It had been five years since my fiancé Jackson died due to an accident. Not only was he my first love, but also my bodyguard. He swore to keep me safe, and yet he left me alone.
But his death wasn’t in vain when his family decided to donate his heart. It went to Joseph Jones, heir of a wealthy family, and also a close friend of my fiance. And yet… the thought that Jackson’s heart still beat in his chest was enough for me to say yes when Joseph asked me to live with him.
No ring and wedding ceremony. Just words to comfort me: “Stay with me. Even if we’re not married. Be by my side… so you can still feel his heart.”
And I agreed. Because maybe, just maybe, if I stayed close enough to Joseph, if I listened to his heartbeat at night, I could still feel Jackson’s love.
But five years is a long time. And in those years, Joseph had been nothing but patient. He cared for me, cherished me, made me laugh, wiped my tears. Somewhere in between, my foolish heart began to love him—not because of Jackson’s heart, but because of the man Joseph had shown himself to be.
Tonight, on our fifth anniversary, I decided it was time. I wore the silver ring he had once given me, a promise ring I had always been too afraid to answer. I slipped it on, my hands trembling, and waited until we were on the cruise deck, the ocean glimmering beneath the lights.
“Joseph,” I said softly, my voice shaking. “I’m ready now.”
He looked at me, brows lifting.
I held up my hand, letting the ring catch the glow of the chandeliers. “I’m ready for the marriage. Let’s do it. I realize now that it’s no longer Jackson. It’s you. You’re the one I want.”
I expected joy. Relief. Perhaps even tears.
Instead—Joseph scoffed. His lips curved into something cruel. “Marriage? I don’t think that’s necessary right now.”
My heart stopped. “What? What do you mean?”
He leaned back in his chair, swirling the wine in his glass. “I don’t think we can get married. The company is demanding too much from me. Maybe we can postpone it next year.”
“Postpone?” My voice cracked. “But… you told me you’d wait. You promised—”
He cut me off sharply. “And you rejected me then, Ysabel. That was your choice. Why blame me now? I see no reason for marriage anymore. It’s not like you contribute to my business. You don’t even have a family to bring into this. What’s the use?”
I froze, staring at him. His words sliced into me. “I left my home… to be with you. You know that, when they told me it was a bad idea to live with you without marriage,” I whispered. “I gave you everything.”
Joseph smirked, his tone biting. “So what? Do you regret it now? Don’t be a hypocrite, Ysabel. You only agreed to stay because of Jackson’s heart. You used me, too. You wanted to keep a piece of him alive through me.”
My lips trembled. “But still, you know—”
“Finish your food,” he snapped, rising from the table. “I have something else to do tonight.”
Before I could answer, his phone rang.
He picked up, and from the faint voice that carried over the line, I recognized the butler. “Sir Joseph, something happened to Miss Hannah. Her husband hurt her. She’s in the hospital.”
Joseph’s face paled. He didn’t even look at me. He didn’t explain. He just rushed out.
The name cut me like a blade. Hannah. Six years ago, Hannah was his fiancée. But when she learned Joseph had a heart condition, she left him, marrying someone healthy and richer. And the same week… Jackson died.
Jackson was also Joseph’s friend from college. They had shared years of camaraderie, laughter, even rivalry. Perhaps that was why, when tragedy struck, Jackson’s family agreed to give his heart to Joseph. It was their way of honoring their son’s friendship, and of making sure his heart kept beating, even if not in his own chest.
When Joseph woke up, he was devastated. He didn’t even want to live because Hannah was gone. I stayed by his side, trying to comfort him, knowing he carried the heart of my lover inside his chest.
And then—he asked me to be with him.
He offered me marriage then, desperate to hold on to something, to someone. But I wasn’t ready. How could I be? He was Jackson’s friend, and I still saw Jackson every time I looked at him. I thought living together would be enough.
My parents were furious when they found out. To them, it was unthinkable that I would even consider being with Joseph. “He’s using you,” they spat. “Do you not see? He has Jackson’s heart, and you’re confusing grief with love.”
Even Jackson’s parents looked at me with the same disgust. They had agreed to give Joseph the heart because he had been their son’s friend, not so I could end up at his side. “You’ve betrayed Jackson,” his mother whispered, her eyes full of pain. “Even if Joseph has his heart, he is not him.”
But I stayed. Because part of me wanted to believe love could grow from this twisted fate. Maybe Joseph would want this so I won’t be alone.
But now that Hannah was back. It seems I had no place again…
I stayed in the cruise that night, numb. The laughter of other passengers rang hollow in my ears. My plate sat untouched. My tears fell quietly as the memories of Jackson, of Joseph’s promises, twisted like knives.
I went up to the deck, staring at the endless stretch of sea. The night sky had turned heavy, clouds gathering, the scent of rain sharp in the air.
I whispered to no one. “Where do I go now?”
The first drops of rain fell, soft at first, then harder, pelting against the ship’s railing. The deck cleared as people rushed inside. But I stayed. Crying beneath the storm.
The thunder roared. Lightning flashed. And then—
The ship jolted. A violent crash, the sound of metal groaning, the ocean heaving with sudden rage. Screams filled the air as passengers scrambled.
I staggered back, my heart racing, the world spinning. Another wave slammed against the side, drenching me, pulling me closer to the rail.
“No!” I cried, clutching it—but my hands slipped.
The cold sea swallowed me whole.
And then—darkness.
