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Jasmine thought something had happened to Zachary and rushed to the hospital in a panic.
But when she arrived, he was standing in the hallway, head bowed, a cigarette between his fingers. His expression was unreadable.
Nicole stood beside him, her face streaked with tears.
“Zachary, Danica Gibson isn’t just a housekeeper to me. She practically raised me. Now she’s in kidney failure, and I have to save her.
“These past few days, I’ve noticed how distracted you’ve been, and I can’t help but wonder why. The only change has been running into Jasmine. If you can make her donate a kidney to Danica, I’ll believe you don’t care about her anymore.
“You want to marry me, right, Zachary? Prove it then.”
Only then did Jasmine realize why he had called her here.
Hearing her footsteps, Zachary raised his head. The moment their eyes met, he stubbed out the cigarette without thinking.
He walked toward her, his face hard as ice. “Donate a kidney to Nic’s housekeeper.”
Jasmine’s teeth clenched, a sour ache spreading through her mouth, and her eyes glistened with tears. “And if I don’t?”
Zachary knew she had always been terrified of pain.
He didn’t answer. He only raised his hand.
Chapter 3
Soon, a bodyguard came forward with a case, flipped it open, and revealed stacks of cash inside. Without a word, Zachary grabbed the bundles and threw them straight at her face.
1288/Vouchers
Her skin reddened, split, and bled where the notes struck. She felt nothing because her chest ached as though something inside were slowly tearing apart.
She looked at the money scattered across the floor, swallowing back the anguish clawing up her throat.
Only after Zachary hurled the final bundle did he finally speak in a low and hoarse voice. “You love money so much, don’t you? Here’s 500 thousand dollars. Will you do it?”
To Jasmine, whether she kept that kidney or not didn’t matter anymore. Her life was already slipping toward its end.
If this could at least preserve the image of her being vain and greedy, then she would play the part to the very end.
She forced a smile, every bit of strength wrung out of her. “If you had offered the money earlier, I would have agreed long ago.”
That very afternoon, she was wheeled into surgery.
Right before the anesthesia took hold, she made one request to the doctor to keep her terminal cancer diagnosis a secret.
The procedure lasted eight hours, but she didn’t regain consciousness until 3.00 a.m.
Pain radiated from her abdomen, drenching her in cold sweat. She groggily opened her eyes, and all she could see was darkness. The room lights were off, but she sensed someone standing at her
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bedside.
She wanted to ask for water, but stopped herself. Instead, she stared at the shadow.
After a long while, she heard Zachary’s restrained, brooding voice. “Jasmine, you even gave up a kidney for money. So it’s true, then. You left me back then for money. You had no other reasons, no circumstances beyond your control. Just as you said, you never loved me, right?”
Hot tears slid down her cheeks, soaking the pillow. She made no sound, only whispered, “Yes, Zachary. I never loved you.
He froze, his expression hidden from her. She only saw him walk away without a glance, leaving the room in deathly silence.
Cold pressed in from every direction, making her shiver uncontrollably.
Jasmine’s foggy mind clung to one last thought, “When I die, will the morgue be this cold too?”
She stayed in the hospital for a week.
With no one to care for her and no money for a nurse, she dragged her aching body up and down the stairs–checking test results, changing dressings, washing up, and buying food.
Sometimes the nurses shared hospital gossip during rounds.
“Did you hear? That VIP suite upstairs? That’s Ms. Walsh’s housekeeper, She got a transplant, and Ms. Walsh treats her so well–she’s got the best doctors on call 24 hours a day. I heard she’s using imported meds, tens of thousands per pill.
“What are you saying? That’s all Mr. Hudson’s doing. He arranged
everything just to please his fiancée. I even caught them making out a few times. They are glued to each other.”
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Jasmine listened quietly. Her chest felt heavy, but she felt relief more than anything
She felt relieved that he wasn’t stuck in the past like she was, that he had found the love of his life, and that he would have a warm, happy home.
Even if none of it had anything to do with her anymore, she still wished him well.
Lateefa Khanam is a spirited writer who finds freedom in horse riding. She cherishes her mare and the newborn foal, calling them her little happy family.
