The Ninth and Final Bailout on Our Love

Two days before the wedding, I was writing patient records at the nurses' station when I heard the sound of high heels from the other end of the hallway, clicking loudly against the floor.

It was Stacy.

She was wearing a white dress, her hair was tied up into a bun and held in place with a crown-shaped hair clip, and her eyes were shimmery and shiny. She was holding a pink wedding invitation up in her hand, as if she was afraid that everybody wouldn't see it.

"Hey Joyce…"

The entire nurses' station fell silent. Two of the nurses lowered their heads, pretending to organize the patient records.

"You absolutely have to come attend my wedding with Melvie!" she said, slamming the invitation down in front of me.

"We owe so much to you, after all. You're like our benefactor. Melvin would never be where he is today if not for you. And this wedding would never feel complete without you."

A benefactor?

She made such an effort to say those words so sweetly, but I didn't even look up at her.

"Alright. I'll be there."

She remained standing there without leaving.

"Then… How much are you going to spend on our wedding gift? We take cash as well. And judging by how close we are, it would only be right if you gave us at least 10,000 dollars as a gift."

10,000 dollars?

So, she wasn't here to give me the invitation. She was just here to extort more money from me.

I set down my pen. "Don't you think that the amount is too little?"

She immediately replied, "I think so too. After all, you're—"

"I'll give you a surprise."

Stacy was stunned.

"What surprise?"

"You'll find out tomorrow," I replied.

The smile froze on her face for a second. However, her sweet smile soon returned as she probably thought I meant I was going to give her more than what she asked for. Her lips curled upward again.

After she left, my phone began buzzing again and again.

"Jocelyn. Stacy said that you're coming to the wedding?

"How much are you planning to give us?

"We take cash too.

"Can't you reply to my messages?

"I need to meet you. Now."

I simply replied, "I don't have anything to discuss with you."

He quickly replied, "I know that I've let you down, but it's not what you think between Stacy and me. There's nothing going on between us at all."

Not what I thought?

Not even the matching hickeys or the used condoms?

Instead, I tapped into his contact and added him into my blocked contacts list. His chat window vanished at once.

My phone rang again with an unknown number. I answered it, and it was Melvin's voice. He sounded out of breath. "You blocked me? Listen, I—"

I hung up and blocked that number.

A second unknown number called me again. I ended the call and blocked it.

A third number called. I didn't even bother answering the call this time.

Finally, he sent me a text message.

"Just tell me what you really want, Jocelyn! Don't you dare mess things up! Stacy is still young and can't take nasty shocks."

Still young?

I couldn't be bothered to answer him and just blocked the number straightaway.

That night, I went back to the apartment to pack up the last of my clothes. A notepaper was slid under the door, also written in pink highlighter pen with a heart drawing on it.

"Don't forget your cash gift tomorrow, Joyce! Melvin and I will be waiting for your surprise!"

I folded the paper in half and pocketed it.

I knew that she would definitely enjoy my surprise for her tomorrow.