Chapter 1

For three years, Sera clung to the hope that a donor heart would finally save her life.

The day a perfect match was found, her husband, renowned surgeon Dr. Nikolai Laurent, made a choice that shattered her—he gave it to her adopted sister, Evangeline.

Before countless reporters, Nikolai declared without hesitation, "Sera understands. A doctor's duty is to save the patient."

The cruel irony?

Sera was the one dying.

As she remained in an ordinary hospital room, Evangeline recovered in luxury, surrounded by the best specialists, before taking over Sera's bedroom to "heal." It wasn't long before she was calling Nikolai "hubby," perched on his lap, and sending Sera videos of their happy life together.

When Sera exposed their betrayal online, Nikolai confronted her in the ICU.

"Take the post down. Admit you acted irrationally."

"And if I won't?"

"I'll make sure every hospital refuses to treat you."

Even her own mother turned her away that night, accusing her of being bitter and insecure.

Sera walked out alone.

Nikolai caught her before she reached the gate.

"Enough. Stop humiliating this family."

Then she collapsed.

He thought it was another stunt.

The next thing he heard was a doctor announcing, "Seraphina Whitmore Laurent. Twenty-five years old. Time of death: 10:06 a.m."

--

The heart that should have kept me alive was handed to someone else by my own husband.

By the time the transplant surgery ended successfully, the hospital lobby had descended into chaos. Journalists crowded every corner. Camera flashes exploded nonstop. Questions were hurled from every direction.

“Dr. Nikolai Laurent, sources say your wife has been waiting for a transplant for three years—”

Nikolai cut the reporter off before the question could even finish.

“My wife understands the responsibility that comes with being married to a physician,” he said, his tone smooth and composed. “She knows the patient’s welfare comes first. She supported the choice I made.”

Supported.

That word echoed bitterly in my head.

Three months earlier, he had sat across from me and told me there had been complications with the donor heart. According to him, the organ wasn’t compatible. He said there was nothing to do except wait a little longer.

Wait.

Now Evangeline—my adopted sister—stood beside him, fragile-looking yet radiant, her fingers intertwined with his as though he were some savior descended from heaven.

“He saved me,” she said tearfully. “Not only did he perform my surgery, he took care of me afterward too. He brought me home himself and made sure I recovered properly. I don’t know what would’ve happened to me without him…”

Right. He brought her home.

For six months, he pushed me out of our bedroom so Evangeline could heal “comfortably.” He told me I should stay with my mother since it would supposedly be quieter there.

My mother.

The same woman who had always loved Evangeline more than she ever loved me.

I watched them embrace under the lights, looking flawless together. They resembled a magazine cover—beautiful, grateful, intimate.

And there I was, standing off to the side while something sharp twisted inside my chest.

Not just illness.

Something far worse.

Loneliness.

I tried slipping away so I could take my medication, but before I got far, a reporter caught my arm and tugged me toward the stage.

I couldn’t force a smile.

So Nikolai smiled enough for both of us.

Then he made the announcement.

“After today, we’ll make things official,” he said into the microphone. “Evangeline has already become family to us. My wife’s parents plan to legally adopt her. She’ll officially become part of our family—and my wife fully supports that decision.”

Supports it?

That nearly made me laugh.

A chill spread through me, icy and hollow.

Without thinking, I reached for the microphone.

“Now that you finally have the daughter you actually wanted,” I said, my voice cutting through the silence, “I’ll leave. I wouldn’t want to ruin this picture-perfect family moment.”

I let the microphone fall and turned to walk away.

Nikolai’s hand clamped around my wrist before I could take another step.

His grip hurt.

“Evangeline still needs long-term recovery,” he said under his breath, his voice sharp and dangerous. “Do you even realize what you’re doing? The press is watching. Stress could worsen her condition. Are you trying to harm her?”

Harm her?

I stared at him.

The man before me looked familiar, yet he felt like a stranger.

My mother hurried over as well.

“There are cameras everywhere,” she hissed. “Control yourself. At least pretend. Think about appearances. Think about the hospital.”

Not once did anyone ask if I was alright.

Not once did they look me in the eye.

Together, they dragged me back toward the podium. They told me to apologize. Told me to stop humiliating everyone.

The three of them stood together, hands linked.

I stood apart.

A few feet away.

Like some unstable outsider who had crashed an event she didn’t belong in.

Something broke.

Completely.

I snatched the framed photo reporters had just given Nikolai—the one showing him and Evangeline smiling after her surgery—and hurled it onto the floor.

Glass shattered.

Then I stomped on the frame.

After that, I shoved over the award the hospital had presented him.

It crashed down with a violent clang.

Nikolai looked at me with open disgust.

As though I was filth.

“I raised a monster,” my mother muttered.

“Ungrateful and pathetic.”

A laugh escaped me.

It sounded wrong.

Foreign.

“Ungrateful?” I repeated.

“When my myocarditis worsened, you told me it wasn’t serious. You told me to go to the emergency room by myself and get IV treatment like it was nothing.”

I turned toward Nikolai.

“But Evangeline’s lab results shifted slightly, and suddenly every top specialist in the country was being called overnight.”

My voice stayed calm.

Almost unnaturally so.

“I waited three years for a transplant,” I continued. “For three years, you told me to be patient. To endure. To be understanding.”

I swallowed.

“But no one told me that ‘understanding’ meant surrendering my life so she could keep hers.”

Silence swallowed the room.

Only camera shutters remained.

Click.

Flash.

Click.

No one spoke.

Nikolai recovered first.

“Sera,” he said quickly, stepping toward me, “we should discuss this privately.”

“Privately?”

I laughed again.

This time it came out ugly—wet, broken, desperate.

