Born with a heart defect, my dying mother willed me her heart. But my husband Ben gave it to Scarlett—his true love. "She was critical," he said coldly. "You'll get another." I screamed: "That was my mother's heart!" He watched my breakdown indifferently. "As compensation," he offered, "I'll attend her funeral." The next day, he ignored my calls—until I saw him in Scarlett's social media post: Celebrating my health! At my mother's grave, I whispered, "I have to break my promise." Then I called the man she warned me against: "You wanted to make it up to me? Now’s your chance." … 1 “Okay. You want a divorce? You want to get away from here? Fine. I’ll be there in three days, max. I’ll come for you and your mother.” The excited voice on the other end of the line turned cautious. “Amy… you still won’t call me Dad?” “I’ll be waiting.” I didn’t answer his question. I just hung up. A second later, Ben’s call came through. “What is it?” he asked, his tone laced with impatience. I ignored it. For the first time, I didn’t argue, didn’t fight back. I just spoke, my voice calm and empty. “Let’s get a divorce.” There was a pause on his end. He must have remembered his promise to attend the funeral. “Something urgent came up at the office. I’ll be back in three days. Don’t be unreasonable.” Then, a sweet, cloying voice floated through the phone. “Ben, honey, I forgot my towel. Can you bring it to me?” A flurry of panicked sounds followed. “It’s not what you think. I…” It was the first time Ben had ever deigned to explain himself to me, but I no longer cared enough to listen. I cut him off, my voice still eerily serene. “It doesn’t matter. Let’s just get a divorce.” His voice turned to ice. “Amy, it seems I’ve been too lenient with you. You can spend the next three days at home thinking about what you’ve done.” Just as he said, Ben’s assistant appeared at the cemetery, flanked by a dozen bodyguards. “Mrs. Hayes, if you please.” I recognized them all. They were the men Ben had assigned to protect me because of my fragile health. I didn’t have the strength to resist. After a final, silent goodbye to my mother, I followed them back to the villa. The silver locket, the ninety-nine love letters, the hand-carved rosewood comb… One by one, I tossed every proof of our past love into the trash. As I tied up the last bag, a jacket was draped over my shoulders. “Don’t stand in the wind. You’ll catch a chill,” Ben’s voice was low, his brow furrowed with concern, as if our bitter fight from earlier had never happened. “Leave this kind of work to the staff.” “What are you doing back so soon?” I asked, confused. Just then, the door of a Rolls-Royce opened. Ben rushed over, his voice instantly softening to a gentle murmur. “Easy now. You didn’t want to stay at the hotel, so I brought you here, didn’t I? Just sit tight, I’ll carry you inside.” A gust of wind blew past, and the jacket slid from my shoulders. I didn’t bother to pick it up. I let it fall and mix with the rest of the garbage. Back in my room, I had just lain down when Ben came in. “You need to clear out one of the other rooms. Scarlett will be staying in here.” “She’s having some post-op rejection symptoms,” he continued, his tone authoritative. “She needs to rest properly.” He spoke as if he were the master of the house and I was merely a servant. My heart, already strained from the day’s emotional turmoil, began to ache with a sharp, stabbing pain. I closed my eyes, exhausted. “This is my home. If she needs medical care, a hospital is a much better place for her.” He was speechless for a moment, then turned and left. I could hear him bustling around outside, the constant rustling noises repeatedly jarring me from the edge of sleep. “Why don’t you just ask the staff to do it?” I sighed, exasperated. Ben’s lips thinned into a straight line. “They don’t know her preferences. I’ll do it myself.” The harsh, white light from the hallway seared my eyes. I remembered then, how many times I had asked him to change the bulbs to the warm, yellow light I preferred. He’d never gotten around to it. Blinking away the moisture gathering in my eyes, I looked at him. “You want a divorce? Fine. I’ll help you.” 2 Ben’s movements froze. He was changing the sheets, and the heavy linen snapped across my arm, leaving a stinging red mark. “Have you not had enough?” he snapped. “There’s a limit to this jealousy, Amy.” Before, it was jealousy. Now, it was just… nothing. My heart was a dead thing in my chest. He hadn’t even noticed all the things I’d thrown away. He tossed the sheet aside and shoved past me. “Forget it. She can just stay in my room tonight.” In the past, a power play like this would have sent me into a spiral of insecurity, begging for his forgiveness. Now, I just put on my sleep mask, went back to my own room, and slept. My mother wanted me to live a long, healthy life. I would honor that. I would eat well. I would sleep well. When I woke, I asked our housekeeper, Mrs. Gable, to make a steamer of crab soup dumplings. I had just taken the first bite when the dumpling was slapped out of my hand. “Amy, what the hell is wrong with you? You know Scarlett can’t have seafood after her surgery! Are you trying to kill her?” Ben’s cold accusation rained down on me. I found it almost laughable. “This is my breakfast. There isn’t any for you two. If you’re hungry, go ask Mrs. Gable.” My indifference seemed to ignite a fire in him. The words burst out before he could stop them. “You have a mother, but she clearly never taught you any manners!” The moment