Chapter 1

After the 99th time she cleaned up after one of Caelora's rising stars in the business world, Jacqueline Blanchett made a call.

"I want to reinstate my identity as a field doctor. I won't come back unless I die."

The man on the other end sighed deeply. "Years ago, you went there because you wanted to earn money for Hayden's surgery. You almost died there! Now, you've only just reunited with him for less than half a year. Won't you regret it?"

Jacqueline looked at her withered reflection in the mirror and gave a bitter smile.

She had been born into a family of doctors. After her parents' deaths, she raised her younger sister, Penelope Blanchett, alone. She could have worked at Caelora's best hospital after graduation, but she chose to become a field doctor instead.

Even when a bullet tore through her thigh, and even when an explosion took her arm, she never regretted that choice.

But now…

"No, I won't regret it. Send a car to pick me up in ten days."

With that, Jacqueline hung up. With her prosthetic hand, she picked up the scattered condoms on the floor.

In the past six months, Hayden Gardner had brought home a different woman every night. He forced Jacqueline to listen to their lovemaking through the door and clean up afterward. He even ordered her to prepare contraceptives for the women he slept with.

All of that was an act of revenge for the supposed betrayal she had dealt him years ago.

Each time, she had run away from the scene like she needed to flee for her life.

But this time, she stayed. For seven days and nights, she didn't budge, remaining rooted to the spot in self-inflicted torment.

On the first day, she grabbed Hayden's sleeve with her prosthetic hand. Her eyes were reddened and her voice trembling as she asked, "Why won't you spare my sister?"

Hayden's gaze was calm, almost indifferent. "Did you spare me or her back then?"

On the fifth day, he told her to make Penelope some nutritious meals to boost her health.

The faint light from the lit cigarette flickered between his fingertips, shedding a dim glow on the satisfied look in his eyes. "Your sister tastes better than you ever did."

On the seventh day, it was finally over.

A cold light flickered in Hayden's upturned eyes. "Back when you left me when I was sick and dying, did you ever imagine your life would turn out this way?"

Jacqueline met his gaze that remained unchanged even after three years. The boy she had once known blurred and overlapped with the man standing before her.

They had grown up together as childhood sweethearts. Even their parents had encouraged them to get engaged when they grew up. Everyone had expected them to get married someday, including themselves.

When Jacqueline turned 18, Hayden had rested his head in her lap underneath the falling cherry blossoms.

He had taken her hand and said, "Jacqueline, let's get married after we graduate."

But fate had other plans. Jacqueline's parents died, and Hayden was diagnosed with leukemia. On the day she found out she was a bone marrow match for him, Jacqueline had broken up with Hayden without hesitation.

Hayden had chased her all the way to the airport, bending his proud back that always stood tall and straight. He begged her heartbrokenly between sobs.

He had told her he didn't want her marrow and that he could silently wait for death to claim him. He had told her he would give her everything she wanted, saying that if she left, he would never forgive her.

But her steps never faltered for his sake.

A second before he was wheeled into the operating room, he had felt death's grip tighten around his throat as he dialed her number. If she had just answered or just said one word, he would have forgiven her.

But she didn't. And so, he hated her for that.

In three years, Hayden had become the most feared man in Caelora's elite circle. He was ruthless and calculating, showing no interest in women.

Everyone knew there was only one person he hated, and her name was Jacqueline Blanchett.

When she reappeared in Caelora, he cut off all her financial support and forced her to work as the Gardner household's housekeeper.

Only Jacqueline knew the truth. She had left back then to earn the 50 thousand dollars required for his medical treatment.

Two agreements had once been laid out before her. On the left was the bone marrow donation agreement, and on the right was the assumption of risk agreement for field doctors.

The one on the left gave Hayden a second chance at life. The one on the right made her witness countless deaths.

Staring into her bloodshot eyes, Hayden spoke in a voice that had an expectant edge to it. "Do you regret it now?"

Jacqueline snapped back to the present from her reverie. She suppressed the turbulent waves of emotions in her heart and forced a nonchalant laugh.

"Of course I regret it. If I'd known you'd turn out like this, I wouldn't have left you even if you begged me to. Am I to take it that you can't let go of the past, Mr. Gardner? How much do you plan to pay to keep me as your mistress now?"

His expression darkened instantly. "As expected. I've gotten my hands on the bone marrow donation agreement, Jacqueline."

Upon hearing that, Jacqueline froze. So, he found it? Did that mean he had found out what really happened back then?

Hayden didn't notice the panic flashing through her eyes. He slapped the thin document hard against her chest.

He said, "It was Penelope who donated her bone marrow to me back then. If not for her, I'd be dead."

