Destined to be

The room was spacious and clean. Everything had been carefully selected to give the room a sense of grandeur, with high ceilings and intricate moldings. Large windows let the morning sun in. It was tastefully decorated with wooden furniture, floors, and doors. Large pieces of art hung on each side of the windows. The walls were painted a subtle shade of olive, and an oriental rug covered two-thirds of the floor. The only part uncovered was the part near the fireplace out of fear that a spark would damage it.

The private bathroom followed this style as well, featuring black-and-white tiled flooring, wood-panelled feature walls, and tall windows. A boat bath with a roll top edge and metallic finishes in gold rested in a corner. At the same time, in the other corner, there was a mirror with decorative frames, a traditional vanity unit, and a pedestal basin.

An intricately designed four-post bed took the centre stage with custom drapes in floral patterns, coordinating the fabric with the end of the bed’s ottoman. To make the bed softer and inviting, satin sheeting in matching pastel colors and a Hungarian goose down duvet completed the awe-inspiring structure.

Yet, the medical equipment scattered around the room ruined the atmosphere in a way that couldn’t be salvaged. However, it had been an order from none other than Mr. Alan Joefrey Thiel, and what Mr. Thiel wanted, Mr. Thiel got. So, disobeying his doctor's recommendations, he created a private medical firm in his own home, and he became the only patient. An army of doctors and nurses cared for his every need 24/7, while the most renowned minds in the country worked nonstop on a miraculous cure. And so the days slipped by, losing a little hope with each passing day, growing a little more desperate. With desperation came recklessness, and our good man started to try all kinds of tonics and experimental treatments. All for the promise to live a little longer. Until one day, a strange man with dark eyes and a short beard showed up with the most preposterous proposition.

“I will capture Fate and force her to change your destiny,” he said with an unsettling calm, his voice just a raspy whisper against the lavish room.

Mr. Thiel didn’t like the man; he smelled like mould, had long front teeth like a rat, and his eyes were small and thin, like a slit in a tomato. Yet, he wouldn’t be here, at the top of the world, if he had refused to make deals with every single repulsive man he had met.

“How do you plan to do that?” asked Mr Thiel between coughing fits.

“My methods are mine and mine alone,” said the man, slowly walking around the room, admiring the art on the walls.

Mr. Thiel grunted; he didn’t like being kept in the darkness.

“Let's make a deal, you will only pay me when I have proven that I can do what I said I can do,” the man insisted, twisting his hands with anticipation. Mr. Thiel's thoughts immediately turned to the potential loopholes, realizing this could be his chance to outsmart the man if things didn't go as promised. A hint of doubt clouded Thiel's mind, but the thrill of the negotiation was too tempting.

“Very well,” said Mr.Thiel with a smile. These were his favorite kind of deals because they were the easiest to weasel his way out of.

He extended his hand between another coughing fit.

“You’ve got yourself a deal, mister…?”

“Oh, my name is unimportant,” the other man said with a dismissive gesture. “Just have the money ready in three weeks.”

“It will be ready,” Mr. Thiel said.

And they shook hands.

***

True to his word, three weeks later, the strange man came back with a woman chained from head to toe. She was dressed in a simple green dress, without jewelry, and barefoot. Mr. Thiel looked unimpressed.

“This… this woman is the key to my salvation?” He asked with a cold tone.

“Sure, she will,” the man said, holding the woman who tried to crawl away.

“Fool mortals!” the woman, Fate, Fate, proclaimed, her voice resonating with ancient echoes. “You don’t know what you are doing. You cannot alter the natural order of the universe. To unweave the threads of destiny is to attempt the impossible.”

The man hit the woman, making her fall over the soft carpet. Mr. Thiel readjusted in his bed, curious now.

“Ok, I’m convinced,” he said. “Change my destiny, save me, and the money will be yours.”

The man winced.

“Unfortunately, she is right about something,” he started, taking a step back as Mr.Thiel frowned. “For every string unweaved, another must take place.”

