Chapter 5

The mansion's front door was forcibly smashed open.

A team of people in uniforms rushed in, their flashlights sweeping across my face.

This was the private emergency medical team I had prepaid a high price to hire two days ago.

The lead doctor knelt, checking my pupils, and urgently directed them to put me on a stretcher.

"Patient is in deep shock, heartbeat extremely weak. Immediate stretcher transfer, quickly!"

My body was numb. They carried me onto a stretcher and rushed me into the emergency room at Central Hospital.

With the jolt of the defibrillator, I briefly regained a sliver of consciousness.

The attending physician stood by the bed, holding a report, his face grim.

"Ms. Vance, your heart function is completely lost. You can't undergo a transplant surgery. The machines can only maintain your vital signs for the last two hours. Do you have any family members you need to speak to?"

A layer of mist clouded the oxygen mask. I used my remaining strength to weakly shake my head.

No family left.

The nurse looked distressed. According to regulations, she had to call my immediate family for confirmation.

She dialed Daniel's number, which was on file, and put the phone on speaker by my pillow.

It rang for a long time before someone picked up. From the other end, cheerful music and the sounds of fireworks played.

"Daniel, look at that firework, it's so pretty! Leo, come take a picture!"

Bella's joyful laughter echoed into the emergency room. The nurse paused for a moment before raising her voice.

"Hello, is this Mr. Daniel Vance? This is the Central Hospital emergency room. Your wife, Ms. Eleanor Vance, is in extremely critical condition and could pass away at any moment. Please come immediately to sign some papers."

There was a brief silence on the other end, then Daniel's extremely impatient shout.

"Eleanor, are you done yet?! Bella finally got to the amusement park to clear her head. Why do you have to pick this moment to fake your death and ruin the mood?! I'm telling you, even if you die at home today, I won't come back to see you!"

After the noise, the phone seemed to be snatched away, and Leo's shrill voice came through.

"Exactly! Stop lying, you always use this trick. If you're really sick, then get on your knees and beg Bella for forgiveness, or we're absolutely not coming back!"

The medical staff in the emergency room exchanged glances, their eyes full of shock and sorrow.

The ventilator hissed rhythmically. I raised my bloody and bruised hand, trembling.

The nurse quickly brought the phone closer to my ear. I swallowed a final mouthful of bloody saliva and parted my dry lips.

"No need to come back. I hope you... have fun."

My voice was soft, without a ripple of emotion. After speaking, I used my last ounce of strength to press the end call button.

The nurse, with reddened eyes, handed me the confirmation form for refusing resuscitation and consenting to organ donation.

I didn't hesitate. I held the pen and shakily signed my name at the bottom. The pen slipped from my grasp and fell onto the bedsheet.

The breath that had been trapped in my chest for eight years finally dissipated.

The lights above me blurred, and the alarms from the instruments faded into the distance. I was finally free.

The monitor let out a steady, long beep, and only a flat line remained on the screen.

Dozens of miles away at the amusement park, fireworks lit up the sky one after another.

Daniel shoved his phone back into his pocket, his brows deeply furrowed, and muttered a curse under his breath.

Bella, linked arm-in-arm with him, pointed at the fireworks in the sky and laughed.

He forced a smile, but his phone in his pocket vibrated violently again.

Annoyed, he pulled out his phone. It was the same number from before. He answered, about to unleash a tirade.

A cold female voice came from the other end.

"Mr. Vance, this is the Organ Donation Department at Central Hospital. Your wife, Ms. Eleanor Vance, has been confirmed deceased, and organ procurement has been completed. Please come to the morgue as soon as possible to claim her remaining belongings."