A month ago, I was cursed with the Truth System. Now, any lie spoken in my presence comes true in the worst possible way. Right now, my boyfriend, Ryan, is standing before me, his face a mask of panic. He claims he’s desperately ill and needs me to donate one of my kidneys to save his life. [LIE DETECTED. ILLNESS IS A FABRICATION. COMMENCING REALITY-ALTERATION.] The cold, mechanical voice echoed in my head. I stared in shock at the man I’d loved for three years. I couldn't believe he would lie to me about something like this. Seeing me frozen and unresponsive, Ryan must have thought I doubted him. He grabbed my arm and started dragging me toward the hospital, insisting he would show me the "test results." As I watched his determined act, a chilling coldness spread through my heart. Oh, I believed him. After all, his lie was already coming true. … At the hospital, Ryan sat across from me, his face unnaturally pale. He was flanked by his so-called best friend, Colby, and a pack of his loyal buddies. "Ruby, I'm out of options," he pleaded, his voice cracking. "I'm really sick. You're the only one who can save me." Colby chimed in, her expression a perfect portrait of concern. "He's right, Ruby. Ryan's been feeling awful for days. If I hadn't dragged him to the hospital, we never would have known about his kidneys. The doctor said he needs a transplant as soon as possible, or it's going to be dangerous!" [LIE DETECTED FROM BOTH PARTIES. COMMENCING REALITY-ALTERATION.] I glanced between them. Just as the system's voice faded, the color drained even further from Ryan’s face. I didn't call them out. Instead, I played along. "Ryan, don't worry," I said, faking a worried frown. "Maybe there was a mistake with the last test. Let's just wait for the new results." Colby immediately shot me down. "This is the best hospital in the state! Every day you delay is another day Ryan is in danger! If something happens to him, you'll regret it for the rest of your life." Her words were so absurd I almost laughed. The only thing I’d regret for the rest of my life was actually giving them my kidney. I fixed my gaze on her. "I'm just trying to be careful, for Ryan's sake. This is his life we're talking about," I said, my voice hardening. "Besides, you're always saying you're his best friend, practically a sister. You're so close... why don't you give him a kidney? Your blood types might even be a match." A flicker of panic crossed Colby's eyes before she quickly clutched her chest and started coughing dramatically. "I would, but... I have a heart condition, you see... cough, cough..." [LIE DETECTED. HEART CONDITION IS A FABRICATION. COMMENCING REALITY-ALTERATION.] This time, I couldn't hold back a small, bitter laugh. "You know what they say. If you cry wolf enough times..." Colby opened her mouth to retort, but a sudden, sharp pain lanced through her chest. She gasped and doubled over. Ryan instantly rushed to her side, handing her his glass of water, his face etched with worry. When his eyes met mine, however, they were blazing with fury. "Why do you always have to make everything a competition? Even this? Colby's health is fragile, and you're deliberately trying to upset her. Apologize. Now." I was speechless with rage. In the three years we'd been together, he had defended her countless times. Colby, the "best friend," had inserted herself into every corner of our lives, even crashing our first-anniversary dinner "just as a friend." Every time I complained, Ryan would shut me down with, "Can't you just stop being so petty?" Now I saw it all clearly. Their relationship had been a lie for a long time. I refused to apologize. He was about to argue further when a doctor emerged with a file. He walked directly to Ryan and handed him the report. "The results are the same as two days ago," the doctor said gravely. "It's renal failure. You need a transplant, and you need it soon." Ryan’s aggressive posture melted away. He turned to me, his expression softening into one of pathetic vulnerability. "You heard the doctor, Ruby. Now do you believe me?" The doctor stepped forward, his tone serious. "Ma'am, you're Mr. Hayes's girlfriend, correct? His condition is extremely critical. We've checked the donor database, and your blood type is a near-perfect match. You're our best hope. Please, consider saving your boyfriend's life." The system was silent. Not because the doctor wasn't speaking, but because Ryan's lie was now the absolute truth. His condition was critical. Every eye in the hallway swiveled to me. Colby, still clutching her chest, pointed a trembling finger at me. "See? Now do you believe it? If you don't donate and something happens to Ryan, you'll never have a moment's peace for the rest of your life!" Her face was pale, but her voice was sharp with accusation. "Ruby, don't be so selfish! This is the man you're supposed to spend your life with. It's just one kidney! You can live perfectly fine without it. How can you be so heartless?" Ryan's friends swarmed in, their voices a tidal wave of condemnation. "Ruby, that's low. Ryan's always so good to you, and now that he needs you, you're making excuses." "Yeah, it's just one kidney! What's there to even think about?" "If my girlfriend acted like this, I'd have dumped her ages ago. Ryan must have been blind." The sheer hypocrisy was suffocating. "It's not that I won't help," I said, my voice dangerously calm. "But donating a kidney isn't like getting a papercut. I had a check-up last week, and my doctor said my own kidney function was a little unstable. If I go through with this, we could both end up in trouble." "You're lying!" Colby shrieked. "You're just making up excuses because you don't want to do it!" Ryan frowned, his voice laced with disappointment. "Ruby, you're lying to me? At a time like this? If you don't want to save me, just say so. You don't have to make things up." I looked at him and suddenly smiled. "I'm not lying. But fine. You want my kidney? Say it. Say it loud and clear, right here, in front of everyone. Say, 'I, Ryan Hayes, am in renal failure and I need Ruby Stone to donate her kidney to save my life.' Say that, and I'll go through with the tests." Ryan froze. Colby tugged at his sleeve. "Ryan, just say it! It's just one sentence!" My smile widened. "Ever heard of a self-fulfilling prophecy?" I