The Mafia King's Virgin Healer

Maya had just come out from the doctor's office, her shoulders slumped in defeat. Each step felt heavier than the last as the doctor's words echoed mercilessly in her mind. Her fingers trembled slightly as she clutched the crumpled paperwork-another treatment, another payment they couldn't afford. She swallowed hard against the knot in her throat, blinking rapidly to hold back the tears that threatened to fall as she walked back to the room where her sister was fighting for her life.

But then, she saw her best friend talking to someone. As soon as she realized who it was, she quickened her steps as she walked over to them.

The moment they saw her, Vicky's face changed as she stepped back a little.

"Oh look who's here," the other person said.

"What are you doing here, Gummy?" Maya frowned.

"What else? I'm here for my personal business which you obviously don't need to know about." Gummy smirked.

"What did she talk to you about?" Maya turned to her friend and asked.

"Nothing important," Vicky shook her head.

"I was only telling her to get you to give up this fight on your own for your own good. How about that?" Gummy said.

"That would never happen," Maya replied firmly.

"Of course I know," Gummy smiled sinisterly. "Don't also blame me when I win this fight."

Maya laughed, before moving closer to Gummy. "I have always beaten you in our previous fights. What makes you think that I won't beat you again this time around? What gave you the funny thoughts?"

"You've lost the fight in heaven and so shall it happen on earth soon," Gummy huffed as she wore her glasses and sashayed her waist away.

With her gone, Maya looked back at Vicky who seemed slightly scared.

"What was she talking about?" Maya asked.

"Nothing serious. You know Gummy, she was just bragging about the match."

"I wonder what she came here to do."

"Let's not think about that attention seeker," Vicky said, swiftly changing the topic as they headed into the room where Mara, Maya's sister, was in.

Maya sighed sadly before she silently walked over to her sixteen-year-old sister's motionless form. Various tubes and wires snaked from Mara's arms to the IV drips and monitoring devices surrounding her bed.

Their mother, Sarah Miller, sat hunched in the worn vinyl chair beside Mara's bed, her graying hair pulled back in a messy bun. At forty-five, stress and worry had etched deep lines around her eyes, making her appear older than her years. The woman had a distant look in her eyes like she was lost in thought, and even when Maya got closer to the bed, she didn't seem to notice.

"Mom?" Maya slowly called, bringing her attention back.

Sarah finally realized as she blinked the tears in her eyes away before looking over to Maya. "What did the doctor say?" she asked.

"They're monitoring her response to the new treatment, but..." She swallowed hard. "We need to make another payment by next week."

The two remained silent for a while before Maya glanced at her phone: 6:45 PM. Time was slipping away.

"I need to head out, Mom," Maya said softly, adjusting her gym bag on her shoulder. "My shift's starting soon."

Sarah looked up, her gray eyes red-rimmed. "Already? Can't you stay a little longer?" She reached for Maya's hand, her grip desperate and pleading.

Vicky stepped forward from where she'd been leaning against the wall, her short brown hair framing concerned hazel eyes. "Please cheer up, Mrs. Miller. I'll make sure Maya gets to work safely. You've nothing to worry about."

"Thanks, Vicky," Sarah said, sending her daughter's best friend an appreciative look.

Maya felt her heart plummet at the lie. There was no "shift" – only the underground boxing matches that had become her primary source of income since she chose not to go to college. The thought of her father's old mechanics workshop, now little more than a shelter for his drinking habits, made her chest tight. He hadn't always been this way. Before losing his job when Maya was twelve, he'd been different – present, caring, responsible. Sometimes Maya wondered if Mara's condition had broken something in him, turned him into this hollow shell of the father she once knew.

When Allen lost his job, he had tried to start a small business by borrowing money from the bank but he did some business with some people and lost all his money to them. Their house was confiscated and they had to move to a smaller apartment in the not-so-great part of New York City. Allen gradually lost himself in alcohol, while Sarah had been the one working to cater for the family and also their debt. But in the end, it wasn't enough. Maria's heart condition needed a lot of money for checkups and medications, and so they were always in and out of hospitals. Sarah had been juggling between taking care of her ill daughter and work.

