I Refused to Marry the Man with One Kidney

My boyfriend, Austin, proposed to me right after donating his kidney to his childhood best friend, Chloe.

In my past life, I said yes to his proposal.

After we got married, the entire financial and physical burden of our lives fell on my shoulders.

Austin claimed that since he only had one kidney left, he couldn't get too tired, couldn't handle stress, and couldn't do any physical labor.

I had to work overtime to pay the bills while doing every single bit of the housework.

I literally worked myself to death at forty, dying of sudden cardiac arrest at my desk.

And what did Austin do? He took my life insurance payout and married Chloe.

They lived happily ever after on my blood money.

So, when I woke up reborn, standing in front of Austin's proposal once again...

I rejected him on the spot.

"Why the hell would I marry a lazy, one-kidney slacker like you?!"

"Emily, marry me!"

Austin knelt on one knee, holding a bouquet of red roses in one hand and a diamond ring in the other.

His face was still pale from the kidney donation surgery a few days ago.

But a confident smirk played on his lips.

He was absolutely sure I wouldn't say no.

After all, we had been together for seven years.

Marrying him had practically become my life's goal.

Even though he had stood me up countless times for Chloe.

Even though he ignored my warnings and insisted on giving Chloe his kidney.

He believed I would always be his safety net.

His frat bros stood behind him, cheering and filming on their phones.

"Say yes! Say yes!"

One of them nudged me. "Come on, Emily, just say yes!"

"Yeah, haven't you been dreaming of marrying Austin forever?"

"He's finally proposing. What are you waiting for?!"

It was exactly like my past life. A month after Austin donated his kidney to Chloe and got discharged from the hospital, he threw this grand proposal.

He told me I was his true love.

He said donating the kidney to Chloe was just because they grew up together.

He said he couldn't just watch her die.

He begged me to understand his "noble sacrifice."

In my past life, my heart softened, and I said yes.

But right after the wedding, Austin used his health as an excuse to quit his job. He refused to work.

He spent every single day lying on the couch, playing video games and scrolling through TikTok.

He didn't lift a finger to help around the house.

Whenever I complained, he'd play the victim card.

"I only have one kidney, Emily! I'm fragile!"

"The doctor said I can't do heavy lifting! I can't stress myself out!"

"Do you want me to die? Is that it?!"

Even his mother, Helen, had the audacity to point at my face and scream:

"You're the one who begged to marry my son! Did he force you?"

"You've been living with him for seven years. If it wasn't for Austin, who would want a used-up woman like you at thirty?"

"Now that you're a Carter, it's your job to serve him!"

So, I worked a grueling 9-to-5 by day and did endless chores by night.

We never had kids, because Austin claimed his kidney issue made him impotent in bed.

Between the stress, the exhaustion, and the depression, I collapsed and died of a sudden stroke at my desk in my early forties.

Not even a month after my funeral, Austin registered his marriage with Chloe.

They moved into the house I bought.

And lived a luxurious life using my life insurance payout.

Remembering the sheer horror of my past life...

I looked down at Austin kneeling before me.

I sneered. "Austin, you're nothing but a lazy, one-kidney slacker now."

"Why on earth would I marry you?!"

Austin froze, staring at me in utter disbelief.

Chloe immediately stepped forward, grabbing my arm with a hurt expression.

"Emily, how can you say that to Austin?!"

"He saved my life! He gave me his kidney because he couldn't bear to see me die!"

"You can't look down on him just because he did something heroic!"

She was freshly discharged, her face pale and her lips bloodless.

Because she got so worked up, her body swayed as if she was about to faint.

Austin scrambled up from the floor and quickly caught her in his arms.

The look he shot me was filled with pure disgust.

"Emily! Since when did you get so malicious?"

"I just saved Chloe's life. Was I supposed to just stand by and watch her die?"

Austin's friend chimed in, "Seriously, it's just one kidney. Austin and Chloe have been best friends since they were kids!"

Austin tried to grab my hand again. "Emily, stop throwing a tantrum! I know you've been dying to marry me. I'm literally offering you a ring right now!"

He was offering me a ring.

How incredibly generous of him!

He made it sound like I should be down on my knees thanking him.

I stepped back, slapping his hand away.

"Austin, I'm not throwing a tantrum, and I'm definitely not joking."

