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All Chapters of The Heart That Was Owed: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

10 Chapters

Chapter 1 Ten Years Later

The applications were ranked by the amount of money offered. The fact that Ivy Clement's name appeared at the very top meant that my biological father, Sylvester Walsh, had put up a staggering sum.Even so, I crossed her name out without hesitation.She had stolen my mother's heart and used it for all these years. It was time to give it back.My assistant, Leah, took the list from me and stared at it for a moment. "Dr. Walsh, C&W Co. has allocated one billion dollars as research funding for us. It'll be distributed over ten years, which means a hundred million every year. If we accept this deal, not only will we never have to worry about funding again, but we could also double the number of patients we provide free treatment to every year…"I looked at Leah. Her voice gradually grew quieter under my gaze.Ten years. It had been ten years since my mother died.My eyes fell on the framed photograph on my desk. The original picture had been of the three of us, but I had torn it

Chapter 2 Let Him Try

I swiped to answer, and a voice that was somehow both familiar and strange came through the phone."Am I speaking to the head of the artificial heart project? This is Sylvester Walsh. I assume you know who I am.""Yes.""What do you want? Money? Status? Fame? One and a half billion? Two billion? I can donate. Maybe it'll bring my critically ill wife some good luck. I know your institute's director. If you take this case, getting promoted to deputy director isn't out of the question. Think about it."I said nothing, so he continued raising the stakes. "On top of all that, I can even transfer some of my personal shares to you…"I smiled and interrupted him for the first time. "Mr. Walsh, I'm not interested in any of your offers."Silence lingered between us for several seconds before he finally asked, "What do you want? Name your price."I suddenly laughed. "This isn't about money. It's about the patient. I can't do it."Sylvester laughed in disbelief, his anger evident in his vo

Chapter 3 A Doctor on Trial

Three hours passed.Sylvester never got me onto the operating table.Instead, I got to see his retaliation.Several law enforcement officers suddenly stormed into my office, their expressions stern and their tone unfriendly. "Someone from your team filed a real-name report accusing you of misappropriating public funds and withholding research funding. You need to cooperate with the investigation. Come with us.""That's impossible!" Leah instinctively protested before I could say anything.She stared at them in disbelief and stepped in front of the investigators. "You must've made a mistake. Anyone else might have done it, but Dr. Walsh? That's impossible!"Leah was so frantic that tears had already begun streaming down her face. "A few years ago, when the project was short on funding, Dr. Walsh sold her house just to keep it going. She even pawned her mother's belongings before she could sign that investment agreement…""Leah, enough!" I said quietly.Leah immediately fell sile

Chapter 4 The Trap Closes

I had barely managed to hide inside my car when Sylvester's call came right on schedule."Not a pleasant feeling, being hated by everyone, is it? Are you ready to admit defeat… my daughter?""Shut up!" I cut him off immediately. "Hearing you call me that makes me sick.""Does it? That's a shame. But whether you admit it or not, I'm still your father." Sylvester laughed, then sighed. "I'm telling you, you'd better agree while you still can. After all, there's another way to save her besides an artificial heart.""Find someone else then."I hung up without hesitation and drove home. However, in my rearview mirror, I saw cars surrounding me from every direction. Less than a minute later, I was forced to a stop.The door of the black Mercedes in front of me opened, and Sylvester stepped out. He leaned against the car and said, "If you won't listen to reason, I guess I'll have to do this the hard way."His bodyguards grabbed me from both sides, restrained me, and threw me into his

Chapter 5 Arrested at Last

"Police! Stay where you are!"Everyone in the room dropped to the floor with their hands clasped behind their heads—everyone except Sylvester.Not only did he refuse to crouch, but he even shouted at the officers who had barged in. "Get out! This is my private hospital, and we're in the middle of a surgery! You don't have the right to search this place whenever you please! Who authorized you to barge in here?"Ivy's eyes widened in fear, but she quickly put on a brave front as well. "Do you know who he is? If you interfere with my treatment and something happens to me, can you take responsibility? Who's your superior? Bring them here and let them talk to us!"The officer in charge smiled. "Oh, I know who he is. He's Sylvester Walsh."Sylvester impatiently waved them off. "Well then, get out! Even your superiors have to treat me with respect. Who the hell do you think you—"Before he could finish, a pair of silver handcuffs snapped around his wrist.The officer in charge gave him

