He Wanted My Kidney, But I Was Already Dying

The diagnosis paper confirming my terminal stomach cancer was still warm in my hand when Ethan Vance threw the divorce papers right at my face.

The sharp edge of the paper sliced across my cheek, leaving a stinging cut.

Sign it.

His voice was as cold as ice. We found a kidney match for Lily. It's you.

I gripped the diagnosis sheet. My knuckles turned white, but I couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"Ethan, Im your wife. You want to harvest my kidney to save your precious first love?"

Ethan looked at me with pure disgust. "Chloe, stop acting so noble. If you hadn't set me up all those years ago, I would never have married you."

"Lily is sick because of me. You owe her this."

I owed her?

I was the one who dragged him out of that raging fire.

I was the one who inhaled so much toxic smoke that my vocal cords were permanently damaged.

But Lily was simply the one who wore my jacket and sat by his hospital bed crying when he woke up.

I crumpled my diagnosis paper into a tight ball, squeezing it in my palm. "And what if I say no?"

Ethan grabbed my jaw, squeezing so hard I thought my bones would shatter.

"Then Ill throw you in prison. Trust me, Chloe, I have a million ways to make your life a living hell."

"Don't push me to do this the hard way."

Looking into his ruthless eyes, the last flickering spark of hope in my heart died.

I didnt even make it to prison.

Because Lily couldnt wait that long.

I was kidnapped and tied up inside an abandoned shipping container by the ocean.

Lily was standing in front of me, wearing a pristine white designer dress. Her makeup was flawless. She didnt even need her wheelchair.

She looked down at me as I hung suspended over the edge, laughing like a lunatic.

"Chloe, I absolutely despise your eyes."

"Did you know? Every time Ethan looks at you, he gets distracted."

I spat out a mouthful of blood. "So what? Are you going to gouge them out?"

Lily knelt down, tracing a scalpel just millimeters away from my face.

"Not just your eyes."

"I want him to watch you die. I want him to see you die like a dog right in front of him."

"Only if your death is horrificand only if he believes you died because he refused to save youwill he feel guilty. He will remember forever how much I suffered for him."

This woman was completely insane.

Suddenly, a phone rang.

It was a FaceTime call.

Lily answered it, and Ethans panicked face appeared on the screen.

"Lily! Where are you? Did that crazy bitch Chloe hurt you?"

Watching the man on the screen, my heart twisted in agony.

In a split second, Lily switched to a trembling, tearful voice. Her acting was Oscar-worthy.

"Ethan... save me! Chloe has gone mad! Shes trying to push me off!"

Lily angled the phone camera toward the wild, crashing waves below.

She held onto the railing with one hand and held a knife to her own throat with the other.

As for me, I was hanging by a rope outside the shipping container, swaying in the wind.

The other end of the rope was in Lily's hand.

If she let go, I would plunge into the deep ocean, and my body would never be found.

"Chloe! If you touch a single hair on her head, I will ruin your entire family!"

Ethans roar blasted through the speaker, hurting my eardrums.

Battling the howling wind, my voice cracked. "Ethan, if I tell you shes the one who kidnapped me, would you believe me?"

"Shut up!"

He didn't hesitate for even a second.

"Lily is too weak to even stand! How could she kidnap you? Chloe, your lies make me sick!"

Lily gave me a smug, victorious look, then cried even harder for the camera.

"Ethan, Chloe said only my death would make you love her... Ill give you two your freedom..."

"Don't do anything stupid!"

Ethans eyes were bloodshot with panic. "Lily, let go of the rope! Let the rope go! Don't worry about that bitch!"

"A toxic woman like Chloe deserves to die a thousand deaths! It's not worth it!"

"Be good, let go!"

To save Lily, he wanted me to die.

Even though I might still have his...

Oh, wait. The diagnosis paper said the cancer cells had already spread. The baby was gone weeks ago.

The smirk on Lilys face widened.

She mouthed three words to me: Go to hell.

Then, right under Ethans watchful eyes, she pretended to lose her strength and opened her hand.

"Ah! Chloe!"

She screamed in fake terror.

I watched the sky rapidly recede above me, and caught a fleeting glimpse of Ethan's sudden shock on the screen.

My body free-fell.

The freezing seawater instantly rushed up my nose and into my lungs.

In that final moment, I actually felt a sense of relief.

Ethan Vance.

For ten years, I loved you like a loyal dog.

Now, Im giving you my life back.

We are finally even.

The feeling of ocean water filling your lungs is like swallowing handfuls of crushed glass.

But I didn't die.

Maybe God thought the joke of my last ten years wasn't finished yet, and didn't want me to exit the stage so early.

When a passing fishing boat dragged me up, I was lying on the deck like a dead fish.

The burning in my lungs clashed with the sharp agony in my stomach. I coughed up a puddle of bloody saltwater.

