[Miss Bray, we have confirmed that the recipient of your brother’s heart transplant is not one of the Hewitt brothers.]
Nikki Bray stared at the message for a long time, silent, before finally lifting her gaze to the Hewitt family elders. They looked at her with a mix of pity and regret.
"Since Howard Hewitt and Brad Hewitt both have someone they love, I’ve decided to call off the engagement. I won’t be marrying either of them."
The two elders exchanged glances and sighed.
The Hewitt and Bray families had been close for generations, and Nikki had grown up under their care.
Howard and Brad had doted on her since childhood, competing over who would marry her one day. They were both fiercely protective, treating her like a fragile treasure.
Everyone assumed that, in time, she would choose one of them as her future husband. But three years ago, the Bray family welcomed back their real daughter.
Nikki, once the cherished heiress, was suddenly nothing more than a mistake—a misplaced child who didn’t belong.
——
The mighty phoenix had fallen, reduced to an ordinary bird. Society watched eagerly, waiting for her to crumble. And for a time, she did.
Desperate to hold on to the life she knew, she clung to the Hewitt brothers, reshaping herself into whatever they wanted.
Howard was a workaholic, so she pursued a double degree, studied countless business cases, and molded herself into her perfect secretary and wife.
Brad was wild and adventurous, so she followed him to the mountains and the sea, skiing and diving—collecting bruises and scars along the way.
Howard had a sensitive stomach, and Brad was a picky eater, so she mastered the art of cooking, ensuring every meal was just right.
Even when Brad fell gravely ill six months ago and needed a kidney transplant, she didn’t hesitate. She was a match. Without a second thought, she gave him one of hers.
For three years, she had done everything—above and beyond—without complaint. Even the Hewitt elders couldn’t find fault in her.
Everyone said she loved the Hewitt brothers deeply.
Only Lora Bray, the true daughter of the Bray family, ever looked at her with feigned pity and gentle condescension.
"Sister, you don’t have to do this. Even if you’re not our parents’ biological child, I’ll convince them to keep treating you well. You don’t have to degrade yourself for the Hewitt brothers just to stay in a wealthy family or force them into marriage. That would be too pathetic."
At the time, Howard and Brad merely sneered.
"She’s just afraid of losing her cushy life. To secure a place in the family, she’ll resort to anything—no matter how shameless."
"Exactly. Lora, you’ve been through hardships, so you can’t understand her desperation to cling to a rich family like a parasite."
Their words had struck her like a slap.
She had a sudden, painful recollection of the past—of her real brother, the one who had died in an accident when they were children. The Hewitt brothers had been devastated, crying alongside her.
One had pounded his chest, the other had clenched his fists.
"Nikki is our little sister now! When we grow up, one of us will marry her, and we’ll never let her suffer or cry!"
Their innocent vows had made the adults smile.
"Nikki can only marry one of you. Whoever treats her best will be the one she chooses."
"Then we’ll compete to see who takes better care of Nikki! She’ll pick the best one when she grows up!"
Back then, Nikki’s parents had always been absent, and her real brother had been her world. Their bond had been unshakable.
After his death, she only knew that he had signed a donor agreement, and that his heart had been transplanted into one of the Hewitt brothers.
From that moment on, she had seen them as family, as brothers to rely on.
But in the end, everything she had held onto had been stolen.
For three years, she had been nothing more than a loyal dog to the Hewitt brothers, her existence reduced to a cruel joke in high society.