Chapter 6 The Heart She Wanted

Sylvester was placed under investigation, and Ivy was transferred to a special ward. She still had access to the same medical resources as before, but she would no longer have access to an artificial heart—or to my heart.With my mother's heart growing weaker with every beat, Ivy panicked and demanded to see me.So I went."Lulu, you've grown up." Sadness filled Ivy's eyes. "I can't have children, so Iris' child became my child. Ever since you were little, I've treated you like my own. I promised your mother I'd take good care of you, but then you ran away for ten years. Just when you finally came back, my body… It failed me again."Lulu, I'm sorry. But as for what happened to your mother, I truly knew nothing about it. I benefited from it, so I have no right to say anything. But if you can, could you give me a chance? Let me take good care of you from now on."Ivy looked utterly sincere, but I remained expressionless."Stop pretending. Aren't you sick and tired—having kept up th

Chapter 7 What She Left Behind

Ivy froze.But only for a moment. The next second, her mocking expression returned. "Impossible! If she really wanted me to live, why did she keep putting it off then?""Because she hadn't seen her daughter through her first day of college yet," I said softly, placing the farewell letter my mother had written in her hands."She really was willing to give you her heart. She just wanted a little more time with me, but you two didn't even give her that chance." My voice caught in my throat as I spoke."No! That can't be possible!" Ivy murmured, as though she were trying to convince someone else—or herself. "She was the most hypocritical person of all. She was always pretending to be generous, acting like she would give me anything, when she kept all the truly good things for herself."And yet her hands trembled as she opened the letter. As she read, tears spilled from her eyes. Even her lips began to tremble. "No… This can't be right… How could she really have wanted to give me her

Chapter 8 The Woman He Thought He Loved

Ivy died—but not from heart failure.After learning the truth, she was consumed by unbearable guilt. Then, one night, she pulled the IV line from her arm, switched off the machines keeping her alive, and deliberately chose death.Before she died, she also left behind a letter. In it, she confessed to every crime she had committed over the years: inciting others to commit crimes, deliberately creating opportunities for murder, seducing her sister's husband, and replacing the memories he had of her with false ones.She did not try to clear her name or make excuses. She simply chose to atone through her actions.At the very end of the letter, she wrote: 'I'll never be able to repay what I owe my sister, not in this lifetime. I'll go down there myself and atone for everything I did to her. Iris, in our next life, let me be the older sister.'…That day, I went to see Sylvester.When he saw me in the detention center, he actually looked relieved. He even knelt before me without hesit

Chapter 9 The Letter He Didn't Deserve

"That was the truth."Sylvester glared at me and sneered. "You think you can investigate what happened back then and then make up whatever story you want? You want to make me feel guilty? I've been with Ivy for so long. I know exactly what kind of person she was. You really take after your mother—you can lie without even blinking."I met his eyes. "Are you really sure that what you and Ivy had was true love? Because she never loved you."I pulled out a photocopy of Ivy's suicide note and slapped it against his face. "Read it yourself."At my signal, the guards released Sylvester. He hurriedly picked up the pages from the floor, handling them with almost reverent care. He recognized her handwriting instantly, but after reading only a few lines, his face went pale. "Impossible. This can't be."The moment he finished reading, he tore the pages apart and forced himself to speak. "Impossible. Lucille, this is you. You're trying to make me regret what I did, to make me repent to your

Chapter 10 The Light Through the Cracks

One livestream changed everything. My identity was turned upside down.The files I had hidden on my computer for ten years were finally opened.The video showed a woman kissing her sleeping daughter before driving to a private hospital. But on the way, another vehicle deliberately cut her off. After that, she disappeared without a trace—never seen since.There was also a bloodstained voluntary organ donation agreement and a forged suicide note.I compiled all the evidence into a single document, uploaded it online, and submitted it to the authorities.The police moved quickly. Less than a month later, the first trial concluded. Sylvester was sentenced to life imprisonment for intentional homicide.The news sent the entire internet into an uproar. The whole city was buzzing with the scandal.And yet, at that moment, I was standing before my mother's grave, resting my forehead against the headstone as I spoke softly. "Mom, the truth is finally out. Everyone who hurt you will pay t

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