In that moment, I didn't cry.

I just thought: Ethan, since death didn't want me, we have some serious scores to settle.

Three days later.

Wearing an oversized, fish-smelling old jacket I borrowed, I pushed open the door to the VIP suite at Mercy General Hospital.

Inside, the scene was picture-perfect.

Ethan was sitting by the bed, carefully holding a bowl of soup, blowing on it gently before feeding it to Lily.

Lilys cheeks were rosy. She didn't look traumatized at all.

"Ethan, do you think Chloe... is really never coming back?"

Tears gathered in her eyes, but her mouth opened perfectly to take another spoonful of soup.

Ethans movements were incredibly gentle, but his voice was pure venom. "Why bring up that trash? She got what she deserved."

"But..."

"No buts. It's better that she's dead. Saved me the trouble of dealing with her."

I leaned against the doorframe and couldn't help but chuckle.

"Wow, Mr. Vance. Hearing you talk, one would think she killed your entire family."

The air in the room instantly froze.

I clearly heard the clink of the metal spoon dropping back into the bowl.

Ethan snapped his head around.

The shock, confusion, and fleeting panic in his eyes were a sight to behold.

Lily let out a sharp shriek, throwing herself into Ethans arms.

"A ghost! Shes a ghost!"

She pointed at me, her finger trembling. That terrified face of hers was the best thing Id seen all week.

I stepped into the room, leaving wet, dirty footprints on the pristine floor.

"Your eyesight must be failing you, Lily. Its broad daylight. Where would a ghost come from?"

I walked to the foot of the bed, looking down at the two of them.

"Or are you just feeling guilty? Afraid Id come back from the grave to drag you to hell?"

Ethan finally snapped out of it.

He pushed Lily aside and marched over to me in giant strides.

His beautiful eyes were webbed with red veins. Not from grief, but from pure rage.

"Chloe!"

He grabbed my neck, slamming me hard against the wall.

The impact sent a wave of pain through my back, and my stomach cramped violently. Cold sweat broke out on my forehead.

But he didn't see any of it.

He only saw my "wickedness."

"You're alive?"

He growled through gritted teeth, his grip tightening.

"How the hell are you still alive?!"

I forced a weak, mocking smile. "What's wrong, Ethan? Disappointed?"

"You actually staged a fake death just to scare Lily and get my sympathy! You are sick!"

Ethan's logic was always mind-boggling.

To him, whether I was forced to jump or was just trying to survive didn't matter.

What mattered was that since I was alive, I must have been acting.

I was using my life to threaten his precious little princess.

"Ethan, is your brain made of concrete?"

I stared into his eyes, my voice hoarse. "Didn't you see Lily cut the rope on the FaceTime call?"

"Shut up!"

He cut me off furiously.

"Lily told me! You forced her to let go! You jumped on purpose just to frame her!"

"You crazy bitch, what won't you do just to make me feel guilty and stop the divorce?"

I actually laughed.

Seriously.

Ten years. I loved this man for ten years.

And in the end, in his eyes, I was just a desperate, scheming psychopath who would do anything for his attention.

"If that's what you want to believe, then sure. Let's say I was acting."

I closed my eyes, refusing to look at his disgusting face anymore.

"The show is over. I'm tired. Let me go, Ethan."

"Let you go?"

Ethan let out a cold, vicious laugh.

"Chloe, you scared Lily so badly she almost had a heart attack. She nearly died, and you think you can just walk away?"

"In your dreams!"

He let go of my neck, grabbed my wrist instead, and began dragging me out of the room.

"We are going to the transplant center right now!"

I stumbled behind him, my stomach churning so hard I almost threw up on his back.

"Ethan, have you lost your mind?"

"Im perfectly sane! Lilys condition is getting worse. The doctor said she needs the transplant immediately!"

He threw a sharp glance over his shoulder.

"Since you survived, it must be Gods way of keeping you alive to pay for your sins!"

"Your kidney is coming out today!"

Ethan was a man of action.

Especially when it came to doing things for Lily. His efficiency was terrifying.

I was dragged directly into the examination room.

Cold medical scanners slid over my body.

Lying on the hard bed, staring at the sterile white ceiling, my mind was surprisingly calm.

Terminal stomach cancer.

The cancer cells had already spread everywhere.

My body was a hollowed-out wreck.

Only a blind idiot like Ethan would think I was a perfectly healthy walking organ bank.

The doctor reviewing my scans on the monitor started frowning deeply.

He glanced at Ethan, who was standing nearby, and hesitated to speak.

"What is it?" Ethan asked impatiently.

The doctor wiped the sweat from his forehead. "Mr. Vance, Mrs. Vances physical condition... all her indicators are extremely bad..."

"Especially her stomach. Theres a massive dark shadow here. It looks like"

"It looks like shes faking it, right?"

Ethan cut him off coldly.

