Chapter 3

I froze. Mom's surgery was scheduled for the afternoon, in a time slot Vivian had picked herself. Why had it been moved up?

I hadn't cried, hadn't made a scene, hadn't fought for the heart. What was she pulling now?

I rushed to the hospital, only to run into Noah, outside the operating room. He was in a hospital gown, clinging to Vivian with a look of utter misery.

"I never thought Mr. Carter would send me something like this. I've always looked up to him like family... It's my fault. That message made my heart act up, and just to avoid favoring your mother-in-law, you moved her surgery up to free the time slot for me..."

I was stunned. So that was why Mom was on the table early.

But I didn't even have his number, let alone send him any message!

Vivian frowned, gently rubbing his back the whole time.

"Don't worry. As long as I'm here, no one's going to hurt you!"

Then she turned and saw me, and her anger flared instantly.

"Daniel, I told you, if you're angry, take it out on me! Sending Noah threats like this? What kind of man does that?"

I was dumbfounded until she shoved her phone in my face. On the screen was a chat between Noah and an account with my profile picture: "If you don't give up the heart by tomorrow, I'll hang myself at the hospital entrance and make you all live with the guilt forever!"

It was obviously a fake conversation he'd staged himself, and yet Vivian bought it without question.

It was strange that he'd used the same threat I made in my last life, but time was short and I couldn't dwell on it. I had to explain patiently.

"Vivian, I never sent..."

Before I could finish, a hard slap landed across my face.

"I'll say it one more time. You can torment me all you want, but you do not touch my patients!"

Patients nearby crowded around at the commotion and recognized us immediately.

"Dr. Foster has such a big heart. Too bad she married such a selfish man!"

"She's got all that power and she still goes out of her way to avoid favoritism. You have to admire her!"

"And her husband throws his weight around, threatening patients. Shameless!"

The anger and humiliation made my already fragile heart seize. The color drained from my face. I staggered, caught myself against the wall, and gasped for air.

Vivian seemed to remember only then that I was a patient too. She reached out on instinct to steady me, but Noah let out a shriek and pulled her back. A sly glint flashed in his eyes, even as his voice began to tremble.

"Is Mr. Carter trying to fake an injury and pin it on me? I'm just a kid from a small rural town. I can't pay you anything! I'll give you back the heart, just leave me alone, okay? Dr. Foster, I'm so scared. Please don't leave me..."

His bizarre behavior made it click instantly. Noah had been reborn too!

Seeing how compliant I was this time, he'd started the fight himself to win Vivian's sympathy first. He didn't just want revenge for losing the heart in his last life. He was scheming to get me killed and take my place as the director's husband!

I had no choice but to stumble forward and grab Vivian's sleeve.

"I don't want the heart anymore. Just save my mom first, okay? Don't forget how many years she fed you!"

Vivian looked from one of us to the other and sighed.

"Since you're willing to give up the heart, I won't make things hard for you. But threatening a young man was still wrong. Get down on your knees and apologize to Noah. As long as he forgives you, I'll have Rachel go do the surgery right away."

Looking at Noah's smug face, tears of humiliation spilled from my eyes.

But Mom on the operating table mattered more. I had no choice but to drop hard to my knees in front of the man who'd come between us and humbly beg.

"Noah, it was all my fault. Can you forgive me?"

He put on a show of being overwhelmed, scrambling to crouch in front of me and reaching out to help me up.

"Mr. Carter, it's all my fault..."

I instinctively put up a hand to block him, and he seized the moment. With a cry, he toppled backward onto the floor, clutching his chest and screaming.

"Mr. Carter, why would you do this to me... Dr. Foster, help me..."

When I looked up, I met Vivian's icy glare.

"Daniel, so you've been playing meek this whole time just for this! Noah was already shaken because of you, and you still hit him that hard? You deserve to never get a heart! To think I loved a bastard like you for twenty years. Looking back, it's disgusting!"