All Chapters of Brought Home to Be a Heart Donor: Chapter 1 - Chapter 8

8 Chapters

Chapter 1

I clutched my head and groaned in pain. "My head is pounding… Who are you guys?"Carl Jenkinson and Mandy Newman, my biological parents, exchanged a look of barely concealed delight."She's got amnesia? Perfect! That'll make her so much easier to control!"Just then, the door to the hospital room swung open. In came a tall doctor with sharp features. His expression was ice-cold, and the name on his badge read "Dr. Ezra Thatcher"."What's all the noise?" he said flatly. "The patient needs to rest."Mandy immediately plastered on a flattering smile. "Thank goodness you're here, Dr. Thatcher. I think our daughter has lost her memory."Ezra ignored her. He walked over to my bedside, glanced through my chart, then leaned over to examine the wound on my forehead. "Mild concussion. The CT scan shows no intracranial bleeding."Straightening up, he explained flatly, "But her vital signs indicate a level of fear beyond what a mild concussion would cause. It's more consistent with symptoms

Chapter 2

I decided to gamble.Ezra might have a razor-sharp tongue, but he was undeniably observant. More importantly, he seemed to have nothing but contempt for my so-called family.I dropped the helpless act and looked him straight in the eye. "Dr. Thatcher, when can I be discharged?"His expression was unchanged. "We'll keep you under observation for two more days. If everything looks fine, you can go home."I took a deep breath, lowered my voice, and held his gaze. "What if… someone requested a heart transplant? How long would that patient have to stay under observation?"The moment I asked that, I could clearly see the surprise in Ezra's eyes.The air in the hospital room froze. I held my breath, terrified that he would expose my act and send me right back into the wolves' den any minute.After a few suffocating seconds had passed, the cold professionalism returned to his eyes behind his glasses. "Ms. Gardner, a heart transplant is a major organ procedure. It's governed by extremely

Chapter 3

It all made sense.No wonder Carl, Mandy, and Victor were so desperate to kill me. They had already lined up my executioner—a renowned surgical team flown in from abroad, available for one day only—to carve out my heart.The one week I had managed to buy myself wasn't just a reprieve. It was their deadline. Regardless, they would do everything they could to ensure I ended up on that operating table before the week was over.My temporary haven had become the countdown to my death. I had seven days to think of a way out.…Ezra's warning had kept Carl and Mandy in check, at least temporarily. I knew they would never sit back and let the week slip away, so I had to make the first move.Using my ability to hear thoughts, I began paying close attention to the moments when Victor hesitated.For example, whenever Mandy tearfully said, "Only Eloise's heart can save Mia," he would instinctively think, "But she's still a living, breathing person…"Although it was always buried a moment l

Chapter 4

Ezra's hand froze midflip."What's wrong?" he thought. "There's nothing wrong with that, of course."Out loud, he said, "Unconventional, but effective.""At least it's better than crying helplessly and waiting to die," he continued in his head.Without another word, he walked out of the room.Over the next two days, I could sense a drastic change in Victor. He started visiting me more often.Sometimes, he would only sit there quietly, looking like he had a million words to say, only to swallow them back.Carl came by several times to test the waters about my discharge. He even hinted at transferring me to a private recovery facility with so-called better conditions.Every time, Victor quietly stopped him. "Mr. Jenkinson, Eloise's condition is still unstable. Dr. Thatcher also said she shouldn't be moved right now. There's no need to rush.""I need to find out the truth about that tune first," he thought. "If Mia…"He even avoided everyone else and secretly slipped a note into

Chapter 5

The operating room doors were kicked open. The deafening crash left everyone stunned.Ezra stood in the doorway. Streaks of blood tainted his white coat, and the coldness in his eyes was enough to kill. Behind him stood the hospital director and a group of security guards."Who gave you permission to operate on my patient?"Carl forced himself to stay calm. "Dr. Thatcher, this surgery was approved and signed off by us, her family. What right do you have…"Ezra didn't bother listening. He strode toward the operating table and ripped off my anesthesia mask. When his eyes landed on my tightly clenched right hand, his movements stopped.Carefully, he pried my fingers open. A blood-stained pair of tweezers clattered onto the floor. My palm was already torn and bloody from how hard I had been gripping it."You're okay now," Ezra said softly. "Don't be afraid. I'm here."He then turned toward everyone else, his voice sharp and commanding. "The patient was clearly unconscious and was dr

Chapter 6

That afternoon, Mandy came to see me. She looked completely out of it, as if her soul had been siphoned away. I looked at her swollen, bloodshot eyes and softly asked, "Mom, what's wrong?"She forced a smile. "Nothing. I'm just worried about Mia."I lowered my gaze. "Mom, I had a dream last night—from when we were little. I think there was a woman who used to visit Mia all the time. Dad even argued with her…"Mandy's head cocked up. "What woman?""I can't really remember. I just feel like Dad treats Mia differently, almost like he cares about her more than he cares about you."I watched her shifting expressions before carefully adding, "And I've always thought Mia looks like a carbon copy of Dad."Mandy's hand jerked abruptly. The glass she was holding nearly slipped from her fingers. She stared at me. Shock gave way to suspicion, and in the end, the suspicion slowly hardened into a frightening realization.That night, I pretended to be asleep. Through barely opened eyes, I watc

Chapter 7

Three days after Carl was arrested, my hospital room door flew open.Mandy stood in the doorway, clutching a report so tightly that it was crumpled in her hand. Her face was scarily pale. She walked toward me one slow step at a time, her eyes locked on mine."You knew all along, didn't you? You knew Mia was Carl's illegitimate daughter."I glanced at the DNA report in her hand and quietly nodded.She burst into laughter, the sound more grating than if she were to sob. "20 years… I raised another woman's child for 20 years. Because of her, I almost killed my very own daughter!"Mandy collapsed into a chair, looking as though her soul had left her body. A long silence passed. She slowly stood up. For the first time, there was an unshakable resolve in her eyes."Where is he? Where is Carl? I want to see him."Before I could answer, the door burst open again. This time, Mia came rolling in in her wheelchair. "Mom, can you do something about Victor? Tell him to find another way to sa

Chapter 8

I heard the rest of the truth in Ezra's thoughts and couldn't help but smile. "Dr. Thatcher, your thoughts are a lot more honest than your words."The tips of his ears turned red, though his tone remained stiffly cold. "Could you not abuse that mind-reading ability of yours?""Could you tell me the truth for once, then? Why did you help me time after time?"Ezra was silent for a long time. Finally, he sighed. "I was just curious at first. Frankly, I was amazed by your ability to be schemed against by your entire family. Later, I just couldn't bear to watch anymore."You were terrified out of your mind, yet you had to keep pretending you were fine."He paused. When he spoke again, his tone was noticeably softer. "In the end, I just felt heartbroken for you. You hadn't done anything wrong, yet the people who were supposed to protect you ended up hurting you."I looked at Ezra, who was always saying one thing while thinking another, and felt a warm feeling spreading through my stoma

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