2024-03-23 23:22:24"Don't worry, Lizzie. I'll get the money for your surgery," Calvin said as he sat beside the hospital bed where his younger sister lay weakly. The sunset cast warm hues through the window, creating an emotionally charged atmosphere in the room.
"You've already sacrificed too much for me, Calvin," Lizzie replied weakly, her eyes looking tired yet filled with appreciation.
"Don't say that, Liz—"
"Fifty thousand dollars, Cal! Where are we going to get that much money? You already married that dreadful woman to get three hundred thousand dollars. She's not going to give us fifty thousand dollars more, Cal. I don't want you to be humiliated again just because of me!" Lizzie exclaimed, interrupting her brother's words with clear disapproval evident on her face.
Calvin, with a tense expression, sighed deeply.
He knew Lizzie's words held truth.
A year and a half ago, Calvin was forced to marry Alana Perry, the daughter of the Perry family, one of the wealthiest families in Ellstown, even counted among the esteemed families in Hudden.
He did everything to get the three hundred thousand dollars he needed for Lizzie's treatment.
At that time, Lizzie was on the brink of death due to a rare disease ravaging her kidneys.
Alana married Calvin not because she loved him; she even felt repulsed by Calvin. She did it all for the inheritance from her grandfather, Jonathan Perry.
In Jonathan's will, it was clearly stated that Alana was the primary heir, with the condition that she had to marry.
Calvin didn't understand why Jonathan required Alana to marry before receiving the inheritance, but he didn't care about that. What mattered most to him was that Alana was willing to pay for all of Lizzie's medical expenses.
At that time, Calvin worked as Alana's secretary. When Calvin expressed his intention to borrow money from the company, she immediately offered a marriage contract.
"I know how that woman treats you, Cal. Don't lie to me," Lizzie said with a sharp look, as if trying to pierce through her brother's emotions.
"Liz, don't worry about it. Alana isn't as bad as you think. She'll surely lend me the money we need for your surgery," Calvin said, trying to reassure his younger sister as he gently rubbed her back.
"Cal—"
"Now you have to rest, Liz. If you keep talking, I won't buy you ice cream when you're better," Calvin said with a soft smile, trying to divert Lizzie's attention from her worries.
Lizzie let out a long sigh, a sign of deep resignation and exhaustion. She felt extremely tired, but her heart was filled with hope that her brother would find a way out for both of them.
After Lizzie fell asleep from exhaustion, Calvin left the ward and tried to dial the number he had called several times in the past two days.
The hospital corridor fell silent, only the faint sound of nurses' footsteps could be heard from afar. In the silence, Calvin tried to calm himself before pressing the call button on his phone.
Alana's cell phone number, his wife, who was away on business, appeared on the screen.
Alana never answered Calvin's calls, perhaps because she was disgusted and regretted having a husband like Calvin.
Or maybe she already knew Calvin's intentions for calling her were about money. Whatever the reason, Calvin continued to try hard to call Alana, even though it was highly unlikely she would answer.
But this time, there was a voice on the other end. "What is it, Cal? Don't you know I'm busy?" Alana's voice sounded loud and short.
When Alana answered her phone, Calvin was surprised. He remained silent for a few moments and couldn't respond.
"Cal? Are you still there?" Alana asked somewhat impatiently.
Calvin took a deep breath before speaking. "Alana, can you lend me money for Lizzie's final surgery? She has found a donor, but for the surgery, we need fifty thousand dollars," Calvin said straight to the point.
His heart raced as he mentioned the amount needed.
"Fifty thousand dollars? Are you out of your mind? You always come to me asking for money, Cal! When will you realize that I'm not an ATM!" Alana exclaimed loudly, her impatience evident in her tone.
"Alana… Lizzie could die if she's not getting her surgery. And don’t you remember the contract we signed? We get married so that you get the inheritance, and in return, you pay for Lizzie’s medical bill. We are just one step from the final bill. I beg—" Calvin's words were cut off by the tone of the disconnected phone.
Alana didn't want to listen anymore, so she deliberately hung up.
"Alana! Alana! Hello?" Calvin tried tapping his phone screen, hoping for a reconnection, but to no avail.
He kept wondering, even though he knew the phone call had been disconnected. Calvin clenched his fists in frustration.
Where else could he ask for help? All the doors seemed to have closed for him.