The doctor gasped. "No, Mr. Vance, this is"

"Faking illness is her specialty."

Ethan shot me a look of pure disgust.

"She even forged a terminal stomach cancer diagnosis before just to get out of donating her kidney."

"Ive seen this show a thousand times."

Lying on the bed, listening to him, I found it almost comical.

The bloody diagnosis paper he had thrown on the ground and stomped on that day was now just a "fake prop" in his head.

"Ethan, you are pathetic,"

I said softly.

He spun around, slamming his hands on either side of my head, trapping me against the bed.

"Im pathetic?"

"Chloe, let's see if you can still talk back when the scalpel slices your stomach open!"

He turned back to the doctor, his tone leaving no room for argument.

"Ignore her fake test results. As long as the kidney match is good, schedule the surgery immediately."

"But..." The doctor tried to protest.

"No buts! If anything happens, Ill take full responsibility!"

Ethan barked.

The doctor shrunk back, terrified, and nodded quickly.

Looking at Ethan's face so close to mine, I suddenly didn't want to explain anymore.

Really.

What was the point of explaining?

Id rather let him see it.

Let him see what happens when they cut me open, and instead of a healthy kidney, he finds a body eaten alive by cancer.

I wondered what his face would look like then.

It would definitely be a masterpiece.

"Fine."

I met his gaze, smiling brightly.

"Ethan, since you want it so badly, take it."

"I just hope you don't regret it."

Ethan hesitated for a second.

He probably didn't expect me to agree so easily.

A flicker of suspicion crossed his eyes, but it was quickly replaced by his usual coldness.

"Regret?"

He stood up, adjusting his collar.

"Chloe, the only thing I regret in my life is marrying you."

With that, he turned and slammed the door shut.

The surgery was scheduled for the next morning.

That night, I was kept under house arrest at the Vance estate.

This house used to be our home.

I had personally picked out every piece of furniture, every single decoration.

Now, it was just my prison.

The maids avoided my eyes, whispering in corners.

The dining table was piled high with a lavish feast.

But I couldn't swallow a single bite.

My stomach felt like it was filled with heavy concrete. Even drinking water brought sharp pain.

"What? A hunger strike?"

Ethan walked down the stairs, a glass of red wine in his hand.

He had changed into loungewear, looking less tense, but the coldness in his eyes remained.

I put down my fork. "I'm not hungry."

"You have to eat even if you're not."

He sat opposite me, swirling his wine.

"The surgery is tomorrow. You can't be weak. Lily needs a healthy kidney."

Looking at the greasy food on the table, my stomach did a violent flip.

"I can't eat."

"Chloe, don't make me force-feed you."

He slammed his glass onto the table.

I looked at him, and the last shred of warmth in my heart turned to ash.

He truly didn't care if I lived or died.

Even if you raise a dog for ten years, youd feel some affection, wouldn't you?

But to Ethan, I was worse than a dog.

I picked up the bowl, forcing myself to swallow a mouthful of rice despite the nausea.

Before I could even chew,

a hot, metallic taste rushed up my throat.

I gasped, covering my mouth, and ran toward the bathroom.

But I only made it two steps before I lost control.

Bright red blood, mixed with white rice, sprayed across the polished marble floor.

It was a horrific sight.

Ethan, who was about to yell at me, froze instantly.

He stared blankly at the pool of blood, then at my deathly pale face.

For a moment, his mind seemed to go completely blank.

"Chloe..."

He took a step forward instinctively.

"Are you..."

I leaned against the wall, gasping for air, blood dripping from my chin onto my collar.

"Are you satisfied, Mr. Vance?"

I wiped the blood from my lips, letting out a weak laugh.

"Is this part of my act too? A fake blood capsule?"

Ethans fists clenched tightly.

He stared at me, something in his eyes cracking.

"What is wrong with you?"

He rushed over, reaching out to grab my hand.

I flinched away.

"Don't touch me."

"You're dirty."

Ethans hand froze mid-air.

Right then, his phone rang.

It was Lilys custom ringtone.

The man who had looked shocked and almost remorseful a second ago instantly changed his expression.

He answered the call, his voice shifting to a gentle tone I hadn't heard in years.

"Lily, what's wrong?"

"What? Your stomach hurts?"

"Don't worry, I'm coming right now!"

He hung up, not even glancing back at me as he rushed toward the door.

At the threshold, he paused.

But he didn't turn around.

"Clean up the floor."

"Don't be late for the surgery tomorrow morning."

Then, he slammed the door.

The moment the door closed, my legs gave out, and I slid down the wall onto the floor.

This was the man I had loved for ten years.

When I was coughing up blood on the floor, his only concern was that I was messing up his clean marble.

But the moment Lily whimpered, he ran to her like a dog chasing a bone.

Ethan Vance.

Consider this kidney my final parting gift to you.