Take My Kidney, Take My Life

To repay my parents for raising me for 20 years, I donate one of my kidneys to Samuel Caldwell, their biological son, curing him of his uremia. After Samuel recovers, he returns to the stage, dazzling audiences with his piano performances. Meanwhile, I survive on hormone treatments. My body is swollen beyond recognition, and I look utterly disgusting. I lock myself up in the house, staring blankly out the window day after day. Through it all, my fiancee, Shelby Holloway, never leaves my side. She comes up with new low-calorie meals every day and patiently helps me rebuild my strength. "Nick, make sure you get plenty of rest and don't overexert yourself, okay? I have a meeting to attend, so wait for me at home." Before she leaves, she gently straightens my collar. I truly believe life is slowly getting better. Then, in the backstage area of a theater, I catch Samuel holding Shelby tightly in his arms. "Shelby, Nick's in such poor health. I shouldn't be taking you away from him." Shelby buries herself against his chest, her voice full of pain. "What are you talking about? If it weren't for saving you, I never would have married that impostor. Every time I look at him, I feel sick. He looks like a pig! He'd have done everyone a great favor if he'd died on the operating table that day!" Shelby casts aside the bond we've shared since childhood and even wishes for my death, all for Samuel's sake. Just as well, I have no desire to continue living anymore either. Chapter 1 As the river water rushed into my nostrils, I felt a warmth come over me. It felt like being held in Mom's embrace when I was a child. How I wished she could hold me one more time. But the moment I'd turned away from the theater, I'd seen my mom, Jennifer Smith, holding a bouquet of flowers, crying as she hugged my brother, Samuel Caldwell. She'd called him her pride and joy. She'd apologized for losing him all those years ago and for everything he had suffered because of it. Before, she used to call me her pride too. But ever since I gained weight after surgery and became ugly, she had never looked at me the same way again. But it didn't matter anymore. I was going to die anyway. … Some time later, my soul floated out of the water. I looked down and saw my body bobbing in the river, rising and falling like a piece of discarded trash. How ugly. Just then, a familiar Maybach sped over. I instinctively moved to block my corpse, not wanting them to see me in such a miserable state. But Mom still noticed. "Oh, Arthur, look! What's that floating in the river?" she exclaimed, rolling the window down halfway. She looked through my soul with a hint of disgust. "It's all black and lumpy. How creepy." My heart twisted painfully. That was my hair floating on the surface of the water. A little further down was the old jacket I had worn for three years. If she looked just a little closer, she would recognize it. My dad, Arthur Caldwell, who was driving, only glanced over casually and frowned. "Probably just aquatic weeds or someone's garbage bag. The city management is getting worse these days. The river is this filthy, and they still don't do anything about it. They're just collecting money and doing nothing." "Don't look at it, Mrs. Caldwell. It's quite an eyesore. Let's not let something like this ruin Sam's celebration dinner," my fiancee, Shelby Holloway, said with a gentle smile as she leaned over to fasten Samuel's seatbelt properly. I hovered motionless in the air, watching the red taillights disappear into the night. A bitter smile crossed my face. So my life was as worthless as aquatic weeds—not worth a single extra second of their time. But that was fine. At least I would never be in their way again. Before long, an invisible force pulled me back to the Caldwell residence. The dining room was brightly lit, and the massive king crab at the center of the table was particularly eye-catching. Dad uncorked a bottle of his prized red wine and poured Shelby a glass. "Shelby, thanks for everything you've done today. Sam's success is largely thanks to you!" Shelby quickly stood up with a graceful, demure smile. "It's nothing, Mr. Caldwell. With Sam around, the Caldwell family will only reach greater heights, and I'll be sure to support him every step of the way." Mom carefully cracked open the crab and handed a piece to Samuel. "Here, Sam. Congratulations on your successful performance." "Thanks, Mom. You're the best!" Watching how happy they were, I couldn't help but smile. How wonderful. They were a perfect family of four. It was only natural that I, the one who didn't belong, should eventually step aside. Samuel took a bite of the crab, then suddenly put it down and glanced upstairs. "Dad, Mom, shouldn't we call Nick down for dinner? It's such a happy occasion. Isn't it a bit unfair to leave him alone upstairs?" The air in the dining room froze instantly. Chapter 2 "Call him down? With the sour face he pulls every day, he'd just ruin our appetites," Dad said with a huff. Mom's expression stiffened too. Then, Shelby quickly stepped in with a gentle remark. "It's fine, Sam. Nick shouldn't be having seafood in his current condition. It might trigger an allergic reaction and cause swelling. "Besides, he's been in a foul mood lately and keeps himself locked up in his room. He doesn't want to see anyone. You should all go ahead and eat. I'll bring him something light later." Hearing that, Mom immediately breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness