LOVE ACTUALLY

Ayinah’s P O V

I sat in the visitors’ lounge, my fingers nervously gripping the strap of my handbag as I waited for the woman who had taken my loan application.

I needed the money desperately.

My mother needed surgery, and every minute that passed felt like another precious moment slipping away from us.

Less than an hour ago, the doctor had delivered the news that had shattered what little peace I had left.

“Miss Lorenzana, your mother has a Grade IV brain tumor called glioblastoma multiforme, or GBM. It’s an aggressive form of cancer that develops in the brain. We need to assess her condition and proceed with surgery as soon as possible. Afterward, she may also need radiation therapy and other treatments to address any remaining cancer cells.”

I could still hear his words as clearly as if he were standing right in front of me.

My mother had a brain tumor.

A malignant one.

And I needed money to save her life.

The moment I left the hospital, I rushed home, hoping I could find a solution if I gave myself enough time to think. But no matter how hard I tried, I kept arriving at the same terrifying question.

Where would I get the money?

We had already lost almost everything because of my father’s gambling addiction. Before his death during a robbery at the gambling den he frequented, he had squandered our family’s wealth and sold the garment factory my mother had worked so hard to build.

My mother had never known the full extent of his betrayal until it was too late.

Now, the only thing left to us was the house.

And I was willing to risk even that if it meant saving her.

I had brought the title deed to the bank, hoping to use the property as collateral for a loan. But after reviewing my application, the woman in charge informed me that they still needed to inspect the property before making a decision.

“May I ask how long the approval process will take?” I had asked, trying to keep the desperation out of my voice.

“We’ll contact you as soon as the surveyor has inspected the property. We need to complete the necessary assessments before we can approve your request.”

“But I need the money as soon as possible.”

“I understand, Miss Lorenzana, but we still have procedures to follow.”

She returned the original title deed to me.

“I’ll keep you informed once we have an update.”

And just like that, I was left with a promise.

A promise that might come too late.

I stepped outside the building and sat on a bench, staring blankly at the title deed in my hands. My eyes burned from crying, and my head throbbed from the lack of sleep.

I hadn’t slept properly since yesterday, when I had rushed my mother to the hospital because she could no longer bear the pain.

I was exhausted.

Terrified.

And running out of options.

“Miss, why don’t you drink some water first?”

I looked up to find a middle-aged woman standing beside me. She wore a cleaner’s uniform and held out a bottle of water.

“You look so pale,” she added gently.

“Thank you.”

I accepted the bottle and drank without hesitation. The cool water soothed my dry throat, but it did nothing to ease the heaviness in my chest.

The woman sat beside me, studying my face with concern.

“Whatever you’re going through, just trust God,” she said. “He will never leave you nor forsake you. No matter how heavy your burden is, there is always hope.”

Her words caught me off guard.

I had been so consumed by my problems that I hadn’t expected kindness from a stranger.

“Thank you,” I murmured. “You’re very kind.”

“Would you like to tell me what’s troubling you?”

I pressed my lips together, trying to hold back the tears. But the moment I thought about my mother lying in that hospital bed, I could no longer keep them inside.

“My mother needs surgery,” I confessed, my voice breaking. “She has a malignant brain tumor, and the doctor said it needs to be removed as soon as possible. Otherwise…”

I couldn’t finish the sentence.

I didn’t want to say the words aloud. Somehow, speaking them would make the possibility of losing my mother feel more real.

The woman gently placed a hand on my shoulder.

“Let’s pray for a miracle, Miss. Sometimes, help comes from places we never expect.”

I managed a weak smile through my tears.

“Thank you for listening to me.”

“God bless you. I should get back to work now, but don’t lose hope, okay? Keep trusting Him.”

She rose from the bench and returned to the building.

I watched her leave before lowering my head into my hands.

A miracle.

Was that what I needed now?

I had always believed that God could make a way where there seemed to be none. But believing was difficult when every door I knocked on seemed to remain closed.

I cried until my chest ached.

I didn’t care if anyone saw me. I didn’t care if strangers whispered about the woman sobbing on a public bench.

I needed money.

I needed to save my mother.

And I didn’t know how.

“Why, Daddy?” I whispered bitterly. “Why did you do this to us?”

Growing up, I had never imagined that our family would end up like this.

We had once lived comfortably. My mother was a hardworking businesswoman who had built a successful garment factory from the ground up. She had worked tirelessly to provide for our family, believing that my father was taking care of the things she couldn’t attend to herself.

She had trusted him.

And he had betrayed that trust.

Without her knowledge, he had become addicted to gambling. He sold the factory, squandered our money, and left us with almost nothing.

My mother had been devastated when she discovered the truth. For a time, the pain had been so unbearable that she had even considered ending her own life.

The only thing that kept us afloat was the house she had purchased before marrying my father.

Even my education had been made possible by the money she had carefully set aside for me.

What would have happened if she hadn’t planned for my future? I might never have finished school.

My father had contributed nothing but heartache to our lives.

Sometimes, I wondered why my mother had married him in the first place. He was undeniably handsome, but good looks could only take a person so far.

He had never been the father I needed.

