It was for Julie’s birthday. I was hiding in the supply closet of her office, a surprise cake balanced on my knees, waiting to jump out. Then I heard his voice, thin and fragile, just outside the door. Nolan. Her childhood friend, the one who was always sick. “So you’re really with him? With Leo?” he asked, his voice laced with a tremor of disbelief. Julie’s reply was a shard of ice. “It’s just an act, Nolan.” A pause. Then she delivered the killing blow. “He has to be. He’s Rh-negative, just like you.” I finally remembered. She’d asked me out right after the company health screening, the one where they’d tested our blood. 1 “So… you’re only with him for my sake?” Nolan’s voice cracked, full of a dawning, vulnerable hope. “Of course,” Julie said softly. The rustle of expensive fabric filled the silence. Through the thin slat of the closet door, I saw them embrace. A flush of color crept into Nolan’s pale, almost translucent face. At the same time, the warmth in my own chest turned cold, then froze solid. I looked down at the cake in my hands. The cheerful red heart piped onto the frosting seemed to mock me, a bloody, sarcastic smear. “Okay,” Julie murmured, pulling away. “I should get you back.” “Are you worried Leo will see me here?” Nolan asked, a hint of a pout in his tone. Julie hesitated for a fraction of a second. “No. Your condition just stabilized. You can’t be away from the hospital for too long.” “Alright,” he relented, though his eyes lingered on her, full of a possessive longing. He opened the door and left. Julie followed a moment later. The office plunged back into a dead, suffocating silence. My limbs felt like lead as I pushed the closet door open and stumbled back to my own desk in the open-plan area. My colleague, Sarah, noticed the cake. “Hey, you never gave it to the boss?” I couldn’t meet her eyes. “She wasn’t in.” A knot of acid twisted in my gut, so sharp it made me double over. I collapsed into my chair, resting my forehead on the cool surface of the desk, waiting for the wave of pain to recede. When it finally did, I wiped a sheen of cold sweat from my brow and opened a new document. I started typing my resignation letter. I’d only gotten a few words down when she returned. Her eyes landed on the cake instantly. They lit up, a brilliant, false warmth I now saw for what it was. “Is that for me?” she asked, her voice bright and eager. Sarah, ever helpful, chimed in before I could speak. “It is, Ms. Vance! Leo was going to surprise you in your office…” Panic flickered across Julie’s face, a tiny, almost imperceptible crack in her perfect mask. “Leo? You were in my office?” I shot Sarah a look, silencing her before she could say more. “Yeah,” I said, my voice flat. “But you were out.” She visibly relaxed, a soft sigh escaping her lips. “Right. I was just seeing a client out.” A client. If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I might have even believed her. A bitter smile formed on my lips. She was so good at this. It clearly wasn’t her first time lying. It all made sense now. Miracles don't just happen. A woman like Julie Vance—wealthy, beautiful, the heir to the Vance Corporation—would never fall for a nobody like me. Not for who I was, anyway. Ignoring my silence, she reached for the cake. “Thank you, honey. I’m starving.” I snatched it away before her fingers could touch it, stood up, and dumped the whole thing into the trash can by my desk. “It’s spoiled,” I said. “Can’t be eaten.” She stared, bewildered. “But it looked perfectly fine.” “Some things look fine on the outside,” I said, my voice dangerously quiet, “but they’re completely rotten to the core.” That’s when she finally realized something was wrong. She leaned in closer, her brow furrowed in a flawless imitation of concern. “Leo, what’s going on today? Is something on your mind?” Her gaze dropped to my computer screen. Her voice shot up, sharp with alarm. “Why are you writing a resignation letter?” “I’m not feeling well. I don’t want to work here anymore.” My pale face and the lingering sweat on my brow were perfect evidence. Her concern sharpened, becoming urgent. “What? What’s wrong? Why are you suddenly unwell?” The worry in her eyes was so convincing it almost made me doubt what I’d heard. This was the Julie I thought I knew. The woman who would panic more than I did