Tears streamed down my face, though I couldn’t even remember when they had started.

“Three years ago, when I was trembling in the ER because every heartbeat felt like a knife tearing through my chest… where were you?”

No answer.

No denial.

Nothing.

“The attending physician said I needed admission,” I continued. “But you told me beds were limited. You said someone in worse condition needed it more.”

My gaze shifted to Evangeline.

She stood close to them, small and delicate, clinging to my husband’s hand like that was exactly where she belonged.

Understanding hit me like a blade.

“Oh,” I whispered.

A bitter smile touched my lips.

“Now I understand.”

I looked at all of them.

“That excuse about no beds being available?”

I let out a slow breath.

“You weren’t short on beds.”

My voice dropped.

“You were saving one for her.”

I stared directly at my mother.

“For the daughter who mattered.”

My father rushed forward and seized my wrist.

“Enough,” he said through clenched teeth.

I yanked free so hard it felt like touching fire.

Then I looked straight at him.

“And you.”

My voice shook.

“I’m your biological daughter. Your blood.”

My throat tightened.

“You knew my heart wouldn’t survive another year.”

I could barely force the words out.

“You knew.”

Tears blurred my vision.

“And even then, you agreed to give my matching donor heart to her.”

My voice splintered.

A bitter, trembling laugh escaped me.

“What is she to you?”

I looked between both my parents.

“Your secret child?”

“Did the two of you have another daughter and forget to tell me?”

Before I could finish, my mother struck me.

The slap rang through the lobby.

Pain exploded across my cheek.

“You’ve completely lost your mind,” she snapped. “Apologize to Evangeline. Right now.”

I tasted iron.

Blood.

“Apologize?”

The laugh that left me sounded fractured, almost inhuman.

“I’ve been admitted to intensive care so many times I stopped counting.”

My breathing grew shallow.

“I nearly died more than once.”

I looked at Nikolai.

“Your colleagues tried arranging a private room for me.”

My voice hardened.

“They wanted to help.”

I stepped closer.

“But you refused.”

I swallowed against the pressure crushing my chest.

“You said we shouldn’t abuse connections just because I’m your wife.”

Each word hurt.

“So explain something to me.”

I pressed a trembling hand to my chest.

“Why do rules suddenly stop mattering for her?”

I pointed at Evangeline.

“She wasn’t even critical yet.”

My voice rose.

“And still—you moved heaven and earth.”

I looked at them all.

Nikolai.

My mother.

My father.

Each of them stood closer to Evangeline than to me.

Not one moved toward me.

Not one.

“I don’t understand,” I whispered.

My voice cracked under the weight of it.

“You’re doctors.”

I looked at Nikolai.

“You save people.”

Then at my parents.

“I was dying.”

Tears spilled harder.

“So why was I the one who had to move aside?”

Silence.

Again.

They stared at me like I was unreasonable.

Like I was the problem.

Something inside me emptied.

“Fine,” I said softly.

I wiped my tears with shaking fingers.

“If you love her that much…”

My lips trembled.

“Then make it official.”

I forced a smile.

“Make her your real daughter.”

My voice nearly vanished.

“Replace me properly.”

I turned.

I tried to leave.

Then pain exploded.

My chest seized so violently it felt as though an invisible fist had wrapped around my heart and crushed.

Air vanished.

My knees buckled.

I couldn’t breathe.

I coughed.

Warm liquid surged into my mouth.

Blood.

The world tilted.

The floor rushed upward.

Darkness swallowed everything.

—

When consciousness returned, my body felt unbearably heavy.

Every breath dragged.

My chest felt like concrete.

Each heartbeat was slow.

Painful.

Wrong.

Glass separated me from the hallway.

Isolation.

I could barely move, but voices drifted in from outside.

One voice stood out.

Dr. Bennett.

A colleague of my mother’s.

He spoke quietly, though not quietly enough.

“This collapse was caused by worsening acute heart failure,” he said. “Given her dilated cardiomyopathy… even under the most optimistic estimate, she has less than six months.”

A pause.

Then the words that froze my blood.

“If she suffers another episode like this…”

Chapter 2

The ICU doors opened with a soft hiss, and Nikolai entered first.

His white coat was immaculate, every line of his posture rigid and controlled, his expression unreadable and sharp enough to cut. He spared me only a brief glance—cold, detached—before his features changed the moment his eyes settled on Evangeline.

The steel vanished.

Warmth replaced it.

“You’re awake,” he said, his voice gentler than I’d heard in years. “I dealt with the press already, so don’t worry. They crowded around you after everything happened, but it’s over now. You’re safe.”

Evangeline tightened her grip on the bouquet in her lap. Tears spilled down her face as her shoulders trembled.

“I… I’m sorry,” she choked out. “Sera, this is all because of me. I never should’ve gone through with the surgery. If… if it means that much, I can give it back. I’ll return it to you—”

“No.”

Nikolai’s interruption came immediately.

He turned toward her, and that soft, affectionate smile—the one I had stopped receiving long ago—appeared on his face. With careful fingers, he tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

“The operation was successful,” he said quietly. “Your recovery is going well, Evangeline. Don’t say things like that. Not even as a joke.”

Then he looked at me.

The softness disappeared in an instant.

His gaze hardened.

“As for you…” His voice dropped, edged with irritation. “You made a spectacle of yourself in front of everyone. You humiliated me as your husband and put Evangeline in an impossible situation. Have some control over yourself.”

My mother stood behind him, her expression calm—too calm.

“Sera,” she said evenly, “Evangeline is your sister now. Whether you like it or not, she belongs to this family. You need to accept that.”

I stared at her.

“Accept it?” My voice barely came out above a whisper. “I’ve spent my entire life being the one left behind. The one overlooked. The one expected to endure everything quietly.”

