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Amelia Grace Hart was exhausted.
It had been a long day at work, and all she wanted was to get home, take a shower, eat something, and sleep.
She had barely stepped through the front door when her phone rang.
It was her mother.
Amelia frowned slightly and answered.
"Mum?"
Her mother's voice came through the phone, trembling.
"Amelia..."
Something about her voice immediately made Amelia sit up.
"What happened?"
"It's your father."
Amelia's heart dropped.
"What happened to Dad?"
"He collapsed."
For a second, Amelia couldn't breathe.
"What?"
"He was taken to the hospital."
Her bag slipped from her shoulder.
"Is he okay?"
"He's awake."
Her mother quickly added the words, as though she knew exactly what Amelia was thinking.
"They gave him emergency treatment. He's awake and talking."
Amelia released the breath she'd been holding.
"Then why are you crying?"
Her mother's eyes filled with tears.
"The doctor said he needs surgery."
Amelia swallowed.
"How much?"
Her mother hesitated.
"100,000 dollars."
Amelia stared ahead.
"$100,000?"
Her mother nodded.
"The surgery needs to be done as soon as possible."
Amelia immediately reached for her phone.
"I'll see what I have."
She opened her banking application.
Her savings stared back at her.
$52,347.
That was everything.
Every dollar she had managed to put aside.
She knew it wasn't enough.
But she couldn't simply sit there.
She started calling people she knew.
Nobody had enough.
She tried another person.
Still nothing.
Eventually, desperation pushed her toward something she had always tried to avoid.
Loan apps.
She borrowed from one.
Then another.
Then another.
Then another.
By the time she was done, she had managed to borrow $60,000 from 5 different loan apps.
Her hands shook as she looked at the amount.
$52,347 of her own money.
$60,000 borrowed.
$112,347.
She transferred $112,000 to her mother's account.
Her remaining balance was only $347.
She stared at it for several seconds.
Then she closed the application.
She didn't tell her mother about the loans.
She couldn't.
If her mother knew, she would never agree to accept the money.
At the hospital, her father was awake when Amelia arrived.
He looked weak.
But he smiled when he saw her.
"You're here."
Amelia sat beside him.
"Of course."
His eyes moved toward her mother.
"Did you get the money?"
Her mother nodded.
"Yes."
He looked confused.
"How?"
Before her mother could answer, Amelia spoke.
"I handled it."
Her father's eyes widened.
"You?"
Amelia smiled.
"Don't worry about it."
He stared at his daughter.
He knew Amelia wasn't earning a huge salary.
He knew she had always been careful with money.
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