The Price of His Sick Love

My CEO boyfriend, Elias Thatcher, had always admired strength, yet he willingly supported a useless intern. Because he loved me more than life itself, or so I thought. When a routine physical revealed that the intern, Zoey Redwood, and I shared the same rare blood type. So, he decided to keep her around as my emergency backup. She became a living blood bank, just in case something ever happened to me. He cooked for her, took her on trips, made handmade gifts, and doted on her at every turn. He said he was doing it for my sake, building up good karma for me. Then, I got into a car accident. Rather than letting the intern donate blood to save me, my boyfriend had blood brought in from miles away. His explanation was gentle, almost tender. She had a cold. He was afraid something in her blood might be passed on to me. The very next day, Zoey was diagnosed with kidney failure. That was when he drugged me and had me wheeled into an operating room, forcing me to donate a kidney. His voice was warm as he explained, "Zoey is your last resort. She has to stay healthy so she can save your life in a real emergency. I can't use her up over every little illness or injury. Having you donate a kidney to her is for your future, too. "I don't want you overthinking things. Once the surgery is over, I'll marry you." What he didn't know was that I already had mid-stage leukemia. His decision to make me donate that kidney had caused my cancer to spread. I was dying. So, I would never get the chance to marry him. Chapter 1 The Gift He Never Meant for Me "Ms. Starling, your leukemia was originally in the mid-stage, but the stress from the kidney donation surgery accelerated the spread of the cancer cells. Even if we consider the best-case scenario, you likely have only 10 days left. It's important that you keep your spirits up..." I didn't hear another word after that. I absentmindedly picked at a hangnail until blood ran down my finger, but I barely felt it. After the car accident, I was diagnosed with leukemia. I never got the chance to tell Elias before he showed up with test results proving his intern, Zoey, was suffering from kidney failure and demanded that I donate one of mine. I refused. He didn't pressure me. Instead, he told me he'd bought me a house near the office so I wouldn't have to make the commute and risk getting into another accident. It wasn't until they wheeled me into the operating room that I realized the papers he'd had me sign weren't property transfer documents. They were organ donation consent forms. The doctor noticed me tearing at my finger and opened his mouth, probably to stop me. Then something seemed to occur to him. He just shook his head, sighed, and walked out. A second later, Elias' concerned voice sounded from the doorway. "Doctor, how's Celia?" The doctor looked uncomfortable, like he wanted to say something but thought better of it. I turned and answered flatly, "I'm fine." Elias' beautiful eyes curved into a smile. "See? I told you. I take good care of you. Losing one kidney isn't going to affect you at all." He didn't say a word about tricking me into signing the donation papers. As far as he was concerned, that was already behind us. I clenched my fist, trying to hide my bleeding finger. Behind him, Zoey walked in carrying a mountain of gifts. Elias hurried over to help her and set everything on my bed. She looked at me with practiced sincerity. "I'm so sorry, Celia. I had no idea Elias would trick you into donating your kidney. These are all gifts he gave me. Pick whatever you want. Think of it as my apology." There was a hand-knit scarf, a sweater, a million-dollar piece of jewelry, a luxury car worth millions, and even the deed to a villa. This wasn't an apology. It was a victory lap. After all, Elias had never given me anything like this. He always said we'd been together too long to bother with grand gestures. The old me would've fought her head-on. Now, I only said, "No, thanks." Elias caught my wrist. "Cece, look how kind Zoey is. She genuinely wants to be your friend. Don't embarrass her." His tone was gentle, but his grip was not. I knew better than anyone that he couldn't stand the thought of Zoey being even slightly unhappy. I had no choice but to point at the scarf. Last winter, Elias had stabbed all ten fingers just to teach himself to knit that thing. I'd assumed that he was making me an anniversary gift. I'd even saved up to buy a coat that would match it. Chapter 2 The Last Thing I Needed It wasn't until I saw him wrap the scarf around Zoey's neck with his own hands that I realized how foolish I'd been. Maybe it was because I was dying and still unwilling to let go, but seeing that scarf again stirred something fierce in me. For one irrational moment, I wanted it desperately. The second Elias saw me point at it, his expression changed. "No. The scarf keeps her warm, and Zoey's fragile. Besides, I made that myself. She'd never be able to part with it. Pick something else." Maybe some pathetic