I quietly told myself: Reese, this will be the last time you fall for him.
In the blood collection room, the nurse looked at my pale face and asked with concern, “She doesn’t look well. Are you sure she should donate blood?”
The entire hematology department had already been bought off by him. Refusing wasn’t even an option anymore.
I silently held out my arm.
In my past life, it was here, this exact room, where I had given him a bag of blood, still in shock from my diagnosis.
As the needle pierced my skin, I gritted my teeth.
After three years, my arms were full of needle marks. Some areas had scars that would never go away.
“Reese, just hold on a little longer.”
“When I’m better, we’ll get married.”
Kaden repeated the same sweet promises he had made countless times over the past three years, but his eyes kept drifting toward the door, distracted and distant.
I used to believe he wouldn’t marry me because he didn’t want to burden me with his illness.
To save him, to become his wife, I had been willing to risk everything.
It wasn’t until I died that I realized I had never meant anything to him.
Looking at his handsome profile, all I felt now was how unfamiliar it seemed.
The face I once loved at first sight now felt like nothing but a mask, full of lies and coldness.
After the first bag of blood was drawn, the nurse was about to remove the needle. Just then, his phone rang.
I saw the caller ID flash on the screen, it was Sabrina.
He quickly got up and walked to a corner, lowering his voice.
“I’m getting a transfusion. I’ll be back soon.”
After the call, he came back and said to the nurse, “Please take a bit more.”
The nurse reminded him that 200 milliliters was my safe limit.
He ignored her and pressed down on her hand, stopping her from pulling the needle out, completely unconcerned that I might faint from losing too much blood.
“It’s fine. She’s healthy. Just draw two more bags.”
My vision blurred and a buzzing filled my ears.
In the haze, I saw Kaden wear that same guilt-filled expression.
He gently took my cold hand, his voice soft enough to melt butter.
“Reese, from the very beginning, I never wanted to use your blood. I’d rather die than drag you down…”
What a performance.
Sadly, in my past life, I had fallen for that fake kindness and lost myself completely.
He kept saying he didn’t want to burden me, yet he told the nurse to draw more blood.
He knew I couldn’t bear hearing him talk about dying. He used that, betting I’d give more myself.
“Kaden, I don’t want to give blood. I feel awful…”
It was the first time I had ever said no to him.
A flicker of coldness flashed through his eyes, but it was quickly hidden by tears.
“Reese, this is the last time. If you don’t want to after this, you don’t have to. I’ll just stay sick forever.”
He didn’t feel even a shred of guilt.
Even though my heart had long turned numb from pain, it still tightened painfully for a moment.
“Is it really the last time?”
He looked me in the eye and nodded seriously.
“I promise, it’s the last time.”
But he was lying again. It was never the last time.
In my past life, I had kept my pregnancy a secret and still gave him blood every month, only to face his fury once he found out I was pregnant.
I thought he was mad because I didn’t take care of my health.
But instead, he grabbed me by the neck and shouted, “Reese, how dare you get pregnant? Were you planning to secretly give birth to my child? Someone like you? You’re not worthy!”
At that moment, he didn’t look human. He looked like a monster straight from hell.
Finally, the nurse pulled the needle out. My vision went dark and I collapsed forward.
“Miss Harris!”
Her panicked voice sounded distant, like it was coming from far, far away.