My throat tightened.

“And now you gave away my heart—my chance to survive—to her?”

“Enough, Sera.”

Nikolai’s jaw flexed.

“Don’t speak to her like that. Evangeline just underwent major surgery. She’s fragile right now and still recovering. Show some restraint.”

I let out a bitter laugh, tears sliding down my cheeks.

“My restraint?”

I shook my head.

“For twenty-five years, I’ve done nothing but show restraint.”

The words poured out before I could stop them.

“I stayed polite. Careful. Understanding. Every single time I was ignored, I swallowed it because I told myself you were busy. That there were reasons. That I should be patient.”

Nikolai didn’t soften.

If anything, he grew colder.

“And look at you now,” he said flatly. “Throwing tantrums like a child. This behavior is harming you more than your illness ever could. Get yourself under control, Sera. For once, think about your own well-being.”

I turned toward Evangeline, my entire body shaking.

“Do you even know what they did for you?”

My voice cracked.

“They gave you a VIP suite. The best specialists. The donor heart I waited three years for.”

I laughed, but there was no humor in it.

“And me?”

I pressed a trembling hand against my chest.

“They left me in a regular ward. Alone. Surrounded by nurses who could only tell me to wait.”

My voice rose.

“Wait. Wait. Wait.”

I nearly choked on the word.

Evangeline shook her head frantically, sobbing harder.

“I didn’t know,” she cried. “I swear I didn’t know. I can wait instead, Sera. I can—”

Nikolai’s hand landed on her shoulder again.

Steady.

Protective.

Tender.

“Evangeline, stop,” he said. “None of this is your fault.”

I looked at him, fury burning through my exhaustion.

“Wait for what?”

My voice trembled with rage.

“Your heart is practically normal now.”

I stared directly into Evangeline’s eyes.

“Are you waiting until I die so you won’t feel guilty anymore?”

Nikolai snapped.

“Enough!”

His voice rang through the room like a slap.

His eyes were ice.

“Do not speak to me that way. I am still your husband.”

Authority sharpened every word.

“You’re alive today because of the care you received. Show some respect.”

My mother spoke next, still infuriatingly composed.

“Sera, be reasonable. Be understanding, just as you always were. We’re doctors. We understood the condition of your heart better than anyone.”

She paused.

“Evangeline needed that heart first.”

Her gaze hardened.

“You need to accept that.”

I could hardly breathe.

“Understanding?”

I repeated the word as if tasting poison.

“I’ve spent my whole life understanding.”

My chest burned.

“You—both of you—chose her over me.”

I pointed weakly at Evangeline.

“You took my life, my chance, my future, and handed it to her.”

Tears blurred everything.

“And you stand there acting proud of yourselves.”

Silence swallowed the room.

Even the monitor beside me seemed quieter.

I watched the color drain from my mother’s face. Her lips parted, trembling as if words refused to form.

“You…”

Her finger lifted toward me, shaking.

“You…”

I leaned against the headboard, too drained to sit straight.

“What about me?” I rasped.

My voice scraped against my throat.

“You always said doctors and their families had to live by higher standards. That we put others first.”

A hollow laugh escaped me.

“So fine.”

I shrugged weakly.

“Donate.”

My gaze locked onto my mother’s.

“Give your heart to Evangeline too.”

I swallowed.

“I’ll wait for my own.”

My smile felt empty.

“That way no one owes anyone anything.”

I exhaled.

“Isn’t that what you want?”

Nikolai stepped closer.

His face was rigid.

“Seraphina.”

His voice dropped low, dangerous.

“That’s enough.”

He looked furious.

“Stop talking like this. Not here.”

But then his eyes flicked toward Evangeline.

And just like that, the anger disappeared.

His hand rested gently on her shoulder again.

Protective.

Careful.

As though she were something precious.

My father’s face flushed red.

“How dare you speak to your mother that way?”

Before I could answer, Evangeline dropped to her knees.

The sound of her collapsing onto the floor made everyone jump.

She sobbed so violently she could barely draw breath.

“It’s all my fault!”

Her voice cracked.

“I’ll find the doctor right now!”

She tried to stand.

“I’ll give the heart back to Sera! Dr. Laurent saved me, but I don’t deserve to live!”

She lurched toward the door.

My mother rushed forward and caught her, pulling her into a tight embrace.

“Evangeline, stop.”

Her voice turned gentle.

“I won’t let you do something so foolish.”

Then she lifted her head and looked at me.

Her expression froze me.

Cold.

Sharp.

Disappointed.

“Seraphina,” she said, “I never imagined you’d become this cruel.”

Each word landed heavily.

“Evangeline just survived major surgery, and you’re telling her to remove the transplanted heart?”

Her eyes narrowed.

“You’re trying to kill her.”

My body shook.

“I just…”

I struggled to breathe.

“I want to live too.”

Tears slid down into my hair.

My voice broke.

“Is wanting to survive really so wrong?”

My mother inhaled slowly.

Then her decision came like a verdict.

“Listen carefully, Seraphina.”

Her voice held no warmth.

“Evangeline is my daughter now.”

Every word stabbed.

“I will care for her until she fully recovers.”

She took Evangeline’s hand.

“As for you…”

Her eyes met mine.

“When you’ve calmed down—and when you’re ready to apologize—we’ll talk.”

That was all.

She turned and walked out with Evangeline without another glance.

My father and Nikolai lingered only a second.

They looked at me.

Then followed.

Through the ICU glass, I watched them in the hallway.

My mother gently wiped Evangeline’s tears.

Nikolai kept one hand at the small of her back, protective and reassuring.

My father bent down to comfort her.

Under the fluorescent lights, they blended together like one perfect family.

Whole.

Complete.