Previous Chapter
Latest Chapter
Beneath the Earth, Above the Truth
The outer wall groaned.Cracks spidered across its surface like lightning frozen in stone. Dust rained down. A moment later—boom—the first section of the ancient barrier collapsed inward with a thunderous roar, revealing the luminous core of the Fountain beyond.The enemy troops surged forward, eager to claim their prize.And then… they stopped.Dead in their tracks.There, standing calmly amid the golden light that poured from the breach, was a figure cloaked in black, arms crossed, eyes cold.Calvin Hudson.Alive.Waiting.“What—?!”“Is that—?”“He’s here—!”Panic rippled through the ranks. They’d thought him dead. Or crippled. But there he stood—untouched, unwavering.And then he moved.Calvin raised one hand.The earth answered.In an instant, the ground beneath the sold
The Blood in the Veins of War
The clock was ticking.By this time tomorrow—at precisely 7 a.m.—the enemy would reach the core of the Fountain. The sacred heart of Barion’s underground sanctum. Calvin had known this for hours. Every update from the system had confirmed it. Every heartbeat felt heavier as the inevitable drew closer.He stood alone on the balcony of the upper sanctum, overlooking the vast city beneath the surface. Barion’s underground domain shimmered with magical lamplight and silent vigilance. Yet Calvin’s gaze did not register the beauty before him. His eyes were distant. Hollow.He wasn’t thinking about the battlefield.He was thinking about his father.His mind circled back to the conversation he had with the President of Barion—a conversation that had twisted a blade far deeper than the one that once pierced his gut. His father, Aldren Hudson, a decorated general and a man once idolized by the nation… hadn&rsq
The Quiet Before the Storm
The mysterious man stood in the dim glow of President Lee’s war tent, his posture relaxed, his tone calm and methodical—an eerie contrast to the chaos outside.“President Lee,” he said softly, “do not concern yourself with the lack of resistance. War doesn’t always need screams and fire to be effective. In fact, the silence is an advantage.”Lee narrowed his eyes. “Advantage?” he barked, tossing a map onto the floor. “It’s boring. Lifeless. This is not what war should feel like.”“But that is precisely why we will win,” the mysterious man replied, stepping forward. “We are not being slowed. There are no rebels, no snipers in the shadows, no barricades. We are slicing through this land like a hot blade through silk. And soon, we will reach the very core of Barion—the source of Calvin’s power.”He gestured to the map on the floor, pointing to the deep
The Empty City
Under the command of President Lee, the forces of Han Xian successfully infiltrated Barion’s territory. The mysterious man’s infiltration plan had worked flawlessly. No alarms were triggered, no resistance met them at the borders. The sentry towers were already abandoned. The gates stood ajar.Within hours, the flames of war began to devour the surface city.Missiles soared through the morning sky, exploding with surgical precision. Buildings collapsed into clouds of dust and debris. The once-pristine skyline of Barion twisted into jagged ruins, smoke coiling like funeral ribbons. The scent of concrete, metal, and scorched earth blanketed the air.It was brutal. Clean. Efficient. Exactly how President Lee liked it.He stood atop one of his mobile command tanks, binoculars in hand, his smirk gradually fading the longer he scanned the horizon.“No screams?” he muttered, narrowing his eyes. “No stampede of terrified citiz
Bloodline of Betrayal
Though the System had worked tirelessly to seal wounds, regenerate muscle, and restore key energy channels, Calvin’s body remained fragile—still bound to the laws of mortality. For all his transcendent power, he was not immortal. Not yet. And the recent injury, with a blade forged from the world’s rarest metal embedded straight through his abdomen, had pushed him terrifyingly close to the edge.The System had done all it could. Now, it was the turn of human care.For days, Calvin lay on a bio-regeneration bed inside his private residence, his skin pale, his breaths slow but steady. The air smelled faintly of herbs and cooling salves, and silent medical drones hovered nearby, adjusting dosage and monitoring vitals.On the fourth day, just as the morning light broke through the frost-glazed windows, a small procession arrived outside the guarded estate.At the center of it: a tall man in plain linen robes, his hair tucked beneath a commone
Echoes of Blood and Memory
The moment the mysterious man disappeared into the fog, leaving behind the sea-slicked ferry and the dying body of Calvin Hudson, the System awoke with full authority.A high-pitched tone shimmered in the air as if reality itself had been peeled open.[Warning: Host's vitals below critical threshold.][Manual override initiated. Emergency protocol—Phase Shift Transfer.]In a single breath, Calvin vanished from the ferry deck. His body, limp and soaked in blood, phased into pure light—absorbed into the hidden vaults of the System’s deepest layer. The space around where he lay went silent, as though the ocean held its breath.And then, as if he had never been there at all, Calvin was gone.***Within the sterile warmth of his private residence—a place the System had marked as a priority sanctum—Calvin rematerialized. He reappeared in a medical alcove lined with glowing diagnostic runes and suspended orbs of
You may also like
Royal Harem System
Red Phoenix.36.7K viewsRise of the Revenge System
Qin Li19.3K viewsSuper Rich System: From Loser to Tycoon
Enigma Stone39.9K viewsSystem Activated: Revenge of the bullied.
Ella Chimezie25.0K viewsSPECTRA: System Unleashed. Defender Of His Realm.
Ella Dalton645 viewsSUPER FARMING SYSTEM
Shame_less00753.8K viewsSystemfall: Flames of Rebellion
EJS13 viewsWolfpire Upgrade System
Sunny Minds841 views