Rise Towards Supremeacy From A Nobody

Chapter 4: That girl, Felicia, is blind!

The following day, due to staying up late the previous night and having no classes in the morning, Edward allowed himself to sleep in. He also requested time off from his library job because he knew that his presence there would cause a stir.

However, as Edward was deeply immersed in his slumber, the telephone sound suddenly pierced through the room, resonating in the air. Gradually awakening, Edward reached out to fumble for the phone, his mind filled with questions. Who could be calling him at this hour? Could it be a terrorist threat from someone?

Edward brought the phone to eye level, and upon seeing an unknown phone number, he hesitated. But at that moment, his heart suddenly started pounding, and deep within him, a sense of worry urged him to answer the call. Finally, Edward decided to press the answer button.

"Hello," he said.

"Hello, is this Edward Sherwood?" a gentle voice on the other end inquired.

"Yes, that's correct. What's this about?" Edward's voice trembled as he realized this wasn't a prank call.

"Hello, I'm calling from General Hospital A. I found you listed as a relative in our patient's contact book. Your mother has had a stroke and has been admitted to the emergency ward. We request that you come to General Hospital A immediately to complete the admission procedures. Additionally, we have some information we'd like to discuss with you."

This news hit Edward like a thunderbolt. He felt like he was struck dumbfounded, standing frozen on his bed. His eyes darkened, and his ears buzzed. His mother's face appeared in his mind, and it seemed unbelievable. Only when the person on the other end of the line continuously called for him did he snap out of it.

"Hello, can you hear me? Edward, can you hear me!?" the voice on the phone persisted.

"Yes, I understand. I will come to the hospital right away."

A series of unfortunate events kept crashing down on Edward, making him feel like he couldn't withstand them. What was he to do? Edward hastily threw off the covers and got out of bed. The sounds he made awakened Harry next to him, who saw Edward's pale face and his sense of urgency.

"What's going on? Who just called you? Please don't tell me it's some threat," Harry asked.

"No, my mother had a stroke and is in the hospital. I need to go there," Edward replied hastily. As soon as he finished speaking, Harry immediately snapped out of his sleep, jumping out of bed at lightning speed.

"How serious is your mother's condition? Let's take my car. It'll be faster," Harry suggested.

Edward nodded, accepting Harry's car keys, and the two hurriedly made their way to the hospital.

The bright lights in the hospital created a tense atmosphere within Edward's heart. As he stepped into the emergency ward, he could feel the heavy and anxious air engulfing the space.

He quickly entered the waiting room, where the air was thick with tension from the worried families awaiting news about their loved ones. Edward felt his heart pounding and a sense of worry reaching its peak as a nurse approached him.

"Are you Edward Sherwood?" the nurse asked with sympathetic eyes.

"Yes, that's correct. My mother... how is she?" Edward struggled to control his trembling voice.

The nurse gently told Edward, "Your mother had a stroke and is in critical condition. Her condition has been developing silently for a long time without early detection, compounded by her frequent sleep deprivation and strenuous work. We need to perform an emergency surgery immediately, and the estimated cost is $200,000."

A thunderbolt shattered Edward's mind. His heart was filled with helplessness and panic. He had been living in poverty for a long time, and his ability to afford the surgery had become an obsession.

Edward felt his legs giving way beneath him. His mother's condition had been developing silently and went unnoticed. She frequently suffered from sleep deprivation and worked strenuously. Edward blamed himself greatly; he had told his mother not to work so hard, to stay at home as her health had been deteriorating, and that he could work extra hours to support himself and take care of her. But she couldn't trust him.

She feared he would work too much and jeopardize his health, leaving no time for studying. But she forgot about her health as every other mother does. And perhaps it was because of the fear of expenses that she neglected her health and refused to seek medical attention.

The nurse led Edward to his mother's hospital bed. She lay motionless there, her eyes closed. Many tubes and machines surrounded her, and she wore a worn-out hospital gown. Edward took his mother's hand, tears streaming down his face. Her hand was rough, and her skin wrinkled and scarred.

Edward wished it was him lying there instead of his mother. He was willing to endure all the pain for her.

"Edward..." At that moment, Harry gently placed his hand on Edward's shoulder.

"I have $5,000. You can have it if you need..." Harry's voice choked with emotion and pain. He understood Harry's heart. And now there was no other option but to borrow money to earn a large sum in a short period. But borrowing from whom... that was the question. Edward had very few friends, and they were all students with limited funds. Even if they had the money, they wouldn't dare lend it to someone like Edward, who had an uncertain financial situation.

He had no relatives other than his mother. Only Harry, but his money was like a drop in the ocean.

Edward considered one last option. He knew there was no other way.  He left the hospital and took a taxi  to the centrr of the city, where gathers the rich.. Like a flickering flame within him, a strange sensation surged through his body.

o0o

The Sherwood family mansion, The luxurious mansion of the Sherwood family, where luxury and class serve as a veil to hide family disagreements and conflicts. In the living room, Mr. Sherwood and Mrs. Sherwood sat beside each other while their daughter, Emily, and son, Jasper, sat opposite.

The family was discussing Jasper's upcoming marriage.

"That's right, Mr. Swan wants Jasper to marry his daughter. That's the condition of the partnership. And this contract is immense. Akiko Corporation is a large, powerful, and highly promising conglomerate. We will surely come out on top if we secure this contract!"

Mr. Sherwood spoke about his intention indicating his agreement with the deal. He turned to his son, Jasper, and said, "What do you think?"

"I'm fine with it as long as it helps you and the company," Jasper replied.

However, immediately after hearing Mr. Sherwood's and Jasper's agreement, Mrs. Sherwood angrily slammed her hand on the table.

 "I disagree! That girl, Felicia, is blind, and I don't want my son to marry someone imperfect like her."

"What's the problem with her being blind? Our son has no objections, yet you have one. How bothersome. He's the one getting married, not you. Even though Miss Swan is blind, she is beautiful and highly educated, and the Swan family has only two daughter, and their previous daughter is married and has her own independent life so their wealth will certainly belong to Jasper. Please consider the future a little bit," Mr. Sherwood argued.

Mrs. Sherwood became hopping mad. "You should keep quiet! What's the use of being beautiful when she's blind? If you like her so much, then go ahead and marry her. I will let you have a second wife instead of making Jasper miserable."

An argument erupted between the couple as they disagreed about Jasper marrying Felicia.

Amidst the debate, a knocking sound echoed through the room. The Sherwood family turned their heads towards the door, unsure who had arrived.