he said it, his lips pressed together in regret. My mother had poured her entire soul into raising me, showering me with love. She never let anyone speak ill of me, let alone like this. Tears streamed down my face without my consent. I stood up and slapped him, hard, across the face. “Get out.” Before taking Scarlett to the hospital, Ben locked me in the basement. He knew my heart condition made me susceptible to panic attacks. He knew the basement was my deepest, darkest fear. “I promise to be your shield, to keep you safe from every shadow.” His wedding vow echoed in my mind, a ghostly reminder of a man who no longer existed. I wrapped my arms around myself, my breath coming in short, ragged gasps. As my vision blurred, I saw her. My mother. She stroked my hair, just like she used to. “It’s okay, my love. Don’t be afraid. Mommy’s here with you. You have to be strong.” When I woke up, I was in a hospital bed. “Don’t worry. I’m already looking for a new heart donor for you,” Ben said, holding a spoonful of egg custard to my lips. I turned my head away. I only wanted my mother’s. I wanted to live on for both of us. But I knew he would never give it to me. I would have to take it myself. “Amy, don’t push your luck,” he warned, his patience thinning. “If your mother were alive, she would understand my decision. She wouldn’t want you to be so unreasonable.” I let out a cold, bitter laugh. “If my mother were alive, she would never feed me egg custard. She knew I’m allergic.” A suffocating silence fell between us, broken only by the arrival of Scarlett. “Amy, please don’t be angry with Ben,” she said, her voice trembling. “It was my idea. I suggested the custard for you.” Ben rushed to her side, steadying her. I ignored her pathetic act, my eyes fixed on her chest. My mother’s heart was in there. I would take it back with my own hands. “You’re still in your recovery period. Why did you come all the way here?” Ben chided Scarlett gently. “Besides, it wasn’t your fault. If she can’t eat it, it’s because she’s being difficult.” Tears welled in Scarlett’s eyes. She nodded meekly, then suddenly dropped to her knees by my bed. “Amy, I know I took your heart. If I could, I’d tear it out of my own chest and give it to you. I’d rather die.” Her face crumpled in a look of shame and humiliation. “But I swear I never tried to seduce Ben. Please… please don’t send people to… to do those things to me.” Ben’s expression hardened instantly. He believed her without a second thought. He shook his head, his eyes filled with disappointment. “Amy, I knew you were jealous and possessive, but I never thought you were this vile.” “It wasn’t me,” I said, the denial automatic. “I have a heart condition. I don’t have the strength or the connections to do something like that. You can check.” But he had already stripped my clothes off and thrown me into the hospital corridor. The sideways glances of strangers were like a thousand tiny cuts, slicing me apart. I wanted to run, but Ben had posted guards. There was no escape. He finally brought me back to the room late that night. “I’ll make sure this doesn’t get out,” he said, as if granting me a great mercy. “But you need to learn your lesson. I will not have a wife who is so malicious.” His magnanimity was so absurd I laughed until I cried. He frowned, clearly unsettled by my reaction, and by the fact that I offered no further defense. “Don’t you have anything to say for yourself?” “Would you believe me if I did?” I shot back. I didn’t even wait for an answer. I knew he wouldn’t. He didn’t believe me when I said Scarlett tripped on her own. He didn’t believe I was the one who made him soup when he was sick, not her. He would never believe that her weakness was an act, that her condition was never as urgent as she claimed. I turned and started walking toward the stairs. “About what you asked for earlier,” Ben said suddenly from behind me. “I agree.” A lifetime of humiliation in exchange for a divorce decree. I couldn’t tell if I had won or lost. But before I could get the papers from him, he took a phone call and rushed out the door. “Okay, don’t be scared. I promise I’ll be there before the thunder starts.” That night, a violent storm raged. I curled up in bed, clutching a photo of my mother, and finally fell asleep. The next morning, Ben returned and bundled me into the car. After a few minutes, I realized something was wrong. We were heading in the opposite direction of City Hall, getting further and further away. The cloying scent of a perfume that wasn’t mine filled the car, making me nauseous. I looked at him. “You promised. Where are we going?” 3 Ben shot me a strange look. “You always wanted to go to Disneyland, didn’t you? I’m taking you.” I finally remembered. I had mentioned it so many times, but he always dismissed it as childish. I’d given up hope long ago. When he saw that I wasn’t overjoyed, he did something unprecedented. He asked, “Is there something else you want?” I want a divorce. I want my mother’s heart back. The answers were immediate, but I didn’t say them. He would never agree. Besides, I had already received a message. The man I called was on his way. At that thought, a real, relaxed smile touched my lips. Ben’s own mouth curved upwards, misinterpreting my expression as pleasure. “Amy, Scarlett isn’t your enemy. If you behave, I’ll find you a better heart. Then we can be together forever, for a long, long time.” I ignored him. Scarlett’s perfume was making my chest tight. The moment we arrived at the park, I jumped out