“With me, you will never have the right to say 【no】.”
The words fell like ice. Gabriel reached into his bag and pulled out a folding knife.
“I'll give you two choices.”
“Come with me and give blood, or I use this knife right now to cut out the heart that doesn't belong to you.”
Three years. Countless nights of agony.
Every single one, I'd thought about cutting the heart out myself and handing it back to Gabriel Henson.
But every time I picked up a knife, I thought of my mother, dying of cancer.
Every time, I told myself: just hold on a few more days. For Mom.
A few more days, then a few more.
Three years slipped by like that.
This time, I swallowed the thought that had screamed inside me a million times, and gave in.
“Gabriel. I'll give Ida the blood.”
Three full bags of blood drained through the IV line and out of my body.
Cold crept in from everywhere at once.
I couldn't stop shaking. A low hum filled my ears, drowning out everything else.
Just when I thought I was about to die, I heard Ida's voice, surprised and sheepish.
“Mr. Henson, Jessica's health isn't great. Can she really afford to give that much blood?
“The doctor said it was just my period starting unexpectedly. You really didn't have to go to all that trouble.”
The moment Ida's words registered, they detonated inside my skull.
I turned to Gabriel in disbelief. Tears slid down one by one, and the world went black.
When I opened my eyes again, I was lying in a hospital bed.
Nurses were squealing somewhere nearby.
“So romantic!”
“The CEO of Henson Group rented an entire luxury yacht to propose……”
I forced myself upright and pushed open the door.
On the big screen in the hallway, a video was playing: Gabriel, proposing to Ida.
He was on one knee, eyes full of love. The sight dragged up words Bridget had once whispered to me in secret.
“Jess, my brother likes you.”
“He even asked me behind your back what kind of proposal you'd want.”
Back then, I'd told her.
I wanted a proposal on a yacht.
Gabriel had done exactly that. Just not for me.
A sharp pain tore through my chest. My phone buzzed with a surgery reminder from the hospital.
【Miss Pruitt, your scheduled surgery time is approaching. Would you still like to proceed?】
I walked out of the crowd and typed my reply.
【Yes.】
That afternoon, the heart removal surgery went smoothly.
When I woke in the hospital bed again, a steady mechanical pulse beat inside my chest.
The artificial heart. It didn't spike with grief. It didn't race with anguish.
I finally didn't have to hurt for Gabriel Henson anymore.
Tears leaked from the corners of my eyes. The phone on my bedside table rang.
“Jessica. Bridget's death anniversary is in three days. You remember what you're supposed to do, same as every year?”
Gabriel's voice on the line was cold, matter-of-fact.
I turned my head and looked at the heart sitting in the ice bag beside my bed. Then I answered, quiet and even.
“I remember.”
Bridget had loved extreme sports.
Every year on her death anniversary, Gabriel and his circle of friends forced me to attempt one.
Three years of it. I was terrified of every single one, but I clenched my teeth and did them anyway.
This year, I didn't have to force myself anymore.
Because I was about to give the heart back to him.
I hung up and stayed in the hospital until the day of Bridget's anniversary.
After checking out temporarily, I made my way to the most exclusive private cemetery in Capital City.
I'd barely reached Bridget's grave when I heard Gabriel's friends laughing among themselves.
“Gabriel, we picked out an extreme sport this year that's absolutely insane!”
“Guaranteed to make Jessica wet herself!”
“You better not go soft on her when the time comes!”
“Me, go soft?”
“Why would I go soft on the woman who killed Bridget?”
“I wish she'd just die so we could cut Bridget's heart right out of her.”
Gabriel's scornful laugh carried through the air beside me.
The artificial heart inside my chest no longer sent stabs of pain.
I carried the ice bag with the heart in it and walked forward, one step at a time.
Until Gabriel saw me.
His lips parted, cold and indifferent.
“Jessica, this year they picked a real thrill ride for your extreme sport……”
I held out the ice bag in my hand, cutting him off.
“Gabriel, I won't be doing any extreme sport this year.”
“Because I already had Bridget's heart cut out.”
“I'm giving it back to you.”