anytime I got so much as a paper cut. The woman whose gentleness had made me fall for her. But now I knew. She wasn’t worried about me. She was worried about her walking, talking blood bank. A humorless laugh escaped my lips. “It’s nothing. I’ve just always been a bit fragile.” Julie’s brow tightened. “If it’s not serious, then don’t talk about resigning. I won’t approve it.” “I’ve already decided. You’re my boss, not my owner. You can’t legally force me to stay.” “You…” She was getting angry now. “I’m your girlfriend, for God’s sake! Can’t you at least discuss major life decisions with me?” I looked at her, my eyes cold. “Then let’s fix that. We’re through. As of now, we are nothing to each other.” “Why?” she demanded, her voice cracking with disbelief. “What did I do wrong?” Heads were starting to turn in the office. The curious gazes of our colleagues felt like physical pressure. Julie took a deep, steadying breath and grabbed my hand. “Let’s talk about this outside.” “I have nothing to say to you.” I tried to pull my hand away, but her grip was like steel. “Then at least give me a reason!” Her eyes were red-rimmed, glistening with tears. She looked for all the world like a woman who couldn’t bear to lose me. But I knew better. She couldn’t bear to lose my blood. I laughed, a harsh, grating sound. “The reason is you—” My sentence was cut short by the sharp ring of her phone. She glanced at the screen, and her grip on my hand loosened as she stepped away to answer it. I couldn’t hear what the person on the other end was saying, but I saw the color drain from her face. “...Okay, okay, I’m on my way,” she said, her voice tight with panic. She ended the call and lunged for me, grabbing my arm. “Leo, you have to come with me. Now.” Her face was a mask of sheer terror. Her nails dug into my bicep, sharp and painful. “What are you doing? Let go of me!” She ignored me, dragging me toward the elevator. The icy wind that hit us as we exited the building lobby carried a terrible premonition. I dug my heels in, yanking my arm from her grasp. “Let go! What the hell is going on?” Julie grabbed me again. “Get in the car. I’ll explain on the way.” I shook my head, resolute. “Not until you tell me what this is about.” She wasn’t listening. She was all brute force now, half-pulling, half-shoving me toward a black Range Rover idling at the curb. “Leo, now is not the time to be stubborn!” With a final, desperate shove, she pushed me into the back seat. She slid in after me and barked at the driver, “Go!” The car lurched forward into traffic. Panic clawed at my throat. “Where are you taking me?” She finally looked at me, her eyes stripped of all pretense. “It’s Nolan,” she said, her voice flat and cold. “He was in a car accident. He’s losing a lot of blood. You have the same blood type as him…” Her words hung in the air, and in that instant, I knew. I knew exactly what she intended to do. Nolan. Rh-negative. He already had a blood disorder, and now a car crash on top of it. He was in desperate need of a transfusion. On any other day, I might have done it. But today? After what I’d heard? This blood was the one thing she wanted from me. And I would rather die than give it to her. “Julie, you’ve gone too far!” I yelled, my voice raw. “Blood donation has to be voluntary! This is kidnapping! It’s assault!” I had never raised my voice to her before. My violent reaction seemed to startle her; a flicker of conflict crossed her face. Then, her phone rang again. She put it on speaker. Nolan’s voice, faint and reedy, filled the car. “Julie… where are you? I don’t think… I’m going to make it…” The last shred of hesitation in Julie’s eyes vanished. “Nolan, just hold on. I’m almost there. I have Leo with me. He has your blood type. He can save you.” “Really?” Nolan whispered. “Is… is he willing?” “I’M NOT!” I roared, lunging for the phone. Julie snatched it away, her eyes boring into me with a chilling coldness that terrified me. “It doesn’t matter if he’s willing or not.” I snapped. I swung my hand and slapped her, hard, across the face. “His life matters, but mine doesn’t? Is that it?” She clutched her cheek, her eyes blazing with fury. “It’s just a little blood, Leo! It’s not going to kill you. Can you stop being so selfish for one second?” “You’re insane! There are sick people all over the