I was having dinner with my friend when the news came.

Just moments ago, we had come out from looking at wedding gowns. I had originally gone with my best friend, Aya. I wanted her to be my bridesmaid.

I thought it was a done deal. After all, we had been best friends for so many years, growing up together.

But to my surprise, Aya kept making excuses.

I asked her several times, and each time, she said she had something on.

I didn't suspect anything, just patiently waiting for her to find the time.

However, the wedding was just around the corner, and she still couldn't spare a moment. Eventually, I had no choice but to ask another friend to help me try on the dresses and pick the bridesmaid gowns.

My new friend was thrilled when she got the message and we set the time right away.

Everything went smoothly.

We finalized all the dresses in just half a day.

Finally, with everything sorted out, I could sit down and enjoy a meal in peace.

But before I could take more than a few bites, Goden's call came through.

Goden is my fiancé.

My dad had picked an auspicious day and wanted us to get married first, and then have the wedding later.

But on that day, Goden, who was always so reliable, suddenly had a stomach flu and was hospitalized.

I was so busy taking care of him that the plan to get married just fell through.

After that, the following days weren't suitable for getting married according to the calendar, so it got postponed.

Later, my dad stopped urging us, saying it was okay to get married after the wedding.

When my friend saw that it was my fiancé's call, she teased me with a smile. I smiled back and answered the phone.

But I accidentally hit the speaker button.

Goden's voice came through the phone, filled with urgency. "Elena, come to the First Hospital right away! Your dad had a heart attack!"

I was so shocked that my hand trembled, and the phone almost fell into the soup.

I apologized to my friend and called the waiter to pay the bill.

But maybe because I was so anxious, my hands were shaking uncontrollably.

I tried several times but couldn't manage to pay.

I looked at my friend with full of apology. She patted the back of my hand soothingly and said, "Elena, just go to the hospital first. Leave this to me."

Tears streamed down my face instantly.

My mother passed away when I was young. It was my dad who raised me single - handedly. No matter how busy he was at work, he never forgot about me.

I often joked that I was a "daddy's girl."

The moment I heard that my dad was sick, it felt like the sky was falling.

By the time I rushed to the hospital, my dad was already in the emergency room.

Goden was talking to the doctor at the door.

When he saw me approaching, Goden said "Excuse me" to the doctor and pulled me aside to tell me what had happened.

"Elena, uncle asked me to go to his office just now. He said he had something to talk to me about. As soon as I went in, I saw that he didn't look right. His face was purple, so I called an ambulance right away."

"That's when I found out that he had a heart attack."

"How could this be?" I couldn't believe it. My dad had always been so healthy. How could he suddenly have a heart attack?

"Recently, did something happen? How could dad suddenly have a heart attack?"

"Maybe..." Goden hesitated.

"Maybe what?" I looked at Goden in surprise.

Goden remained silent, his face showing hesitation.

I couldn't help but shake him. "Come on, tell me! Maybe what?"

"Maybe... because he went bankrupt and didn't dare to tell you," he finally said.

Just then, a clear voice came from behind me.

The clicking sound of high - heeled shoes echoed in the quiet corridor.

I turned around and saw it was Aya, my best friend who had repeatedly been "busy" and couldn't accompany me to look at bridesmaid dresses.

At this moment, she was exquisitely dressed, with slightly red - dyed hair, bright red nails, and eyelashes so long that they seemed like they could stab someone. Her lipstick was a vivid shade of red, so red that it looked like a lantern.

"You..." Looking at Aya's appearance, I seemed to understand something.

She had never dressed so flamboyantly before.

Once, she was like an ugly duckling following me around. My dad was a well - known entrepreneur, while her family couldn't even afford a house.

But I had never looked down on her. Whenever I had something delicious or fun, I would always take her along.

In the past, she dressed simply. Even when I bought her a whole set of cosmetics, she only did light everyday makeup.

This was the first time I saw her like this.

Once, I joked with her, "Aya, when I get married, I must dress you up beautifully, make you shine so brightly that everyone will realize what a beauty they've overlooked."

At that time, Aya blushed and said, "Oh, Elena, it's enough that you're beautiful."

I never thought that the first time I saw Aya with heavy makeup would be outside my father's hospital room.

"What did you say?" I furrowed my brows and looked at Aya.

