Chapter 7
“Get me out of here.”
The doctor, who had been silent since entering the room, approached to help. “The kidney transplant is scheduled for three days from now.” Maximo Myers’s voice was cold and heavy, leaving Arlette Myers with a sinking feeling. Warren Kennedy, the attending doctor, sensed Maximo’s intense anger and dared not incite it further, casting a sympathetic glance at Arlette.
“Understood, Mr. Myers.” Her name was on the organ donation consent form; there was no escaping for Arlette, who had agreed to donate her kidney. A basic check would reveal she only had one kidney, but he didn’t care. Voices murmured outside the hospital room.
“They say she hired someone to kill Mr. Myers and ended up injured in the explosion herself. What goes around comes around.”
“Someone that ruthless deserves nothing but a bad end.”
“Mr. Myers is being too lenient. Making her donate a kidney to Miss Hughes lets her off too easy.”
“She’s getting off easy!”
Arlette lay on the hospital bed, her eyes hollow and vacant. An overwhelming chill enveloped her, like an invisible wall separating her from the world around her. Her frail body slowly drained whatever life remained. Was there no escape? No! She refused to accept it!
Warren Kennedy was one of the few who showed any kindness to Arlette. He didn’t know she had undergone a transplant before but understood the high risk of her not surviving the surgery after nearly drowning and suffering an explosion. Torn by guilt, he agreed to secretly lend her his phone.
“Miss Myers, even if you call the police, it won’t help.”
“Ah.”
“But you should still try.”
Arlette did not contact the police; she knew even if she escaped briefly, it wouldn’t last. Winnie Hughes was determined to see her dead, and Maximo would never believe her.
With a last glimmer of hope, Arlette reached out to those who could fake her death, praying the influential person behind them could rescue her right under Maximo’s nose. She recalled that person had a significant grudge against Maximo.
The situation was desperate, and the mastermind spoke to her directly. “Miss Myers, this is a losing proposition.” Arlette gripped the phone tightly. “However, I can help you,” the man’s voice was low, almost taunting. “I want to see Maximo Myers in utter despair after losing his beloved, and watch him suffer from love that rekindles yet remains unreachable.”
Arlette didn’t understand why this powerful figure thought she was Maximo’s “beloved,” nor what he meant by “rekindles.” She only knew the heavy weight on her chest had lifted.
The day of the surgery arrived as planned, and Maximo finally appeared, standing there with a tense expression, as if afraid she would cause a scene. Arlette did not cry or resist, quietly letting herself be placed on the stretcher. The restraints prepared for her became unnecessary.
Maximo’s voice was icy and resolute. “Arlette, this is what you owe Winnie!”
“I know.”
Maximo was unexpectedly caught off guard. He studied her closely, surprised not to see the lifeless emptiness, but instead a calm acceptance of her fate.
How could she die? It was just a kidney transplant. Anyone else would have been buried long ago for her crimes. It was only because he couldn’t fully erase her from his heart that he kept letting her go. She only needed to give a kidney to Winnie.
It was a small price. Once she repaid her debt to Winnie, maybe… maybe they could start over. He could overlook her attempt on his life.
Maximo instinctively followed the stretcher, watching the surgery room doors open and close. For the first time, he noticed how frail and thin her figure was, as if she might disappear forever behind those doors.
No, that wouldn’t happen.
Maximo pushed down the unsettling turmoil within him. Losing a kidney wouldn’t kill her! Even Winnie, who had been so fragile, survived donating a kidney to him. She just had some burns; she would be fine. She had to be fine.