Ivan gently adjusted the blanket over his father.
The room was quiet… too quiet.
A faint smell of medicine lingered in the air.
"You should rest…"
Ivan whispered softly, even though he knew his father wouldn't respond much.
He looked at him for a long moment.
Then his eyes slowly shifted toward the small table beside the bed.
A glass of water… half empty.
A few medicines placed neatly.
Ivan lowered his head.
"I'll take care of everything… don't worry…"
His voice trembled slightly.
He held his father's hand tighter, as if he was afraid to let go.
Tears quietly slipped down his face.
Ivan quietly left his father's room.
He walked into his own room, his head lowered.
Without saying a word, he turned off the lights and lay down on his bed.
The darkness filled the room.
His eyes remained open.
He couldn't sleep.
"Why did this happen all of a sudden…? Everything was going well… Father had almost paid his debt…"
Ivan whispered, staring at the ceiling, tears filling his eyes.
"The very next day… after Maria confessed to me…"
His voice broke.
"My father had a brain stroke…"
He clenched his fists tightly.
"My happiness didn't even last a day… why…?"
The words struggled to come out, his throat heavy with emotion.
Silence filled the room.
Exhausted from the weight of everything, Ivan eventually drifted into a deep sleep that night.
In the morning, Ravin slowly woke up.
"What's the time…?"
He picked up his phone and squinted at the screen.
"Oh… I overslept. It's already 11 AM… wait—"
His eyes widened slightly.
"Ten missed calls?"
A small smile appeared on his face.
"She really loves me…"
He was about to call her back—
but then he paused.
His expression changed.
"Nine missed calls… from Maria…"
His fingers tightened around the phone.
"…and one from him."
Silence.
"Oh no…"
After seeing that one missed call from him, Ravin's hands began to tremble.
"I… I should call him right now…"
The phone rang.
"H-hello sir, I'm sorry, I was sle—"
"You son of a bitch! Have you made any arrangements yet?!"
The voice on the other end was loud and furious.
Ravin froze.
"I… I'm making progress. By next month, I'll meet your demands… I promise."
"You better keep your word, kid. Or else… you know the consequences."
The line went silent for a moment.
Ravin swallowed hard.
"I swear, sir… just give me one month."
The call disconnected.
After the call, Ravin walked into the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of water.
He took a long sip, trying to steady himself.
"I have to be quick… I need to repay his money… or I'm done for."
The next moment—
"Damn these banks…"
His grip tightened around the bottle.
"If they had just given me the loan for my father's treatment… none of this would've happened…"
His voice rose, filled with frustration.
"Aaahh!!"
He hurled the bottle across the room.