part of me still wanted proof that Elias cared about, so I held my ground. "That's the one I want." Instead, he snapped. "Celia, Zoey could save your life someday. You donated a kidney to her. Isn't that enough? You never used to care about material things, so why are you so determined to steal something she loves?" A bitter laugh escaped me. He really wasn't even trying to hide his favoritism. … A year ago, during Zoey's pre-employment physical, Elias discovered that she shared my rare blood type. That was when he started treating her differently. He promoted her and raised her salary at the drop of a hat. He even handed her credit for projects I'd completed, turning her into the office darling. In private, he washed her clothes, cooked for her, made sure she never missed a meal, and showed up the second she called. If I voiced the slightest complaint, he accused me of being petty. He'd say Zoey was my future savior and that I owed her my life. Somehow, I ended up carrying that crushing moral debt. Considering how shamelessly he was showering her with affection, the fact that I'd still been hoping he genuinely loved me was almost laughable. Now that I was staring death in the face, I could finally see what was in Elias' heart. All those nights I'd spent lying awake, hurt and unable to let things go, suddenly felt meaningless. "Just kidding," I said with a short laugh. "Why would I steal something she loves?" I chose to let it go. And with it, my love for Elias. Zoey immediately put on her wounded act. "Celia, I know you're rich and already have everything money can buy. My things probably seem cheap to you. You're right. I'm just your blood bag, after all. I shouldn't have dreamed of being friends with you." Elias looked at her like she'd been stabbed. "It's okay, Zoey. There's an auction today. I'll take you and buy you something better." Then, he turned to the bodyguards and ordered them to pack up everything on my bed, clearly terrified I might actually take something. At the door, He suddenly stopped, as if remembering something. He shut the window, draped my coat over my shoulders, and softened his voice. "Cece, I'm not taking you because I don't want you getting tired. You know I love you most. Tell me what you like, and I'll bid on it for you. Consider it a wedding gift, okay?" Then, he left with Zoey at his side. … Through the window, I watched them downstairs. Inside the car, Elias leaned over to fasten Zoey's seat belt. Zoey pointed at the framed photo of Elias and me sitting in the front passenger seat. The next second, our picture was tossed out the window. The rear tire crushed it as the car rolled forward. So, this was how he loved me, or what he thought love was. 'Elias, I don't have much time left. And I don't want to marry you anymore.' I drew the curtains shut and went to find the doctor. "I want to be discharged." "Ms. Starling, according to regulations, I have no right to stop you. Still, if you refuse treatment, I'm afraid—" I curved my lips into something that wasn't a smile. "Doctor, I only have one request. Prescribe me ten days' worth of pain medication." If I only had ten days left, I wouldn't be spending them in a hospital. Ever since my parents died there, hospitals had filled me with a fear I could never shake. I had just stepped outside when Elias called. "Why did you check out?" "It's getting too stuffy there," I said. "I was getting tired of lying there." Chapter 3 Replaced While Still Alive "No—" Elias started, about to argue. Then, Zoey's voice drifted through the phone, so close she sounded like she was pressed right against him. "Elias, these matching rings are so pretty..." "Done. I'd burn the whole auction house down if I had to. They're yours." Then, his tone changed when he spoke to me. "Celia, you're an adult. Take care of yourself." The warmth vanished from his voice, replaced with casual indifference. He brushed me off with a couple of perfunctory words and hung up. Before Zoey came along, things had been different. There had been a time after I landed in the hospital with stomach bleeding from too many business dinners, the doctor warned Elias that my rare blood type made any complication dangerous. He didn't sleep for days. He cried and begged me not to leave him. After that, he barely left my side. If I got so much as a paper cut, he'd panic. Now I had lost a kidney, and all I got was an absent-minded dismissal. Although I had chosen to let things go, that didn't mean it didn't hurt. A bitter laugh escaped my lips, and I blocked his number. The first thing I did that day was hire a deep-cleaning crew to strip the house of everything that belonged to me. The handmade couple figurines. Twenty thousand photos from seven years together. Even the villa keys. I burned it all to ash with my own hands. … The next day, I hired a mortuary service and made arrangements for after my death, specifically what they should do to my corpse. On the third day, I dragged my friends from one party to the next. When I lost a dare and ended up linking arms to drink with a ridiculously handsome guy, one of my friends went pale. "If your man sees this, he'll kill me." Under the flashing lights and pounding music, I smiled without a trace of hesitation. "I don't care." That night, Elias finally snapped. He sent me a grainy photo of me and the guy drinking together in the dim club lighting. 