And I was not part of it.

I sank into the mattress and listened to my own heartbeat.

Slow.

Weak.

Unsteady.

And in that moment I understood something more terrifying than death.

Being abandoned by the people you trusted most hurt far worse than dying.

Dr. Bennett remained silent for a long time.

He kept glancing toward the door as though making sure no one would overhear.

Finally, he stepped closer and lowered his voice.

“There’s something you should know.”

His hesitation made dread crawl through me.

“A donor heart became available last week.”

My breathing stopped.

“It was compatible with you,” he continued. “A very strong match.”

My fingers twitched.

“But Dr. Nikolai Laurent and your parents signed authorization papers transferring it to another recipient.”

I stared at him.

My mind refused to process the words.

For several seconds, I honestly thought I had misunderstood.

“That can’t be right,” I said at last.

Even speaking hurt.

My throat burned raw.

“You’re telling me… there was another heart?”

I struggled for breath.

“And they gave it away?”

Dr. Bennett looked visibly uncomfortable.

“Your condition was more severe,” he admitted. “Everyone in the department knew that.”

He sighed.

“The other patient also needed a transplant, yes.”

His eyes filled with pity.

“But your deterioration was happening much faster.”

He shook his head.

“Most of us didn’t agree with the decision.”

Of course they didn’t.

Nikolai.

My parents.

They wanted everyone to see how fair they were.

They wanted proof that they didn’t favor me.

They would rather let me die than risk people accusing them of bias.

How noble.

How righteous.

How cruel.

“Thank you for telling me, Doctor,” I said through the oxygen mask.

Dr. Bennett leaned closer.

“Seraphina, don’t lose hope.”

Urgency filled his voice.

“I’ve already reached out to other transplant centers. I’ll keep trying. We may still find another match.”

I closed my eyes.

“No.”

The word came quietly.

He blinked.

Confused.

“What?”

Chapter 3

“J-just… get me a pen and some paper,” I said at last, forcing the words through a throat that felt scraped raw. “I need to write my will.”

Dr. Bennett frowned, clearly unsettled.

“I want everything documented,” I continued, each breath shallow and painful. “I’m severing all legal ties with my husband and with my parents. I want it clean. No loose ends. No ambiguity.”

Shock flashed across his face.

“Seraphina, you don’t need to make irreversible decisions while you’re in this state.”

“Yes,” I said, cutting him off before he could continue. “I do.”

My voice trembled, but my mind had never felt clearer.

“And after that… bring me the organ donation papers.”

He stared at me.

“If I don’t survive long enough to receive another heart,” I said quietly, “then I want mine donated to someone else.”

I swallowed hard.

“At least let my death matter to someone.”

This time, he didn’t argue.

Not once.

Not again.

Nikolai never returned.

Neither did my mother.

Nor my father.

But Evangeline did.

Not in person.

She sent videos.

Every single day.

The first video made my stomach twist.

It showed my bedroom.

Or rather, the room that used to belong to me.

Workers were repainting the walls. My books had been packed into cardboard boxes and stacked near the door. My closet stood wide open, stripped bare.

Nothing left.

Evangeline’s voice came from behind the camera, airy and cheerful.

“Nikolai says this room needs better ventilation for my recovery.”

She giggled.

“He thinks I’ll sleep better here.”

Nikolai.

Not my husband.

Not Dr. Laurent.

Just Nikolai.

Then came the word that nearly made me sick.

“Hubby.”

Hubby.

Behind her, my mother laughed softly.

“Of course you will,” she said warmly. “This room gets the nicest morning light.”

That night, another video arrived.

Evangeline sat on my bed, wrapped in a thick blanket. Nikolai entered the frame looking exhausted, his tie loosened, dark circles under his eyes.

But the second he saw her, everything about him softened.

The exhaustion vanished.

“Did you take your medication, baby?” he asked, voice gentle.

Baby.

Evangeline smiled sweetly.

“You remind me every single time, hubby.”

He sat beside her.

She immediately shifted closer.

Closer.

Until she climbed onto his lap like she had every right to be there.

No hesitation.

No shame.

As if it were the most natural thing in the world.

“Don’t move too much,” he murmured, one hand settling securely around her. “Your stitches are still healing.”

From behind the camera, my father chuckled.

“Look at those two.”

His voice held approval.

“They’ve gotten close fast.”

My mother sounded pleased.

“Evangeline finally has someone who truly cherishes her.”

No one corrected them.

No one said the obvious.

No one mentioned that the man holding her was still my husband.

The next clip came the following afternoon.

Evangeline held up an old plush rabbit.

My rabbit.

The one Mom bought me when I was little because I used to cry whenever she worked overnight shifts and left me alone.

Its fur had thinned over the years from being hugged too tightly during lonely nights.

Evangeline wrinkled her nose.

“This thing is ancient.”

She laughed lightly.

“So ugly.”

Nikolai barely glanced at it.

“If it bothers you,” he said casually, “throw it out.”

Dad took the rabbit from her.

Without hesitation, he tossed it into a trash bag.

I replayed that clip three times.

Three.

As if watching it again might somehow make it hurt less.

It didn’t.

Then the messages started.

Text after text.

Message after message.

“Sera, I don’t think MY MUM ever truly liked you. She seems much happier now. Poor woman.”

Another.

“Dad says you’ve always been overly sensitive.”

Then another.

“You should apologize sincerely. Nikolai works so hard, and you humiliated him.”

Later that night, a new message arrived.

“Nikolai brought me to the balcony tonight.”

A smiling emoji followed.

“He said I deserve peace after everything I’ve endured.”

Attached was a photo.

Evangeline leaned against his chest, relaxed and content.

Nikolai’s arms wrapped around her.

