All Chapters of I Died Watching Them Steal My Heart: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

I dragged my heavy legs forward, inching toward the elevator with one hand against the wall for support.The elevator doors happened to open just then, and my mother, Winifred Baldwin, stepped out with a cashmere shawl in her hand.When she saw me, she froze for a moment before draping the shawl over my shoulders."It's windy today. Put this on."I glanced down at the shawl.The shawl reeked of rose perfume, the exclusive custom-made fragrance that belonged to Valerie Hickman.Just half an hour ago, Valerie had been wrapped in this very shawl during a sudden angina attack. She had curled up in Mom's arms, crying in pain.It had only ended up in Mom's hands after the nurses changed Valerie into a hospital gown and wheeled her away.A powerful wave of nausea churned in my stomach. I yanked the shawl off and tossed it straight into the medical waste bin beside me. My movements were swift and decisive.Mom froze, her expression darkening.Before she could say anything, my older b

"Just hear me out!" Reese clutched my hospital gown so tightly that the sticky blood on his hand smeared across the fabric.His voice trembled uncontrollably, yet there was still a look of self-righteousness in his eyes."Back then, I never meant to shatter your kneecap. I only meant to injure you slightly so you'd have to rest for half a month and miss the competition."Valerie hid under her covers crying every day, saying that what happened had ruined her entire life. I felt terrible too! I was only trying to help her fulfill one little wish. I never expected that one blow to be so severe."The more he spoke, the more aggrieved he sounded. It was as though he were the real victim of a cruel twist of fate."Charlotte, I'm your brother, for crying out loud! Do you really have to keep holding one incident against me? From what I've seen, you've managed just fine getting around on your own with a limp all these years."Just think of this donor heart as something I'm borrowing from

My soul floated weightlessly in mid-air as I coldly looked down at the lifeless body lying on the floor.Like a puppet with its strings cut, Reese dropped to his knees beside my corpse."Charlotte! Charlotte, open your eyes!"He clasped his bloodied hands together and frantically pressed down on my chest again and again.He was pressing down with far too much force. I could even hear a sickening crack as my ribs snapped under the force.But he didn't seem to notice. His tears and snot dropped onto my ashen face as he acted like a complete madman."I'll give your donor heart back! I'll go rip it out of Valerie's chest right now and give it back to you! Just come back to life!"With a furious roar, he sprang to his feet and actually turned to charge toward Valerie's room on the seventh floor.Several security guards tackled him to the ground. He thrashed like a wild animal, leaving a long, bloody trail across the floor.I turned my head.My usually arrogant father was now clutc

A crushing, suffocating feeling dragged me abruptly back down, and the steady beeping of medical equipment sounded in my ears.When I opened my eyes, I didn't see Marcel—who had bought me cake—or smell the beef stew from the diner.The first thing I felt was a dull, mechanical vibration inside my chest.Beyond the glass wall, Reese was slumped against the window. His hair was a mess, his beard unkempt.The moment he saw my eyes open, he sprang to his feet and frantically shook Dr. Hall, who was standing beside him.Mom covered her mouth and collapsed to the floor, while tears streamed down Dad's face.Several hours later, I was transferred to a private room in the general ward.Dr. Hall told me that after my heart stopped beating, Dad had spent a fortune forcing the hospital to put me on ECMO. He had even arranged an emergency airlift from overseas to bring in the most advanced portable artificial heart available.They had managed to keep me alive against all odds."Charlotte,

The alarm from the artificial heart's external controller rang out in the silent hospital room.Reese lunged at me as if he'd been electrocuted and pinned my hand down. His grip was so tight that he nearly crushed my wrist."Doctor! Doctor!" he roared toward the hallway, his eyes filled with terror.Several doctors rushed in and quickly restrained me while checking the tubing connections. Only after confirming that nothing had come loose did they finally breathe a sigh of relief.From where I lay against the headboard, I watched the sweat-drenched Reese."Reese, why are your hands shaking?" I asked calmly.Reese whipped his head around to look at me. His eyes were bloodshot, and his chest heaved violently."Charlotte, have you lost your mind? That machine is what's keeping you alive! If you pull out the tube, you'll die!""I know." I stared down at him. "But I should have died two months ago. You were the ones who insisted on keeping me alive."Swaying at the foot of the bed,