Rise Of The Belittled Billionaire.

The corridor of Riven City General Hospital was dead quiet at this hour.

Ethan's shoes hit the floor hard with each step as he paced back and forth, back and forth, in front of room 214. His phone was pressed to his ear for the sixth time. Maybe the seventh. He had stopped counting.

It rang, And rang, continue And ringing.

But nobody picked up she made him more Frustrated immediately he get drop a voicemail message, and send the Voicemail regardless.

Then he pulled the phone away from his ear and stared at the screen like it had personally offended him. He had called more than five times now. Five times, and not once had his wife, Mia Sutton, picked up. Not once had she even texted back, or send him a voicemail, but nothing, she phone kept on ringing with no replies.

“Why is she not picking up?” he said under his breath, still pacing. “Why is she not picking my call?”

He already knew she had seen the messages. He had sent voice notes. He had texted. He had called back to back. And every single time, that phone just rang and rang until it cut.

His mother was in there behind that door and the machines were the only thing keeping her breathing steady. The doctors had pulled him aside an hour ago and used words like "critical" and "we're doing everything we can," and he had nodded like a man who understood, even though something inside him had gone completely hollow the moment they said it.

Mia knew. He had told her himself. She knew exactly what was happening, and she had promised "promised" she would come, she could come see his mother, at least not when she was demanding to see her, not when she really want to see her.

Even though Ethan didn't know why, why would his mother be demanding to see her at her critical condition.

And she had agreed to, when he told her about it this morning.

“So where was she? why is she not picking my calls”

He dialed again.

The phone rang. Once. Twice. Three times. Four. Five —

And then someone picked up.

Ethan stopped walking.

“Hello —”

“Oh my God.” The voice that came through was sharp, irritated, and dripping with attitude before he could even get a full word out. It wasn't Mia. It was her secretary, Jade Owens. 

“Do you have any idea what time it is? Why are you calling this number back to back like some kind of maniac? What is wrong with you?”

Upon hearing her insulting words, Ethan's jaw tightened, however he knew that is her person, she has never seen him good enough for her boss, and exchange words with her now will lead into more insults, and that was what he doesn't want.

“I need to speak to Mia. Right now. It's urgent.”

“Urgent?” Jade let out a short, sharp laugh, like the word itself was funny to her. 

“Everything is always urgent with you, isn't it? Director Mia Sutton is in the middle of something important and she cannot and will not be disturbed because of whatever little crisis you've cooked up tonight."

“Jade.” His voice dropped low. “My mother is in the hospital. She is in critical condition. I need Mia here.”

There was a brief pause on the other end.

Then Jade said, “And?”

Ethan blinked. “What?”

“I said, and?” Her tone didn't change. Not even slightly. 

“What exactly does your mother being sick have to do with Director Sutton's schedule? You think the world is supposed to stop because of that? You think Director Sutton is supposed to drop everything and run to a hospital because your mother decided tonight was a good night to be dramatic?”

The hand holding his phone tightened.

“She is dying,” Ethan said, each word flat and deliberate. 

“My mother is dying. And I am asking  I am asking Mia to come and be here, that was my mother wish, she requested to see her.”

“Dying.”  Jade repeated it like she was tasting the word and found it boring. 

“People die every day, Ethan, and she's old enough to die, just let her go, so she could stop suffering. That's not exactly breaking news. And I really, truly, do not understand why that should interrupt what is happening tonight. Do you even know what tonight is? Do you have any idea?”

He didn't answer.

“Director Sutton is at the Harlow Estate,” Jade said, and her voice carried that particular kind of pride that belongs to people who enjoy delivering information they know will sting. 

“Mr. Harlow's prized mare  the one they imported from overseas, and cost 500 hundred thousand dollars, the one that has never carried a foal before she delivered her first foal tonight. Alive. Healthy. Perfect. Do you understand what that means to the Harlow family? This is a celebration. This is a historic moment for them and everyone they consider worthy enough to be in that room.”

At that moment Ethan stood completely still, he couldn't believe what he was hearing.

“A horse,” he said quietly.

“Not just a horse, but a horse that has more value then your and your mother combined” Jade snapped back. 

“And to summon it all up, it's a first delivery. A celebrated birth. And Director Sutton was personally invited to witness it and celebrate with the Harlow family because unlike some people, she understands how these relationships work and what it means to be in the right room at the right time.”

“A horse gave birth,” Ethan said again. His voice had gone very, very calm in a way that had nothing to do with being okay. 

“My mother is in a hospital bed right now fighting to stay alive, and Mia went to go celebrate a horse giving birth.”

“A first-time delivery,” Jade corrected again, like that made all the difference in the world. 

“The Harlows are one of the most connected families in this state. Do you know what a single conversation at that gathering is worth? Do you know what it means for the Sutton Group to have Director Sutton standing in that room tonight? You couldn't afford to buy that kind of access with everything you own which, by the way, is not much.”

“Put Mia on the phone.”

Ethan said with a angry voice this time.