CHAPTER 17- WIFE CATEGORY
“Sorry Mackenzie, I don’t have any money right now. I spent all of my savings to promote my e-tube channel,”
“I understand, totally, Fel”
“Sorry, Kenzie.”
“It’s fine, I’ll find another way… somehow.”
Mackenzie ended the call and sighed.
She had called both of her best friends to loan her money to pay her father’s hospital bills but…
Charlotte barely made enough as a teacher at Noose Hage elementary school so she already spent all her money on the magazines she bought the last time.
As for Felicity, she had an e-tube channel where she shared awareness with people on the importance of trees and plants. She also shared tips on how to heal injuries using specific plants. She’d spent all her savings on promoting that content.
Mackenzie didn’t know what to do. She didn’t have other friends to call.
So she just sat on a bench, stranded and depressed.
She stared at the darkening sky and sighed. It was getting dark and she hadn’t found a solution yet. Was her father okay? She was worried, but couldn’t bring herself to go back without a solid solution.
Then her phone rang, it was Miss Beatrice.
Mackenzie was nervous and could only watch the phone ring.
By the time she snapped out of her cowardice, she had seven missed calls from Miss Beatrice.
Mackenzie covered her face with her palms and sighed deeply. She felt ashamed. She didn’t even dare to pick up a damned phone call! Just when she thought she was growing in life as a person. Instead, she was only becoming more pathetic.
Beep
Mackenzie checked the message to see if her husband or mother-in-law had taken pity on her and let her have access to her bank account but no, the message was from Felicity. It was simple and it immediately set her heart at ease.
‘Your father’s hospital bills have been taken care of and he has been tended to. The doctor said he’ll be fine but he has to stay at the hospital overnight. Felicity.’
Mackenzie immediately called Felicity.
“Kenzie, thank goodness! My mother tried to reach you so many times but you weren’t answering, are you alright?!”
“I’m fine- About my father, how is he?”
“He’s fine, he was just asking of you before he fell asleep.”
“Thank goodness,” Mackenzie exhaled. It was good news to hear that her father was doing well but… “Fel, how did you pay my father’s hospital bills? You said you didn’t have any money.”
“W-well, I-i um-”
“-Tell me, Fel,” Mackenzie said nervously.
“I-i borrowed it.”
Mackenzie sighed. Felicity had gone that far for her. She appreciated it so much.
“I’m going to pay you back Fel,” She swore.
“No, no, it’s okay. You’re my friend and I see your father as a father figure as well. I only did what I was supposed to do.”
Mackenzie wanted to cry after hearing Felicity.
After all the years she spent in the city, she still wasn’t smart enough to protect what was hers. In the end, she was loaned money by her friend who hadn’t stepped a foot outside the village. This fact was both eye-opening and humiliating to Mackenzie.
Mackenzie sighed deeply. Even though her friends were kind to her, they would eventually think badly about her. Especially when she didn’t tell them the truth about her bank account being restricted. She just told them that she couldn’t access her money because it was locked for safety reasons.
Now that Mackenzie was all alone outside, she had time to think thoroughly and she realized one thing. She was a burden to her father.
Their house was small. It was clear that a lot of things in it needed improving even though they were usable.
Although the food her father harvested from the farm was sufficient for the both of them, it wouldn’t be once she gave birth.
Mackenzie placed a hand on her stomach and exhaled deeply.
“I need to get my shit together. I can no longer be a burden to my father who has looked after me since I was born. It’ll be nice if he settles down with a pretty wife in a nice home.”
Mackenzie clicked her finger as an interesting idea suddenly hit her.
“Speaking of the wife, doesn’t Miss Beatrice fit that category?”
************
THE NEXT DAY
Mackenzie walked into the hospital with a sigh. The morning had been especially a tough one for her to wake up to. She had felt nauseous for no reason and when Felicity came to wake her, she couldn’t use the ‘I’m pregnant’ card because she hadn’t told anyone except her father of her pregnancy.
“I feel like I’m going to puke due to all the smell of antiseptics and drugs,” Mackenzie frowned as the peculiar smell that came with hospitals hit her nostrils.
But even though she was disgruntled by the smell, her father… She had to bring him home soon. Felicity and the others had promised to throw him a surprise party at home and were probably making arrangements right now.
So she went to the room her father should be resting in and the scene she saw when she opened the door made her jaw drop.
Miss Beatrice was hugging her father tightly with her huge boobs swinging up and down against his chest.
Mackenzie noticed that Miss Beatrice was wearing a dress that showed off cleavage more than usual and this was… good news?
Mackenzie stroked her chin as she smiled.
Just like she thought, Miss Beatrice was the perfect wife candidate for her father. She’d never seen him look this full of life. Compared to yesterday, he had pretty much recovered.
As she made up her mind to step back and give the two some privacy, her father mentioned her name.
“Mackenzie?”
“Um… hi, father,” Mackenzie said with a stifling giggle.
With his cheeks turning as red as tomatoes, Mackenzie’s father pushed Miss Beatrice away from him and she in turn grabbed her jacket on the nearby chair and muttered to Mackenzie as she dashed out of the room, “I’ll be waiting outside!”
“Mackenzie, come here!”
Mackenzie looked at her father whose right leg was wrapped in a bandage before running over to hug him, but not tight enough to hurt him.
“Father!” She cried, caressing his back softly as she did. “I’m glad you’re alright! You scared me! Next time don’t plow the farm! Ask Teddy to do it, okay?!
Mackenzie’s father lightly pushed Mackenzie away, ” I understand what you’re saying. There’s no need for you to scream in my ears like that.”
Mackenzie smiled seeing her father’s reaction. He seemed to be doing much better compared to the previous day and it made her glad.
Now that she could see that Miss Beatrice and her father were a match made in heaven, she decided to not get in the way.Content (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.
She would ask Charlotte to fix her into Noose Hage elementary school to work as a teacher until she earned enough to rent an apartment. Then she’d plan her life from there and save money to afford a hospital for when it was time for her to give birth. And she almost forgot, her prenatal checkups!
“Mackenzie, are you okay?”
“Uh-” Mackenzie snapped out of her thoughts quickly, “Yes, father.”
She would tell him the news of her moving out once she settled the thing between him and Miss Beatrice.
“Father, do you like Miss Beatrice?”
“Yes,” He replied without hesitation but once he realized what he said, he shook his head, his face struck with panic.
“No- erhh- what I mean is-”
“-You don’t have to hide it, father!” Mackenzie stuck her tongue out at her father jokingly, watching as he moved his arms around, as though trying to think of something persuasive to say but Mackenzie’s mind was already set.
“If you like Miss Beatrice, you should tell her. You two will make a great couple!”
“Mackenzie, seriously, where did you get that idea from?” Her father said with a sigh.
Mackenzie took a step closer to her father, her face stern this time around. “I’m not blind, father. Miss Beatrice’s care for you all these years, do you think it’s a mere crush?”
Mackenzie’s father bowed his head.
“Don’t you feel something for her too?”
He lifted his head to stare at Mackenzie, “But-”
“-Have you been holding back your feelings for her because of me?”
Mackenzie’s father clenched his fists as he stared into his daughter’s knowing gaze. She had grown much more than he’d realized. She wasn’t a little girl anymore.
“Father, if you like Miss Beatrice, I’ll support you.”
With a sappy smile, he stared down at his hands, “Thank you, Zie.”