He hadn’t played with me when I was little. He hadn’t attended my school’s Parents’ Day celebrations. He hadn’t even tried to be part of my life.

And yet, my mother had continued to love him despite everything he had done.

I couldn’t understand it.

I hated him for wasting her sacrifices. I hated him for destroying the life she had worked so hard to build. And now, with my mother fighting for her life, I hated him even more.

“ I hate you, Daddy,” I whispered.

A tear rolled down my cheek.

But hating him wouldn’t save my mother.

I wiped my face with the back of my hand and took a shaky breath. Sitting there crying wouldn’t solve anything. If this bank couldn’t approve my loan in time, I would have to find another one.

There had to be another way.

I would visit every bank in the city if I had to.

I would do whatever I could.

My mother had spent her entire life protecting me. Now it was my turn to protect her.

I was about to stand when someone sat down on the bench beside me.

I stiffened.

I quickly wiped my tears with the hem of my skirt and reached for my handbag. I didn’t want anyone to see me like this. I had always tried to handle my problems on my own, and breaking down in front of a stranger made me feel exposed.

I stood up, intending to leave.

“Do you need money?”

The deep, husky voice stopped me.

For a moment, I wondered if I had heard him correctly.

I turned slightly.

The man sitting beside me was watching me with an unreadable expression.

He was, without a doubt, the most handsome man I had ever seen.

Even with my eyes still blurred by tears, I noticed his sharp features, neatly styled hair, and the confidence in the way he carried himself. His expensive-looking suit fitted him perfectly, and everything about him suggested that he was accustomed to getting what he wanted.

I quickly looked away.

This was not the time to admire a stranger’s appearance.

My mother needed me.

“How did you know I needed money?” I asked, my voice trembling despite my efforts to sound composed.

“I was sitting on the other bench,” he replied, gesturing toward the place across from mine. “I overheard your conversation with the cleaner.”

My cheeks warmed with embarrassment.

So he had heard everything.

“I see.”

I tightened my grip on my handbag, unsure whether I should leave or hear him out.

The cleaner’s words suddenly came back to me.

Sometimes, help comes from places we never expect.

Could this man be the help she had been talking about?

I studied him cautiously. He didn’t look like someone who would approach a stranger without a reason. There was something deliberate about the way he watched me, as though he had already made a decision and was simply waiting for me to hear it.

“Listen to me,” he said. “I may be able to help you. But first, we need to talk somewhere more private.”

My heart began to pound.

Help.

That was what I needed.

But I had lived long enough to know that not every offer came without a price.

“What kind of help?” I asked.

“You’ll understand once I’ve explained everything.”

He rose from the bench and straightened his suit.

“Come with me.”

He didn’t wait for my answer before walking toward the building I had just left.

I hesitated.

Every sensible instinct told me to be careful. I barely knew this man. I didn’t even know his name.

But then I pictured my mother in the hospital, enduring pain that I couldn’t take away.

I couldn’t afford to reject an opportunity without hearing what it was.

Taking a deep breath, I followed him.

Inside the building, several employees greeted him as we passed.

“Good morning, sir.”

“Good morning.”

He acknowledged them with brief nods, never slowing his pace.

I glanced at him curiously.

Who was he?

A wealthy client, perhaps? Someone important enough that the employees recognized him immediately?

He approached an elevator and pressed the button. When the doors opened, he stepped inside, and I followed.

He selected a floor marked CEO.

My stomach tightened.

The CEO?

I looked at him again, wondering whether I had just agreed to walk into a situation far beyond my understanding.

The elevator doors closed.

Neither of us spoke.

I clasped my hands together, trying to calm my nerves. I had no idea what he intended to offer me, but the fact that he had brought me to the executive floor made me even more curious.

A moment later, the elevator stopped.

He stepped out and walked down the corridor toward a large office. Without knocking, he opened the door and entered.

Then he turned to me.

“Come in.”

I swallowed hard and stepped inside.

The office was enormous, furnished with an elegant desk, expensive-looking furniture, and floor-to-ceiling windows that offered a breathtaking view of the city. Everything was immaculate, from the polished floor to the carefully arranged decorations.

I had never been inside an office like this before.

The man gestured toward a luxurious couch.

“Sit down.”

I approached it cautiously and sat near the edge, keeping my handbag on my lap.

He took the seat beside me.

For a moment, he said nothing. He simply studied me, as though weighing his words.

I shifted uncomfortably beneath his gaze.

“Sir,” I began, unable to bear the silence any longer, “you said you could help me. What exactly do you mean?”

He leaned back against the couch, his expression composed.

“I understand that you need a substantial amount of money for your mother’s surgery.”

I nodded.

“Yes, sir.”

“And you’re willing to do whatever it takes to get it?”

I hesitated.

The question sounded simple, but something about the way he asked it made me uneasy.

I thought of my mother.

Of the hospital bills I couldn’t pay.

Of the house that was all we had left.

And of the possibility that I might lose the only person who had ever truly been there for me.

“If it means saving my mother’s life,” I answered quietly, “I’ll do everything I can.”

The man held my gaze.

“Good,” he said.

Then he uttered the words that would change my life forever.

“I have a proposition for you, Miss Lorenzana.”