"I know, Jenny." She sighed. "It's me who let you down, letting you even think about paying this much money for some pills ... but when have I ever been able to turn you down?"
"Never." Jennifer smiled, trying to let the thought of spending more time with her mom, happy and healthy again, brighten the prospect of finding a way to pay the medical bills. "But now that we're on that point, mom, I really think it's time you quit smoking."
"If this works, I suppose it's the least I can do." Arabelle chuckled. "Now, you have your answer, let me get some sleep."
Jennifer held Arabelle's hand until her breathing evened out and she was dead asleep. With each second that passed in silence, Jennifer's stress levels spiked now that she had her head all to herself. How in the world was she going to pay for her mom's treatment?
She had to find a way. Lack of money wasn't going to be what killed her mom.
Jennifer refused to let that happen. Even if she had to go into an incredible amount of debt to make it happen, she would find a way to afford the pills.
It just required some creative thinking and hard work . .. or so she hoped.
Once she knew for sure that Arabelle was asleep, she peeled her fingers out of her mother's and pulled her tablet out of her travel bag.
A quick web search of 'how to make money fast' resulted in an assortment of suggestions: various obvious scams, casino ads suggesting she try to make it big at the slots, a website talking about how hot chicks made several hundred bucks or more a night at strip clubs.
The last one, unfortunately, seemed the most legitimate. Although Jennifer had never considered doing that herself, she knew other girls who did the same thing and made it big. They said she had the body for it, too, since she was athletic and would get a lot of attention.
But ... that really wasn't the sort of work she ever wanted to do. The thought of putting her body on display like that terrified her.
What if it was her only option?
Would she spend her nights at a strip club if that's what it took to save her mom?
Jennifer shook her head with a sigh, dismissing the thought.
Right now, she wasn't going to think about it.
She wasn't that desperate yet. Another, more viable suggestion was to set up a donation drive online so people could donate to the cause.
While she doubted she could make $100,000 that way, it was possible she could convince some people to help out, and at this point, every dollar made a difference.
But the question still begging for an answer was how she was going to make that much, and fast enough to make sure her mom received treatment in time.
She surfed around a bit more looking for answers, and her heart became heavier with each failed lead. She navigated to the main search page and went to tap on a page about quick business ideas to make money, but instead of sending her to the article, an offensively pink and red ad came up.
"That looks like it could cause a seizure," Jennifer joked quietly, but she couldn't deny how the colors caught her attention. Or how they made her glance over the words written on the ad:
Paying for your mom's medical bills shouldn't be your burden alone. Your perfect match will want to help you as much as you want to help her. Find love and financial help all in one place!
Jennifer frowned. "That's some serious ad targeting."
She knew about how companies could use very specific data to target customers, so whoever was targeting this ad at her had to know she was looking for a way to pay for her mom's bills. But what was all that nonsense about finding love? How could that be connected at all?
Jennifer bit her lip, aware of just how scammy the ad sounded: way too good to be true. But after two hours of research and essentially limiting her options to strip clubs, the lottery, and relying on other people's generosity, she was approaching desperation.
At this point, anything that avoided the possibility of wagging her boobs and ass in front of perfect strangers sounded like a perfect solution to her.
She tapped the link, finding herself on a website for a mail order bride agency. Not what she expected in the slightest. How was becoming a mail order bride supposed to help her pay off her mother's obscene medical bills?
Still, Jennifer didn't dismiss the idea outright. She gave the website a chance to explain itself, and it did:
If you're reading this, it means our website's very special algorithm decided you are eligible to meet the love of your life. We understand this might come as a shock to you, but you've spent most of your life wishing for love, haven't you?
And yet you've never found the right person.
Now your mother is sick, and you're not sure you ever will.
Let me assure you that the right man is out there for you. He is waiting for you right now ...
... you only have to go to him.
The message on the webpage sent Jennifer's head spinning. How did this website know so much about her? She never told anyone just how badly she wished for someone to love her, more than Ron or any of her exes ever did. But for the last year, she suppressed those feelings with worry for her mother.
And she had to keep those feelings suppressed. Love wasn't a save-all, and it definitely wouldn't cure her mother of cancer or drop enough money in her lap to pay for the treatment that would save her.
Yet Jennifer couldn't outrightly dismiss the website as nonsense.
She navigated to another page, where other 'successful' couples shared their stories about their mail order bride experiences.
One guy even spoke about how his ex signed him up for the service as an act of revenge for his commitment issues . .. only for him to find true love.
Jennifer giggled at that one. It sounded so ridiculous, but that wasn't something someone could make up. It wasn't just his story, though, that broke down her defenses. All of them, put together, sounded so real and convincing.
And yet Jennifer still didn't see how becoming a mail order bride would solve her financial issues.
At this point, though, what did she have to lose? If she married a guy, that wouldn't stop her from working her ass off to buy those pills for her mom. If she was lucky, maybe she really would fall in love, and maybe he would help her.
That wasn't a burden she would willingly place on someone she didn't know, but she could be hopeful. Her mom's life was at stake. The least she could rely on was exactly that: hope.
Jennifer went back to the page where she first read the message inviting her to apply, but the bit about finding true love and her mom's sickness was gone, replaced by simply: :)
Below it was the button: register now!
With a deep breath, Jennifer threw her name into the hat ... and hoped for the best.