C13 A DELICATE TRUTH.

“Jerry… Jerry, wait!” Fred’s voice rang out in the dim hallway as he jogged after his cousin.

His tone was desperate, edged with panic, but Jerry didn’t slow down. His broad shoulders were tense, his pace brisk, and in his hand, he clutched Laura’s resume, the damning evidence of Fred’s manipulation.

Fred caught up and grabbed Jerry’s arm, spinning him around.

“Jerry, come on, bro! Let’s talk about this. You can’t tell her!” Fred pleaded.

Jerry’s face contorted in anger.

“Fred, what is it now? Haven’t you done enough?” His voice rose, echoing off the walls. “You flirt with every woman in this town like it’s some kind of game, and you’re still not satisfied?”.

Fred shifted nervously, his usual cocky demeanor faltering.

“Jerry, listen, she was too stubborn. I just wanted to get her attention. That’s all!” His voice cracked, betraying his unease.

“Too stubborn?” Jerry’s laugh was bitter, humorless. “Fred, not Laura! She’s been through enough already. She doesn’t need you messing with her life too.”

“Please don’t tell her,” Fred pleaded, his voice barely above a whisper now.

Panic tightened his chest as scenarios of Laura finding out flashed through his mind. It would be disastrous, beyond repair.

Jerry stepped closer, his eyes blazing with fury.

“Oh really? And why not? So you can add her to your collection and toss her aside like you always do?” Seething with rage, he stretched forth his hand and violently poked his finger into the chest of Fred, who instantly retreated by a step.

"NO! I swear! ...You don’t know what it is," Fred shouted as he leaned back against the wall, absent-mindedly raking his fingers through his hair. “Relax, Cous!”.

Jerry’s jaw tightened. “I won’t tell her, but there’s a condition.” He stepped back, his voice hard and unforgiving.

Fred’s face lit up with a sliver of hope.

“Anything! Just name it.” Fred requested.

Jerry’s gaze was unrelenting as he replied “The day you make her cry, or do anything to make her life miserable, I’ll tell her everything. Every single thing. She works at your company without drama or complications, or I blow it all up. Is that clear?”.

Fred hesitated, but Jerry’s expression left no room for negotiation.

“Yes, yes! Fine! Just stop lecturing me!” Fred muttered, his voice laced with irritation and he made a grab for the resume in Jerry’s hand.

Jerry jerked it away with a scowl.

“What do you think you’re doing? This stays with me. I’ll keep it as evidence.” Jerry instructed.

Fred sighed in defeat, his shoulders slumping as he turned away and stomped to his room, slamming the door behind him.

Jerry exhaled sharply, unfolding the resume and studying it. The simple piece of paper felt heavier than it should, loaded with unspoken promises.

“Oh, Laura,” he whispered. “I’ll protect you. Even if it comes from my own flesh and blood.” Neatly folding the curriculum vitae, he slid it into his inner jacket pocket before leaving.

Fred was on the bed, looking up at the motionless, yet slowly rotating ceiling fan. He sighed again, this time with frustration, and raked his fingers through the messy hair.

“Of course it’s all Laura’s fault, right?” He spat out to himself with disgust in his unkempt way. His voice held up like a dense fog in the stillness of the room. “Just because of a girl… Jerry thinks he’s some kind of hero now.”

He shifted restlessly, flipping from one side to the other. No position felt comfortable; his mind was too loud.

“Why does he care so much, huh? What’s so special about her?” His voice cracked slightly, betraying a tinge of frustration he didn’t quite understand.

It irritated him that Laura wasn’t swayed by his usual tricks. She didn’t fawn over him, didn’t cater to his ego. In fact, she barely even noticed him most of the time, and that fact gnawed at him in ways he couldn’t admit.

Fred rubbed his face, trying to shake the thoughts away, but they clung stubbornly. His cousin’s warning echoed in his mind: “The day you make her cry, I’ll tell her everything.”

Neither brother dared to say another word, though their shared frustration and unrelenting anger coursed through the walls that separated them.

The thick tension lingered in the air like an unspoken accusation and they both went to bed in stony silence.

