Chapter 2

After standing in the living room for a moment, I turned and walked toward the master bedroom.

The closet door was half-open, with men's shirts hanging inside.

In the bathroom, there were two sets of toiletries and a razor.

Her claim of "waiting ten years for you" was apparently a joke.

I turned and left, flagging down a car on the street to head to the city hospital.

Ten years in prison had already wrecked my body—I had to get checked.

I accidentally ended up on the floor where the nephrology department was located.

At the end of the hallway outside a patient room, I stopped.

The door was ajar, and Mia's suppressed sobbing came from inside.

"Jennifer, Anthony surviving this acute rejection episode is God's blessing! But the kidney transplant can't be delayed any longer."

"I know! I know!" Jennifer's voice was broken. "Anthony, just hold on a little longer..."

Through the gap in the door, I saw Anthony lying in the hospital bed.

Mia said anxiously:

"I'll go ask the doctor if there are any other options..."

Jennifer sobbed uncontrollably, trembling as she kissed Anthony's fingers.

"Anthony, Robert got out of prison. He has healthy kidneys—he can definitely save you!"

In the bed, Anthony shook his head, his voice barely a whisper:

"Jennifer, back then I was obsessed with getting the scoop and went into that drug den for fame. They injected me with drugs and ruined my kidneys. If you hadn't tipped them off to save me, Robert wouldn't have had to..."

Outside the door, the blood in my veins seemed to freeze instantly.

These two people destroyed my life and now brazenly enjoyed everything I had.

"Anthony, don't think like that!" She soothed him in a low voice. "What we did back then was to get firsthand truth and let more people see it!"

"It's Robert who was incompetent and couldn't protect his comrades. His imprisonment is deserved—he brought it on himself!"

Her words were like poison-tipped ice picks, chiseling away at my already riddled heart.

Then she continued, self-righteous:

"Protecting people and saving lives—isn't that a soldier's duty?"

"Right now, you're a civilian waiting to be saved, so Robert should fulfill his obligation."

A chill spread from the deepest part of my heart, rapidly freezing my limbs.

I felt like a complete and utter joke.

Inside the room, Jennifer's voice continued.

"I'll remarry Robert as soon as possible..."

Her voice lowered, taking on a vicious edge.

"A spouse's signature—no one can stop that! Once he donates his kidney to you, I'll spend the rest of my life making it up to him, living a good life together..."

So that was the entire reason for her grand insistence on remarrying.

I could no longer hold myself up and staggered backward, my heel hitting a trash can.

"Clang!"

"Who's out there?" Jennifer's suspicious voice called from inside.

I let out a bitter laugh and quickly walked away.