Chapter 2

No one had any idea that the woman resting in Jayden's arms on the viewing platform, the one relentlessly trying to kill me, was my wife.

All I could do was watch as the woman, who had embraced me that very morning and promised me the moon and the stars, expressed her love for Jayden over and over again in front of everyone.

With the hyenas’ breath inching closer to my throat, I could also see the Grim Reaper waving at me.

Just as I thought that was the end of me, Jayden’s voice echoed from the viewing platform.

“I change my mind. How about we up the ante?

“Since he’s going to die anyway, babe, why don’t we play a little game?

“It’s about guessing whether the boy has symmetrical hearts to the guy.”

Jayden’s malicious tone blared across the loudspeakers, exploding in my ears.

As Scarlett furrowed her brows, I hoped for a second that she would recall her promise to me.

For today’s surgery to separate our child's fused heart, Scarlett clung to her cross pendant and clasped her hands together, praying day and night for a miracle.

Yet, those same hands now ran along Jayden’s hair affectionately.

Her voice was lethally sweet.

“Alright. You’re the boss. Whatever makes you happy.”

Behind the soggy hood, I felt my blood run cold.

It turned out that when it came to Jayden, Scarlett really could cast aside every one of her principles.

Next, my son and I were dragged onto a cold steel operating table by thick, heavy ropes.

Jayden ripped off my hood with a sneer and spat on my face.

“Too bad she didn’t recognize you. She didn’t keep her promise to you either.”

Catching my gaze on his leather shoes, Jayden propped his foot on the operating table.

“See that? Scarlett buys two of every gift she gets you. Once you’re gone, I’ll be her one and only.

“I bet you didn’t know that she was out with me when she told you she was away on business trips.

“Remember the time your father died because there was no surgeon available? My dog fell sick, so she felt bad enough to summon all the doctors for its end-of-life care.”

Every word from his lips cut through me like a knife.

In the end, I was buried under sheer agony.

Blood gushed endlessly from the deep tear bites.

The doctor hovered his scalpel over my chest, hesitating to make the incision. He turned to Scarlett, who was approaching in large strides.

“Mrs. Poole, this is too big of a risk. A slight mistake could be—”

The cloud of doubt in Scarlett’s eyes was brushed away by Jayden’s sudden shriek.

“Babe, the guy grabbed me! What if he carried some infectious disease? Oh, no…”

As Scarlett turned to him with concern, Jayden pulled his hand back.

The faint, self-inflicted scratch marks didn’t even break Jayden’s skin. Still, Scarlett flew into a rage.

She whacked me right in the face.

“How dare you hurt Jayden? Carry on the procedure without anesthesia. I’d like to see how tough he is.”

She stared me down through the hood.

My eyes fixed on the three teeth that had been knocked out of my mouth as emptiness washed over me.

With Scarlett sinking her weight onto Jayden, the latter met my gaze smugly.

“Sorry, sir.”

The doctor put the anesthetic back onto the tray and whispered to me sympathetically, “Don’t put this on me. I’ll do my best to finish this as soon as possible to minimize your suffering.”

The moment the cold scalpel cut into me, the pain was so intense it shook my very soul.

A scream ripped from my throat. Amid my agonized cries, the necklace around her neck broke apart.

Scarlett snapped her head back to look at me.

“Why does he sound so much like Damian?”

I looked up in a struggle, my shaking hands reaching to grab the hem of Scarlett’s blouse.

Stunned, Jayden drew closer and put himself between Scarlett and me.

“I didn’t think he’d mimic Damian’s voice just to get your attention!”