My parents sat nearby, smiling at them as though witnessing something beautiful.

Something pure.

As if none of this were twisted.

Then came the final clip.

I nearly stopped breathing.

It was my bedroom.

My bed.

Them.

Evangeline beneath him.

Nikolai above her.

Slow.

Intimate.

Deliberate.

She whispered his name.

He murmured hers.

The monitor beside me began beeping faster.

Faster.

Faster.

My pulse spiked.

Instead of crying, I reached for my phone.

I opened my social media.

Changed my display name.

Seraphina Waiting for a Heart.

Then I uploaded everything.

My diagnosis.

My medical records.

Proof of the donor-heart match that had been redirected.

Screenshots.

Videos.

Evidence.

Then I began typing.

Slowly.

Carefully.

“There was a donor heart compatible with me.”

My fingers trembled.

“It was taken away.”

I kept going.

“My lying, cheating husband approved the transfer. My mother signed the documents. My father supported the decision.”

I inhaled shakily.

“I was told to be understanding.”

The cursor blinked.

I stared at it for a long time.

Then added one final paragraph.

“In what kind of world does a biological daughter become less important than the adopted daughter she was forced to call sister?”

My chest tightened.

I kept typing.

“And to make the humiliation complete, that same adopted orphan became my husband’s lover.”

Post.

I hit publish.

Three hours later, the ICU door slammed open so violently it struck the wall.

Nikolai stormed in first.

His hair was disheveled like he’d rushed here without stopping. His entire body radiated restrained fury.

My parents followed close behind.

“Seraphina.”

His voice was dangerously calm.

Too calm.

“What did you post?”

Before I could react, he snatched my phone from my hand.

“Delete it.”

His voice sharpened.

“Delete it right now.”

The screen flashed nonstop.

Notifications flooded in.

Thousands of shares.

Tens of thousands of comments.

My mother looked drained of color.

My father paced restlessly.

Nikolai turned back to me.

“Do you understand what you’ve done?”

His anger finally cracked through.

“People are hunting Evangeline down online!”

He ran a hand through his hair.

“Someone tracked down the orphanage where she grew up. She just had major surgery—she cannot handle this pressure.”

I looked at him quietly.

I felt strangely empty.

No rage.

No panic.

Nothing.

“What about me?” I asked.

My voice was calm.

“I’m the one lying in ICU.”

I held his gaze.

“Can I handle receiving daily videos from her?”

I spoke slowly.

“Videos of you both in my room?”

My lips trembled.

“Videos of my belongings being thrown away?”

My voice dropped.

“Videos of you sleeping together?”

Nikolai’s face hardened.

“She was trying to show you she cared.”

I laughed.

Dry.

Lifeless.

“Cared?”

I repeated.

“About what?”

I stared at him.

“About whether I’ll die soon enough so she can officially take my place as your wife?”

I raised my voice.

“Tell me!”

“Watch your mouth!”

The sharp command cut through the room.

Then movement behind him caught my eye.

Evangeline stepped inside.

Quietly.

Her eyes were red and swollen.

She leaned slightly against my mother as though too weak to stand alone.

“Nikolai…”

Her voice came soft and fragile.

She touched his arm.

“Don’t be too harsh on her.”

Her lashes lowered.

“She’s sick.”

Instantly, his entire demeanor changed.

His anger melted.

“Evangeline.”

His voice softened.

“You shouldn’t even be here.”

He brushed hair away from her face with infinite care.

“You need rest.”

She looked up at him.

“I was worried about you.”

His expression warmed.

“I’m fine.”

His thumb brushed her cheek.

“I’ll handle this.”

That tiny gesture broke something inside me.

Again.

My mother finally stepped forward.

“Seraphina, you aren’t thinking rationally.”

Her voice took on that calm, diplomatic tone she used in conferences.

“These posts are harming the hospital’s reputation.”

She folded her arms.

“They’re destroying everything we’ve worked for.”

I looked at her.

Quietly, I corrected her.

“Everything you built.”

Nikolai faced me again.

“Delete the post.”

His tone became clipped.

“Then issue a public statement.”

He spoke like giving medical orders.

“Say you were emotional. Say you exaggerated. Clarify that your condition affected your judgment.”

He leaned closer.

“End this. Now.”

I met his eyes.

“And if I refuse?”

He didn’t hesitate.

“Then I’ll make sure no hospital in this city accepts you.”

Silence.

“Do you understand?”

No hesitation.

No compassion.

Only power.

Authority.

Control.

I slowly turned toward my mother.

“Are you cutting off my medical funding again?”

Her gaze shifted away.

Only for a second.

But that second told me everything.

Answer received.

My mother straightened, spine rigid.

Her face became clinical.

Emotionless.

“As of today, you are discharged.”

She spoke like reading policy.

“Our hospital will not continue accommodating a patient who creates public disruption.”

The door opened again.

Dr. Bennett rushed inside.

“Dr. Whitmore, she cannot be discharged in this condition.”

My mother didn’t blink.

“Then transfer her elsewhere.”

Her voice remained ice-cold.

“She will not remain here.”

Nikolai bent until only I could hear him.

His voice dropped low.

“Delete the post, Seraphina.”

Each word came deliberate.

“Apologize publicly.”

A pause.

“Say you lied because you were mentally unstable.”

Another pause.

“Protect Evangeline.”

Protect Evangeline.

Not save me.

Not help me.

Not choose me.

Protect Evangeline.

I stared at him.

Really stared.

This was the man who once held my hand during every checkup.

The man who promised he would fight beside me.

Now he was fighting against me.

I felt nothing.

No grief.

Just clarity.

“Do whatever you want.”

My voice barely rose above a whisper.

Evangeline tugged gently at his sleeve.

