She Took Half My Life For A Dream

I was born with a weak heart. When I was nineteen, I got a heart transplant that allowed me to survive. Soon after, I met my wife-to-be, Vivian Cosby.

Three years after we got married, I found a note in her phone that was not deleted. The date was marked as the day we met.

The text simply read, [I found him. His name is Quinn Waverly. The heart is with him.]

When I looked through the notes further, I saw a man’s photo, captioned with a name. [Randall]

There was another line of text in her notes. It read, [Randall, through your heart in his chest, I will show you the world.]

I finally understood.

The first time we met, she had not been taken aback because it was love at first sight, it was simply shock.

The tears she shed when she proposed were not because of me.

In the night, she would always lay her head on my chest. However, she was not listening for my heartbeat, but his.

Tonight, she came home very late. As usual, she held me tightly and buried her face in my chest.

“Your heartbeat always makes me calm.”

I did not open my eyes, nor did I ask about Randall.

This was the first time I realized that one could hear a heart beat so loudly that it echoed, even through so many layers of skin and muscle.

Randall…

The person who had donated her heart to me years ago was named Randall Summers. That was too much of a coincidence.

After Vivian fell asleep, I unlocked my phone and searched for the names Randall Summers and Vivian Cosby.

After a few minutes of looking through the results, I finally found it.

There was an article on a local car accident five years ago. The victim was named Randall Summers.

The crash was a very severe one, and Randall had almost died on the spot. His parents had chosen to donate his organs.

I was the recipient of his heart.

I kept looking and managed to find more information about Randall.

He had been engaged at the time of his death. As for his fiancee? Her name was Vivian Cosby.

My Vivian Cosby.

I regarded Vivian’s familiar face as she slept beside me. Suddenly, I did not know how to face this reality.

It took me almost all night to process this truth.

When I woke up, I found Vivian lying atop my chest.

Her eyes were shut, and her breathing was even.

This was her habit. Every morning, no matter what time it was, she liked to put her head on my chest and listen to my heartbeat.

“What time is it?” I asked softly.

Vivian ignored me. It was only after she spent another half minute listening that she slowly lifted her head.

“It’s 8 a.m.”

I got up and went to freshen up in the bathroom.

When I got out, Vivian was gone.

On the bedside table was a photo of us at our wedding. I did not know when it had been placed there.

I stared at the photo for three seconds.

In the photo, I was smiling unreservedly as Vivian held my hand. However, her gaze was pointed away from the camera.

Back then, I thought that she did not like being photographed.

At 10 a.m., a call came in.

It was Vivian calling, and her voice was very impatient.

“I left a document at home. It’s on the desk in the study, in a blue folder. Can you bring it to me at the office?”

“Sure.”

“You have to bring it here in twenty minutes. It’s very important.” She paused before continuing, “Come straight to the CEO’s office. I’ll be waiting for you there.”

After hanging up, I went to the study to find that folder. Then, I hailed a cab to her office.

During the trip, I kept wondering why she was so impatient today and why she could not wait to have her assistant collect the document.

I took the elevator straight to the top floor. When I got out, the door to the CEO’s office was ajar.

I was about to knock when I heard a soft chuckle from the inside.

It was a man’s laugh. It was playful and held the hint of intentional amorousness.

My hand stilled in midair before I followed through and pushed the door open.

What greeted me was a rumpled Vivian leaning in her office chair.

A young man was seated on the armrest and bent over her. Their actions were very intimate, and he was leaning down to kiss her cheek.

When he heard the door open, the man turned around. It was the first time I saw this man’s face clearly.

He was young, and his features were well-sculpted.

His eyes and the cut of his jaw made him look so much like Randall.

There was a roar in my head as everything I had guessed before became proven in truth.

Instead of rushing forward as I usually would, I did not. I did not feel angry.

My gaze shifted slowly toward Vivian.

She was looking at me.

She did not seem panicked or guilty. She did not try to hide away at all.

Her gaze was like a bucket of cold water, waking me up from a dream.

I walked into the office with steady steps and put the folder on her desk.

“Here’s the document. I’m leaving now.”

As I turned around, I saw that Vivian was flabbergasted. Disappointment flashed in her eyes.

What had she been anticipating?

Had she expected me to rage and throw a tantrum like a madman? Was she waiting for me to do that so she would have a reason to detest me and leave?

I walked out and closed the door softly.