'Celia, get home and get on your knees to explain yourself.' On the fourth day, I finally went home. I didn't do it because I was afraid of him. I returned because my delivery had arrived. The housekeeper, Mary, opened the door and lowered her voice. "Ms. Starling, please, don't argue with Mr. Thatcher. Just admit you were wrong, and this will blow over." I walked inside and immediately saw Elias sitting on the couch, comforting a sobbing Zoey. Zoey was wearing pajamas. There, clutched in her hands, was a pale pink outfit I'd bought for my own funeral. The matching women's ring on her finger caught the light. I was still trying to make sense of it when she saw me and started crying harder. "Celia, I know you look down on me and don't want me living here, but did you really have to curse me by sending me funeral clothes?" So, she already moved into my house when I wasn't around. I didn't even know that. Elias frowned. "Celia, I never expected this from you. You act generous to my face, but behind my back, you're this petty? You stormed out, went partying, acted like a lunatic, and I didn't even fight with you over it. I only let Zoey stay here so I could take care of her, and yet you—" I took the funeral clothes straight out of Zoey's hands. "Who said they were for her?" I unfolded them and slipped them on. "They're for me." I even turned toward the floor-length mirror and checked the fit. It was perfect. I used to be terrified of dying. I was terrified that if I left Elias, he wouldn't survive it. But when death was actually standing at my door, I realized how I'd dramatically overestimated my own importance. Elias' expression darkened. He shot to his feet and reached for the buttons of the funeral outfit. "Celia, have you lost your mind? Take that off right now!" I stepped aside, avoiding him. His expression hardened. "If you do something wrong, you own it. Stop dodging the issue and apologize to Zoey." Before I could say anything, he unclenched his fist, let out a sigh, and pulled out several documents. "You checked yourself out of the hospital just to throw a tantrum and go have fun. Zoey, on the other hand, got discharged and came straight back to work. She's been pulling overtime for days because she actually cares about the company." He held the papers out toward me. "She says she's grateful you donated your kidney and wants to help lighten your burden. Hand over your vice president position to Zoey. It'll make things easier when she takes over your responsibilities." Chapter 4 Signed Away So this had been Elias' plan all along. He wanted to make me hand my vice president position over to his new lover. I let out a bitter laugh. "Fine. I have no objections." I was dying, so arguing felt utterly pointless. What did any of these worldly possessions matter now? I sat down without another word and took the pen he handed me. Every document had already been opened to the signature page. I was meticulous by nature. Whenever I signed any documents, I always made sure the cover page matched the contents. The first document was my vice president's termination agreement. I signed it without hesitation. Elias and Zoey exchanged a surprised look. The second document was a property transfer agreement. That house had been bought with the first real money Elias and I ever made. It was also the only property in my name. Maybe afraid I'd refuse, Elias hurried to explain, "Zoey's family needs a place to stay while they're in the city for treatment. You don't live there anyway." If they just needed a place to stay, why bother with the transfer of ownership? I couldn't be bothered calling him out. I initialled the page. When I reached for the third document, Elias stopped me. "Cece, I'm not trying to hurt you. Just sign it." I looked up to find both Elias and Zoey watching me closely. I flipped it open anyway. It was a stock transfer agreement. This was the twenty percent stake Elias had given me when he publicly announced our relationship. Back then, everyone at the company knew I was Elias' woman, and they all looked at me with envy. Elias drew in a sharp breath. "Let me explain..." I didn't even pause before filling in my signature. After the final stroke of my signature, I looked at him. "Anything else?" Elias stared at me like he couldn't believe it. But wasn't this exactly what he wanted? For me to hand everything over to Zoey? He should've been thrilled. Zoey was practically ecstatic. However, she wore her usual fake sweetness like a glove. "Celia, don't worry. I'm just holding onto these things for you. Once you recover, I'll give everything back." I stood, expression blank. I'd only come back