At the End of the Tunnel

My mom’s familiar voice suddenly snapped me back to reality.

“How is Nora doing right now?”

The worry in her tone tugged at my heart. However, just when I thought I had finally caught a lifeline, in the very next moment, it felt as though I was thrown back into hell.

“Now that the bone marrow has been harvested, send it over quickly,” my mom continued. “Chloe can’t afford to wait any longer. Since Nora’s in surgery anyway, we might as well have them perform a hysterectomy, too. That way, we can prevent Nora from harboring any improper thoughts or schemes in the future.

“It’s all my fault for not raising her right, and it put Chloe through so much suffering. Cutting off that possibility once and for all is probably for the best for Nora, and for everyone else.”

My dad agreed with her statement. “Yeah, leaving it intact is indeed a ticking time bomb. No matter what, she is my biological daughter. I’d rather support her for the rest of her life than have her go out and ruin other people's lives.”

So, in their eyes, the entire purpose of my existence was nothing more than to pave a smooth path for Chloe.

With that, the last shred of hope inside me was destroyed. As my consciousness began to fade, I forced myself to reach out and fumble for the burner phone hidden on me.

[That favor you owe me—you can pay it back now.]

The moment the message had been sent, both the display on my phone and my mind plunged into darkness.

I had no idea how much time had passed before the pungent stench of disinfectant finally jarred me awake. My body felt as though it had been crushed into pieces and then forcefully patched back together. The hollow emptiness in my lower abdomen served as a constant, brutal reminder of everything that had just transpired.

Just then, a soft sobbing sound echoed from the bedside.

“Ugh… Elijah, Tyler, how could you guys do this to me?”

I looked over and saw Chloe leaning weakly against Elijah’s chest.

“Just the thought of putting something from her body into mine makes me feel so disgusted! Why didn’t you tell me? This is such an insult to me!”

Elijah looked down at her with concern, trying to comfort her. However, the moment he turned to me, his eyes betrayed his impatience.

“Since you're awake, apologize to Chloe right now! Beg her to accept your filthy bone marrow so it can save her life!”

Chloe challenged me, “Do you honestly think that just because you donated your marrow, I’ll be grateful to you? No! I will never, ever forgive you for everything you’ve done to me! I know you did this to yourself on purpose. You just want the boys to feel sorry for you! You just want them to watch me die, don’t you?”

“Chloe, don’t get so worked up. Your body can’t take this kind of stress,” Elijah rushed to soothe her.

Tyler went a step further by throwing me straight onto the cold floor.

“Nora, apologize right this instant and guarantee that you will never interfere with her treatments like this ever again!”

“She isn’t going to give a sincere apology!” Chloe cried out.

Chloe clutched Elijah’s hand, her eyes filled with tears as she looked toward our parents, who had just rushed into the room after hearing the commotion.

“Look at the way she’s glaring at me… Even if I accept her bone marrow, she’s going to find a way to kill me sooner or later!”

My mom lunged forward, frantically wrapping her arms around Chloe before turning to bark furiously at me. “Nora! This is a matter of life and death right now! Do you have to kick up a fuss at a time like this? You have driven Chloe to such a miserable state. Do you want her to die right in front of your eyes before you'll finally be satisfied?”

I stared at my parents, and then at Elijah, who was holding Chloe. Tears streamed down my face, slamming against the floorboards. So, this was what it actually felt like when a heart was dead.

Just as I was about to speak, Chloe’s body suddenly went limp, and she fainted into Elijah’s arms.

“Chloe!”

“Quick, call a doctor!”

Elijah’s face turned pale as he dashed out of the room with her. Tyler and my parents followed them out the door, but not before Tyler turned back to threaten me over his shoulder.

“Nora! If anything happens to Chloe, I will never let you off the hook!”

The hospital room door slammed shut with a deafening thud, and my vision went black as I collapsed. Beneath me, a pool of dark red liquid began to spread across the floor.

Once Chloe’s condition had finally stabilized, Elijah, seething with anger, kicked the door open.

“Nora, you better–”

His voice cut off abruptly. The hospital bed was empty. All that was left was nothing but a mess of tangled sheets and a pool of dark red blood on the floor that hadn't completely dried yet.

He grabbed a passing nurse, his voice trembling with a panic that he himself hadn't even realized.

“Where is the patient in this room? Where did Nora go?”

The nurse shook off his grip with a frown.

“Are you a family member? Get over to the emergency care right now! The patient has lost an extreme amount of blood, and her condition is incredibly poor. Family members need to prepare themselves for the worst!”