"I said, my father's company went bankrupt!" Aya enunciated each word slowly, her eyes full of a haughty gleam.

I looked at the Aya in front of me as if she were a complete stranger. Her face was so familiar, yet the whole aura she exuded was so foreign.

"You..." I wanted to say something but didn't know where to start.

The scene froze for a moment.

Just then, the door of the emergency room opened, and the doctor came out.

Seeing the doctor, I ignored Aya and rushed forward immediately.

"Doctor, how's my dad?"

The doctor sighed. "He needs surgery as soon as possible. Without it, it will be very difficult for him to survive the day."

I felt as if struck by lightning.

"Then... let's do the surgery right away."

"Let's do the surgery, doctor! What are we waiting for? Hurry up!"

The doctor looked at me with a difficult expression.

"This surgery is very expensive, and the success rate isn't high."

"If you've made up your mind, go pay the fee first. The patient can hold on for a while."

"Money is not a problem, doctor. Please do the surgery quickly. Use the best of everything!"

I rummaged through my bag in a panic for my bank card.

"Money is not an issue. I'll go pay. Please arrange the surgery right away, doctor."

Suddenly, a scornful laugh came from behind me.

"Money is not a problem? Emelia, do you still think you're that rich young lady?"

I was shocked, and my body went rigid as I turned around. "What?"

Aya clicked her high - heels a few steps forward and jabbed her long fingertip into my chest. "I said, Wandon went bankrupt. Are you deaf, Emelia? Have you been a rich young lady for so long that you can't even understand simple words?"

"That's impossible..." I looked at Goden, who hadn't said a word since Aya showed up.

"Goden, is what she said true?"

Goden mumbled, "It's true.Your father went bankrupt, and all his assets have been frozen."

I still couldn't believe it and ran towards the payment counter.

I could only hear Aya's voice floating faintly from behind.

"Idiot. I don't believe you can swipe even a penny."

At the payment counter.

The aunt behind me urged me several times. "Young lady, if you're not going to pay, move aside. We're all in a hurry to save lives."

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I'll pay, I'll pay."

Tears streamed down my face. The makeup I had carefully put on for trying on the wedding dress was completely smeared.

But I didn't care.

I wiped my face with my sleeve casually and continued rummaging through my bag.

I found another card in my bag and handed it to the staff at the payment counter.

"Please check. Is there enough money in this one?"

Before this, I had tried three cards, and each one had prompted insufficient funds.

The staff at the payment counter had been a bit impatient at first, but seeing my tear - stained face, they didn't have the heart to rush me and took the card.

This card held my private savings from childhood to adulthood and was the only one in my name.

The other cards were all my dad's.

He had told me several times to get more cards, but I always refused, saying that having his was enough.

But I never expected that now, none of them would work.

Finally, this card went through.

Holding the receipt, I felt a bit more at ease.

I went back upstairs to my dad's ward again.

After the rescue, my dad was stable for the time being and was moved into the ICU, waiting for the family to make the next decision.

At the door of the ward, Goden and Aya were still standing there.

When Aya saw me come back, she rolled her eyes.

"Even though Wandon's assets are frozen, you can still pay. Rich people are really different from us. What's that saying? A crafty person has more than one hideout. Right, a crafty person has more than one hideout."

"Aya, you..." I looked at Aya in disbelief. "How could you become like this?"

"Like this? What do you mean? I've always been like this."

Aya put her hands in her pockets and looked at me sideways.

"Emelia, I'm sick and tired of your arrogant attitude all the time. Now that your dad is bankrupt, you're nothing."

"Why do you still act so high - and - mighty? Who are you trying to impress?"

"Goden?"

"Aya..." When Aya mentioned Goden, I remembered the purpose of this.

I had just been to the doctor's office and asked about the surgery cost. Although there was some money in this card, it was far from enough to cover my dad's surgery expenses.

I turned to look at Goden. "Goden, didn't dad give you a start - up fund before? Give it to me to pay for dad's surgery."

I never thought Goden would refuse. First, he was my fiancé, and second, this money was the business - start fund my dad gave him for our marriage. It originally belonged to my dad.

Both publicly and privately, he should hand it over.

However, as soon as I said this, Aya burst into laughter.

"Emelia, you're really stupid. You still don't get it."

"Do you think Goden will pay for this?"

"Even now, you still haven't understood the situation."

"You're so stupid."