Chapter 3

Ever since their conversation that morning, Eden was no longer subtle about spending time with Jericho at the hospital.

News of the arrangement spread like wildfire. People began to speculate that Jaime was finally going to snap this time because surely he would not tolerate it.

On the contrary, Jaime seemed oblivious to what was happening. His daily routine remained unchanged.

He read and tended to his flowers. Occasionally, he went to the yard to bask under the sun. His demeanor was exceedingly calm, and there were no signs of starting a fuss anytime soon.

During this period, he often caught himself recalling memories of Eden since his arrival in this world, the memories they shared from the first time he saw her up until the day she met Jericho.

Unfortunately, it was proven that there was nothing he could do to stop fate.

In a way, he thought that this was likely the best outcome.

In the original story, things did not end well for the supporting male lead who was cast solely to be a plot device. Because of his attempts to get between Eden and Jericho, his family was shattered, and he ended up dying a horrible death.

Even though Eden was eventually betrayed by Jericho, the supporting character was still blamed for everything and therefore died without dignity.

In a way, dying of a mere illness was a kind of blessing in disguise. This time, he would not have to suffer the same humiliation and could at least die with some semblance of dignity.

Since there was no way to change the outcome, he might as well keep his distance so he would not be affected by the awful effects of the plot.

After making peace with the fact, he went to the hospital alone.

“Doctor, I have a question. Can my organs still be donated in their current state?”

After going through his medical record, the doctor expressed in a troubled voice, “Mr. Barthes, all your organs except your heart and lungs are healthy, so they can be donated, but…”

“But what?”

“The hospital’s director, Ms. Eden Hawthorn, came by a few days ago and informed me she was doing her best to find a suitable heart donor for you. There could be good news at any moment, so it’s a little too early for you to make this decision, don’t you think?”

Jaime chuckled and softly shook his head. “It’s fine. Even if we do find a suitable donor, I wouldn’t follow through with the surgery.”

The doctor sighed heavily upon realizing Jaime’s resolve. With that, he presented the organ donation consent form for him to sign.

Jaime picked up the pen and signed the document without any hesitation.

Then, the doctor turned to him again, “Mr. Barthes, you will also need an immediate family member to sign the document. Shall I contact Ms. Hawthorn for you?”

Jaime paused briefly. He felt a tension in his throat, then he stated, “Contact my parents instead.”

His parents had moved overseas shortly after he got married. Since then, he had never brought up a word of his illness to them.

Initially, he decided there was no need to trouble them or cause them to worry, especially since the doctor assured him he would be fine after a donor was identified.

Fast forward to the present, he was starting to regret his choice. If he had known this would be the ending, he would have told them sooner so they would have time to see him one last time.

After sorting out the documents, he left the doctor's office.

As soon as he turned the corner around the corridor, he bumped into Eden and Jericho.

Jericho looked pale and sickly.

Eden carefully braced him while he walked. There was a stark look of concern in her eyes.

She was immediately taken aback upon noticing Jaime. She pulled away from Jericho nearly instantly and went up to Jaime. “What are you doing here? Are you feeling okay?”

Jaime regarded her indifferently. “I’m fine.”

Then, Jericho went up to Jaime to express in a weak voice, “Mr. Barthes, I want to thank you for letting me have the heart transplant instead. Also, for the medicine and the villa, I… I don’t even know where to start.”

Jaime was disgusted by Jericho’s false act of modesty.

Jaime had never been known for his benevolence in the first place, and now that he was about to die, there was less reason for him to play along.

With that, he shot a glacial look at Jericho before stating in a tone completely lacking in warmth, “Who do you think you are to thank me?”

Jericho's complexion turned another shade whiter. He lowered his watery eyes and took a step back, looking visibly hurt as he glanced toward Eden, as if he had suffered a great injustice.

The moment Eden witnessed the interaction, her face darkened instantly. She turned to Jaime with a sharp, disapproving look.

“Jaime, why are you being so harsh on him? He’s just trying to thank you! Would it hurt you to have some manners and be a little generous?”

Jaime gave her a look as if she just made a joke.

This whole time, he was sure he was over it. Still, seeing her blatantly protecting Jericho stung a little.

“Eden, how long have you known me? You should know by now that I have never been known for my generosity!”

Eden was struck speechless. The tension between them had become pulled taut to the edge of breaking.

Suddenly, Jericho clutched at his chest and rocked his body to produce several violent coughs. His face was as pale as a ghost when he heaved, “Eden, I… my heart hurts…”

Eden dropped the argument in an instant.

She grabbed Jericho anxiously and directed him straight toward the emergency room without so much as another glance at Jaime.

The entire time, she seemed completely oblivious to the fact that Jaime had been similarly wounded by the things she said. His fists were clenched tightly, and he wore the same pained expression.

After that, he went home by himself.

He had just settled onto the couch to get some rest when he heard someone violently pounding the door.

It was immediately followed by Eden bursting into the house, her eyes burning with rage. She stormed up to Jaime and seized his arm so tightly he felt his bones would break. She screamed, “Jaime, why are you so evil?”

Along with the pain in Jaime’s wrist was a terrible throb in his chest. He cried out, “What’s wrong with you?”

Eden was irate. “Did you order someone to attack Jericho at the hospital? You know he’s about to have surgery and that he wouldn’t be able to handle something like that because of how weak he is, but you still went and did it! I can’t believe this. I thought you changed, but you are still as petty as ever! You clearly didn’t want to let him have the heart transplant!”

Veins were bulging on her forehead, and she was heaving rapidly while screaming at Jaime.

Jaime was distraught. “I did not do it.”

He clenched his jaw to suppress the severe pain in his chest, which made it hard for him to breathe. When he tried to jerk his hand away, Eden only held onto him tighter.

It was clear that she did not believe him. Her eyes were filled with disappointment and anger when she launched into another tirade.

“Are you still trying to make excuses? The person who attacked him confessed that you were the one who ordered him to do it! I’m warning you now, Jaime, you better watch yourself and quit acting like a lord. If you ever hurt Jericho or try to interfere with his surgery again, I’ll make sure you get what’s coming for you!”

With that, she shoved Jaime away so hard that he fell backward.

By the time he dropped to the ground, Eden had slammed the door shut without looking back.

He found himself curled up on the floor with a terrible throb in his heart. The sheer intensity of the pain was causing his vision to blur.

Soon, a metallic taste filled his mouth, and he found himself coughing up blood.

The housemaid, who heard the commotion from an adjacent room, rushed to help him. Her face turned pale with fright when she reached for her phone to call the emergency services for him.

As Jaime was being taken into the ambulance, he started to lose consciousness.

When he stared at the ceiling of the vehicle, there was only a single thought left in his mind.

‘Eden, my efforts were wasted on you.’