Chapter 3

3

Evie was staying in a luxury VIP suite. I had been crammed into a five-person general ward. It was smelly, loud, and the noise constantly triggered my heart palpitations.

I had called Gavin back then, begging for a transfer. I didn't need a VIP room; I just needed somewhere quiet.

He had just laughed into the phone.

"Are you addicted to the drama? You just have to compete with Evie for everything, don't you?

"If you want my pity, keep trying. I put you in that ward on purpose. There are plenty of contagious patients in there. If you aren't afraid to die, stay there!"

I had frozen in fear.

Contagious. Die.

Hearing those words from my husband was terrifying.

By then, I was already hooked up to tubes and couldn't move. The nurses and doctors, following Gavin's orders, treated me like garbage. They would stick me ten times before finding a vein, leaving me covered in cold sweat.

When my IV bag ran out and blood started backing up the tube, no one came.

The food they served me was cold leftovers.

When I complained, a nurse just rolled her eyes at me.

"You've been a rich wife for too long. You think you're better than everyone else? You're just a patient. If you don't like it, go home!"

I didn't dare say anything else. I wanted to live. I wanted to live more than anyone.

Meanwhile, Evie was living in total comfort. She had the best private nurses. Gavin wouldn't even pay for a basic caregiver for me.

"Gavin, besides the shortbread, I really want some chicken soup," Evie said, her voice dripping with sweetness.

I had a bad feeling about this.

I used to make chicken soup for Gavin all the time. Evie must have tasted it before.

Sure enough, Gavin looked at her tenderly.

"I'll have Rory make some for you."

He pulled out his phone, his eyes turning to ice. He dialed my number.

Once. Twice.

On the third try, someone finally picked up. Gavin didn't even wait for a greeting.

"Rory, I don't care what you're doing. Get home and make some chicken soup for Evie. Have it here by tonight. And you're going to apologize to her, or we're getting a divorce!"

The person on the other end was silent. Gavin hung up immediately.

"I don't care what you're doing." What a joke.

Even if he didn't believe I was dead, he knew he had just authorized a surgery to take my kidney. I had two massive incisions on my body. There was no way I could recover faster than Evie.

But I forgot. I was nothing compared to her.

I had spent my life answering his every beck and call. This was the first time I wouldn't respond.

As for the divorce... he could do whatever he wanted. He used that threat every time I did something he didn't like. He knew I would always cave.

When he wanted my kidney, I said no because of my heart condition. He used the divorce threat then, too. I wasn't being difficult; I was trying to stay alive.

But Gavin didn't believe me. He stormed into the OR after I was drugged. He and his team didn't even wear surgical masks or scrubs. They didn't care if I got an infection.