“Nikolai… please.”

Her voice trembled.

“Let’s go.”

She looked worried.

“I don’t want you getting stressed.”

He turned to her instantly.

All softness again.

“Okay.”

Warm.

Gentle.

“I’m coming.”

My mother paused near the doorway.

Then she looked back.

“Don’t call us heartless.”

Her expression hardened.

“You ruined Evangeline’s life first.”

Then they left.

The door shut.

Silence returned.

Dr. Bennett stood beside my bed for what felt like forever.

Finally, he spoke.

Barely above a whisper.

“I can help transfer you to another hospital.”

He hesitated.

“Even another city.”

I stared at the ceiling.

“No.”

The word came soft.

“No need.”

I swallowed.

“Thank you… for everything, Dr. Bennett.”

I exhaled.

“But I’m tired.”

And I was.

So tired.

Tired of fighting.

Tired of begging.

Tired of waiting for someone—anyone—to finally choose me.

The next morning, I signed my own discharge papers.

The billing statement showed an unpaid balance of nineteen thousand money.

So she really did it.

My mother had cut funding completely.

I transferred the last of my savings.

Used every remaining cent.

For the rest, I signed a promissory note.

Then I did the one thing I swore I never would.

I called Dr. Alexander Sterling.

Nikolai’s stepbrother.

His rival.

The phone rang once.

Twice.

Then he answered.

“What now?”

His voice was sharp and impatient.

“Why are you calling me?”

A beat passed.

“I thought you hated me.”

I swallowed.

Even standing hurt.

Pain clawed through my chest.

“Please.”

The word came stripped of pride.

“I need your help.”

Silence.

Long.

Heavy.

“I’m not anyone’s wife anymore,” I said.

My throat tightened.

“I’m not anyone’s daughter either.”

Nothing.

Then I forced out the truth.

“I’m dying, Argus.”

His breathing changed.

The silence sharpened.

Then his voice came, stripped of all sarcasm.

“I’m coming to get you.”

The call ended.

Chapter 4

My chest felt like it was on fire as I dragged my suitcase out of the inpatient ward.

Each step sent pain tearing through my body, sharp enough to make it feel as though my ribs were splitting apart from the inside. Still, I kept moving.

No one offered assistance.

Not a single nurse stopped me to ask whether I was even well enough to leave.

No one cared.

“Seraphina!”

I froze.

At the bottom of the stairs, they were waiting.

All of them.

My mother.

My father.

Evangeline.

And Nikolai.

Standing side by side.

Together.

As if I were the outsider intruding on their family.

My mother looked immaculate, as always. Her makeup was flawless, her suit perfectly tailored, and her expression carried just the right amount of carefully rehearsed concern.

“Sera, what are you doing?” she asked as she hurried toward me. “Why are you checking yourself out? You’re far too weak to leave. Come back inside.”

I shifted away before her hand could reach me.

“Dr. Whitmore,” I said coldly, “just say whatever it is you came here to say.”

For a fraction of a second, her polished smile faltered.

Then it returned.

Controlled. Elegant. Fake.

“The press is gathered in the conference room,” she said smoothly. “We need to clear up this misunderstanding.”

I stared at her.

“Misunderstanding?”

My voice sharpened.

“Which misunderstanding, exactly?”

I tilted my head.

“The part where I supposedly don’t have heart disease?”

I took a breath.

“Or the part where my husband gave my donor heart to that liar?”

My father’s expression darkened.

“Mind your language.”

Evangeline stepped forward then, her eyes shimmering with carefully gathered tears.

“Sera… please,” she said softly. “Don’t do this.”

Her voice trembled.

“If you’re angry, direct it at me.”

She clasped her hands together.

“I’ll explain everything to the media myself. I’ll leave if that helps.”

Her voice broke.

“I can go back to the orphanage.”

She lowered her gaze.

“If that makes things easier for everyone.”

Before I could respond, Nikolai moved.

He gently guided Evangeline behind him, his palm settling protectively against the small of her back.

“Don’t say that.”

His voice softened instantly.

“You’re not going anywhere.”

Then he looked at me.

Every trace of warmth vanished.

His face hardened.

“You’ve humiliated this entire hospital,” he said, his tone cold and unforgiving. “Do you even understand what you’ve done?”

I swallowed against the pain in my chest.

“I told the truth.”

His jaw tightened.

“The truth?”

He gave a short, bitter laugh.

“You’re emotional. You’re unstable. You’re not thinking clearly.”

My mother gave a small nod, as though he had stated something perfectly rational.

Then Nikolai closed the distance between us.

His hand shot out and clamped around my wrist.

Hard.

The pressure sent pain shooting up my arm and triggered a violent spasm in my chest.

I nearly dropped my suitcase.

“Let go,” I whispered.

“We’re going to the conference room.”

It wasn’t a request.

It was an order.

“I can walk.”

“Then walk.”

But he didn’t release me.

Instead, he dragged me down the hallway anyway.

Pain pulsed through my body, each step worsening the tightness in my chest. Humiliation burned even hotter.

Nurses stared.

Interns whispered.

Every pair of eyes followed us.

Behind me, I heard Evangeline’s soft voice.

“Nikolai… don’t be too rough.”

But when I turned slightly, I saw it.

The faint twitch at the corner of her lips.

The way her smile almost widened.

“I won’t,” he replied.

Still, his grip never loosened.

It hurt.

Not just my wrist.

Everything.

This was the same man who once promised he would protect me.

The same hands that used to hold mine during procedures, calming me when I was afraid.

Now those same hands were forcing me forward like I was a problem that needed managing.

My parents walked behind us as if this were normal.

As if I weren’t their daughter.

“Fine,” I said quietly.

I stopped resisting.

