Chapter 4

Mrs. Hayes used to say things like, “Nicole is so lucky. Despite her illness, she has Evan by her side, taking care of her and helping her. Young men as loyal and devoted as you are hard to find these days. Meeting someone like you was truly a blessing for our family.”

With just those few words, she always managed to shut down my attempts to suggest taking a break and let Nicole use blood from the hospital blood bank while I recovered my health.

Mrs. Hayes had only agreed to our marriage because I could donate blood to Nicole.

If I ever became unable to do that, I knew her attitude would change immediately.

I understood that perfectly, so for the sake of a future with Nicole, I swallowed every complaint and kept going.

I truly believed Nicole understood what I had sacrificed for her.

I never imagined that she would say those things after getting drunk.

Also, I never imagined that once Jayden appeared, she would throw me away without a second thought.

Still, perhaps Jayden’s appearance was a good thing.

He helped me see the Hayes family clearly, and for the first time in ten years, I finally had a chance to take care of my own body.

I went back to the traditional medicine clinic and got a new prescription. I repeatedly promised the doctor that I would actually follow his instructions and focus on recovering this time, and only then did he finally let me leave.

I did not expect to see Nicole waiting downstairs when I got home.

The moment she saw me, she heaved a sigh. “Why are you taking herbal medicine again? Did our broken engagement upset you so much that it made you sick?

“How about this? If you return the $200,000 you made from donating blood to me, I won’t cancel the engagement. I won’t let that nurse donate blood for me either. I’ll keep using your blood instead. Deal?”

I stared at her for a long time. I could not understand how the person I once loved had become someone like this.

“No,” I said in a low voice.

Now that I had finally seen who she really was, why would I ever go back?

Nicole froze for a moment, clearly surprised that I had rejected her so decisively. After a few seconds, she added, “Fine. Then return the money I transferred to you for the wedding preparations.”

The truth was that I had paid for ninety percent of the wedding expenses. Nicole had only covered ten percent, and most of that had been spent on her own family.

However, I did not want to argue with her anymore. I transferred the money back immediately.

From that moment on, there was nothing left connecting us.

I no longer had to risk my health twice every month to donate blood to her.

Nicole wanted freedom, but honestly, I wanted it even more.

When my best friend, Jake, heard what happened, he waved a hand and tossed me the keys to one of his luxury cars.

“Finding out who your partner really is before your wedding is worth celebrating. Take the car! Consider it my congratulations.”

After driving it for only a couple of days, someone in Nicole’s family group chat posted a photo of me behind the wheel.

I was just realizing I had forgotten to leave the group when Mrs. Hayes sent a message.

[Obviously he bought it with the $200,000 he made off my daughter’s illness. That man has always been calculative. I disliked him the moment I first met him, and now I know why.]

Other relatives immediately joined in.

[Don't be angry, Mrs. Hayes. It’s a blessing that Nicole didn’t actually marry that guy. Now, she has Jayden donating blood out of pure kindness. Your daughter is truly fortunate.]

[Honestly, I never liked that kid either. Even the gift he brought when we first met was embarrassingly cheap. Thank goodness we never became family, or I don’t know how I would’ve dealt with him.]

That last message came from Nicole’s aunt. The first time I met her, I spent half a month’s salary to buy expensive health supplements.

She was not satisfied. She dragged me to a shopping mall, picked out a designer handbag worth more than $10,000, and made me pay for it.

I clenched my teeth and bought it. Still, whenever the story came up later, she never mentioned the handbag. She only complained that the supplements I originally bought were not good enough for her taste.