After I Was Reborn and Gave the Path to Survival to His First Love, He Was Jailed.

Not far away, Anna Shaw stood in a pale blue hospital gown, leaning weakly against the wall.

Leo, in her arms, was watching cartoons on a tablet with the volume turned way up. His cheeks were rosy; he didn't look seriously ill at all.

When Anna Shaw saw me looking, she immediately put on a panicked expression, tears welling up in her eyes instantly.

"Joel, Saozi, I'm so sorry. It's all my fault. I shouldn't have brought Leo to this hospital."

"If Saozi isn't willing, then forget it. I'll just take Leo home and keep him on medication. The worst that can happen is he won't be able to do any strenuous exercise in the future."

As she spoke, her body slumped limply downward.

Quick as a flash, Joel Shepherd caught her. He turned to glare at me. "Leah Kessler! Will you not be satisfied until you've driven this poor mother and child to their deaths?"

Watching this scene unfold, I was suddenly struck by how absurd it all was.

'In my last life, I cared too much about Joel Shepherd, too much about holding this family together.'

'That's why I argued my case so desperately, why I trampled on my own dignity to beg him.'

'And what was the result?'

'Not only did I fail to secure the life-saving treatment, but I also lost Andy in the process.'

'In this life, I won't be so pathetic again.'

I took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the hatred churning in my chest.

Then, I looked up and gave Joel Shepherd a smile of utter gentleness.

"Alright."

Joel Shepherd froze.

His brows furrowed. The tirade he had prepared got stuck in his throat.

"What did you say?"

I looked at him calmly, my voice softer than it had ever been, even carrying a hint of relief.

"I said, since Leo's situation is so special, let him have it."

"It's a life on the line, after all. How could I be so malicious?"

I took a pen from my bag and signed my name on the treatment waiver.

The tip of the pen made a soft scratching sound as it moved across the paper.

Joel Shepherd took the consent form, a flicker of astonishment on his face. He seemed unable to believe I had given in so easily.

"You've thought it through?" he asked tentatively, his eyes full of suspicion.

I nodded, gazing through the glass window at Andy, who lay in his hospital bed, covered in tubes.

"Yes, I've thought it through."

"You were right. One can't be too selfish. You have to know when to let others have their way."

The suspicion in Joel Shepherd's eyes vanished, replaced by the smug satisfaction of someone in complete control.

"That's the right way to think."

"I knew it. All that crying and drama you used to pull was just for attention. Deep down, you still know what's truly important."

He handed the form to Anna Shaw, his tone as gentle as if he were coaxing his beloved.

"Go take care of the paperwork. Don't delay Leo's surgery."

Anna Shaw took the form. A triumphant glint flashed in her eyes, but she still feigned reluctance with her words.

"Joel, will Saozi hate me for this?"

"She won't."

Without even a glance in my direction, Joel Shepherd slung an arm around Anna Shaw's shoulder and walked her toward the doctor's office.

"She's much more sensible now. She knows what's most important."

Their figures gradually disappeared down the end of the hallway.

'Like a loving family of three.'

The smile on my face vanished instantly, replaced by a bone-deep coldness.

I looked down at Andy's pale little face, my fingers gently stroking the back of his hand, bruised and purple from the long-term IV drips.

Tears fell silently onto the pristine white bedsheets.

'Andy, I'm so sorry.'

'Mommy isn't giving up on you.'

'It's because Mommy knows this valve... is a death sentence.'

'In my last life, I only found out after Leo received this valve.'

'This batch of Bio-Regenerative Valves has a severe genetic defect.'

'Due to a data anomaly during the cultivation process, it produces powerful rejection toxins once implanted in the human body.'

'After Leo got it, his heart murmur disappeared, but his kidneys and liver failed rapidly within six months.'

'But my Andy, if he were to receive this valve in his current condition, he would die on the spot.'

'So, Joel Shepherd.'

'Since you care so much about that illegitimate son of yours…'

'I'll generously gift this "lifesaver" to you.'