My mother was gravely ill, desperately needing a million dollars, and I was frantically scrambling for money. In my despair, my childhood friend appeared with a million-dollar check, offering help on one condition: he wanted to marry me. Everyone expected me to say yes, but I calmly refused. Because even in my past life, when I married him, my mother still died from a failed surgery. Afterward, I overheard his conversation with a doctor. “Dominic, did you deliberately botch the surgery just to transplant Evelyn’s mother’s kidney to Leona?” “Is it worth it? If Evelyn finds out, you’re finished.” “I just want Leona to live. Besides, marrying a woman like Evelyn, my life would already be over.” Only then did I realize that our marriage was a carefully crafted lie he wove for the woman he loved. 1. “Evelyn, don’t worry. As long as I’m here, your mother will get better soon. I’ll take care of both of you.” I looked up, meeting his eyes that seemed brimming with concern. It was that very gaze that had deceived me for five whole years in my past life, costing even my mother’s life. The surrounding patients and their families started chanting, “Say yes! Say yes!” Dominic and I had grown up together, sharing an unspoken, simmering attraction for a decade. If he hadn’t suddenly become infatuated with Leona, a university student he was sponsoring, we might have married long ago. His proposal then had deeply moved me. I believed he truly cared for me. Only after our marriage did I discover it was merely a marriage of convenience. He had kept himself pure for Leona all along. I tried my best to please him, desperately wanting to maintain the marriage. But I never expected that this marriage, from the very beginning, was a sham. He had deliberately caused my mother’s death to get her kidney for Leona. And I, under the immense blow, got into a car accident and died. Heaven must have had mercy, returning me to the starting point of it all. This time, I only wanted to save my mother’s life and stay far away from their “true love.” I reached out my hand. Dominic thought I was going to take the check, and a triumphant smile touched his lips. The next second, I pushed the check back. “No, thank you. Marriage shouldn’t be so hasty. People who don’t love each other won’t be happy together.” His smile froze. “Evelyn, what are you talking about?” “I’m serious. Don’t you know how I’ve felt about you all these years?” “It’s not necessary. Keep your money. I’ll find a way myself.” Dominic sighed, shaking his head, looking utterly distraught. “Evelyn, why are you being so stubborn? There’s really nothing between Leona and me.” I lowered my gaze, masking the mockery in my eyes. If there truly was “nothing,” why would he be willing to kill and steal a kidney for her, even marry a woman he didn’t love? I asked coolly, “Then can you stop seeing her from now on?” He hesitated for a moment. Just as he was about to speak, a nurse rushed in, flustered. “Dr. Vance, the VIP patient is demanding to see you!” Dominic instinctively shifted his weight, though his face remained outwardly calm. “A patient needs me. I’ll be right back. Think carefully, your mother’s illness can’t wait.” Without waiting for my response, he rushed out. He always prided himself on his image, so his current state of panic could only be for Leona. In my past life, my mind was consumed by my mother’s condition, and I hadn’t even noticed Leona was also hospitalized here. I quietly followed him, arriving at the door of a VIP room. Through the slightly ajar door, I could see Leona lying in bed, her face pale. “Dominic, please don’t worry about me anymore. I’m dying of kidney failure. Just let me die!” Dominic held her carefully, comforting her softly. “Leona, don’t rush. I’ve already found a kidney donor.” “Just wait two more days. For you, I’m willing to marry a woman I don’t love and spend the rest of my life with her.” Leona reached out, stroking his face, her eyes welling up. “No, don’t sacrifice so much for me. I want you to be happy. It’s okay if I die.” Dominic lowered his head, his gaze becoming resolute and desperate. “No, I won’t let you die.” “Just tell me, do you have any feelings for me at all?” Leona’s eyes were red, her words hesitant. “Don’t say such things. Evelyn will be upset…” “I just want your answer. I don’t care about anyone else!” Leona finally stopped struggling, leaning in to kiss him. The two passionately embraced in the hospital room, lost in each other. I raised my phone, capturing this touching scene. In the past, seeing this would have pierced my heart. But now, I felt only numbness and disgust. I turned and left, calling my grandfather. “I’m willing to rejoin the family, but on one condition: immediately arrange the best heart surgery for my mother.” “The lead surgeon and medical team must be top-tier.” My grandfather, on the other end of the line, was ecstatic, agreeing repeatedly. “No problem, I’ll arrange it right away. I’m glad you’ve come to your senses!” In my past life, if Dominic hadn’t proposed to me, I would have contacted my grandfather. I was the illegitimate daughter of the Thompson family in Crestwood City, cast out long ago. Last year, after my father and his legal wife both died in an accident, the Thompson family finally contacted me, begging me to return and inherit the family business. I had always refused, simply because I was the product of my mother’s rape. She had suffered so much to raise me, and I didn’t want to acknowledge that rapist father. But now, for my mother’s life, I had no choice but to compromise. In my past life, Dominic, as my mother’s surgeon, had the means to ensure her death during surgery. Now, with a different hospital and different doctors, it should be foolproof. 