to pick up the package containing my funeral clothes. I had what I came for, so there was no reason for me to linger. As I turned to leave, Elias called after me. His brow furrowed. "Cece... you've lost weight. A lot of weight." I touched my hollow cheek and shrugged. "It's fine. I'm not dying today." Something twisted painfully in Elias' chest. For once, his voice turned unexpectedly gentle. "Have you eaten? I can heat the leftovers from lunch. I made them myself." Elias was a neat freak, so he hated the kitchens. He had never cooked a single meal for me, even at the peak of his love for me, but that changed after Zoey mentioned her stomach hurt. After that, he taught himself to cook, even blistering his fingers with hot oil. I'd once envied that. I wanted to try his food just once He refused, saying it was exclusively for Zoey. I was about to decline, but Elias had already headed into the kitchen without waiting for an answer. Soon, only Zoey and I were left in the living room. The look she gave me was full of malice. Then, she suddenly pulled out an emerald bracelet from behind her back and smiled. "Celia, I really like this bracelet. I want to give it to my mom. Can I have it?" Elias had always kept that bracelet for me, locked in the safe. "You can have anything else, but not that." "Really?" "Yes." Zoey clicked her tongue. Then, she suddenly slammed the bracelet onto the floor. "Then, you can have it back." Time seemed to slow. I watched as the bracelet shattered on impact, breaking into four pieces. She had always been two-faced. Polite and respectful in public. Cruel and arrogant in private. Every time I tried telling Elias how she treated me, he accused me of targeting Zoey on purpose. Said I was being unreasonable. I'd told myself not to waste energy fighting with her. Not when I was already so close to death. Still, something inside me snapped as I stared at that shattered bracelet. A nameless fury burned away every last shred of reason. Chapter 5 Three Days Left Why had every compromise I made only made Zoey bolder? I couldn't understand it. I couldn't understand why the more I backed down, the more shameless Zoey became. I didn't hesitate to slap her. She made no move to dodge. Instead, she let the slap land and collapsed dramatically to the floor. At the same time, I heard Elias' horrified shout ring out. "Stop!" He charged out of the kitchen and kicked me away. The painkillers in my pocket spilled across the floor. His heel came down directly on the wound near my waist. The pain exploded through me so violently that I couldn't even get up. The doctor had warned me that my wounds would heal poorly due to my leukemia. Blood quickly seeped through the fabric at my waist. He looked down at me in disgust. "Celia, I thought you'd changed. It turns out that this was just another one of your games. I'm the one who asked you to sign those agreements. If you're upset, take it out on me. There was no need to hit Zoey." I forced the words through the pain. "She smashed the bracelet!" Elias froze for a second, then scoffed. "It was just a bracelet. It's just some cheap junk from a street stall. How could you hit someone over that?" My eyes burned red. "That was my mother's keepsake!" He went still. Then, he looked at Zoey, who only looked at him pitifully. He didn't even bother asking me what had happened. Instead, he immediately started blaming me. "So what if it was a keepsake? I'll have someone fix it. You're a grown woman. Was it really worth fighting with someone you owe over a bracelet?" Someone I owed. Again with that debt! But what did I supposedly owe Zoey for? I finally lost control. "What exactly do I owe her?" Elias frowned. "When you were in that car accident, Zoey volunteered to donate blood for you. Isn't that enough?" A hollow laugh caught in my throat. "She gave less than half an ounce before you made them stop. Was it because she had a cold, or because you couldn't bear seeing her uncomfortable?" Elias slapped me hard across the face. "Celia, how can you think something like that? Everything I've done has been for you. Yes, Zoey is a match for you, but that doesn't mean we use her every time you have some minor issue. She's not an object. She's a living person." He cared about Zoey, but he had never once cared that I'd given Zoey one of my kidneys. I pressed a hand to my cheek and let out a broken laugh. … Then, I crouched on the floor, trembling as I gathered the shattered pieces of the bracelet. "Mom... I have nothing left." Before she died, my mother had thanked Elias again and again. She had thanked God someone would love me in her place. But now, even that promise felt like a complete joke. A terrible one, but a joke nonetheless. Elias watched me laugh as tears rolled down my cheeks. There was an unsettled look on his face. "Cece... you still have me." And then, right in front of him, I collapsed. … When I woke up, I was back in the hospital. The doctor looked at me with open sympathy. "Ms. Starling, your condition has worsened