Chapter 2 Heartless

I smiled bitterly and told him, "I said nothing."

That made him angrier. "I doubt it! She's crying her heart out after she called you!" A moment of silence later, he jeered. "Evil witches like you will never know happiness. I have to thank you for dumping me. Wouldn't have run into a kind soul like Teresa otherwise."

I was going to say something, but then pain stabbed my chest. I clutched it tightly, but it did not help at all. The pain intensified until it was enough to knock me out.

'Not even meds help now?' I thought.

My lack of response only made Joseph more impatient. "I'm talking to you, Selina! You're rude! Selina? Selina!"

My prolonged silence caught his attention. I heard him calling my name before darkness claimed my consciousness.

…

I woke up to walls of white. Still in the hospital. With my hands on my side, I pushed myself up from the bed.

Joseph said coldly, "Someone's getting fussier. You used to be more extreme."

Like him, I loved extreme sports. I went surfing, parachuting, and racing with my friends all the time. That stopped since I exchanged hearts with Joseph.

My throat was parched, and I held myself up with all I had. I wanted to get some water, but Teresa was faster. She grabbed the glass and handed it to me, but the woman loosened her grip right before I could take it.

The glass fell and smashed into pieces. The scalding water splashed everywhere. Shocked, I clutched my chest.

Teresa held her scalded arm. Pale in the face, she shouted, "Selina, I know you hate me, but I just wanted to give you water! You didn't have to topple the glass!"

Before I could defend myself, a stormy Joseph approached me and slapped me across the face. "What are you doing? She just wanted to give you water, and you scalded her? Are you even human?"

He then turned around and held Teresa's hand carefully. Gently, he asked, "Are you alright? Are you hurt?"

Teresa fell into his arms. Tearfully, she replied, "I'm fine, Joseph. You shouldn't have hit her."

The storm on Joseph's face darkened. "I knew I shouldn't have saved her. I should've left her for dead!"

My already weak heart ached even more.

The nurse came in and told them I wasn't looking too good. I needed a family around.

Joseph said sarcastically, "Isn't looking too good? It's just low blood sugar. Just give her some IVs. We're not her family. Goodbye!"

Before he left, Joseph looked at me. I thought I heard the nurse say, "But her body is…"

The rest of it was covered by Teresa's laughter. He did not hear it at all.

After they were gone, the nurse came back looking stern. She warned me that my life would be shortened further if I kept going through these emotional rollercoasters.

I made up my mind. I would find a quiet spot overseas and wait until death came to me, but before that, I had to hand over my work.

Then, I ran into Joseph at the office. He came to talk about a deal. Teresa was clinging to him like a koala bear.

Everyone envied them.

"What a perfect couple."

"I envy them. Heard Joseph's nothing but kind to his girlfriend. He buys her all the cars she wants."

I froze, halfway through packing my stuff. Then, I thought about the Joseph I knew. He had bought a lot of stuff for me as well.

I told him not to, but he would pull me into his arms and told me I deserved the best.

Then, he was hurt, and his company ran into trouble. I spent all my savings and went above and beyond just to get him a healthy heart.

In the end, my heart was a match, and I signed the form of consent without any hesitation.

Yet now the woman he thought deserved the best wasn't me. It was Teresa.