2. Perhaps it was the promise he made to Leona, but Dominic became even more attentive. He appeared in the hospital room first thing in the morning. “Evelyn, I bought your favorite crab roe buns. Have some.” I didn’t even look up, continuing to pack my mother’s belongings, my voice cool. “No, thank you. I’ve already eaten.” His eyebrows furrowed slightly. “What’s wrong with you? You’ve been very cold towards me these past two days.” Before, anything he bought, even a bottle of mineral water, would make me ecstatic. My coldness clearly made him uncomfortable. “Nothing. We’re just friends. There’s no need to be so intimate.” The words struck him as particularly harsh. Even though he, too, had always privately defined me as just a friend, he didn’t want to hear me say it out loud. His tone became somewhat displeased. “Don’t be ridiculous.” “I know you’re worried your mother will resent me, but everyone knows you like me.” I looked up, giving him a half-smile. “Didn’t you say that? You said we were just friends.” He had, in the past, repeatedly distanced himself from me, claiming we were nothing more than friends, all to avoid Leona’s misunderstanding. His face turned somewhat unpleasant, and he seemed to recall it. Suddenly, he noticed the empty bed and grabbed my arm, asking anxiously, “Where’s your mother? Why isn’t she in bed?” His grip hurt me, and I couldn’t help but wince. “I transferred my mother to another hospital.” “What?!” “Why did you transfer her? I’m her attending physician. Why wasn’t I notified?” “Evelyn, where did you transfer her?” I stared straight at him, a mocking curve to my lips. “Why are you so anxious?” He was momentarily stunned by my question, then stammered, “I… I’m naturally concerned about your mother’s condition.” “After all, she watched me grow up. I’ve always thought of her as a mother.” “And I’m currently the best cardiac surgeon in Silverwood. How could you transfer her without my consent?” The more he spoke, the more confident he became, his last two sentences even laced with an accusing tone. When he was a child, his parents were often away on business, leaving him to be abused by his nanny. He was so hungry he would come to our breakfast diner to pick up customers’ leftovers. He was so thin and small, looking only five despite being eight years old. My mother had a soft heart and felt sorry for him. She called his parents to discuss the nanny issue. She brought him to live with us, sharing our meals and home. It’s fair to say that without my mother, he might not have grown up properly. But even with such kindness, he showed no mercy when he acted against my mother. He released his grip on my arm, his eyes complex. “Evelyn, have you… been reborn too?” I admitted it openly. “Yes. So stop pretending, Dominic Vance.” He actually breathed a sigh of relief when I admitted to being reborn. “Evelyn, you know, the surgery last time was an accident.” “This time I’ll come up with an even more perfect surgical plan.” “Besides, who else in Silverwood has my skill?” He said, taking my hand, his gaze gentle. “We’ve been together for so long. Haven’t I been good to you?” “Why don’t you trust me?” He had always played the role of a devoted husband. Yet, after marriage, he would refuse my touch, citing “intimacy anxiety.” Secretly, he would give me antidepressants laced with sleeping pills, then bring Leona home for passionate encounters. The moments I vaguely stumbled upon, he would casually dismiss as my hallucinations. I even felt guilty for it, blaming my own mental state. “Dominic, did you ever love me?” I stared directly into his eyes, trying to find even a flicker of genuine emotion. He answered without hesitation, “Of course.” He truly was an excellent actor; it was a shame he became a doctor. “Then what about the ‘meat’ that was in the fridge that you never ate?” The composure on his face finally cracked, and his hand unconsciously gripped the hem of his clothes. I had found that item while cleaning the fridge, tucked away in a delicate little box. The box opened, and inside the lid, it read: To my dearest darling. I wanted to throw it out immediately, but Dominic slapped me, screaming hysterically. “Don’t touch my things!” That was the first time he had ever yelled at me, and the first time I had seen such a distorted look on his face. Later, I secretly asked a doctor friend, and they told me it was placental tissue. Whose it was, was self-evident. I never imagined he would be so reckless, keeping their deceased child’s remains at home. “It was merely a work of art that I, as a doctor, appreciated.” He paused, then adopted a gentle tone again. “Shall we have our wedding in a few days? I know you’ve always wanted to marry me.” “You should transfer your mother back to this hospital.” “Don’t gamble with your mother’s health out of spite. You don’t have enough money to treat her.” He seemed to think that he could simply declare this, and I would obediently comply. I was about to refuse when