Maya is brilliant but had a special problem–her hair color. Wherever she goes, she always attracted the wrong kind of people in her life because of her hair color which was red from middle to up and gold from middle to down. Even when she dyed it black, within two days the original color would mysteriously grow back. And when she cuts it, it becomes worse. So she was always bullied. With so much danger looming around her, Maya had no choice but to start training herself secretly. By the time she was 15, the load was already too heavy for her mother, and so she started working part-time in different places like the 24-hour diner down the street, a small cafe near their apartment, the local grocery store stacking shelves, babysitting for neighbors, and even delivering newspapers at dawn before school. She would sometimes help at the laundromat on weekends, folding clothes for tips. She even tried data entry work from home whenever she could get it. Anything to support the family.

When she finished high school, she got a scholarship to study at Harvard, but she couldn't accept it because of her family's situation. She couldn't leave the whole burden on her poor mother. As years passed, Maya got stronger with her training, and when she got a suggestion to fight underground from a friend, she took it seriously and sought after it. The first time she fought, she got beaten, but with determination, she won the next match and cashed out. Ever since then, she had been fighting in underground boxing. At first, she thought fighting there was like a free ticket to getting stronger with all the training, but as time went on, she found it difficult to stop since she needed the money.

Knowing that she had no option considering the family's situation, Sarah sighed before pressing a kiss on Maya's cheek, her touch gentle. "Be careful, sweetheart. Text me when you get there."

"And take care of yourself too, Mama," Maya said, as she quickly hugged her mom.

Maya felt happy when she saw her mom finally smile. It had been a while since she saw her do that, and she was grateful that she could still make her smile. All hope was not lost. As long as Mara remained alive, there was nothing Maya wouldn't do to continue taking care of the hospital bills.

Her only wish was to see her sister smile at her and run around, full of life.

It was a pity that Mara was born this way, with a weak heart that had prevented her from living a normal life like every young teenager out there.

"I will, honey," Sarah sighed.

She gave her daughter a little pat on the cheek before letting go. Maya cast her sister one last sad look before heading towards the door with Vicky right behind her.

Outside in the hospital corridor, Vicky grabbed Maya's arm. "I think it's time you end these fights, Maya," Vicky began. "I know how everything started. You getting bullied all the time and wanting to get stronger, and now, you're making money through fighting. Which is obviously dangerous judging from the deep bruises you sustain at the end of each fight."

"You didn't mention also being a victim of kidnappings," Maya raised her brows as she stopped walking and turned to face Vicky. "So what are you insinuating?"

"What I mean is..." Vicky bit her lip as she stared into Maya's eyes. "You're stronger now and no one can dare do any harm to you. I just hope you can stop with the fights."

"How could you ask me to do that after witnessing the situation in that room? Or should I spell it out to you? The fact that my mom is losing her mind over debts and my sister's hospital bills, and my Dad is going crazy from too much alcohol consumption. He is practically ruining his life and oblivious to what we are facing!"

"And me..." Maya paused and sighed. She blinked her tears away and licked her lips before speaking, "You think I love fighting? No, I don't. I'm doing what is necessary in order to take care of my kid sister."

"Maya, these fights are getting more dangerous. There has to be another way-"

"There isn't," Maya cut her off, her voice firm. "This is what I'm good at. This is how I can help." She started walking toward the exit. "You don't have to come tonight. It's getting late."

Vicky snorted, dangling a set of car keys. "Actually, I do. Because I borrowed Mark's Nissan Sentra, and there's no way I'm letting you take the bus at this hour."

Maya's eyes widened. "You mean you stole your brother's car?"

Vicky looked around before glaring at Maya. "Must you say it so loudly for everyone to hear?" She scolded.

"Oops, my bad," Maya said, slapping her palm across her mouth. "But you really did steal it."

"Look who I'm trying to assist," Vicky rolled her eyes. "I guess I will just allow you to take the bus after all, you're used to hard life." She pocketed the car key and made to walk away, but Maya held her back.

"Don't go please, my queen. This servant is the softest thing you can ever imagine and she's grateful for her majesty's thoughtfulness in stealing- I mean, borrowing her brother's car," Maya pouted.

"The last person to get to the car will drive," Vicky decided not to listen to Maya's blabbing as she bolted.

"That's not fair," Maya screamed, running after Vicky.

Maya was too carried away in getting to the car first that she didn't notice when she collided with a solid form.