On New Year's Eve, my husband's young intern called me. "Thank you for being so generous, Mrs. Mercer. If Alex hadn't stayed with me tonight, even risking his career to divert that kidney to my mom, I don't know how I would have survived." I froze. "You must be mistaken. Alex had an emergency surgery out of town. He left before midnight. Besides, he's a man of integrity. He would never break the rules for you." Lily's voice was firm. "I'm not mistaken. Alex saw my Instagram story pleading for a kidney. He rushed from the airport to the hospital in five minutes." Just as the call ended, I heard the key turn in the lock. I looked at Alex Mercer, my voice trembling. "Didn't you say... you had a surgery out of town?" Alex was silent for two seconds. "I did have a schedule. But Lily's mom was in critical condition. I couldn't leave her." "Also..." His voice dropped. "The kidney you were waiting for... I diverted it to Lily's mom first." "You are younger than her. You can wait a bit longer." Tears instantly filled my eyes. I have late-stage kidney cancer. He knows how hard it was to find a match. And he just gave it away? When my parents begged him to use his connections before, he lectured them about ethics and equality. Now, for his little intern, he broke every rule? It took me a long time to find my voice. "Alex, I want a divorce. And wait for my report to the Medical Board." Chapter 1 I turned to leave, but Alex grabbed my arm. He frowned, looking at me coldly. "Sarah, stop making a scene." "I know you're sick and anxious. As your husband, I'm more anxious than you." "But Lily's mom is old. She couldn't wait. Can't you have some empathy?" I stared at him in disbelief, finally screaming. "She couldn't wait? Could I wait?" "Alex, I'm on dialysis every week! I have one foot in the grave!" "Who has empathy for me?" "You know if I don't get this surgery, I'm going to die!" Alex furrowed his brows. "Stop talking nonsense. With me here, you won't die." "Just wait. You're next on the list." I looked at him, my heart turning to ash. "Alex, I've waited three years." "When my parents begged you on their knees, what did you say?" Tears streamed down my face. "You ignored them. You scolded them for being immoral." "You said life is equal. No backdoors." "You said they were trying to ruin your integrity." "I believed you. I told myself you weren't unloving, just ethical. A good doctor. I should be proud." "But why? Lily posts one Instagram story, and you break the law for her?" My voice shook uncontrollably. "Why don't you talk about 'equality' now?" Alex avoided my eyes, guilty. "Because Lily grew up alone with her mom. If she loses her mother, she'll have no one." "As a doctor, I just... my heart softened." I looked at him, horrified. "Because she can't lose her mom, you trade my life for hers?" "Why should your 'soft heart' cost me my life?" "I'm going to the hospital right now. I'll make her give it back!" "Enough!" Slap. My head snapped to the side. Dizziness hit me. My cheek burned. I looked at Alex in shock. Alex froze, realizing what he did. He reached out to touch my face, but I dodged. I tried to hit him back, but my body failed me. I collapsed. Alex panicked. He carried me to the bed, scrambling to find my medicine. Suddenly, his phone rang. He answered immediately. After a few whispers, Alex looked at me gravely. "Sarah, Lily's mom is rejecting the organ. I have to go." "Stay here. Don't run around." He grabbed his keys and left. He didn't even give me the medicine. The empty room swallowed me. I crawled out of bed, holding onto the wall. I found the pills and swallowed them with shaking hands. Tears rolled down my face. This time, my heart finally died. Chapter 2 Alex didn't come back for days. Not even a text. But thanks to Lily's live updates on Instagram, I knew exactly where he was. While I lay comatose in bed, Alex kept vigil by Lily's side. Lily posted a photo of their hands clasped together. Caption: With you, I have the courage to fight fate. While I chewed on expired bread, Alex took his intern out for a feast. Nine photos of gourmet food. Caption: I said I never ate at a fancy restaurant as a kid, so he promised to take me to eat the world. While I rolled on the bed in pain, Lily posted a photo of a temple. Caption: Someone accompanied me to pray for Mom. But I thank God more for sending this angel in a white coat to protect me. Pain came in waves. I realized today was my dialysis day. But Alex was too busy playing hero to remember. When Alex first found out I had cancer, he cried. He buried his head in my lap. He choked out that if I died, he would go with me. He refused to break rules for me, but he monitored my meds daily. When did it change? Probably when Lily appeared. At first, he frowned when mentioning her. "Stupid girl. Clumsy. Cries at everything. Annoying." Later, his tone softened. "That poor girl only has her mom. It's not easy for her." Then, he started smiling when talking about her. "My intern is clumsy, but resilient." "Sarah, do you know what I admire most about her? Her vitality. I see dying patients all day... it's