first to see grandma."

"Okay, good night beautiful Joanna," said Amelia as she hugged Anna. "Good night darling, sweet Amelia, cute and smart," Anna responded with a kiss on Amelia's cheek, feeling excited.

Harry couldn't help but notice the closeness between Anna and his daughter. He was surprised they had just met but already seemed to have a genuine connection. In contrast, Elsa, the woman currently trying to get close to Harry, seemed forced and unnatural in her approach.

Anna reminded Harry about their next-day plan: "Don't forget, tomorrow we have to see grandma." Her words brought Harry out of his thoughts, and he responded, "Okay, what time should I pick you up tomorrow?"

Anna replied, "No need to pick me up, I'll bring my own car. We just need to make an appointment at the hospital at ten in the morning."

Amelia interrupted, "Why are you walking alone? If you're dating, you should be together."

"What's next, Mel?" Anna inquired.

"You have to be with Dad. Later, he'll pick you up and open the door for you," Amel explained. "Also, remember that when you're in front of grandma, you have to hold Dad's hand," the child added.

"Mel, do you think we need to hold hands together?" Anna asked. "Yes, Anna. Otherwise, Grandma won't believe that both of you are dating," replied Amelia.

Anna playfully pinched Amelia's cheek. "Oh, is that so, Mel? Well, I'll do what my cute friend says."

Amelia inquired of Anna whether she had ever been in a relationship. Anna smiled awkwardly and shook her head. The child then spoke up and said they had never been in a relationship either. Suddenly, the child looked at Harry and said, "Okay, okay, later, Dad will teach you about dating, okay?"

Anna covered her mouth and let out a chuckle. Harry joined in, amused by his daughter's innocence. "Okay, it's late; you should sleep soon." Harry reminded his daughter.

"Yes, Dad." Amelia nodded.

"Anna, this is your medicine," Harry said. "The doctor instructed you to finish it if you still feel dizzy."

"Thank you, sir," Anna said.

"Why do you call him 'sir', Anna?" the little girl interrupted.

"I made a mistake, didn't I, Mel?" Anna asked. Amelia clarified, "Anna, you should say 'Thank you, Harry' instead."

"Amel!" Harry snapped in annoyance, which made the little girl immediately fall silent and look down sadly. Anna couldn't bear to see her cute friend so upset and instinctively glanced at Harry while shaking her head. Then, she followed Amelia's advice and said, "Okay, thank you, Harry." Anna also smiled, hoping to cheer up her friend.

Anna convinced Amelia, "Tomorrow, I'll come play at your house after leaving the hospital. But first, please smile!" persuaded her. Amelia lifted her face slowly again and asked, "Can you promise me, Anna?" With a smile, Anna said, "I promised you, Amelia."

The adorable girl smiled at Anna. "When you get home, you should go straight to bed, okay?" Anna told Amelia. "Yes, Anna," Amelia replied obediently. "Okay, bye Amelia. See you tomorrow," said Anna.

"Goodbye, Anna. Love you," said Amelia. And Anna responded, "Love you too, Amelia."

Anna smiled as she remembered the cute behavior of the little girl. She quickly entered her house and headed straight to her room. Once there, she sat down on the edge of her bed and immediately reached for her cell phone to call her mother.

"Hello, Mom. I didn't go to the hospital to visit grandma tonight. I still have a dizzy spell. The doctor advised me to rest for a while."

"Well, you should listen to the doctor and take it easy," replied her mother. "But are you really okay, Anna?"

"I'm fine, Mom. Just a little dizzy. I'm at home now. How is grandma doing?"Anna asked.

"The critical period has passed, but she's still not conscious," her mother replied.

"Okay, I'll visit her tomorrow," Anna said before their call ended.

Anna took a shower, changed clothes, and drank Harry's medicine to prepare for the long day ahead.

As promised, Harry picked her up early in the morning, and they went to the hospital where Anna's grandmother was receiving treatment.

"How is Amelia?" Anna asked to start the conversation with Harry. "She's already at school. She said earlier that you wouldn't forget to come," Harry replied. "I haven't forgotten," Anna answered with a smile.

Harry shared a funny message from Amelia; she asked Harry to teach Anna about dating. "Whatever, you might be smarter than me," Harry added, holding back a smile.

"How do you know I'm good at dating?" Anna asked. "Is it true that you have never dated?" Harry asked. "Right, so what?" Anna confirmed. "I'm not sure, okay?" Harry replied. "You're beautiful, and you're not a teenager anymore. Why aren't any boys lining up?" he asked. "There are a lot of boys lining up, but if I don't want to, what can they do?" Anna answered.

"Wow, could it be that you ..." Harry hung his sentence.