***

The next day at the cafe…

The warm aroma of coffee filled the air as Laura arrived at the cafe, the morning sun casted a soft glow through the large windows.

As usual, she was early, ready to get everything in order before customers started pouring in.

“Hi, Jerry!” she called out, her smile bright and genuine as she waved at him.

Jerry glanced up from behind the counter, his heart skipped a beat at the sight of her as he quickly had flashbacks of his encounter with Fred the previous night.

“Morning, Laura. You’re early, as always,” he replied with a soft smile.

She chuckled, setting her bag down. “Gotta stay ahead of the day, you know? Did you sleep well?”.

Jerry hesitated. The truth lingered in his mind like a shadow: he’d spent most of the night wrestling with guilt over Fred’s meddling.

“Yeah… I guess,” he said finally, avoiding her gaze.

Laura leaned against the counter, her brow furrowed slightly. “You okay? You seem… distracted.”

Before Jerry could answer, he blurted, “Have you thought about that job offer yet?” The words spilled out faster than he intended.

Laura let out a long breath, her hand making patterns around the rim of the bar unconsciously. “Truthfully, I have no idea. In my opinion, it is too good to be true, you know?” I mean, why would a big company like that be interested in me?”.

Jerry felt a pang of relief. “Take your time. There’s no rush.”

Before the conversation could go further, a customer’s voice cut in. “Excuse me, miss! Can I get a coffee and two sandwiches, please?”.

“Of course!” Laura replied, quickly shifting into work mode. She prepared the order with practiced efficiency and delivered it with her signature warm smile.

Jerry watched her from the counter, his thoughts tangled. She was radiant, her kindness, her work ethic, her determination. And Fred wanted to drag her into his mess? The very idea caused Jerry’s hands to tighten into fists almost reflexively.

“Jerry?” Laura’s voice momentarily brought him back to reality. She was right in front of him, worry written on her face.

“Uh, yeah?” he stammered, flustered.

“You were lost in thought,” she said, smirking as she said that. “Is everything fine with you?”.

Jerry quickly nodded his head and got a cloth to clean up the kitchen surfaces. “Yeah, just… thinking.”

Laura tilted her head, studying him for a moment before letting it go. She turned back to serve another customer when her phone buzzed in her pocket.

She frowned, pulling it out. “I need to take this. Be right back,” she told Jerry, hurrying toward the restroom for privacy.

“mom!” Laura exclaimed, her heart skipping as she saw the caller ID. She hadn’t spoken to her mother in days, and guilt gnawed at her. She answered quickly. “mom? How are you? Is everything okay?”.

A pause. Then, a male voice responded. “Miss Laura?”.

Her blood ran cold. “Yes? Where’s my mom? Who is this?”.

“This is the doctor from the Hospital. I’m calling about your mother’s condition.”

Laura’s grip on the phone tightened. “What’s wrong? I thought she was improving.”

The doctor’s voice was firm but sympathetic. “We’ve run additional tests, and her condition has worsened. We need to proceed with urgent treatment, but we’ll require an additional $3,000 deposit.”

Laura’s stomach dropped. “Three thousand?” Her voice trembled. “But we already reached an agreement and I put our house up as collateral! That’s all I have. What more can I do?”.

“I understand this is difficult,” the doctor said. “But the new tests revealed complications we hadn’t anticipated. Without this treatment, her condition will continue to decline rapidly.”

The emotions were overwhelming and she instinctively leaned back against the frigid tiles behind her.

"I never expected it would be like this.” You told me the $1,000 would be enough to start treatment!” Laura replied with a shaky voice.

“I’m sorry, Miss Laura,” the doctor replied. “We’ve done all we can with the initial deposit. This is a matter of urgency now.”

Laura’s voice broke. “Can I at least speak to her? Please, just for a moment?”.

“She can't speak to you at the moment,” the doctor said gently. “But you’re welcome to visit. I’m sorry, but I have to attend to other patients now.”

Before Laura could say another word, the line went dead.

“Hello? Wait… don’t hang up! Please!” The stillness of the rest room only served to amplify her voice. Looking down at the phone in her shaky hands, she wept helplessly.