"Hello, Chloe, are you listening to what I'm saying?" Dr. Owen asked me.

"Oh! Yes, sorry, Dr. Owen. Can you give me some more time? I promise I'll pay all the medical bills by the time the treatment starts," I pleaded.

"Okay, Chloe. I'll give you more time then. Take care of your father and don't overwhelm yourself with the part-time jobs."

"Yes, Dr. Owen," I said.

I walked beside my dad's bed and took his hands in mine, caressing them. Just then he woke up and said, "You look pale. I'm sorry for putting you in this situation. I wish I had died instead." He cried out while holding my hand.

"No, Dad, don't curse yourself," I cried out too, looking at him.

After spending some time with my father, I looked at the watch and realized it was already time for my part-time job. I told Dad to take care of himself and hurriedly dashed out of the hospital.

I quickly took a cab and gave the driver the address of the place where I work.

The place where I work is a famous bar in the city, and I work as a bartender, which is safer compared to the rest of the work done in a bar.

After I reached the place, I paid the driver and got inside. As I was getting dressed in a hurry, someone cleared her throat and I flinched. I turned around to find my manager, Olivia Clarke, with her arms folded, leaning on the door and looking at me.

"You're late," she said.

"I'm sorry, Olivia, but I was in the hospital and didn’t realize the time had passed," I said, looking pitiful, giving my best puppy eyes.

"How is your father now? Is he alright? Did the doctor say anything about the treatment?" she asked, forgetting about my being late. I knew my puppy eyes always worked.

"Yes, Olivia. My dad is well, but the doctor said I need to pay the bills at the earliest for the medical treatment," I said sadly, thinking about my dad.

"Aww, Chloe, don't worry. Everything will work out at the right time."

"Hmm… hope the right time comes fast."

"Alright, now get to work," she said and walked out of the dressing room.

I sighed to myself, and after tying my shoelaces, I walked out.

The moment I stepped into the bar, the loud music blasted through my ears, and the crowd swayed with the rhythm, enjoying themselves.

I walked towards the counter and found Aiden Brooks flirting with the customers.

"Hey! Busy there, huh!" I said while taking my place.

Then I got busy with the orders, and at one point, while there were no customers, I looked around and found young girls and boys enjoying themselves carefree, with no worries about anything. It reminded me of my past self.

Actually, I had once enjoyed my teenage life, partying here and there without worrying about anything, as I was only 20 at that time. My dad had a small company, and my mom was a professor, so I didn’t lack anything.

But then everything started to fall apart when my mom suddenly got chronic kidney disease. I remember my mom, Evelyn Harper, always smiling despite our struggles. Dad spent all our savings on hospital bills, and eventually had to sell the company shares to try and save her—but it didn’t work, leaving us with nothing.

Sadly, my mom passed away a few months later. Even though she was gone, her warmth and love still guided me every day. But with her gone, Dad became listless and stopped taking care of himself. When I turned 22, Dad suddenly fainted, and that’s when we discovered he had stage 2 cancer.

Because of the shortage of money, I had to give up my studies and start doing part-time jobs. And now… this is where I am.

"Ahem!" someone cleared their throat. When I turned, I found Aiden looking at me with a questioning expression.

"Huh?" I asked, looking at him.

"You zoned out," he said, looking concerned.

"Oh…" I muttered and turned to see a customer waiting for his drink.

After the long night, I finally wiped down the counter and untied my apron, ready to head home. Just as I reached the back door, Olivia Clarke’s voice called out behind me.

“Chloe, come to my office for a moment. There’s something important I need to tell you.”

Her tone was serious—too serious for her usual self. My heart skipped a beat as I followed her.

That night, inside her office, I first heard the name of the man who would turn my world upside down—Lucas Sinclair.