Chapter 1

I had the nerves from my own hands transplanted to my boyfriend's adopted sister, Irene Sawyer, whose hands had been completely ruined in an accident. Her painting skills improved to a whole new level. However, from that moment on, my hands became paralyzed. I couldn't even lift a glass of water. With tears in his eyes, my boyfriend, Thomas Graham, swore that he would be forever grateful and would take care of me. As I loved him, I steeled myself and underwent rehabilitation despite the excruciating pain—until I accidentally discovered the truth. That so-called adopted sister of his was actually his lover! When I confronted him, they joined hands to tie me up. Thomas said mercilessly, "Seeing as the nerves in your hands work so well, I think you have good optic nerves, too. Irene's eyesight has been declining lately. You've already helped her once, so you should help all the way, then. So, give her your eyes." Despair consumed me as I watched them walk toward me with surgical knives. Thomas went on, "Don't blame me. You're already paralyzed in both hands. Keeping your sight won't help you much. I'm just making the most rational choice here." Darkness descended upon me. When I opened my eyes again, I had returned to the moment before the nerve transplant. This time, I got myself a dog's nerves instead. … Before the surgery lights came on, Thomas stood behind the glass and mouthed a few words to me. "Naddy, I love you." His eyes were red and filled with tears of gratitude. In my past life, I had been completely fooled by that expression. I willingly sacrificed my most precious gift as a genius painter—my hands. How could I still love him? Now, I wanted nothing more than to tear him apart limb from limb. Seeing that I didn't react, Thomas sent me a text message. He wrote, "Irene is my only family. Once she recovers, we'll get married right away. I'll spend the rest of my life repaying you and taking care of you." I almost laughed out loud. His only family? He had clearly forgotten about his mother, the one he considered a burden, in the countryside. Irene was actually his secret lover, whom he kept hidden at home. She had been living with him for three years. The car accident was fake. Them being siblings was also fake. Only their desire to steal my fame and fortune was real. Before I could reply, another message came in. Thomas texted, "Naddy, Irene has always dreamed of entering the International Youth Art Contest that will be held at the end of the year. This accident dealt a huge blow to her. You know that the grand prize for that competition is the chance to study at the Pavla Royal College of Arts. "This is her only chance in this lifetime." There it was. The motive for their heinous acts reared its head. In my past life, Thomas had done the same thing. He sugarcoated their vile greed with honeyed words about love and dreams to set me up and drain me dry. After I lost the use of my hands, Irene stole my ideas and compositions. Thomas then guided her personally and helped her win the most prestigious international art contest. They had openly embraced and kissed at the after party in Pavla while receiving praises from all over the world. In the meantime, I had been locked in a dark basement like a dog. My hands were left to fester and rot, and I ultimately died from starvation. Endless darkness and the pain from my flesh rotting away traumatized me deeply. It was a pain I couldn't forget, even after going back in time before it all happened. My phone chimed as a series of messages popped up. "Naddy, why aren't you replying? Are you regretting it? If you want to back out now, I'd understand. After all, this surgery is risky." "It's just that if Irene's life is ruined, she might drag me down with her for the rest of my life." "But it's okay. After all, you're the one I love the most." I scoffed. He was truly an expert in emotional manipulation. Taking my own sweet time, I replied slowly, "Don't overthink it. I'm just a little nervous. I'm willing to do anything for you and for our future. Go keep Irene company. Tell her everything will be fine." After sending the message, I handed my phone to the nurse and said, "Let's begin." The doctor nodded and began the final preparations. Suddenly, I smacked a hand to my forehead, as if I had just remembered something. "Oh, right. The expert brought this from an overseas lab. He said it has higher activity and better compatibility. Wouldn't it be better to use this for the transplant?" I gently pushed the sterile box beside me toward the doctor. Inside was the dog's paw nerves I had gone out of my way to prepare. It was from a stray dog whose paw had been bitten off while fighting for food. The poor thing eventually starved to death. I thought it was a perfect match for Irene. The doctor looked surprised. But upon seeing the professional label and the instructions on the box, he took it without suspecting anything. Soon, he nodded in agreement and said, "Let's use this one." He pointed at the label on the box. "With this certification, it can't go wrong. It's been a long time since I've seen such a good match." A few hours later, the doors of the two operating rooms opened at the same time. … Thomas rushed straight to Irene's stretcher. He gripped her hand tightly, feeling so sorry for her that he had tears in his eyes. "Does it hurt, Irene?" he asked with concern. No one looked at me. It was as if I were nothing more than disposable medical waste. Nevertheless, I didn't care. As I saw the exhilaration on Irene's face that wasn't even hindered by the intense pain coursing through her, I eagerly awaited the moment she learned the truth.