“I’ll go.”

…

Inside the conference room, Evangeline immediately took the seat beside Nikolai.

No—closer than beside.

He pulled her chair toward his until their shoulders nearly touched.

One arm rested behind her, fingers lightly brushing her shoulder, as though shielding her from the world.

I sat at the far end of the table.

Alone.

No one chose the chair beside me.

My mother and father remained behind them, silent and watchful, like spectators enduring a difficult performance.

One reporter spoke first.

“Dr. Nikolai Laurent, can you explain your decision regarding the donor heart? Why was it reassigned?”

Nikolai accepted the microphone without hesitation.

Calm.

Collected.

Untouchable.

“As a physician,” he began, “I made the decision based on medical logic and projected outcome.”

His voice never shook.

“The patient who received the transplant had a significantly better expected recovery rate.”

The patient.

Not Evangeline.

Not even her name.

And certainly not mine.

“My wife’s case was medically complex,” he continued. “There were substantial risks involved.”

Risks.

Evangeline’s fingers curled around his sleeve.

Nikolai immediately looked down at her.

“It isn’t your fault,” he murmured, gently sweeping hair away from her face. “Ignore the noise.”

The tenderness in his voice hurt more than the disease ever had.

A reporter turned toward me.

“Miss Seraphina, do you agree with your husband’s explanation?”

The microphone was thrust toward my face.

I took a breath.

“Yes,” I said softly.

The room visibly relaxed.

“Dr. Nikolai Laurent is extremely responsible.”

For half a second, everyone exhaled.

Then I continued.

“He’s especially responsible when Evangeline is involved.”

The silence returned instantly.

Nikolai’s jaw flexed.

“Seraphina.”

I ignored the warning.

“You gave her my heart.”

I looked directly at him.

“Not only as a doctor.”

My voice sharpened.

“As my husband.”

I swallowed.

“As her lover.”

“Enough.”

His voice came low and dangerous.

I continued anyway.

“You held my hand and told me no compatible donors existed.”

My voice trembled.

“You told me all we could do was wait.”

I leaned forward.

“And then you signed the paperwork and handed that heart to her.”

Evangeline began crying again.

Softly.

Nikolai immediately pulled her closer.

“Stop attacking her.”

Anger flashed in his eyes.

“She just survived major surgery.”

I laughed weakly.

“So was I.”

The words barely came out.

I was surviving too.

Suddenly Nikolai stood.

His palm slammed against the table with a loud crack.

“You’re being emotional again.”

His voice snapped like a whip.

“This is exactly why I didn’t want you speaking.”

Behind him, my mother shifted but stayed silent.

My father refused to meet my eyes.

My heartbeat became erratic.

My vision blurred at the edges.

Still, I spoke.

“You always choose her.”

My voice shook.

“When she moved into our house, you gave her my room because she liked the sunlight.”

I stared at him.

“When I asked why, you called me unreasonable.”

Nikolai’s face turned rigid.

“It was only a room.”

I laughed.

Broken.

“It was my room.”

His expression darkened.

“Everything doesn’t revolve around you.”

The words landed like a blade.

I smiled bitterly.

“No.”

I turned toward the cameras.

“It never does.”

I looked straight into the lenses.

Let them capture every second.

“My husband chose my adopted sister over me.”

My voice slowed.

“My parents supported him.”

I inhaled painfully.

“So tell me this.”

I let the question hang.

“If a doctor won’t save his own wife because he prefers someone else…”

My voice cracked.

“Would you trust him with your life?”

“Seraphina.”

Nikolai stepped toward me.

His voice became a warning.

“Shut up.”

Evangeline clutched his arm.

“Nikolai, please… don’t fight.”

Immediately his tone softened.

“I’m not fighting.”

He touched her hand.

“I’m here.”

Then his gaze returned to me.

All steel.

“Sit down.”

My heart began pounding violently.

Too fast.

Too hard.

Every beat felt wrong.

Pain exploded through my chest.

I tried to steady myself.

My knees gave out.

The floor rushed upward.

I collapsed.

Someone screamed.

Warm liquid filled my mouth.

Blood.

Reporters surged forward.

Camera flashes exploded nonstop.

Flash.

Flash.

Flash.

My mother suddenly panicked.

“Stop filming!”

Her voice broke.

“She’s exaggerating!”

She pointed at me.

“She just wants attention!”

My father tried to block the cameras.

Nikolai dropped beside me.

But there was no panic in his face.

Only frustration.

“Seraphina!”

His voice was sharp with irritation.

“Stop this.”

His hands gripped my shoulders.

“Enough with the acting.”

His lip curled.

“Quit behaving like some FAMAS actress.”

I smiled.

Blood ran from the corner of my mouth.

For the first time…

Everyone could see.

Dr. Bennett shoved through the crowd carrying a defibrillator.

He dropped beside me.

Pads pressed to my chest.

Once.

Twice.

His voice cut through the chaos.

“Clear!”

My body jerked.

Everything felt distant.

Muted.

Far away.

I think I smiled.

At least the cameras saw all of it.

Then a voice reached me from somewhere impossibly far.

Clinical.

Detached.

Professional.

“Seraphina Whitmore Laurent.”

A pause.

“Female. Twenty-five years old.”

Another pause.

Then the final words.

“Time of death: 10:06 a.m.”

And just like that—

I stopped being their burden.

I stopped being an inconvenience.

I stopped being the problem.

Chapter 5

Nikolai’S POV

Ten seconds passed and no one breathed.

The monitor kept giving that long, flat sound and it started drilling into my skull.

“That’s impossible! Dr. Bennett, what kind of stunt is this? Are you seriously helping her stage something like this in front of the press?”

He didn’t answer me. He just stared.