“Meaning?” Asked Mr. Thiel with a harsh tone before starting a coughing fit. The nurse on call rushed to his side.

“Meaning that you will have to find a poor soul to change your destiny with. ”

There was a beat of silence as both men shifted their attention to the nurse checking Mr. Thiel’s vitals.

“Nurse,” Mr. Thiel called.

“Yes, Sir?” She said, sitting next to him.

“What is your name?”

“M–my name, Sir?” She was surprised by the question. In all the years she had been working there, he had never bothered to learn their names, calling them all “nurse.”

“Yes, I want to know who I’m doing business with.”

She took a deep breath. She had tried her best to ignore the entire conversation; the whole idea of changing one’s destiny or trying to be above God’s plan sounded not only crazy but of a supreme arrogance that deserved the highest of punishments.

“Sir, I will call another nurse. I don’t feel comfortable having this conversation.”

She tried to leave, but the strange man grabbed her by the arm.

“Leave me alone!” She cried. “You are hurting me.”

Mr. Thiel started another of his coughing fits.

“You will leave when I give you permission to leave,” he said. “Now change our destinies.” The nurse felt a surge of panic as the weight of what was happening sank into her.

“I will not do such a thing,” Fate protested.

“Do it!” He insisted. “Do it, or you will spend an eternity buried in a small cage in my basement.”

The woman froze as the nurse continued to struggle with the little man. She observed her for a moment and smiled.

“Fine, but once I do that, I will be free to leave, and you will never seek me again,” she declared with energy.

“Deal!”

“By the power invested in me, I change your destinies now.”

Several things happened at the same time: Mr. Thiel could stand up by himself for the first time in years, the nurse started to cough, and Fate disappeared into thin air. Mr.Thiel laughed.

“I can’t believe it! It worked!” He waltzed around the room, dancing to a tune he could only hear. “I feel several decades younger even.”

“Glad you are,” said the other man. “Now, about my honoraries…?”

So happy Mr. Thiel was, he didn’t bother to try to refuse; after all, one must be able to recognize talent.

“You are quite an ingenious man, wouldn’t you like to work for me?” Mr. Thiel offered while extending a check.

“No, thanks, I’ve seen how you treat your employees.” He said as he eyed the nurse who was still lying on the floor, unable to stand up. “I’d rather keep my freelance business, but feel free to call me anytime you require my services.”

And with a little bow and the check, the man left without another word.

“Mister Thiel,” the nurse called. “A–ambulance, please.”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m not that heartless,” he said as he poured himself a scotch.

A few minutes later, the nurse was in a hospital bed, tied up to several machines, not different from how Mister Thiel had been a few hours prior. Suddenly, a woman in a simple green dress and bare feet entered the room and sat on her bed.

“My poor child,” she said as she gently combed her hair. “Don’t worry, you will not be left unavenged.”

The nurse-turned-patient tried to talk, but she started coughing.

“Don’t try to talk, I know what you are going to say, but don’t worry. The gods agree with me.”

She stopped petting her hair and interlaced their fingers, leaning in closer, her voice a gentle whisper that held the weight of secrets untold. "You changed your fate with that man, but you shouldn't fret," she murmured, as though confiding in her, "for there is a truth he never grasped. He was destined to survive his illness, living on, wealthy and unhindered. You would have remained at his side forever, just a poorly paid nurse. Now, though, his fortune shall be yours."

The nurse's eyes went wide with surprise.

“Mark my words, in less than a lustrum, you will be surrounded by riches like you have never imagined, while he rots in a third-grade nursing home. But not only will your wealth grow, but your family as well.”

The nurse broke into tears.

“I know, I know my darling. And that’s why this is my blessing for you and your revenge. You will live a long, happy life with your family. That’s what you always wanted, right?”

The nurse nodded. Fate kissed her on the forehead.

“Go with my blessings, my child.”