world! Why don’t you donate all your money and your own goddamn organs if you’re so generous?” “You can’t talk to her like that,” Nolan’s weak voice piped up from the phone. “Julie’s just trying to help me. I know this is an inconvenience for you… I’ll have her compensate you. Just name your price.” The implication was clear: I was just a low-life shaking them down for money. The audacity of it, the sheer, slimy condescension, was breathtaking. “You son of a bitch!” I screamed. “Using her to play the big shot with someone else’s life! You’re both disgusting.” “Leo!” Julie was truly furious now. Fearing what else I might say, she quickly soothed Nolan and hung up the phone. I glared at her, my whole body trembling with rage. “This was always the plan, wasn’t it? Keep me around as his personal blood bag? Well, you can forget it. In your dreams!” She shot me a final, dismissive glance. “You don’t have a choice in the matter. But don’t worry,” she added, as if it were a kindness. “I’ll hire a private nutritionist for you. We’ll make sure your levels stay up.” 2 The car screeched to a halt in front of the Vance Family Private Hospital. The doors were pulled open before I could even react. Men in white coats—orderlies, not doctors—pinned me down and dragged me into the sterile, cold building. Julie was right. It wasn't up to me. No one listened to my shouts for help. They forced me onto a gurney in a small, stark room. I watched in helpless fury as they roughly shoved my sleeve up and swabbed my arm. Then, the needle. I watched my own life, dark red, draining away through a plastic tube. A dull, aching numbness spread through my arm. An exhaustion so profound it felt like it was dissolving my bones began to creep through me. Through it all, Julie stood by the glass partition, her eyes fixed on the room next door where Nolan lay. She didn't even blink. My fingertips went numb. The world began to tilt, black spots dancing in my vision. My voice was a dry, rasping whisper. “Julie… I’m in pain. Please… make them stop.” Her gaze finally shifted to me, empty of emotion. “Just hold on a little longer, Leo. It’ll be over soon.” I tried to speak again, but no sound came out. The black spots consumed everything, and I fell into darkness. 3 I don’t know how much time passed. When I woke up, I was in a hospital bed. The room was empty. Sunlight streamed through the window, but it felt cold. I tried to move, but it felt like every ounce of strength had been siphoned out of me. My throat was sandpaper. “Nurse…” I croaked. “Water…” Only silence answered. Licking my cracked lips, I fought against a wave of dizziness and slowly, painstakingly, swung my legs over the side of the bed. My room was at the very end of a long, quiet corridor. Faint voices drifted from the other end of the hall, near the nurses’ station. I used the wall for support and shuffled toward the sound. It was coming from inside another room. Nolan’s room. The door was ajar. Through the gap, I could see a crowd: doctors, nurses, and Julie, all gathered around his bed. “The wound is healing exceptionally well, Mr. Hayes,” a doctor was saying cheerfully. “You’re a lucky man. Once you’ve fully recovered, we can proceed with the bone marrow transplant.” “Thank you, Doctor. It’s all thanks to you. And Julie… you’ve done so much for me,” Nolan said, his voice much stronger now. Julie smiled, a warm, genuine smile I hadn’t seen directed at me in a long time. “Of course. As long as you’re okay, that’s all that matters.” “How’s Leo, by the way?” Nolan asked. “Oh, he’s strong. He’ll bounce back with a few good meals,” Julie said with an airy wave of her hand. “I mean, he’s not mad at me, is he? You only did all this because of me.” Julie paused. “It doesn’t matter if he is. Saving a life is the most noble thing a person can do. He’ll understand that one day.” No, I won't, I screamed in my head. I’m not a saint. I’m not some benevolent martyr. I just want to live. And for anyone who threatens my life, revenge is the only language I speak. I closed my eyes, forcing down the inferno of rage building inside me. While they were all preoccupied, I slipped away. I crept past the nurses’ station, down the elevator, and out the front doors of the hospital. My first stop was the police station.
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