Chapter 1

Mark Reynolds had set up this whole twisted plot for me.

He drugged me, got me pregnant, forced me through a rough labor, and even planned to take my kidney. All of these were to save his precious Leanne Moreno.

But under the influence of the drugs, I ended up sleeping with Mark's sworn enemy, and for a man who struggled to have kids, I gave birth to his child.

As for the elaborate scheme Mark and Leanne had cooked up, I wanted nothing to do with it. Let them keep their drama to themselves.

It was not about finding someone who treated me well. What mattered was finding someone who was good at their core.

*****

I found a medical report tucked away in Mark Reynolds's suit pocket.

It was our three-year anniversary, and Mark had reserved the fanciest revolving restaurant downtown. Candlelight danced, roses filled the air with their scent, and he held my hand.

His gaze was so tender I felt like I could melt right there. He said, "Cecily, just give me one more year. Once my project is stable, we'll get married."

My heart felt like it was soaked in honey, trembling with happiness. I nodded, my fingers brushing over the fine buttons on his suit, and smiled. "I'll wait for you."

While he got up to use the restroom, his phone stayed on the seat. The screen lit up with a message from an unknown number: [Mr. Reynolds, the kidney match report is confirmed. Cecily's test results all meet Ms. Moreno's requirements. When should we move forward?]

My smile froze on my face. Kidney? Ms. Moreno?

My heart skipped a beat, and before I knew it, I reached for his suit jacket. A folded A4 sheet slipped out of the pocket. The hospital's name was stamped at the top, Nerton Hospital. The diagnosis stated, "Leanne Moreno, end-stage chronic kidney failure. She needed a transplant."

My name was listed first. "Cecily Lucero. A 97% match."

It was like a bolt of lightning, freezing me to the core.

I thought back over the past three years. How did Mark come into my life? It happened when I was at rock bottom. I grew up in an orphanage and was deeply attached to it. Right after graduation, a fire broke out there. So many people were hurt.

I spent everything I had on medical bills and ended up buried in debt. Then, like some kind of guardian angel, Mark showed up and paid off everything. He softly told me, "Don't worry. I've got you."

He remembered every little thing about me. I loved spicy food, so he'd take me out for hot wings, even though his own stomach couldn't handle it. When it was my period, he'd make hot chocolate and hand me a warm heating pad. If I worked late, he'd drive over to pick me up, always with my favorite drink ready in the car.

Everyone said I must've saved the galaxy in my last life to meet a guy like Mark.

I used to think so, too. I thought I'd found my soulmate, that we'd be like the prince and princess in a fairy tale. We would get married, have kids, and grow old side by side.

But now, that flimsy piece of paper felt like a poisoned dagger, shattering all my dreams in an instant.

All that tenderness was fake, all that caring was just for show. He only ever got close to me because my kidney matched Leanne's.

Leanne... That name wasn't unfamiliar at all. She was Mark's childhood friend, the girl he always cherished. I'd seen her once in Mark's photo album. Her smile was as bright as spring sunshine. Mark always said she was his most important "sister."

But thinking about it now, she was never just a sister. She was the one he loved down to his bones.

My fingers were icy and trembling. I slipped the report back into his pocket, pretending everything was fine, but it felt like an invisible hand was squeezing my heart so tight I could barely breathe.

Mark came back and sat across from me, still looking as gentle as ever. "What's wrong? You don't look so good."

I tugged at the corner of my mouth, forcing a smile. "It's nothing. I'm just a little tired," I said.

He reached out to tuck a loose strand of hair behind my ear, and his fingers felt almost burning, making me instinctively pull away. I looked into his smiling eyes, and all I saw was a chilling abyss. The tenderness and care I used to love now felt bone-chilling.

Dinner tasted like nothing. Mark kept painting pictures of our future together, like buying a house with a garden, getting a golden retriever, having two kids, one just like me, one just like him.

As I listened, all I could think of was how ironic it was. All those beautiful dreams were nothing but bait to get me to hand over my kidney without a fight.

After dinner, Mark wanted to take me to a hotel, saying he'd prepared a surprise. My heart skipped a beat, and a wave of unease washed over me. Before I could even protest, Mark took hold of my hand. His grip was unexpectedly firm.

We pulled up to a five-star hotel. Mark opened the car door for me, his smile as gentle as ever. "Come on, the surprise is inside."