a weak voice cut in. “Dominic, are you two getting married?” Leona. She stood at the hospital room door, her figure frail, her eyes filled with shattered light. Her fragility made Dominic ache with sympathy. He immediately rushed to her side. “Leona, why are you here? You need to rest.” Leona’s tears fell fast and hard. “It’s my fault, I shouldn’t have come. I just wanted to congratulate you both.” She spoke in broken sentences, her voice filled with grievance and unwillingness. Dominic became even more anxious. “You clearly know that…” He was mindful of me, and in the end, didn’t utter the last few words. I didn’t want to watch this disgusting charade anymore. I grabbed my packed belongings and turned to leave. Dominic grabbed my arm, his voice urgent. “Let’s get our marriage certificate tomorrow.” “I’m not going.” I shook off his hand. “Be a good girl. I’ll pick you up from your house tomorrow.” His tone carried an undeniable authority. I wanted to say more, but Leona “conveniently” fainted. Dominic gasped, holding her and shouting for a nurse. The hospital room instantly descended into chaos. In the midst of the confusion, he didn’t even glance at me again. Only Leona, in his arms, gave me a mocking smile. 3. My grandfather had my mother transferred to Sterling City overnight, and her surgery was scheduled for the day after tomorrow. When I video-called my mother, her complexion had improved, and I, too, felt a sense of relief. I slept soundly that night. In my past life, after my mother’s surgery failed and she passed away. I suffered from sleepless nights, plagued by depression, only able to sleep with medication. When I woke, Dominic’s face was inches from mine, startling me so much I almost leaped out of bed. “How did you get in?” He rolled his eyes, looking at me as if I were an idiot. Only then did I remember he had a key to my house. “Get up, it’s time to go register our marriage. Afterwards, we can go see your mother.” “I wonder how she’s doing.” Dominic urged, seemingly genuinely concerned about my mother. I frowned in disgust, unwilling to continue this charade with him. “In my past life, you deliberately sabotaged my mother’s surgery to transplant her kidney to Leona, didn’t you?” Dominic’s face stiffened, then he adopted a wounded expression. “How could you think that of me? I love you so much, why would I harm your mother?” “Stop pretending. I heard everything you said to your assistant doctor.” “You really went to great lengths for Leona.” His face changed several times, finally giving up the pretense. “Your mother wouldn’t have lived much longer even if the surgery was successful. Wouldn’t it be better to give her kidney to Leona?” “Wouldn’t it be good for Leona to continue living with her kidney?” I was seething, gritting my teeth. “You’re shameless! Despicable! Have you forgotten how good my mother was to you?” Dominic glared back, unyielding. “Didn’t I sacrifice my entire future for you?” “Without me, would you be enjoying a life of luxury?” “With your miserable job, you’d never live in a mansion in this lifetime!” My eyes red, I yelled, “I don’t need it!” “I just want my mother alive! You murderer!” I tried to push him out, but then I saw Leona sitting composedly on the living room sofa. My anger flared even more. I pointed at the door. “Both of you, get out!” Leona set down her teacup, her face full of grievance. “Evelyn, please don’t argue with Dominic because of me. I know I’m not good enough for him…” Dominic stepped in front of Leona, pointing at me and scolding, “Anything you have to say, say it to me! Leona is innocent! Stop bullying her!” Leona hid behind him, defiantly raising an eyebrow at me, her eyes filled with triumph. “I won’t marry you. Now, please get out of my house.” Leona approached, looking innocent. “Evelyn, please don’t be like this. I only came today to witness Dominic’s happiness.” “I heeded your warning and stopped having unrealistic thoughts about Dominic.” She was slandering me again, and this wasn’t the first or second time. But Dominic believed her every time. Sure enough, Dominic became furious and pushed me back. “Evelyn, are you done or not! How dare you secretly warn Leona!” His strength was surprisingly great. I was caught off guard, and my head hit the nail of the calendar hanging on the wall with a sickening thud. A wave of sharp pain washed over me. I reached up and felt my hand covered in blood. Dominic gasped, running over frantically. “This… I didn’t mean to.” I tried to call for an ambulance, but my body slumped, and I groaned weakly. “Hurry… save me…” Dominic was, after all, a surgeon, and he knew the gravity of the situation. He knelt down in a panic, trying to check my injury. Just then, Leona’s voice rang out again. “This looks like a major hemorrhage, doesn’t it? Evelyn seems to be the same blood type as me.” “Her kidney also looks like a good match. If we go to the hospital, maybe I could even get her blood.” Dominic’s hand, reaching out to help me, paused. His eyes flickered, as if he was contemplating something. I stared at him in horror, a chill creeping from my feet to the top of my head. “Evelyn, since you won’t let me touch your mother’s kidney, then yours can go to Leona.” “I already let you enjoy the good life in the past. Now, this will be… repayment to me.”
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