Esther’s POV
I almost didn’t believe it when the nurse told me.
“The bills… they’re cleared.”
I blinked, clutching the slip of paper in my hand. My fingers were trembling so violently I thought I might drop it. “What?”
The nurse gave a brisk nod, as if this was ordinary news, not the kind of revelation that could shift the entire axis of my world. “Your account with us shows no outstanding debt. The emergency treatment after the accident, Carl’s stabilization—all of it’s been handled. Paid in full.”
For a moment, I couldn’t breathe. My knees nearly buckled beneath me, but I forced myself upright. The weight I’d been carrying for months—years, even—was suddenly gone. The crushing pressure of endless debt, of watching every coin vanish faster than I could earn it, the sleepless nights s