"Not only am I rejecting your proposal, but I'm also breaking up with you."

"You only have one kidney left. Who knows if you can even perform in bed anymore?"

"Why would I choose a broken man over all the healthy, capable guys out there?!"

At my words, Austin's face flushed a deep, angry red.

He never expected me to bring up his masculinity in public.

"Emily! Don't push your luck!"

"You're almost thirty, and we've been living together for seven years. Who else is going to want you if not me?!"

"I'll give you twenty-four hours to cool your head. Keep playing this game, and I swear I'll leave you for real!"

With that, Austin picked Chloe up and walked away without looking back.

He always did this.

Whenever we had a fight, he would walk out on me to "let me cool down."

And in the past, I would spend the entire night crying, spamming his Snapchat with paragraphs of apologies.

His friends gave me looks of sheer disgust and pity before leaving.

Soon, I was left standing there completely alone.

This proposal was pathetic. Aside from the cheap roses and the ring, there were no decorations, no effort.

As I walked back, a drizzle began to fall.

I took an Uber back to the apartment Austin and I rented together.

When I pushed the door open, I saw Austin wearing an apron, cooking soup in the kitchen.

In our past life, after we got married, he wouldn't even lift a finger if a bottle of soy sauce spilled.

Yet here he was, playing the caring chef for Chloe.

Seeing me walk in, a smug smirk appeared on his face.

His eyes said: I knew you'd crawl back to apologize.

I ignored him and walked straight toward the bedroom.

But Austin rushed over and grabbed my arm.

"Chloe is sleeping in there. Don't go in."

I frowned. "If I don't go in, how am I supposed to change my clothes?"

I had gotten soaked in the rain, and my hair and clothes were dripping wet.

He clicked his tongue in annoyance. "It's just a little rain, you'll survive."

"Chloe is a fragile patient right now!"

Suddenly, a memory flashed in my mindour third anniversary.

I had booked a fancy restaurant months in advance.

But Austin ditched me for three hours because Chloe called him with some minor emergency.

It had rained that night too, and I had walked home soaking wet.

When I confronted him, his response was exactly the same:

"It's just a little rain, you'll survive."

I let out a cold laugh.

So his heart had already drifted back then.

He pointed to the standing fan in the living room. "Go stand in front of the fan. It'll dry quickly."

Feeling the cold, damp fabric sticking to my skin, I violently yanked my arm out of his grip.

"Austin, I pay half the rent for this apartment. You brought Chloe here without even asking me, and now you won't even let me into my own bedroom?!"

Seeing me push past him, Austin blocked the door with his body.

"Emily, can you stop being so dramatic?!"

"Chloe and I just got discharged. We both got caught in the rain today. Instead of showing some basic empathy, you're trying to kick a sick girl out of her bed!"

I laughed out of sheer anger.

"If you guys are so sick, why aren't you in the hospital? Why didn't you take Chloe back to her own place? Why bring her to my apartment?"

"Austin, you're the one who dragged your little side-chick in front of my face!"

I shoved him to open the door, but Austin grabbed my wrist in a vice grip.

With a harsh grunt, he shoved me back violently.

"Emily, know your place!"

"If Chloe's recovery is ruined because of you and she gets sick again, I'll make you pay with your life!"

Unprepared, I lost my balance and fell, my lower back slamming hard against the wall.

A sharp pain shot up my spine, tears welling in my eyes.

I looked up at Austin's fierce, hostile eyes.

For the first time, I realized I had never truly known this man.

In my past life, he always claimed he was too weak to even open a bottle of water.

But the force he used to shove me just now? That was definitely not the strength of a sick patient.

From inside the room, Chloe let out a weak, theatrical cough.

Austin immediately panicked and rushed inside.

"Austin... are you and Emily fighting because of me?" Chloe's weak voice drifted out. "Please don't be mad at her, she didn't mean it..."

Austin's voice softened instantly as he comforted her.

Disgusted, I walked into the room, grabbed a suitcase, and began packing my things.

Austin paused, looking at me in shock. "What do you think you're doing?"

I rolled my eyes. "You won't let me sleep here, remember? I'm leaving. Enjoy your cozy little nest."

"Emily! Do you have to be so passive-aggressive?!"

