ManyWriters

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 Heart He Stole Twice

The following morning, Lucas Ryan appeared to be a completely transformed individual. He showed up at the hospital, clean-shaven and well-groomed, a stark difference from the despondent man he had been just the previous day.


Nobody dared to inquire about his recent absence from work. However, as soon as he arrived, Evelyn Snow, with swollen, red eyes, intercepted him in the corridor.


"Lucas! Why have you been avoiding me?"


He barely acknowledged her before entering the elevator and descending to the basement.


By day's end, Lucas had claimed my remains as my "husband" and arranged for my interment in a secluded cemetery in the southern part of the city.


On the day of the funeral, heavy rain fell—mirroring the weather on the day of my demise.


I stood in the downpour, observing Lucas as he knelt before my grave. He was drenched, but seemed oblivious to it. His gaze was fixed on the monochrome photograph etched into my headstone.


For an extended period, he remained motionless.


Chapter 10