The ICU doors opened with a soft hiss, and Nikolai entered first.
His white coat was immaculate, every line of his posture rigid and controlled, his expression unreadable and sharp enough to cut. He spared me only a brief glance—cold, detached—before his features changed the moment his eyes settled on Evangeline.
The steel vanished.
Warmth replaced it.
“You’re awake,” he said, his voice gentler than I’d heard in years. “I dealt with the press already, so don’t worry. They crowded around you after everything happened, but it’s over now. You’re safe.”
Evangeline tightened her grip on the bouquet in her lap. Tears spilled down her face as her shoulders trembled.
“I… I’m sorry,” she choked out. “Sera, this is all because of me. I never should’ve gone through with the surgery. If… if it means that much, I can give it back. I’ll return it to you—”
“No.”
Nikolai’s interruption came immediately.
He turned toward her, and that soft, affectionate smile—the one I had stopped receiving long ago—appeared on his face. With careful fingers, he tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.
“The operation was successful,” he said quietly. “Your recovery is going well, Evangeline. Don’t say things like that. Not even as a joke.”
Then he looked at me.
The softness disappeared in an instant.
His gaze hardened.
“As for you…” His voice dropped, edged with irritation. “You made a spectacle of yourself in front of everyone. You humiliated me as your husband and put Evangeline in an impossible situation. Have some control over yourself.”
My mother stood behind him, her expression calm—too calm.
“Sera,” she said evenly, “Evangeline is your sister now. Whether you like it or not, she belongs to this family. You need to accept that.”
I stared at her.
“Accept it?” My voice barely came out above a whisper. “I’ve spent my entire life being the one left behind. The one overlooked. The one expected to endure everything quietly.”
My throat tightened.
“And now you gave away my heart—my chance to survive—to her?”
“Enough, Sera.”
Nikolai’s jaw flexed.
“Don’t speak to her like that. Evangeline just underwent major surgery. She’s fragile right now and still recovering. Show some restraint.”
I let out a bitter laugh, tears sliding down my cheeks.
“My restraint?”
I shook my head.
“For twenty-five years, I’ve done nothing but show restraint.”
The words poured out before I could stop them.
“I stayed polite. Careful. Understanding. Every single time I was ignored, I swallowed it because I told myself you were busy. That there were reasons. That I should be patient.”
Nikolai didn’t soften.
If anything, he grew colder.
“And look at you now,” he said flatly. “Throwing tantrums like a child. This behavior is harming you more than your illness ever could. Get yourself under control, Sera. For once, think about your own well-being.”
I turned toward Evangeline, my entire body shaking.
“Do you even know what they did for you?”
My voice cracked.
“They gave you a VIP suite. The best specialists. The donor heart I waited three years for.”
I laughed, but there was no humor in it.
“And me?”
I pressed a trembling hand against my chest.
“They left me in a regular ward. Alone. Surrounded by nurses who could only tell me to wait.”
My voice rose.
“Wait. Wait. Wait.”
I nearly choked on the word.
Evangeline shook her head frantically, sobbing harder.
“I didn’t know,” she cried. “I swear I didn’t know. I can wait instead, Sera. I can—”
Nikolai’s hand landed on her shoulder again.
Steady.
Protective.
Tender.
“Evangeline, stop,” he said. “None of this is your fault.”
I looked at him, fury burning through my exhaustion.
“Wait for what?”
My voice trembled with rage.
“Your heart is practically normal now.”
I stared directly into Evangeline’s eyes.
“Are you waiting until I die so you won’t feel guilty anymore?”
Nikolai snapped.
“Enough!”
His voice rang through the room like a slap.
His eyes were ice.
“Do not speak to me that way. I am still your husband.”
Authority sharpened every word.
“You’re alive today because of the care you received. Show some respect.”
My mother spoke next, still infuriatingly composed.
“Sera, be reasonable. Be understanding, just as you always were. We’re doctors. We understood the condition of your heart better than anyone.”
She paused.
“Evangeline needed that heart first.”
Her gaze hardened.
“You need to accept that.”
I could hardly breathe.
“Understanding?”
I repeated the word as if tasting poison.
“I’ve spent my whole life understanding.”
My chest burned.
“You—both of you—chose her over me.”
I pointed weakly at Evangeline.
“You took my life, my chance, my future, and handed it to her.”
Tears blurred everything.
“And you stand there acting proud of yourselves.”
Silence swallowed the room.
Even the monitor beside me seemed quieter.
I watched the color drain from my mother’s face. Her lips parted, trembling as if words refused to form.
“You…”
Her finger lifted toward me, shaking.
“You…”
I leaned against the headboard, too drained to sit straight.