rare to see such life." Seeing my expression, he paused. "Sarah, I don't mean you. Don't be sensitive." "If you focus on treatment, you'll be as healthy and energetic as Lily one day." He said that, but came home later and later. Busy. Busy with surgery. Busy teaching Lily. Busy enough to miss New Year's Eve with me, but available to break federal laws for her. In my daze, I thought I saw Alex come back. Until a girl peeked out from behind him. I woke up. It wasn't a dream. Alex was back. And he brought Lily. Chapter 3 This was the first time I saw Lily. She wasn't stunning. Thin, small, a bit plain. But this plain girl occupied all of my husband's thoughts. She stood by my bed, holding Alex's sleeve timidly. "Mrs. Mercer, thank you for giving your kidney to my mom." "I'm so grateful. I told Alex..." She looked up at Alex. Alex looked at her like she was a precious gem. Lily smiled at him and turned back to me. "I offered to take care of you to repay your kindness. Alex agreed." I gripped the sheets to stop myself from screaming. "I didn't give anything to your mom. If you want to repay me, give me my kidney back!" Alex's face darkened. "Enough, Sarah. Stop being unreasonable." "Lily is trying to be nice. What more do you want?" He didn't look at me again. He put his arm around the teary-eyed Lily and walked out. "Lily, don't cry. It's not your fault. Let her blame me." Half an hour later, Lily brought me a bowl of porridge. "Mrs. Mercer, eat something." "Don't blame Alex. He just cares about me too much." I heard the gloating in her voice. I knocked the bowl over. "Stop faking it. Get out." Hearing the crash, Alex stormed in. "Sarah! Lily cooked for you! Why are you crazy?" He saw Lily's red finger (from the heat). He grabbed her hand and blew on it. "Does it hurt?" Lily shyly pulled back. They blushed. Alex coughed. "Let's go, Lily. Run it under cold water." He looked at me with disgust. "Let this madwoman calm down." Slam. Silence returned. I lay in the mess, shaking. I fell asleep eventually. Pain woke me up again. I took painkillers, sweating. Lily walked in again. "Water?" I closed my eyes. "Get out." Lily didn't move. "Mrs. Mercer, let me tell you something." "Do you know why your parents haven't called you lately?" My heart skipped a beat. I opened my eyes. "What do you mean?" Lily spoke slowly. "Your parents went to the hospital every day to ask about kidneys." "On New Year's Eve... maybe she was tired, or maybe it was fate... your mom got hit by a car right outside the hospital." "She signed a donor card. Her last words were: Give my kidney to my daughter." My blood froze. "What... what did you say?" "You're lying!" Lily looked innocent. "Why would I lie?" "Your dad is busy with the funeral back home. He didn't want to upset you." "That night, when they harvested your mom's kidney... I posted that story to test Alex." "I didn't expect him to come so fast." "I shed a few tears, and he decided to give the kidney to my mom." "Even though... he knew exactly whose kidney it was the moment he arrived." My face lost all color. I shook violently. Lily sighed, enjoying the show. "Pity. Your mom died smiling, thinking she saved you." I screamed. A sound of pure agony. I grabbed the glass and threw it at her. Alex rushed in. He saw Lily bleeding from the forehead. His eyes widened. He picked her up. "Lily! I'm taking you to the ER!" Before leaving, he glared at me with pure venom. "Sarah, why don't you just die?" I looked at the empty room and laughed maniacally. "Yes! I should have died! Not Mom!" Pain exploded in my chest. I vomited blood. Darkness took me. Chapter 4 Alex settled Lily in. It was dark. He returned home, exhausted. The house was empty. The white sheets were stained with shocking red blood. "Sarah?" His voice trembled. Fear gripped him. Suddenly, the door burst open. Police officers swarmed in. "Alex Mercer?" "We received a report of medical malpractice and organ trafficking. Come with us." Alex froze. "Did Sarah report me? Where is she?" "Your wife is in the ICU. Severe kidney failure. Critical condition." Alex stumbled. "How? She was fine when I left..." A young officer sneered. "Fine? She was malnourished, traumatized, and dying. You call that fine?" Alex opened his mouth, but nothing came out. He remembered. He hadn't been home in days. He was nursing Lily's mom. Comforting Lily. Praying with Lily. He forgot his wife entirely. He forgot her dialysis. Alex shook. He thought Sarah was just being jealous. He didn't know she was in hell. He coveted Lily's vitality because Sarah's illness exhausted him. But if Sarah died... he couldn't handle it. That night, seeing Lily cry, he made a snap decision. Sarah could wait. She was next on the list. When he found out the kidney was from his mother-in-law, he froze. But the surgery was prepped. Stopping it would look suspicious. He promised his father-in-law he would operate on Sarah soon. But the kidney was gone. Now, Sarah was dying. Regret hit him like a truck. His heart felt like it was being blended. Alex collapsed on the floor.
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