again. You have three days left." "Three days until what?" Elias had walked in just in time to hear that. I answered smoothly, "Three more days until I'm discharged." He didn't doubt me for a second. He set my pain medication on the table. "Don't forget to take your medicine. I already sent someone to repair your mom's bracelet. Zoey took it without permission, so I punished her." I said nothing. He smiled faintly. "I told her she's not allowed to talk to me for a whole day and to reflect on her mistakes." He had never once cared to ask just what medicine I was taking. Apparently, a day without speaking to him counted as punishment. "Cheer up, Cece. Guess what surprise I brought you?" The next second, he revealed what he'd been hiding behind his back. It was a wedding proposal book. He held it out to me. "To keep you from overthinking, I've decided to marry you. The wedding's in three days. Once we're married, I'll take care of you. I won't let you suffer ever again." My hands clenched into fists. I didn't take it. He didn't push. Instead, he softened his tone. "Promise me something. Stop fighting with Zoey, okay? You know I'm only good to her for your sake." Chapter 6 Drained Dry Elias' expression softened, as if everything could go back to normal. Still, I knew there was no going back. "Elias, there's no need for a wedding. Let's break up." He stared at me in shock before he said in an unbearably patient tone, "There you go again, saying things you don't mean. Zoey and I are completely innocent. She even volunteered to be your bridesmaid. Isn't that enough to put your mind at ease?" A mocking smile tugged at my lips. I couldn't even be bothered arguing. Three days. That was all I had left. I thought the worst was already over. I was wrong. That was because Rachel, Elias' assistant, arrived with a group of bodyguards and dragged me into the blood transfusion room the very next morning. She said Zoey had fallen from the stands while helping Elias rehearse for the wedding and needed a transfusion. Inside, Elias paced anxiously. Zoey sat in a wheelchair, basking in his concern as she shot me a provocative look. Her so-called injury was a two-inch cut on her ankle. She barely lost any blood. That cut was superficial at best! Elias didn't even wait for the nurse. He personally jabbed the needle into my arm, guilt written all over his face. "I'm sorry, Cece. Zoey got hurt while helping scout things out for you, so you have a responsibility to help her. It's only a little blood. You're healthy. I'm sure you'll recover quickly. As soon as Zoey's okay, we'll have the wedding immediately." Unfortunately, the blood flowing through the tube was pink. Elias froze. He didn't know that was a sign of end-stage leukemia. Regardless, he knew enough to know that it wasn't normal. Zoey's eyes flickered. Then, she struggled theatrically to rise from her wheelchair. "Elias, I can't believe Celia would rather sabotage the blood than donate it. She must've done something to make it turn pink. Forget it. I don't want her blood. It's only a little blood loss. I'll be fine." I almost laughed. Elias had personally stuck the needle in my vein. What exactly could I have tampered with? Alas, he straightened, his face hardening. "Celia, you almost fooled me." He turned sharply. "Rachel, I'll leave this to you. Keep going until the blood runs red." Then, he pushed Zoey away to see the doctor. From the next room over, I heard the doctor's voice. "The patient is just mildly anemic. No transfusion is necessary." Elias answered firmly, "No. I won't allow anything to happen to Zoey." Elias' bodyguards stood around me, their eyes boring holes in me like hungry predators. They pinned down my arms and legs so I couldn't move. Time dragged on, and every minute felt like a century. They had already drawn nearly 27 ounces. The vein in my arm had all but stopped producing blood, yet the plasma remained pink, growing paler by the minute. Rachel finally called Elias when she saw I was barely breathing, panic creeping into her voice. "Mr. Thatcher, we've already taken nearly 27 ounces, but..." His voice came back cold and sharp. "That's not enough. Tell Celia I'll get her the best medicine, the best food to help her recover. Tell her to hold on a little longer." My eyes were dead. I pulled out my phone and texted the undertaker, instructing him to collect my body today. As my blood drained away, so did my remaining body heat. My limbs turned colder and colder. Eventually, the spots in my vision finally overwhelmed the light. My head lolled to one side, and darkness swallowed me whole. Rachel approached Elias with trembling hands 30 minutes later, carrying three large bags of pink blood. He flew into a rage. "What the hell is this? Are you helping Celia mess with me, too?" Then, he stormed toward the next room to confront me. Rachel froze before looking at him with a stricken look on her face. "Mr. Thatcher... didn't you know?" she whispered tremulously. "You drained Ms. Starling dry. She's dead."