I pushed past two nurses and dropped to my knees beside her. Sera was lying there, eyes half open, blood at the corner of her mouth and she wasn’t moving at all.

“Sera!” I said sharply, grabbing her shoulders, “enough. Get up. This isn’t funny and this isn’t how you prove a point.”

I shook her harder than I meant to.

“Wake up! You’ve already embarrassed everyone. Don’t take it this far.”

Her head rolled to the side.

Dr. Bennett shoved me back. “Stop it!”

“Don’t touch her like that,” he snapped, then pointed at her chest. “Look at her properly, Nikolai. Look.”

He grabbed her file from a nurse and slammed it onto the conference table. Papers scattered and cameras zoomed in.

“For three months her numbers have been crashing and I told you every single time she couldn’t wait any longer,” his voice shaking was with anger. “Her oxygen saturation was eighty eight percent at rest last week and her lactate kept climbing. Those are end stage marker!”

He threw another report down. “You’re a cardiac surgeon. Don’t stand there pretending you don’t know what that means.”

Behind me I heard a choked sound.

“Sera!” her mother cried, heels scraping against the floor as she ran forward. “Sera, baby, answer me.”

Her father rushed too and nearly tripped over a chair. “Call her name, call her name,” he kept saying like it was a spell that would fix this. “Sera, sweetheart, open your eyes.”

Her mother fell to her knees on the other side and touched her face with shaking hands. “She’s cold... She’s just fainted. She’s always had low blood pressure. She’s strong, she’ll compensate.”

Dr. Bennett looked at her. “You cut off her medication funds. She signed an IOU yesterday.”

Her father froze. “What are you talking about?”

“She had twenty money in her pocket,” Bennett said. “Twenty. She couldn’t even afford antibiotics.”

Her mother’s face crumpled and she shook her head over and over. “No. I just wanted her to calm down and apologize. I never thought…”

“You never thought she’d collapse?” Bennett shot back. “You’re the head of cardiac surgery.”

I leaned down again and pressed my fingers to Sera’s neck.

Nothing.

My hands felt numb.

“She’s young,” I muttered. “Her compensatory mechanisms are strong. She’s just in shock. Move. Get the crash cart. Start compressions.”

Her father grabbed her hand. “Sera, it’s Dad. You hear me? Don’t scare us like this.”

Her mother started sobbing openly. “My baby, please. You can’t do this to me. I didn’t mean it. I didn’t mean it.”

Cameras were flashing nonstop.

Bennett’s voice cut through everything. “Assess her yourself, Nikolai. You’re the one who signed that transplant decision. Check her pulse. Listen to her heart. Look at her pupils and tell everyone what you find.”

The room went completely silent.

I leaned down and put my ear to her chest.

Nothing.

I checked her pupils.

Fixed.

The flat line kept ringing and it felt like it was mocking me.

“N-no! No, this is wrong! This is a mistake. I made the right call. Evangeline needed that heart. Sera could hold on. She always held on.”

“Sera, please, Mom is here.” Her mother let out a broken scream and collapsed against her husband. “I’m here. Wake up.”

Her father’s voice cracked as he kept repeating her name like he could drag her back with it.

I stared at her face and for the first time I couldn’t control my voice.

“Sera… Open your eyes. I’m telling you to wake up.”

She didn’t move.

Mrs. Whitmore crouched down slowly, like her bones had aged twenty years in ten seconds. Her fingers pressed against Sera’s neck.

Five seconds.

Ten.

Twenty.

Thirty.

Her hand slipped.

She fell back onto the floor.

“No… no…” she whispered, shaking her head like that alone could reverse it. “That’s not right. I checked her labs yesterday. She was stable enough to argue with me. She stood there and fought with me. She looked me in the eye. That’s not someone who dies the next day.”

Dr. Bennett’s voice was cold. “She used the last of her strength to argue with you.”

Her father dropped to his knees beside Sera and grabbed her hand. “Sera. Sera, sweetheart. Enough. Open your eyes. Dad’s here. Don’t do this. You hear me? You don’t get to scare us like this.”

I was still frozen.

Then something snapped.

I lunged forward and pushed past everyone.

“Move.”

I grabbed her shoulders again.

“Sera,” I said sharply, shaking her. “Stop it. This isn’t funny. You don’t win like this. You don’t prove a point like this. Open your eyes right now.”

Her head lolled.

I slapped her cheek lightly.

“Hey. Look at me.”

Nothing.

I pressed my fingers to her neck again. Nothing. I leaned down and put my ear to her chest.

“No,” I muttered. “No. I know this heart rhythm. This is temporary. It’s reversible. We can shock her. We can intubate. Get the crash cart.”

No one moved fast enough.

I bent down and started chest compressions myself.

“Come on!” I growled through my teeth. “You’re stronger than this. You’ve survived worse. You don’t get to quit on me.”

Her mother crawled closer, sobbing openly now. “Sera, Mommy was wrong. I was angry. I shouldn’t have said those things. I shouldn’t have forced you. Just wake up and yell at me again. I’ll let you win. I’ll let you say whatever you want.”

Her father was crying too, gripping her foot like he was afraid she’d disappear. “I’ll cancel everything. I’ll resign. I’ll go public and fix it. Just come back. Please.”

I leaned down and grabbed her hand and brought it to my lips.

Her skin was cold.

“Sera,” I whispered, voice breaking. “Look at me, baby... You don’t get to leave me. I made a decision as a doctor. That’s all it was. A decision. You’re my wife. You don’t get to punish me like this.”

I kissed her knuckles again.

“Open your eyes and yell at me. Tell me I’m wrong. Tell me I’m heartless. Just say something.”

Dr. Bennett’s voice cut in, tight. “Nikolai. Stop.”