we have you taking care of Nick. Otherwise, we old folks really wouldn't know what to do." I let out a quiet laugh. "Why are you so relieved, Mom? Because Shelby seems like a perfect daughter-in-law? Or because you don't have to deal with me anymore after handing me over to her? But Mom, you don't need to avoid me anymore. I'm already dead. My body was right there in front of you!" I thought. "Forget about that killjoy! How long has it been since the surgery?" Dad exclaimed, looking annoyed. "Sam is already up and running, and he's recovering so well! Nick's the only one being overly dramatic! He locks himself in his room all day with a sour face, acting like the whole family owes him something!" Samuel immediately lowered his head and scooped some salad onto a plate. "Don't say that, Dad. After all, Nick only ended up like this because he saved me. Let me bring Nick his food, okay? It's been so long, and I haven't properly thanked him in person yet. Maybe it'll cheer him up a little." A flash of admiration appeared in Shelby's eyes. "How kind of you, Sam. Let's go ahead with your suggestion." If souls could throw up, I probably would have messed up the entire dining room by now. But the two of them simply picked up the tray and walked upstairs side by side. Suddenly, Shelby's phone buzzed in her pocket. She glanced at the screen, her expression shifting slightly, and let go of Samuel's arm. "Sam, wait for me. I need to take a work call." Samuel nodded. Shelby walked to the balcony at the end of the hallway and lowered her voice to answer the call. A harsh roar came through the phone. "Shelby, where the hell is my money? You Holloways are nothing but a hollow shell! If you don't pay back that 50 million you owe me, I'll sell you off myself!" "Evan, please give me a few more days! Really!" She wiped the cold sweat from her forehead and explained urgently, "I've been taking care of Nick every day. Those two old fossils trust me completely now. And Samuel is almost wrapped around my finger! "They'll definitely leave the family fortune to their biological son! As soon as I marry Samuel, I'll pay you back with interest!" My soul felt as if it had been struck by lightning, and I froze in place. I used to think that even if Shelby had fallen for Samuel, she had at least fulfilled her duty as my childhood sweetheart by taking care of me for so long. But it turned out that her kindness toward me was only so she could stay in the Caldwell family under the guise of being my fiancee. Even Samuel was just a stepping stone for her to drain the family dry! Rage burned in my chest. I wanted nothing more than to expose everything to Mom and Dad and rip off her mask. But when I turned, Samuel was already standing at the door of my room, his hand on the doorknob, about to push it open. My heart rose in my throat again. The room was empty now. If they went in, would they find out I was already dead? "Sam!" Chapter 3 The door opened a crack, and my heart pounded wildly. Strangely enough, I actually hoped they would discover me missing. But Shelby hurried over and grabbed Samuel's arm. Samuel looked up, confused. "What's wrong, Shelby? Aren't we going in?" Shelby set the tray down on the floor by the door and said softly, "Better not. Nick's been in a bad mood lately. If he sees us together, he'll definitely throw another tantrum. I don't want his harsh words to ruin your mood. "Just leave the food by the door. He'll come out and get it when he's hungry. Mr. and Mrs. Caldwell are still waiting for us downstairs. We shouldn't keep them waiting too long." Samuel blinked, then nodded. "Alright." So he closed the door and went back downstairs with her. I stared at that bowl of bland, soggy salad and let out a silent laugh. She was stopping Samuel from coming in just because she wanted to use me to gain favor in front of him. She really did scheme at every turn just for money. How did I never see through her when I was alive? Laughter and chatter drifted up from downstairs. I stayed upstairs, crouched alone on the floor with that plate of bland leftovers, not wanting to go down and watch their happiness anymore. … Late that night, the villa was completely silent. I leaned against my bedroom door, drifting in and out of sleep. All of a sudden, there was a faint click, and Samuel quietly slipped out of his room. He walked to my door, picked up the tray, and dumped the food straight into the trash. His face twisted with malice. "You worthless piece of trash! You've had it good for way too long! Do you really expect me to wait on you hand and foot now?" As if that wasn't enough, he took out a key and locked my door from the outside. "You're way too fat. You'd do well skipping a meal or two. In fact, it'd be best if you starved to death. At least I won't get sick looking at you!" After locking my room door, he returned to his room, humming a tune as he went. I hovered in the air, watching quietly. Honestly, there was no need for Samuel to put on such an elaborate show. I was already dead. Dead and gone. I had cleared the way for everything he wanted. What more was he unhappy about? … The next morning, I was jolted awake by sunlight streaming in. I saw Mom sitting on the couch, holding a black card in her hand, her expression unreadable. When she saw Samuel coming downstairs, she waved him over. "Sam, come here." Samuel's eyes lit up when he saw the card. He walked over obediently and sat beside her. "What is it, Mom?" "There are two million dollars on