“What about me?” I rasped.
My voice scraped against my throat.
“You always said doctors and their families had to live by higher standards. That we put others first.”
A hollow laugh escaped me.
“So fine.”
I shrugged weakly.
“Donate.”
My gaze locked onto my mother’s.
“Give your heart to Evangeline too.”
I swallowed.
“I’ll wait for my own.”
My smile felt empty.
“That way no one owes anyone anything.”
I exhaled.
“Isn’t that what you want?”
Nikolai stepped closer.
His face was rigid.
“Seraphina.”
His voice dropped low, dangerous.
“That’s enough.”
He looked furious.
“Stop talking like this. Not here.”
But then his eyes flicked toward Evangeline.
And just like that, the anger disappeared.
His hand rested gently on her shoulder again.
Protective.
Careful.
As though she were something precious.
My father’s face flushed red.
“How dare you speak to your mother that way?”
Before I could answer, Evangeline dropped to her knees.
The sound of her collapsing onto the floor made everyone jump.
She sobbed so violently she could barely draw breath.
“It’s all my fault!”
Her voice cracked.
“I’ll find the doctor right now!”
She tried to stand.
“I’ll give the heart back to Sera! Dr. Laurent saved me, but I don’t deserve to live!”
She lurched toward the door.
My mother rushed forward and caught her, pulling her into a tight embrace.
“Evangeline, stop.”
Her voice turned gentle.
“I won’t let you do something so foolish.”
Then she lifted her head and looked at me.
Her expression froze me.
Cold.
Sharp.
Disappointed.
“Seraphina,” she said, “I never imagined you’d become this cruel.”
Each word landed heavily.
“Evangeline just survived major surgery, and you’re telling her to remove the transplanted heart?”
Her eyes narrowed.
“You’re trying to kill her.”
My body shook.
“I just…”
I struggled to breathe.
“I want to live too.”
Tears slid down into my hair.
My voice broke.
“Is wanting to survive really so wrong?”
My mother inhaled slowly.
Then her decision came like a verdict.
“Listen carefully, Seraphina.”
Her voice held no warmth.
“Evangeline is my daughter now.”
Every word stabbed.
“I will care for her until she fully recovers.”
She took Evangeline’s hand.
“As for you…”
Her eyes met mine.
“When you’ve calmed down—and when you’re ready to apologize—we’ll talk.”
That was all.
She turned and walked out with Evangeline without another glance.
My father and Nikolai lingered only a second.
They looked at me.
Then followed.
Through the ICU glass, I watched them in the hallway.
My mother gently wiped Evangeline’s tears.
Nikolai kept one hand at the small of her back, protective and reassuring.
My father bent down to comfort her.
Under the fluorescent lights, they blended together like one perfect family.
Whole.
Complete.
And I was not part of it.
I sank into the mattress and listened to my own heartbeat.
Slow.
Weak.
Unsteady.
And in that moment I understood something more terrifying than death.
Being abandoned by the people you trusted most hurt far worse than dying.
Dr. Bennett remained silent for a long time.
He kept glancing toward the door as though making sure no one would overhear.
Finally, he stepped closer and lowered his voice.
“There’s something you should know.”
His hesitation made dread crawl through me.
“A donor heart became available last week.”
My breathing stopped.
“It was compatible with you,” he continued. “A very strong match.”
My fingers twitched.
“But Dr. Nikolai Laurent and your parents signed authorization papers transferring it to another recipient.”
I stared at him.
My mind refused to process the words.
For several seconds, I honestly thought I had misunderstood.
“That can’t be right,” I said at last.
Even speaking hurt.
My throat burned raw.
“You’re telling me… there was another heart?”
I struggled for breath.
“And they gave it away?”
Dr. Bennett looked visibly uncomfortable.
“Your condition was more severe,” he admitted. “Everyone in the department knew that.”
He sighed.
“The other patient also needed a transplant, yes.”
His eyes filled with pity.
“But your deterioration was happening much faster.”
He shook his head.
“Most of us didn’t agree with the decision.”
Of course they didn’t.
Nikolai.
My parents.
They wanted everyone to see how fair they were.
They wanted proof that they didn’t favor me.
They would rather let me die than risk people accusing them of bias.
How noble.
How righteous.
How cruel.
“Thank you for telling me, Doctor,” I said through the oxygen mask.
Dr. Bennett leaned closer.
“Seraphina, don’t lose hope.”
Urgency filled his voice.
“I’ve already reached out to other transplant centers. I’ll keep trying. We may still find another match.”
I closed my eyes.
“No.”
The word came quietly.
He blinked.
Confused.
“What?”
