Despite her injuries being minor, Charlotte Hayes (Lottie) insisted on going home. Before leaving, the doctor handed her a thick envelope. Lottie almost laughed when she saw the amount inside—$100,000. She accepted the money without guilt, but the lack of an apology still irked her. As for the job offer, she left her phone number with a mix of skepticism and curiosity, eager to see how far this charade would go.
The next morning, a private car dropped her off at her parents’ house. Mr. and Mrs. Hayes were horrified to see their daughter limping in, covered in bandages. “Lottie! You went out to meet a friend and ended up like this? You didn’t even call!” Mrs. Hayes exclaimed, cutting herself off when Mr. Hayes shot her a warning look—they didn’t want to admit they’d feared she’d spent the night with a man.
“It’s nothing, Mom. Just some reckless jerk in a hurry to die,” Lottie muttered, her anger flaring again.
“Who hit you? That woman who dropped you off?” Mrs. Hayes demanded, ready to storm outside.
“No, she’s just the Grant family’s private doctor. The one who hit me was a Mr. Grant,” Lottie said, recalling the deep, magnetic voice on the phone. Charming as it was, it did nothing to soothe her rage.
“Grant? So he just dumped you here without a word?”
Lottie pulled out the stack of cash. “He didn’t say much, but he paid up.”
Mrs. Hayes’ anger faded as she counted the money. Mr. Hayes, puffing on a cigarette, finally spoke. “They compensated you. Let it go. But Lottie can’t start her new job like this.”
Lottie sighed. She’d lost her hard-won office job, and the idea of Grant offering her another position felt like a joke.
Later, she called her old classmate, Nathaniel Brooks (Nate), who’d recently returned from New York. When he heard about the accident, he insisted on visiting. Nate had been Lottie’s high school crush, but his family moved overseas before she could confess her feelings. Now, instead of impressing him, she was stuck in bandages.
She tried to tidy up, but the sight of her injuries reignited her fury. The man who’d hit her acted like some mysterious celebrity—no apology, no explanation, just cash. “Rich people think they can buy their way out of anything,” she muttered, adjusting her bandages.
An hour later, the doorbell rang. Nate stood there, tall and fair-skinned, with a petite, doll-like girl beside him—his girlfriend, Amelia Clarke (Mia).
“Nate! Come in!” Mrs. Hayes greeted warmly, eyeing Mia. “And this is…?”
“My girlfriend, Mia,” Nate said, glancing around the modest home. “Is Lottie here?”
“In her room,” Mrs. Hayes replied, leading them inside.
Lottie sat stiffly on her bed, forcing a smile. She’d overheard every word from the living room. “Nate, it’s been so long!” she said, turning to Mia. “Your girlfriend’s gorgeous.”
Nate frowned at the bandage on her forehead. “You should’ve stayed in the hospital longer.”
“It’s just a scratch. I’ll be fine,” Lottie lied, her heart sinking. She’d misread his invitation—he’d only wanted to introduce Mia.
“We were worried about you,” Mia said softly, her kindness making Lottie feel even smaller.
After they left, Lottie stared out the window. In one day, she’d lost her job and watched her crush walk in with someone else. The sunny sky outside now mirrored her mood—gray and heavy.