Chapter 1

It was common knowledge that Lucas Ryan had wed me solely out of resentment, unable to be with the woman he truly adored.

Throughout our five-year union, he played the role of the ideal spouse in public—a celebrated heart specialist admired by many. However, within the confines of our home, he was aloof and detached, frequently requesting a divorce.

Then Evelyn Snow, his first love, came back to the country due to health issues. Lucas dedicated himself to her care, rarely leaving her side. He even cautioned me repeatedly: "Eve's heart condition is fragile. If you dare appear and cause her stress, our marriage is over for good."

At last, during his hundredth plea for a divorce, I conceded.

What Lucas was unaware of, though, was that I was already expecting his child.

En route to the courthouse to complete the divorce proceedings, I was involved in a vehicular collision. My life and that of my unborn baby were extinguished in a moment.

Lucas didn't receive the divorce papers that day, but he did get word that Evelyn had found an ideal heart donor match.

Elated, he hurried back to the medical center and conducted the operation himself, extracting the heart from my lifeless form and implanting it into hers.

It wasn't until afterwards that he recalled our divorce—but by then, my phone would never ring again.

------ The agony finally ceased when my spirit departed from my body.

I drifted above the scene, observing the wrecked vehicle smoldering in the downpour. The driver's seat was compressed beyond recognition, and the body slumped within was contorted and shattered in every conceivable way.

This day was meant to commemorate our fifth wedding anniversary. Ironically, it was also when Lucas demanded a divorce for the hundredth time.

Over the years, I had attempted to disregard the fissures in our delicate relationship, hoping that somehow, we'd make it work. But this time, I finally agreed to let go.

Half a decade is a considerable span, even if most of it was characterized by distance and tension. Regardless of how things were, we'd spent a significant portion of our lives together.

But everything shifted a month ago when Evelyn returned from abroad, her health declining.

From that point on, Lucas never came home. He remained at the hospital, tirelessly caring for her.

Everyone was aware that he had married me out of anger and heartbreak after Evelyn rejected him.

But I had loved him for years, long before he even knew my name. So, even when I discovered the truth, I stayed. Loving him was as instinctive as breathing, no matter how much it hurt.

My thoughts returned to the present as I watched the ambulance from St. Mercy's Hospital load my broken body into the back.

I followed instinctively.

Lucas worked at St. Mercy's, where he was a renowned cardiologist. Patients and staff revered him. Yet, as his wife, I couldn't even approach him for a minor ailment.

On our wedding day, he had made it clear: "I don't want to see you at my workplace."

"And don't trouble me with trivial matters."

That's why I never informed him of my pregnancy.

As I hovered above the ambulance, my hand drifted to my abdomen. The life I had carried, the one I had dreamed of for years, was gone now—just like me.

Tears flowed down my face, silent and unending, as an ache settled deep in my chest.

That child was supposed to be my miracle, my hope after five long years.

My body wasn't taken to the morgue. Instead, it was wheeled into the operating room on the fifth floor.

The door to the operating room opened, and two figures entered.

"Dr. Ryan, this isn't legal without the family's consent..."

The voice belonged to Mason, Lucas's protégé. I knew him well; over the years, he had consumed countless meals I'd brought for Lucas.

Evelyn scoffed and folded her arms as she approached my lifeless body. She glanced at me before quickly turning her head, unable to conceal the revulsion in her eyes.

"I've waited far too long for a compatible heart. I'm not about to let this opportunity slip away," she said coldly.

Then, without hesitation, she turned to Mason. "Call Lucas. Tell him to come back and perform the surgery himself."

Mason hesitated, shifting uncomfortably on his feet. He opened his mouth as if to protest but said nothing.

Evelyn extracted a card from her purse and handed it to him.

"There's fifty grand on this card. This stays between us. No one has to know."

Mason stared at the card, torn between guilt and greed.

Finally, after a long pause, he took it and dialed Lucas.

The phone rang a few times before Lucas's voice filled the room.

"What is it?" he asked, sounding impatient.

Mason glanced at Evelyn before answering softly.

'Dr. Ryan, we found a suitable donor for Evelyn. The body is in the operating room. You should come back.'

The indifference in Lucas's voice evaporated, replaced by palpable excitement.

'Are you serious?! I'll be there right away!'

'Eve won't have to worry about this anymore...'

His voice was jubilant, overflowing with relief and joy.

Each word felt like a dagger to my chest. My tears blurred everything as I looked at the operating table where my body lay.

If Lucas knew it was my heart he was about to take, would he still sound so happy?