Chapter 1

"You're free to go."

Those were the first words out of his mouth the second Michael Carter opened his eyes.

I had spent thirty-seven grueling nights camped outside the ICU.

For him, I liquidated everything. I sold the condo I bought with my own inheritance, the one intended to be my "happily ever after" home.

I drained every cent of my mother's retirement fund, leaving her with nothing.

I even walked away from a career making four hundred grand a year because I couldn't leave him alone in a coma.

And now, he was finally awake. He looked at me, but his eyes were flat, like he was staring at a total stranger instead of the woman who had moved mountains to save him.

"I've already said what needed to be said to my mom," he added. "You can leave now."

I didn't cry. The tears simply wouldn't come.

Instead, a bubble of hysterical laughter rose in my throat.

*****

The day Michael Carter had his accident, I was sitting in an interview.

It was for an HR Director position at a multinational tech firm, paying $400,000 a year.

I had prepped for three solid months.

The hiring manager had just asked me to introduce myself when my phone buzzed.

I wasn't going to answer.

But it rang four times in a row.

"Ms. Lane, could you please..." the interviewer started.

"I am so sorry," I said, standing up abruptly. "I have to take this."

Out in the hallway, I answered the call, and Michael's mother, Amber Carter, yelled, her voice slamming into me like a physical blow.

"You're seriously at an interview right now? Do you even care that Michael's been in an accident?"

A loud ringing filled my ears.

"What do you mean? What accident?"

"A car crash! He's in the ER at Oakdale Hospital fighting for his life! Get over here right now!"

I stared down at my perfectly formatted resume tucked neatly inside my sleek leather padfolio.

Thirty seconds later, I dumped the folder into the nearest trash can and flagged down a cab on the street.

A whole crowd was huddled outside the ER doors when I arrived.

Michael's parents, his aunt, and his uncle were all there.

The second Amber saw me, she snapped, "What took you so long?"

I opened my mouth but swallowed my words.

Michael was wheeled into surgery.

The doctor said, "It's bad. The hemorrhage is extensive, and we need to perform an emergency craniotomy immediately to save him."

Between the surgery and the ICU, the bills were going to easily hit six figures.

Amber's face drained of color.

"Six figures?"

"We need a $30,000 deposit upfront," the nurse said, holding out the billing form. Amber didn't take it. She looked at her husband, Ollie Carter.

Ollie looked at his sister, Anna Carter.

Anna stared at the floor.

Finally, every single pair of eyes locked onto me.

"Amanda," Amber said, her voice suddenly dripping with sugar. "Do you have anything in your account? Could you just front it for now? We'll settle up later."

I had $20,000 in my checking account.

It was every dime I had saved over five years of grinding at my job.

I didn't even hesitate.

I turned, marched to the billing counter, swiped my card, and drained my account for the deposit.

The surgery dragged on from 3:00 PM to 1:00 AM.

When the surgeon finally stepped out, he was dripping with sweat.

"We saved his life, but it's touch and go. He needs to be moved to the ICU for observation."

"For how long?" Amber asked.

"Hard to say. Three to five days, maybe longer."

"And the cost?"

"The ICU alone is over $3,000 a day. Plus, factor in the meds and the rehab... You need to brace yourselves financially."

That night, they all bailed.

His parents said they would come back tomorrow. His aunt had "family stuff," and his uncle suddenly had a night shift.

I was the only one left sitting on the bench outside the ICU.

A nurse walked by and paused, asking, "Where's the family?"

"I'm his family," I said.

"Just you?"

I nodded.

"Hang in there."

I curled up on that bench and passed out.

At 4:00 AM, a nurse nudged me awake to sign some consent form.

I scribbled my name in a blur and fell right back asleep.

In my dream, the hiring manager was asking, "Ms. Lane, why do you want this position?"

I answered, "Because I want to prove myself."

Then my alarm went off. I opened my eyes and realized I was sleeping in a sterile hospital hallway.

The first day in the ICU came and went without a sound from Michael.

By the second day, the doctor mentioned brain swelling and said they needed to keep watching him.

On the third day, Amber showed up, stayed for barely an hour, and got ready to leave.

Before heading out, she pulled me into a corner.

"Amanda, that twenty grand you put down is not going to be enough, is it?"

I replied, "No, it's not."

"Well, we are completely tapped out at home. Is there any way you can figure something out?"

"Like what?"

"What about that condo your parents bought you?"

I was stunned.

That apartment was a pre-wedding gift from my parents. They put it solely in my name so that I would always have a safety net if things ever went south.

My mother told me, "This is your absolute last resort. Never sell it."

"Amber, that apartment is mine. My parents gave it to me..." I said.

"I know," she interrupted quickly. "Just sell it to tide us over. Once Michael is back on his feet, we'll absolutely pay you back."

"What about the house in Michael's name?" I asked.

Her face instantly hardened. "That is our family's property. We can't touch that!"

I looked at her, and suddenly, everything clicked.

In her eyes, my condo was a "safety net" to be cashed in whenever things got rough.

Her son's house was sacred family property that nobody was allowed to lay a finger on.

"I'll think about it," I said flatly.