Chapter 3

Eight years ago, we couldn't find a suitable kidney donor.

The toxins continued to ravage Guglielmo's body, and he grew weaker by the day. Dialysis could barely keep him alive, but it couldn't restore him to the healthy man he'd once been.

After the doctor announced that my kidney was a match for his, I donated one of my kidneys to him.

A black-market doctor made an incision in my side and replaced Guglielmo's left kidney with mine. The surgery was performed in an underground clinic that reeked of disinfectant. To save money, I chose general anesthesia for Guglielmo and only local anesthesia for myself.

I could hear everything throughout the procedure—the clatter of metal instruments, the doctor quietly asking for a hemostat, and the monotonous beeping of the heart monitor.

Ever since then, I'd occasionally felt a dull ache in my side. I had also grown accustomed to the daily swelling and sudden bouts of weakness. And because I didn't have enough money, I kept putting off the cost of dialysis and follow-up treatment.

Day after day, my body was pushed beyond its limits. It wasn't surprising that I was slowly approaching kidney failure.

Now, eight years had passed.

My remaining kidney had finally reached its limit.

...

After leaving the hospital, I returned to the place I rented. The place was tiny and damp, and it didn't even have a window.

Guglielmo and I had lived there back when we were broke. After all these years, I was still living there, while he had become the Don and moved into his family's estate.

When I found out back then that my kidney was a match for his, I pretended to be materialistic. I took all our savings and broke up with Guglielmo.

Guglielmo and I had been together for years. Even when we'd argued, he'd never once suggested breaking up. It was the same for me. No matter how poor we were, I'd never thought about leaving him.

He knew exactly how much I loved him, which was why he didn't believe me when I broke up with him. He even thought I was joking.

I knew better than anyone how deeply Guglielmo loved me. If he knew the truth, he would never have allowed me to trade my life for his.

So, I had to harden my heart and pretend to be materialistic. I had to pretend that I didn't love him anymore.

I told him I couldn't stand living from hand to mouth anymore, and that I couldn't even bring myself to buy a new piece of clothing.

Everything I said was true, so Guglielmo fell silent.

That proud, resilient Guglielmo, who had never been afraid of hardship, pain, or blood, shed tears for the first time. Then, he turned and walked out of the apartment we'd shared.

After that, I signed my name on the organ donation consent form. Once the surgery was over, I left Guglielmo and returned to that same apartment.

Every day, I endured the pain and counted down the days until my death.

I never imagined I'd see Guglielmo again.

Looking at how confident and successful he was now, I felt a pang of sadness. Even so, I was genuinely happy for him.

The ringing of my phone interrupted my memories.

I answered the call. It was the bank.

They told me that the previous one-million-dollar transfer had been made by mistake by someone in the Raimondi famiglia's finance department. I had to return the money immediately. Otherwise, I'd offend them, and I'd have to bear the consequences.

After hanging up, I gave a bitter smile, not knowing what else to say.

After sitting in silence for a while, I called my best friend, Giovanna Muzio. I borrowed some money from her first, then asked her to help me find a few more jobs.

I guessed that Guglielmo hated me now. If he found out that this woman who supposedly cared about nothing but money couldn't even repay what she owed him without making installment payments, he'd probably be delighted.

He'd probably enjoy watching me struggle every month to pay him back.

Because of my kidney condition, I was often weak and had swollen limbs from water retention. So, there were many jobs I couldn't do. I could only rely on occasional odd jobs to make ends meet.

Giovanna knew about my condition and found me a job as a server at a banquet.

The work was relatively easy. I only had to work one evening, and I could earn 200 dollars. If I was lucky, I could make some extra money in tips.

After putting on my server's uniform and a mask, I began serving drinks at the banquet.

Once again, I saw Guglielmo.