asked, my words aimed at the air. "Sometimes, if you repeat a lie enough, it has a way of becoming true." No one paid attention to my warning. All eyes were on Ryan. He clenched his jaw, his gaze darting from the expectant faces around him to Colby's pale, pained expression. Finally, he took a deep breath. "I, Ryan Hayes, am in renal failure, and I need Ruby Stone to donate her kidney to save my life." The second the words left his mouth, his face went another shade whiter. No one else noticed. But I did. Looking at his ashen face, I finally agreed to cooperate. Just then, my mother pushed through the crowd. She spotted me and pointed a finger right at my face. "Ruby, have you lost your mind? Ryan is in this state, and you're still refusing to help? How can you be so cold and selfish!" "Mom, I—" "Don't you 'Mom' me!" she cut me off. "Ryan is such a wonderful boy! He's so good to you! And now that he needs you, you're dragging your feet. If you don't agree to donate that kidney today, then you're no daughter of mine. We're done, you and I, as of right now." I stared at her, utterly stunned. I had expected her to be upset, but I never imagined she would so casually demand I sacrifice a part of my body. Ever since I started dating Ryan, her loyalty had shifted completely. His family had money, and because of that, she treated him like he was her own son, always urging me to put him first. I decided then and there to ignore her. The air turned to ice. Ryan, ever the performer, rushed to my mother's side and gently took her arm. "Auntie, please don't be angry. Ruby is probably just overwhelmed. Don't pressure her." His words were meant to sound supportive, but they were gasoline on a fire. My mother's rage intensified. "How did I raise such a heartless monster? You are donating that kidney today. I don't care if you want to or not. You're doing it." The relatives chimed in, and someone even pulled out their phone, announcing they had already scheduled the surgery at the city's main hospital for next Wednesday. I looked at the scene before me, a perfect tableau of betrayal, and felt a bitter laugh rise in my throat. I took a deep breath. "Fine," I said slowly. "I'll cooperate with the pre-op preparations. But I want a full health screening first. For everyone's safety." Ryan and Colby exchanged a triumphant look. "Of course," Ryan nodded. "Whatever you say." "That's a good idea," Colby added quickly. "For Ryan's safety, we should definitely be thorough." I heard the unspoken meaning in her words and could only find it laughable. A short while later, I was back at the hospital with Ryan for the pre-op screening. When it was over, he said he needed to use the restroom. I followed him discreetly. Sure enough, Colby was waiting for him. I hid around the corner and watched as she draped herself over his arm. "Oh, Ryan, you've been working so hard," she cooed. "If my own kidney problems hadn't flared up, we wouldn't have had to go through all this trouble of you pretending to be sick just to trick her." Ryan's voice was full of adoration. "Anything for you is worth it, Colby. As soon as the surgery is over, I'm breaking up with her. God, faking being sick is exhausting. If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have wasted another second on her." I stood frozen in the hallway, ice coursing through my veins. So that was it. He was never sick. It was all for Colby. Her kidneys were failing, so they conspired to steal one of mine, using our three years together as a cover and emotional blackmail as their weapon. I was just their personal organ bank. As rage burned through me, the system's voice returned. [LIE DETECTED. KIDNEY PROBLEM IS A FABRICATION. COMMENCING REALITY-ALTERATION.] My eyes snapped to Colby. Just as the system predicted, the color drained from her face, leaving her looking ghostly and frail. Ryan, oblivious, simply thought she was having a bad spell and pulled her into a protective hug. I watched them for a moment longer, then slipped away, my face a mask of calm. They had no idea what they had just done. The next day, during the health check, I insisted on a more detailed renal function test. Ryan’s expression flickered, and he was about to refuse, but Colby jumped in first. "Of course, of course! A comprehensive check is always better." She gave Ryan a subtle nudge and a meaningful look. He caught on. "Right. Whatever you want, Ruby. A full workup it is." During the examination, I could tell the doctor was acting strangely, especially when he was checking Ryan’s kidney function. His eyes kept darting away. If he had done his job properly right then, he might have actually saved Ryan. But he was following Ryan’s orders, and in doing so, Ryan had personally severed his own lifeline. Kidney failure and heart disease weren't instant. They were slow, agonizing descents into death. I was more than happy to watch the show. When the reports came back, they were exactly what I expected. Ryan's showed severe renal failure. Mine declared me to be in perfect health, an ideal donor. I held my report and let out a cold laugh. Just two weeks ago, a different doctor had diagnosed me with hydronephrosis and warned me to seek treatment immediately. And now, suddenly, I was the picture of health? The goal was obvious. They had faked my report to ensure the transplant went ahead. This entire thing, from start to finish, was a trap. This time, I didn't hold back. I stormed into the doctor's office and slapped the report down on his desk. "What kind of doctor are you?" I demanded. "I was diagnosed with a serious kidney condition two weeks ago, and you're telling me I'm perfectly healthy? Are you trying to kill me, or are you trying to kill my boyfriend?" The doctor's face paled, but he held his ground. "What are you talking about? I'm a physician. I would never falsify a report! The data is accurate. You must be misremembering. Now, please, stop causing a scene and disrupting the hospital!" His eyes shifted nervously, but his voice was firm. "I swear on my professional oath, this report is one hundred percent accurate. If I faked it, may I drop dead on the spot!" [LIE DETECTED. DEATH ON THE SPOT WILL BE MADE TRUE.] The system's voice had barely faded when a commotion erupted at the end of the hall.
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