of the car, forgetting my phone in my haste. I was just starting to catch my breath when Ben grabbed my arm, his grip like iron. I turned to see his face, dark and stormy. “A man just called you. Who was it?” I knew it was him. He was here. I had sent him my location. I switched off my phone. Facing Ben’s fury, I scoffed. “He called a dozen times. You’ve forgotten my phone password, haven’t you? Just like you’ve forgotten my birthday.” After a tense moment, Ben dropped the subject and went to buy tickets. “What do you want to ride?” “Whatever,” I said, scrolling through my phone, feigning indifference. “Want to take a picture?” “No.” “Oh, why not?” Scarlett’s voice piped up from behind us. “Ben loves taking pictures with me. You should get one too, Amy. I heard you only have one wedding photo. That’s a bit sad, don’t you think?” Ben’s brow furrowed in annoyance, and he cut her off. “You two decide on a ride. I’ll go get the passes.” “Let’s do the TRON Lightcycle Run, the Hyperspace Mountain, and the Grizzly River Run!” Scarlett declared before I could speak. “We’re here to have fun, and those are the most popular rides!” Ben looked relieved. “Good thinking, Scarlett. I’m glad you did your homework.” Without giving me a chance to object, he bought the passes and dragged me onto the TRON ride. Scarlett had picked out the most intense, high-thrill rides in the entire park. For someone with a congenital heart defect. When the ride finished, my face was as white as a sheet. Before I could even steady my breathing, Scarlett let out a theatrical sob. “Oh, I’m so sorry, Amy! I completely forgot your heart isn’t better yet!” she cried. “Ben, quick, go get her medicine from the car!” “Okay, Scarlett, you watch her.” As Ben rushed off, Scarlett’s mask of concern dropped. A cruel smile spread across her face as she leaned in close. “Your heart’s hurting now, isn’t it?” she whispered. “It’s a pity. You’re just so hard to kill.” “I worked so hard to convince your mother to die, and you were so devastated. I can’t believe you didn’t just die with her. And now, even after a ride like that, you’re still alive. It’s infuriating.” My heart hammered against my ribs. My lips turned blue. I stared at her, horrified. “What did you say?” Scarlett’s smile was triumphant and vicious. “Oh, right. You don’t know. Your mother really did love you, though. Willing to die just to give you a healthy heart. It barely took any convincing at all.” My hands and feet went numb with rage. I couldn’t breathe. Scarlett had murdered my mother. She savored my agony. “And just so you know what you’re dying for, I’ll tell you one more thing.” “I never had a heart condition to begin with.” She pointed to her own chest. “That precious heart of hers? It’s not even in my body. I fed it to the dogs.” Something inside me snapped. I don’t know where the strength came from, but I lunged at her, my hands closing around her throat. “What are you two doing?!” A powerful force kicked me away. I heard Ben’s panicked voice. “Scarlett, swallow the pill. You’re going to be okay.” He didn’t even glance at me. He gave Scarlett the only life-saving medication I had, then scooped her up and carried her away. That final, desperate lunge had drained the last of my life force. I knew, with chilling certainty, that I was going to die. … Three months later. I woke up from surgery. A man named Marcus Thorne handed me my phone. “My child,” he said, his voice gruff but gentle. “You had collapsed. Your life was in grave danger. I had no choice but to bring you here immediately.” “Your heart is stable now. You’re going to be fine. This is yours.” I glanced around the room. I recognized the faces of the world’s top surgeons. Men of their stature couldn’t be bought with money alone. To be able to summon them all… this was the power of the Blackhawk Syndicate, the organization that held Europe in its grip. I pushed the thought aside and turned on my phone. A flood of messages from Ben poured in. [Where did you go? I heard you left with some strange man. Who is he?] [I found a suitable heart for you. Come back, and I’ll arrange the surgery.] [Fine. If you don’t want to come back, if you want a divorce, then you’ve got it. In three months, Scarlett and I are getting married. Don’t you dare regret this!] I checked the date. The wedding was in three days. “Child, will you call me Dad?” The man beside me, Marcus, asked, his voice full of a desperate hope. I looked at him, then paused. “Uncle.” “Ah.” He sighed, his eyes glistening with unshed tears. He held up a hand to stop one of his men from reacting. “It’s alright. I know you resent me. I failed you and your mother. Your mother… I know I don’t have the right to even say her name, but where is she now?” “You’ve suffered so much. She must have, too. Tell me. I will move heaven and earth to get justice for you both.” “My mother is dead.” I watched impassively as this towering, powerful man broke down, sobbing like a child. “Who did it?” he roared, his voice cracking with grief. “Who killed your mother? I’ll make them wish they were never born!” I told him everything. When I was finished, he stormed out of the room. A few moments later, a series of gunshots echoed from outside. They stopped after a while. He came back in, wiping his face. “Amy, what do you want to do now?” I glanced at the last text message from Ben. “Go home. And get my mother’s revenge.”
? Continue the story here ?? ? Download the "MotoNovel" app ? search for "393893", and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel