Chapter 7

Once Will and Hollie arrived at the hospital, the light inside the emergency room finally went out. The doctor, Henry Carlsen, took off his gloves as he stepped outside and turned to Will. "Mr. Henderson, have you found the donor? Ms. Meyer has already been anesthetized. We're just waiting for the donor." Upon hearing that, Will immediately grabbed Hollie's hand and said, "Dr. Carlsen, she's the donor. Please arrange the surgery immediately." But unexpectedly, Hollie cried out in pain. Confused, Will turned around to look at Hollie. He hadn't used his strength, so why was she wailing? However, with Henry urging them, Will didn't have time to ponder. Under the doctor's arrangements, a nurse brought Hollie to change into a hospital gown before she was brought into the surgical room. As she lay on the clean white bed, she felt an unprecedented sense of ease fill her heart. She didn't know if her life would be at risk during the operation; she just knew that no matter if she lived or died, she'd be set free once the surgery was over. After experiencing such inhumane torture at Ivory Etiquette, Hollie no longer cared about anything. All she wanted was to stay as far away as she could from Will. She'd even welcome death if that meant that she'd be able to escape him. The surgical lights were turned on, and the bright light blinded her. She closed her eyes in resignation and accepted the anesthesia that was being injected into her body. Halfway through the surgery, she heard Henry's anxious voice. "Mr. Henderson, things are bad. The hospital's blood bank is running low. Both Ms. Olsen and Ms. Meyer need a large amount of blood." "I have type O blood. I can donate," Will said without hesitation. About ten minutes later, Henry's voice sounded once again. "Mr. Henderson, the amount of blood you've donated is only enough for one patient…" Hollie's heart sank when she heard Will say firmly, "Give the blood to Tiffany. Her body's weak right now, and we can't afford any complications." Tears began streaming down Hollie's face when she heard Will's answer. In her heart, she murmured, "Will, the one thing I regret most in life is ever marrying you." The surgery went on for a full 12 hours. As time passed, Hollie could feel her consciousness slowly fading. Henry asked in concern, "Ms. Olsen, are you alright?" Hollie wanted to answer him, but she couldn't open her mouth. Despite that, her consciousness remained clear. At that moment, memories of her time with Will began flashing across her mind. She remembered the moment he had first confessed to her. She remembered how he had collapsed after being stabbed on her behalf. She remembered how he said she was his one true love. But in the end, all that was left in her mind was his betrayal and how he had hurt her repeatedly. All those memories were like knives stabbing straight into her heart. Henry finally realized that something was wrong. In just a few minutes, he had attempted to resuscitate her more than ten times. Despite his desperate efforts, her heartbeat continued to weaken. In the end, Henry understood there was nothing he could do to save her. He finally inched closer to her ear and, with a trembling voice, murmured, "Ms. Olsen, do you have any last words for Mr. Henderson? I'll help you pass them on." Hollie summoned the last of her strength as she said weakly, "I hate you." Almost immediately, the electrocardiogram flatlined. Hollie had passed away in the year that Will had betrayed her. Just before she died, all she could think about was how she was finally free. In her final thoughts, she reflected, "Will, if there's a next life, I truly hope I won't ever see you again."