Something Stolen, Something Cruel, Something Walked Away

The call ended.

I bought a ticket to South City.

Late that night, long fingers pulled back the covers. A familiar scent filled the air.

My body went stiff. I instinctively shrank back.

Nathan's strong hand gripped my waist. His hot breath fell against my ear.

His voice was low and rough. "Weren't you the one who wanted to learn new moves to please me? Why are you pulling away?"

My eyes were dry and burning. I forced a laugh. "She's so wild—seven times in one night. Isn't that enough to satisfy you?"

The air went dead silent.

Nathan's brow furrowed. "Why do you have to insult Chloe like that? She was worried about you. She didn't want you to feel bad. So she made me come keep you company. What more do you want from her?!"

He slammed the door and left.

Half an hour later, my phone suddenly rang.

On the other end, Chloe's tearful voice came through, soft and pleading. "Nathan…"

Her voice broke. The pitch shot up—like she'd just been slammed into.

Nathan's raspy voice followed. "Now do you understand why both your ex and I chose Chloe over you? The way she moans is just too good.

"Two men have left you. Maybe you should take a good look at yourself and figure out why you can't keep a man."

I clenched the phone. My body wouldn't stop shaking.

Back then, when he held me tight, his eyes red, he said, "He's blind. He doesn't deserve you, Evelyn."

That day, he nearly beat a man to death—just to force my ex to delete my nude photos.

But now, he was saying things like this, ripping my heart apart.

Nathan suddenly laughed. "Oh, by the way. You want to see those photos? I actually kept backups. Your technique was really bad."

The phone slipped from my hand and hit the floor. The screen shattered.

A sharp pain stabbed through my chest—like someone had carved a piece right out of me.

So even that had been a lie.

The young love I thought had saved me was just something I made up in my own head.

Outside, rain poured down in sheets.

I curled up in the rundown apartment, burning up with a fever.

My aunt called. Her voice was frantic.

"Evelyn! Someone took your mother's heart donor!

"The hospital said it was your boyfriend, Nathan Whitley. He's taking the heart to save his wife's brother. And he had your mother kicked out of the VIP ward!"

My ears rang. My mind went blank.

My mother's condition was deteriorating fast. Without a heart transplant, she wouldn't make it through tomorrow.

I had waited three years on the transplant list. I had spent so much money. I had begged so many people. He knew all of that.

And now, just to save Chloe's brother, he didn't care whether my mother lived or died?

Drenched in the pouring rain, barely standing from the fever, I went to find him. I arrived at a luxury private room.

Through the door, I heard his friends joking around.

"Damn, Nathan is really addicted to his wife. Listen to that… hope the couch doesn't break."

The group burst out laughing. Then they turned to look at a screen.

"Whew, Nathan still has these videos saved?"

"Evelyn was so stiff and boring in bed. Nathan put up with that for five years. No wonder he was losing his mind."

My fingernails dug into my palms.

Not only had he kept backups—he'd shared those private videos with other people.

Pushing down the humiliation burning through me, I opened the door and walked in.

Everyone froze.

From a nearby partitioned area came the sound of a woman's gasps and Nathan's raspy voice.

I pulled back the curtain. I was about to speak.

A lace bra flew through the air and hit me in the face.

"Get the hell out!"

Nathan barked the order, yanking a blanket over Chloe's body. His face was twisted with anger.

Even though my heart had already gone numb, my eyes still turned red. My throat still burned.

"Give me back my mother's heart donor," I said. "And I'll leave right now. Otherwise, I'll post everything online. And I'll have Chloe sent to prison by law."

Chloe's face was flushed. She looked up at Nathan pitifully. "Nathan… just give Evelyn back the donor. I don't mind."

Nathan frowned. He glanced at me.

"Chloe has only one brother. He's her only family. And you're her best friend. Can't you just let her have this?"

Tears fell from my eyes despite myself. I screamed.

"Is my mother not my only family?! Her condition is really bad. If she doesn't get the heart surgery, she won't make it through tomorrow!"

Nathan's pupils contracted slightly. His brow twitched at the sight of my tear-streaked face. His gaze shifted. Then he said coldly, "You want the heart donor? Fine.

"But you insulted Chloe last night. She cried all night because of you. Drink all those bottles of liquor—the dozen or so bottles of wine—and get on your knees and apologize."

I am severely allergic to alcohol.

Five years ago, I accidentally ate a dessert with fermented rice in it. He was so guilty he couldn't sleep the whole night.

But now, he was telling me to drink a dozen bottles of liquor.

I touched my slightly swollen belly. My nails dug deep into my palms. I closed my eyes.

"Fine," I said. "I'll do it."