I Traded Three Years of Love for One Perfect Revenge Chapter 04
Four days after the breakup, I was sitting in a lecture hall when my phone suddenly started vibrating nonstop.
I answered, and my neighbor’s panicked voice came through the line.
“Nora, your mom collapsed! She’s in the ER at the local community hospital right now!”
“The doctors say it’s serious. She needs emergency surgery, and we need about $7,000 right away to cover the hospital costs!”
Tears spilled down my face before I could stop them.
I planned to withdraw my scholarship money and everything I’d saved from two years of part-time jobs—the money I needed to save my mother.
Cole had access to the account and the debit card so he could help manage the money for me.
I called him over and over.
Once. Twice. Three times.
He didn’t answer until the seventh call, and when he finally did, his voice was full of irritation.
“Are you ever going to stop? You’re the one who dumped me, and now you’re the one blowing up my phone?”
“Cole, please.” My voice broke. “My mom has a brain hemorrhage. She’s in critical condition, and I need $7,000 for the surgery right now.”
“Where are you? I’ll come get the card and withdraw the money—my mom’s life depends on it!”
There was silence for a couple of seconds.
Then Brielle’s sweet, petulant voice drifted through the phone.
“Cole, who is it? What a buzzkill.”
Cole scoffed.
“Your mom’s sick? If you’re going to lie, at least come up with something believable.”
“Come to the café on South Campus.”
I ran there as fast as I could.
Cole and Brielle were sitting by the window, leisurely sipping six-dollar Starbucks drinks.
I rushed up to their table, tears streaming down my face.
“Cole, give me my debit card. I only want the $7,000 I put in that account.”
Cole slowly stirred his coffee.
“Are you done making a scene?”
“You dumped me on a whim and humiliated me in front of everyone. So I’m not letting you have the money—that’s your punishment.”
Brielle cut in, her voice dripping with fake concern.
“Oh, come on. If you’re trying to get money out of Cole, do you really have to drag your own mother into the lie?”
“Have some dignity. You already broke up with him, and you’re still coming back for money?”
“Shut up!” I snapped, glaring at her through red-rimmed eyes.
Cole shot to his feet and stepped between us.
“Don’t you dare talk to Brielle like that. I’m not letting you touch that money today.”
“You need to learn that you don’t get to dump me whenever you feel like it and walk away without consequences.”
“You want your money? Fine.”
He pointed at the floor.
“Get on your knees, apologize to Brielle, and admit you’re a liar. Then I’ll take you to get the money.”
I went rigid.
The hospital called again, urging me to make the payment as soon as possible.
My mother’s life was on the line. Pride didn’t matter anymore.
I dropped to my knees in front of them.
“Please. I’m begging you. It’s for my mom’s treatment. The hospital needs the money now, and if I don’t get it to them in time, it could be too late!”
Once. Twice. Three times. I slapped myself hard across the face.
“I’m sorry. I’m a liar. Please, just give me my money.”
Cole took out his phone.
“Since you’re finally showing some sincerity, I guess I can let you see.”
The balance on the screen read:
[$0.00]
“Where is it?” My voice cracked. “Where’s the money I saved?”
“What did you do with it?”
Cole gave a dismissive snort.
“Stop acting like it’s the end of the world.”
“Brielle wanted to sign up for a study-abroad program, and spots were filling up fast.”
“So I used the $7,000 to pay her program fee.”
It felt as if the ground had vanished beneath me.
“What gave you the right to spend my money? My mom is in the hospital!”
Cole actually had the nerve to lecture me.
“You’re way too easy to scare. Doctors at some little community hospital always make things sound worse than they are.”
“How bad could it really be? What’s wrong with your mom waiting a few days?”
“If Brielle misses this program, she might never get another chance.”
Brielle’s voice turned sugary again.
“Cole, those spots really were almost gone. Thank you for doing this for me.”
“I’ll bring you something back.”
By then, I had no tears left.
I ran straight to my faculty advisor’s office and broke down as I begged the school for emergency assistance.
I swallowed my pride and borrowed the rest wherever I could. At last, I scraped together enough to cover the immediate hospital costs.
My mother made it through the crisis.
That night, I sat alone in the hospital hallway keeping watch.
My phone buzzed.
Cole: [Enough with the drama. What you did at the café today was embarrassing.]
Cole: [And forget about the $7,000. Just consider it your way of making things up to Brielle.]
I almost laughed, but tears splashed onto my screen instead.
I opened my account settings.
I canceled every authorized-user card tied to Cole and revoked his shared digital-wallet access.
Then I changed every password.
Finally, I blocked him everywhere and deleted all his contact information.
Cole, whatever future we’d once had was gone.