Sweet Subterfuge

Chapter 37

Larissa glanced at the collection bills in Mrs Hardy’s hands. The top most one alone was ten thousand dollars. If it all added up-

Seeing the hesitation on her face, Mrs. Hardy wiped away her tears and wailed again. “The nurse said, if we don’t pay soon, we’ll have to bring Travis home. Travis has suffered such serious injuries. It’s been a day, and his condition is still critical–if the hospital doesn’t let him stay, he’ll die! You’re his wife! You can’t just stand there and do nothing!”

Her last two sentences were extremely misleading. Many of the people queuing at the payment counter immediately cast looks filled with contempt and disdain at Larissa.

Larissa turned her back on them. She tried to not look at them to reduce the pressure she felt to be responsible for Travis condition.

She had already seen it all–when she had to deal with the Hardy family, saving herself from embarrassment was not an option.

She accepted the bills and flipped through them. From her rough calculations, they all amounted to about thirty thousand dollars.

Thirty thousand dollars wasn’t a lot to her, but it wasn’t exactly a small amount either.

She knew that if she’d just paid for Travis‘ medical bills now unconditionally, she would never get that money back from him nor his family.

So, she told Mrs. Hardy, “I’ll loan you the money, but you’ll have to write me a debt acknowledgment form.”

widened, as though she hadn’t understood a single word Larissa said. Or, even if

me–write you a debt acknowledgement form?” Her voice

stares behind her and nodded. “Yes, I want you to write me a

Mrs. Hardy was still unwilling, Larissa did not force

ownership of a

Chapter

care, sell that house. I don’t

raised her voice intentionally. Let those people who couldn’t mind their

head bobbed up and down, almost frantically. “I’ll write you that debt acknowledgement form! Don’t

a notepad and a pen on

and was done signing her name, Larissa folded the note and stored it carefully in a compartment in her backpack. Then, she followed Mrs. Hardy back to the payment

job in the hospital was done, Larissa had no intention of

and stammered, “Travis needs to stay in the hospital for one more day. The medical expenses alone would cost us more than a few hundred dollars. Since neither of

words was apparent–she needed more

really thought

you should go and ask her to pay for it. If she refuses to, you can sue her. I’m

from Mrs. Hardy and strode outside

quickly separated by the bustling activity. Just as Mrs. Hardy was about to run after Larissa, she realized she could no longer spot her in

indeed