Chapter 2

"Hi, could you pull up Lucas's surgery records for me?" I asked the young nurse at the archives desk.

She was new, so she didn't recognize me.

When I told her I was Lucas's sister, she immediately pulled up his heart transplant records from back then.

Sure enough, I found that the donor information had been tampered with.

While the nurse wasn't looking, I quickly snapped a photo of the records with my phone.

By the time I got back to the lounge, Michael was already there.

I was texting my lawyer when Michael shot me an apologetic look. He said, "Sorry, Wendy, I can't spend your birthday with you today. There's something urgent at work I have to deal with."

I frowned, feeling a little upset. I said, "Can't it wait until tomorrow? Today isn't just my birthday; it's also the day we remember my parents and Lucas."

"I know, and I'm really sorry, but this can't wait. I'll make it up to you tomorrow. Your birthday present has already been waiting for you at home," Michael replied.

His sudden interruption brought me crashing back to reality.

Yeah, his promise to take my family's place and always be there for me was nothing but empty words.

My birthday and the day I mourn my family could never compete with him being there with Rachel for her brother, Ryan Summers's graduation.

Standing at Lucas's grave, I got a text from Rachel.

Rachel: [It's Ryan's graduation today. Michael made a special trip to celebrate, and he even gave Ryan ten percent of the Grant Group's shares. Why didn't you come join the celebration?]

Rachel: [Oh, I totally forgot. Today's the day your brother passed. You must be busy. Well, guess we'll just keep having fun on this happy day.]

Then she sent me a group photo.

Ryan was in the middle, grinning like the proud graduate he was, with Rachel and Michael standing on either side of him.

Michael wasn't even looking at the camera; he was turned slightly toward Rachel, his eyes soft with obvious affection for her.

I gripped my phone so tightly my knuckles turned white, staring at Lucas's photo on the tombstone. A wave of grief and hatred crashed through me.

Lucas was the one who deserved to live.

But the person behind all this, the one I'd loved for three years, was Michael.

Just then, I got a message from the lawyer I'd just talked to.

He said that those surgery records, even with clear signs of tampering, still weren't enough to prove they switched out the donor heart.

I stood before the three graves, rain and tears running together down my cheeks.

I didn't even remember how long I stayed there before everything finally went dark.

When I finally came to, the first thing I saw was Michael's face, worried and full of pain for me.

"Wendy, you're awake. Does anything hurt?" Michael asked, his concern written all over his face.

The look in his eyes, so full of pity and tenderness, almost made me want to blurt out the question I'd been holding back. Had he ever truly loved me in these past three years?

Rachel sat down next to us, looping her arm around Michael with practiced intimacy, her voice oozing fake concern.

"Wendy, I know today is your family's memorial day, but you really shouldn't be so reckless, standing out in the rain like that. Michael and I were so worried about you," she said, her tone all sweetness.

The way they acted together, they looked just like husband and wife.

I forced myself to keep it together, pushing down all the hurt and bitterness.

"Thanks for worrying about me, but I'm fine. You two can get back to whatever you were doing," I said, my tone flat and distant.

Michael's expression shifted for a moment, and he quietly edged away from Rachel just a bit.

He took my hand, his fingers lingering as he gently brushed my pale cheek, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear.

"Work's nothing compared to you," he said softly. "The doctor said you got a bit of a fever from standing out in the rain. You need to rest for a few days. I've pushed everything aside just to be here with you."

The warmth of his hand left me a little lightheaded.

Back then, whenever I got sick, no matter how massive the deal he was working on, even if it was a multi-billion dollar contract, he'd drop everything and rush home to be by my side.

For three years, he was flawless in how he treated me.

If I hadn't overheard that conversation between him and the doctor yesterday, I never would've believed he'd go to such lengths for Rachel.