Chapter 2
Sienna's smile froze.
She stared at Matthew in utter disbelief.
"Matthew, didn't you give me your door code so I could come by whenever I wanted?" Sienna protested.
Her eyes brimmed with tears, giving her that helpless, vulnerable look.
It was a tactic Sienna had used many times.
I closed my eyes, bracing myself for the inevitable tongue-lashing from Matthew.
Whenever Sienna broke down in tears and I happened to be around, Matthew would blame it all on me, venting every bit of his anger my way.
Only then would Sienna finally stop crying and start smiling again.
After all these years, I'd just gotten used to it.
But this time, I kept waiting, and the world around me remained dead silent.
When I opened my eyes again, Matthew was standing there, fists clenched tight, grinding his teeth.
He started yelling, but this time, the target of his fury wasn't me.
"Sienna, you've got some nerve barging into my place like you own it. Acting all chummy with me as though we're very familiar. Drop the act," he snapped.
I was stunned.
The last time Matthew had stood up for me was back in university.
Some girls, jealous that I was dating Matthew, had cornered me in the restroom right after class.
They were all dolled up in heavy makeup, wearing fishnet stockings that looked like they'd been ripped, their smiles twisted and mean.
"Take a good look at yourself. Matthew's way out of your league—he belongs with Sienna. Who do you think you are to date him?" one of them sneered.
"If you know what's good for you, you'll dump Matthew and make way for Sienna," another one chimed in.
I didn't dare stand up to them back then, so I just swallowed my pride and agreed.
When Matthew found out what had happened, he didn't hesitate. He went straight to those girls, gave them a piece of his mind, and made them apologize to me.
After that, the number of people bothering me decreased dramatically.
It had been seven years since we graduated from university.
And for the past five years, Matthew had been giving me the cold shoulder.
I looked at Matthew. He might be dressed like a grown-up, but there was no hiding the boyish vibe about him.
No matter how much one tried to pretend, demeanor was the hardest to change.
I wondered if he was really the eighteen-year-old Matthew.
But then, Matthew just sighed, "Go wait outside. I'll talk to you later."
Hearing that, Sienna shot me a venomous glare before looking back at Matthew, her smile turning ridiculously sweet. "Matthew, I'll be waiting for your call."
Watching these two trade flirt sent an icy chill straight to my heart.
Once Sienna was gone, Matthew pulled out his phone right in front of me and deleted Sienna's contact.
After that, he crouched down in front of me like a kid looking for praise, looking up at me.
Ever since I'd been in this wheelchair, Matthew had always looked down at me—literally, from above.
I never thought I'd see him crouch down like this.
When I remained silent, he gave me an eager grin, like he was trying to score some points with me.
The earnest look on his face clashed so hilariously with the mature outfit he was wearing.
Just as I was about to speak, the world suddenly spun.
Warm, metallic blood welled up in my mouth—I was vomiting blood again.
As I fell unconscious, I caught a glimpse of Matthew's panicked face as he scrambled to get me to the hospital.
When I finally came to, the harsh scent of antiseptic hit me first.
My whole body felt swollen and unbearably itchy.
I tried to lift my hand to scratch, but no matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't muster any strength.
But my weak attempt was enough to rouse Matthew, who'd been keeping watch by my bedside all night.
Seeing me awake, his eyes sparked with the relief of someone who'd just cheated death.
He grabbed my hand desperately.
"Cora, you're finally awake! You were out cold for three whole days. I thought you were..." He choked up and couldn't get the rest of the words out.
After collecting himself, Matthew gave me a dead-serious look. "Cora, I've already worked things out with the doctor. As soon as you're strong enough, they'll schedule the surgery for us."
That one word jumped out at me. "Us?"
He nodded.
"Yeah. While you were unconscious, I got all the tests done. Turns out I'm a perfect match with you for kidney transplant," Matthew said.
I just stared at him, feeling like he really had lost it.
"Matthew, my days are numbered. I won't be around for much longer—you don't need to pull off some grand scheme just to trick me. My body can't handle it," I whispered.
I couldn't believe he'd go so far to make Sienna happy.
But Matthew shot my refusal down. "Cora, whether you believe it or not, I'm going to save you."
His eyes burned with determination. I couldn't say a word—I just stared at him.
*****
About two weeks later, I was finally discharged from the hospital.
The doctors had told me to take it easy at home, to rest up and get my strength back before the surgery.
The day I was discharged, Matthew glowed with happiness.
He pushed my wheelchair at a leisurely pace, already starting to talk about all the things we'd do together once I was better.
When we got home, he suddenly smacked his forehead. "Oh, Cora, isn't your birthday coming up soon?"
He whipped out his phone and started firing off texts to his friends. "I've got to throw you an unforgettable birthday party before the surgery."
I hesitated, still not sure what to make of it all.
But then, out of the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of the names on his phone screen and my heart sank like a stone.
Those friends were the ones who'd gone out of their way to bully me the hardest, right alongside him.
Turned out, all that concern Matthew showed me while I was in the hospital was just a lie.
It was all just so I'd drop my guard and make it easier for them to mess with me again.
*****
Soon, it was my birthday.