this card. Give it to Nick," Mom said, letting out a sigh. "I know he's been difficult lately, and he's always pulling a long face, but still… he did save you. Your dad and I don't want to owe him anything or have him think that we're playing favorites." Samuel's gaze flickered. Then, he took the card with a smile. "You're so kind, Mom. If Nick knew you cared about him this much, he'd be really touched. I'll take it up to him right now." With that, he turned and headed upstairs with the card. But when he reached my door, he stopped. "Two million? For that pig? Everything the Caldwell family has is mine! He's just a fake! What right does he have to spend my money?" Without the slightest hesitation, he slipped the black card into his pajama pocket. Then, he gritted his teeth, slammed his forearm against the wall, and pressed hard on the spot several times. In no time at all, a large, alarming bruise bloomed across his skin. Samuel then slapped my door hard and collapsed to the ground with a groan. "Ah! Nick! Don't hit me! Ouch… it hurts! Dad! Mom! Help!" Chapter 4 The sound of hurried footsteps came from downstairs almost instantly. "What happened? Did something happen to Sam?" My parents and Shelby rushed upstairs at nearly the same time. Samuel was lying on the floor, clutching his arm, drenched in cold sweat from the pain. Still, he forced himself to try and stand. "Mom, it's okay," he said. "I don't blame Nick… I just went to give him the card, telling him it was a little something from you and Dad, so he could buy whatever he liked… "But Nick snatched the card and said it was what he deserved! He said if it weren't for me, he wouldn't have ended up like this. And then, he shoved me…" He let go of his arm, revealing the terrifying red swelling and bruising. Mom took one look, and her heart broke at the sight of it. Tears immediately spilled down her face. "How did you get hurt so badly! Nicholas Caldwell! Have you lost your mind? Sam is your brother! How could you be so cruel?" Dad was shaking with rage, and he looked downright livid. "That bastard! He's really gone too far! We've given him so much these past few months! All those herbal medicines, hundreds of thousands worth of supplements, dividends from the company shares, and now two million—and still he's not satisfied? "Who does he think he's pulling that sour face at every day? Nicholas, do you really think your mom and I have no limits? Get out here right now and apologize to Sam!" Hearing my parents' words, I grew more and more bewildered. I had never seen any of those things he'd mentioned. A faint smile tugged at the corner of Samuel's lips. Then, with Shelby's help, he stood up shakily and said weakly, "Dad, Mom, I guess Nick just doesn't like me. He poured the herbal medicine I brought him down the drain, and he also smashed the watch I gave him. I was afraid Mom would be upset, so I didn't say anything… "I'm sorry, Mom and Dad. I shouldn't have come back. If it weren't for me, Nick wouldn't be like this. It's all my fault…" Remembering how Samuel had hidden the card just moments ago, I felt a deep weariness wash over me. So everything Mom and Dad thought they had given me had all been taken by Samuel. I hadn't done anything. I hadn't even seen any of it. And yet I had become a greedy, insatiable monster in their eyes. "It wasn't me, Mom. It was Sam…" I didn't even have the strength left to explain. I was already dead anyway. They couldn't hear me, and I wouldn't be an eyesore to them anymore. I also wouldn't be fighting with their precious son for anything anymore, so they should be happy, right? "Mr. Caldwell, please calm down. Nicholas probably just isn't thinking clearly. Don't take it to heart!" Shelby hurriedly stepped forward to intervene, her face full of feigned concern. "It's one thing that he isn't in the best of health," she added, "but if you get worked up and end up getting sick yourself, that'd be even worse! Please don't act rashly!" On the surface, it looked like she was trying to mediate, but in reality, she was just adding fuel to the fire. Sure enough, Dad's anger flared up even more at her words. "He isn't in the best of health? He looks perfectly fine to me! Strong enough to beat Sam black and blue! "Shelby, take Sam back to his room. I'm going to make things clear with Nick today. The Caldwell family doesn't owe him anything! He can take that two million and get the hell out of my house!" Dad banged furiously on my door and twisted the handle. But try as he might, it simply wouldn't budge, so he kicked the door hard. The solid wooden door rattled with each blow, as if it would splinter any second. Samuel wore a smug expression, clearly wanting to stay and watch the show. But Shelby, who hadn't gotten the money yet, didn't dare displease Dad, so she dragged Samuel away. "Open up! Nicholas, you worthless bastard! You think I can't get to you just because you're hiding in there?" Just as he raised his foot to deliver one last kick, the doorbell downstairs suddenly rang, loud and urgent. "Who the hell is that? Why are they ringing the bell so urgently at this hour?" Dad's chest heaved violently, and he exchanged a glance with Mom. Mom went downstairs and opened the door, only to find several uniformed police officers standing at the entrance, their expressions grave. Both of them froze. "Are you Nicholas Caldwell's family? We recovered a body downstream. The preliminary description matches Nicholas. We'd like you to come with us to identify the body."