Someone Wants to Make Big News

Medical Center.

Adam and Cristina helped Gilly with her pre-op preparations.

"Do you want us to call your parents over?"

Cristina could not help asking.

"They're still here?"

Gilly's eyes lit up, and the corners of her mouth curved upward despite herself.

"They're praying for you."

Cristina reminded her, "Is that shunning and isolation thing really that strict?"

"Yes."

The smile vanished from Gilly's face. "It's our faith."

"Our?"

Adam keenly caught the thought behind Gilly's words. "You believe too, so you still want to go back?"

"My health..."

Gilly said conflictedly, "A while ago, I went to the emergency room and saw a doctor. She told me to see an oncologist, but back then, we had to work three jobs just to barely cover rent and living expenses. We simply didn't have the money for treatment... But these past two days, I suddenly got scared..."

Adam understood.

For two girls who had run away from home at sixteen, forget college—they had barely even finished high school. Having grown up in a primitive agricultural society like a Mennonite community, even a middle school diploma would have been generous. What jobs could they possibly get?

Either sell their bodies.

Or sell their labor.

Both girls were quite pretty, especially Gilly. If they had wanted to, making quick money—even big money—would have been easy.

But clearly, they were not that kind of people. They would rather work themselves to the bone as waitresses, each holding down three jobs to support herself.

But that also meant they would remain trapped at the bottom. Every cent they earned went toward daily expenses. They could barely get by and had no savings at all.

At the slightest upheaval, they would be left helpless, with no choice but to lie down and wait for death.

After