The Price of His Sick Love

"Ms. Starling, your leukemia was originally in the mid-stage, but the stress from the kidney donation surgery accelerated the spread of the cancer cells. Even if we consider the best-case scenario, you likely have only 10 days left. It's important that you keep your spirits up..."

I didn't hear another word after that.

I absentmindedly picked at a hangnail until blood ran down my finger, but I barely felt it.

After the car accident, I was diagnosed with leukemia. I never got the chance to tell Elias before he showed up with test results proving his intern, Zoey, was suffering from kidney failure and demanded that I donate one of mine.

I refused.

He didn't pressure me.

Instead, he told me he'd bought me a house near the office so I wouldn't have to make the commute and risk getting into another accident.

It wasn't until they wheeled me into the operating room that I realized the papers he'd had me sign weren't property transfer documents.

They were organ donation consent forms.

The doctor noticed me tearing at my finger and opened his mouth, probably to stop me. Then something seemed to occur to him. He just shook his head, sighed, and walked out.

A second later, Elias' concerned voice sounded from the doorway. "Doctor, how's Celia?"

The doctor looked uncomfortable, like he wanted to say something but thought better of it.

I turned and answered flatly, "I'm fine."

Elias' beautiful eyes curved into a smile. "See? I told you. I take good care of you. Losing one kidney isn't going to affect you at all."

He didn't say a word about tricking me into signing the donation papers. As far as he was concerned, that was already behind us.

I clenched my fist, trying to hide my bleeding finger.

Behind him, Zoey walked in carrying a mountain of gifts.

Elias hurried over to help her and set everything on my bed.

She looked at me with practiced sincerity. "I'm so sorry, Celia. I had no idea Elias would trick you into donating your kidney. These are all gifts he gave me. Pick whatever you want. Think of it as my apology."

There was a hand-knit scarf, a sweater, a million-dollar piece of jewelry, a luxury car worth millions, and even the deed to a villa.

This wasn't an apology. It was a victory lap.

After all, Elias had never given me anything like this. He always said we'd been together too long to bother with grand gestures.

The old me would've fought her head-on. Now, I only said, "No, thanks."

Elias caught my wrist. "Cece, look how kind Zoey is. She genuinely wants to be your friend. Don't embarrass her."

His tone was gentle, but his grip was not.

I knew better than anyone that he couldn't stand the thought of Zoey being even slightly unhappy.

I had no choice but to point at the scarf.

Last winter, Elias had stabbed all ten fingers just to teach himself to knit that thing.

I'd assumed that he was making me an anniversary gift. I'd even saved up to buy a coat that would match it.