Chapter 3

The moment Jacqueline opened her eyes, Hayden's bloodshot gaze loomed large in front of her. "Jacqueline, who did you donate your bone marrow to? Why would you donate it to someone else? How much did he pay you? Or was it because you loved him? "You abandoned me for him. Were you really willing to let me die while you gave him your bone marrow instead? Or… did you donate your bone marrow to me?" At that last question, Hayden's voice was shaking uncontrollably. Tears welled up in Jacqueline's eyes. He was about to marry Penelope, so she couldn't tell him the truth. Even if she did, what difference would it make now? She started laughing until tears streamed down her face. "Hayden, don't tell me you thought I donated my bone marrow to you. Who in their right mind would do something so stupid? Let me tell you the truth—I sold my bone marrow for a million dollars." Hayden's expression turned absolutely grim. His nails dug deep into his palms as he clenched his fists. How ironic of him to hope that maybe, just maybe, she had donated it to him. He had drunk himself until his stomach bled. And in his weakened and half-conscious state, he had clutched their old photo just to stay conscious. Yet, this was all he got in return. He pinched Jacqueline's chin with his slender fingers and applied so much pressure that it felt like he might crush her jaw. "You've really got some nerve." He yanked her up by the collar, lifting her off her feet. The tears in his eyes vanished in an instant, leaving behind only hate. He flung her down beside Penelope's hospital bed and ordered, "From today onwards, you'll kneel here and serve Penelope. If I ever see you stand up, I'll break your legs." Jacqueline lifted her head weakly. "Kneeling should come with extra pay." A sharp, humorless laugh escaped his lips as he reached the peak of his fury. With an arched brow, he spat, "You like money that much? Then I won't give you a single cent." That night, Jacqueline knelt at Hayden's feet until her knees went completely numb. He didn't look at her directly, though his gaze lingered on her from time to time. Once upon a time, under the same moonlight, they had kissed and looked into each other's eyes with utmost sincerity and openness. But those sweet moments were long gone. Outside the ward, the nurses' conversation drifted faintly through the corridor, pulling Jacqueline back to the present. "Bed 31's still trying to scrape together money for the surgery, right? They finally got a bone marrow match, but can't afford the operation." "I heard there used to be a doctor here who became a field doctor at a war zone just to earn money for her boyfriend's treatment. She got a 50-thousand-dollar subsidy." "Being a field doctor is practically suicide. I'd never go that far for anyone, no matter how much I loved them." "I heard from Dr. Lyle, who returned from the war zone, that she came back with one arm missing." As their voices faded into the distance, Jacqueline's face went pale. She instinctively hid her right arm while glancing up at Hayden. His eyes were calm and indifferent as he mocked, "What's this? Are you about to tell me you were that field doctor? Go ahead and lie. I'd love to expose you." A dull ache spread through her chest, but she forced a smile anyway. "What a pity. Why didn't I think of such a perfect lie myself?" Hayden's gaze hardened, and he spoke in a voice laced with intense hatred. "Jacqueline, the thing I regret the most in this life is that I once loved you." Her breath hitched. A sharp and suffocating pain spread from her heart. His words echoed in her ears long after he had left the room. She hadn't even noticed when he had walked out. … The next evening, he took Jacqueline to a banquet. Many people surrounded Hayden, urging him to drink, but he pushed every glass toward her. He wanted her to experience the taste of alcohol burning through her stomach until she spat out blood. He wanted her to feel his pain back then. Of course, Jacqueline understood his intentions. So, she drank one glass after another. Even when the alcohol burned her throat, she never uttered a single word of refusal. As Hayden wished, she got a taste of the horrible pain he had once endured. She couldn't help but wonder how he had made it through those three years. There were only seven days left. In these seven days, Jacqueline decided that she would drink on his behalf. Perhaps he wouldn't have to drink so much from then on.