Chloe threw back the duvet, pretending she wanted to get out of bed, but Austin gently pushed her back down.

"Ignore her. Let her throw her tantrum."

"Let's see how long she can survive out there!"

I packed my essential clothes, grabbed my ID and documents, and zipped the suitcase.

As I walked out, Austin was carefully feeding Chloe soup, spoon by spoon.

Ha. How touching.

I booked a decent hotel near my office.

The next morning at work, I went straight to my manager's office.

There was an overseas relocation opportunity to Italy. Because it was so far, nobody in the department wanted to go.

In my past life, my manager, Sophia, had offered it to me. I had studied Italian in college, and she thought I was the perfect fit.

But because of Austin's proposal, I had turned it down.

This time, I was absolutely not wasting my life for a slacker.

Sophia was thrilled when I volunteered.

"Are you sure, Emily? What about your boyfriend?"

"We broke up."

Sophia stared at me for a moment before handing over the paperwork. "Fill this out. You can fly out next week."

Next week. One week was more than enough to erase myself from Austin's life.

I took the afternoon off and went back to the apartment to get the rest of my things.

The place was empty.

When I unlocked the door, the sight made me gag.

The kitchen sink was piled high with greasy dishes. Moldy takeout boxes littered the table.

Dirty clothes were thrown all over the couch, and the trash can was overflowing.

My phone buzzed. It was a text from Austin:

[When you get off work, clean up the apartment.]

Still as demanding as ever.

In our past life, he treated me like his personal maid.

He expected me to serve him hand and foot.

He even demanded that I cover all his living expenses.

And he said it with such entitlement:

"You think I want to ask you for money? I'm sick! I can't work!"

"If you don't support me, you're forcing me to work and die early! Emily, do you just want to see me dead?!"

I locked my screen and walked straight to the bedroom to grab my remaining bags.

Let them rot in their own filth.

We had lived here for two years. Every corner of this small apartment held memories.

I remembered when we first moved in. Austin had held me close, promising he'd buy me a giant mansion once he made it big.

We had stayed up late planning our future.

When did it all change?

Ah. It started a year ago, when Chloe was diagnosed with kidney disease.

He started ditching me at a single phone call from her.

He took the soup I spent four hours simmering to feed her.

He even gave away the plushies we won together at the arcade to "cheer her up."

In the bottom drawer, I found a photo of a pet rabbit.

Austin and I had won it at a carnival a year ago. We raised it for three months.

Chloe saw it, said it was cute, and Austin gave it to her without asking me.

By the time I found out and rushed over, Chloe had already cooked it into a stew.

She sobbed, claiming she "didn't know it was a pet" and thought it was meant for eating.

I packed my things into two categories.

One to ship back to my parents' house, and the rest straight into the dumpster.

I left the keys on the counter and sent Austin one final text:

[Austin, we are over. Don't contact me again.]

Then, I blocked and deleted his number.

In this life, I refuse to waste another second on him.

When Austin brought Chloe back later that day, he expected a clean house.

Instead, the kitchen trash was practically crawling with maggots, releasing a foul stench.

Chloe pinched her nose in disgust.

"Is Emily still mad at me?"

"Maybe I should just leave."

She made a show of walking toward the door, but Austin caught her.

"Don't worry about her!"

"She's just trying to make us feel miserable."

"I'll clean up. Go rest on the couch."

As Chloe lounged on the couch, Austin rolled up his sleeves and started doing chores.

In the two years we lived together, he had barely done any housework.

Now, because he cared so much about Chloe, he had to do it himself.

By the time he washed the dishes, threw out the trash, mopped the floor, and started the laundry, he was gasping for air.

With only one kidney, his stamina was shot.

But Chloe couldn't do any physical work either.

He collapsed onto the couch, panting. "Since when did Emily get such an attitude?"

"She actually stayed out the entire night!"

Chloe gripped Austin's hand, looking incredibly anxious. "Austin, what if Emily really wants to break up with you?"

"If you guys break up because of me, I'll never forgive myself!"

Her eyes welled with tears, looking utterly pathetic.

Austin smiled and gently patted her head.

"Don't worry, babe. Emily and I have been together for seven years. She's been desperate to marry me. She'd never actually leave."

"Besides, now that I'm like this, she'll only feel more obligated to stay."