Was it all for money? | Lucy

Lucy sat in the uncomfortable plastic chair beside the hospital bed, the steady beep of the monitors a familiar rhythm.

Her mother, Sarah, shifted weakly, her once-voluptuous frame now swallowed by the thin sheets.

“Where’s your sister?” Sarah asked, her voice a dry whisper.

“She’s coming, Mom. She had class. You know Lila, she’d skip the whole thing if I let her,” Lucy replied, her tone even and controlled, a stark contrast to the anxiety tightening her chest.

The door to the room was pushed open, and Lila hurried in, her hair damp from the rain.

“I’m so sorry! The bus was a nightmare, and it’s pouring, and my professor just would not stop talking,” she whined, dropping her heavy backpack by the door with a thud.

She went straight to the bed, leaning down to press a kiss to their mother’s forehead.

“Hi, Mom.” She then took the seat opposite Lucy, her expression a mixture of affection and deference for her older sister.

They talked for a while, a strained attempt at normalcy, until their mother’s breathing evened out into a shallow sleep.

A doctor entered, his expression professionally neutral. He asked to speak with Lucy alone.

When Lila began to rise, a sharp look from Lucy made her sit back down. “Stay with Mom. In case she wakes up,” Lucy instructed, her voice leaving no room for argument.

In the hallway, under the harsh fluorescent lights, the doctor explained that a new mass had been identified. It required immediate, specialized surgery. He mentioned a number, devastating amount for someone like her: eighty five thousand dollars.

Lucy’s legs felt suddenly boneless, but she locked her knees, her posture rigid.

She told him she would have the money soon, her voice unnaturally steady.

After he left, she leaned against the cold wall for a moment, stealing a single second of weakness before pushing herself upright.

Back in the room, her face was a mask of calm. “Lila, I have to go. Can you stay with mom tonight?” Her sister agreed instantly, concern etched on her face. Lucy left without another word.

Later, In Lucy's own small bathroom, the shower spray was scalding hot, but she felt no cleaner. Afterward, she stood before her closet, her body tense. Her hands, as she applied makeup, were perfectly steady, a skill learned from years of suppressing tremors.

She selected a dress that was both cute and provocative, and a lace lingerie set even more so. Then, the phone was picked up.

The call was connected.

Her voice shifted, becoming higher, softer, the faint New York edge polished away into something generically cute. "Hi. It's been a while."

Inside her head, the litany began: You're doing it again. You're a gold digging whore. This is all you're good for.

She forced a playful lilt into her tone, her free hand clutching at the fabric of her dress.

"I was just thinking... it's been some time since I saw you. I really want to see you tonight."

Her face in the mirror was a perfect picture of coy anticipation, but her eyes were hollow.

Just say it. Sell it. You need the money. You're a slut.

"I have a surprise for you," she added, layering a sultry, promising note into the words.

“How am I even supposed to ask for 85k? Like, what do I say hey, love, can you please give me 85k so I can buy a purse?, a car?, a house? God, I hate myself for even thinking about it.

She always took the money in small sums, or sold the gifts she was given. She once even asked for a 2k priced purse, then sold it, once for vacation money but 85k? but 85k? How could she even ask for that, out of nowhere? Fuck.

Her heart was hammering against her ribs, a frantic bird in a cage. She felt a wave of nausea, self loathing so potent it was a physical taste in her mouth.

She focused on the phone, on the performance, pushing the feeling down into the familiar, dark pit in her stomach.

She maintained the sugary tone, a stark contrast to the grimace that flickered across her features the second she stopped speaking.

"I've missed you." The words felt like ash in her mouth. She took a sharp, quiet breath, steadying herself for the night ahead.

"So can we please meet tonight?"