Then, he shot a cold and furious glare at her. "You two are sisters, but why are you so heartless? Ten days from now, I'll marry Penelope."

Jacqueline felt her throat constrict with bitterness. Of course. How could she have forgotten? She signed the donation agreement all those years ago under Penelope's name.

She had been afraid that if she died, no one would be there to care for Penelope. The only person she could entrust her to was Hayden.

Jacqueline didn't argue or protest, instead saying calmly, "That's a shame. It looks like I won't get to be your mistress, after all. I wish you two a happy marriage."

In ten more days, she would be gone, anyway, and she was never coming back.

Chapter 2

When Jacqueline offered her blessing, Hayden's expression darkened even more. He looked at her coldly. "So, you've sunk this low, huh?"

"What did you expect, Mr. Gardner? How else did you think I survived during those three years I was gone?" Jacqueline retorted.

Hayden's eyes became bloodshot upon hearing that. He yanked open a drawer, grabbed a stack of cash, and threw it at her head roughly.

"Fine. You love money, don't you? Take that and wash the sheets yourself!" he barked.

Jacqueline gathered the notes and stood up. When she stepped into the master bedroom, she found that Penelope was already awake.

She was touching a small blood stain on the bedsheet, and the corners of her mouth curled upward into a shy, almost joyous smile. She only came back to her senses when she heard footsteps.

"Jackie… I love him."

Jacqueline's heart skipped a beat. She looked up in disbelief, only to meet Penelope's calm and certain eyes.

Before she could speak, Penelope continued, "Ever since we were kids, I knew he loved you. Even when you broke up with him and when he was at his lowest, he still loved you. He started his business just to find you again. He worked himself sick, drinking until he vomited blood.

"Once, an investor drugged him and tried to force a woman onto him. He jumped out of the window on the fifth floor and broke both legs just to avoid touching her. But the moment you came back, everything changed. He started sleeping around, like a man gone mad, just to hurt you."

Penelope then revealed to Jacqueline the red marks scattered across her skin.

She went on, "He wanted to know the reason you left, so he started investigating. Fortunately, you used my name to make the donation. When he came to me, I didn't deny it. Look—now, he's started to love me."

The marks Hayden had left on Penelope's body looked especially glaring to Jacqueline. He had once done the same to her whenever they spent a passionate night in bed. Back then, whenever someone noticed the faint bite marks on her neck, Hayden's upturned eyes would gleam with pride.

He used to say, "I want to leave marks on you so that everyone knows you're mine."

Now, those same marks were all over another woman's body.

Jacqueline drew in a deep breath and said, "It's good that you love him. He'll marry you."

Penelope suddenly shot up from the bed and rushed toward her. The manic look in her eyes threatened to swallow Jacqueline whole.

She screamed, "It's not enough! If he loves me, then why does he still call your name in bed? I want you gone! I want you completely gone from his heart!"

In the next instant, she grabbed Jacqueline's hand and shoved it violently toward herself. Penelope then slammed into the headboard with a loud, sickening thud.

The sound brought Hayden running. His pupils dilated when he saw the blood. He scooped Penelope into his arms, his eyes blazing with cold fury that stabbed at Jacqueline's heart.

"You cold-blooded monster! How could you hurt your own sister?"

He carried Penelope out and had Jacqueline dragged to the hospital, too. When the doctor appeared holding a very thick needle, Jacqueline instinctively hid her prosthetic right arm behind her back.

Hayden's voice came from above, sharp with rage. "Stop hiding your arm! You dare hurt her, but you don't have the guts to make up for it? I want you to compensate for the exact amount of blood she lost!"

So, Jacqueline extended her left arm toward the doctor.

As the needle pierced her skin, she forced a cold, mocking smile. "Mr. Gardner, my blood's not cheap. You could sell it for a few thousand dollars at least. How much are you planning to pay me?"

Hayden's fingers dug into his palms, and veins bulged at his temples. He stepped closer slowly and wrapped a hand around her slender neck, gradually tightening his grip.

Just as Jacqueline was about to suffocate, he suddenly released her.

"Throw her blood away. This heartless woman's blood is way too filthy! Keep drawing blood from her until Penelope wakes up."

Jacqueline collapsed to the floor, doing her best to choke back the metallic taste rising in her throat. She tried to stand, holding on to the wall for balance, but her vision went black, and she passed out.

When she was half-conscious, she heard the doctor's voice faintly. "She's in terrible shape. In fact, she's malnourished and hypoglycemic. She can't handle this much blood loss. Besides, she donated her bone marrow before. How could you—"

Before the doctor could finish, Hayden's loud outburst cut him off. "Did you say she donated her bone marrow before?"

Chapter 3

The moment Jacqueline opened her eyes, Hayden's bloodshot gaze loomed large in front of her.

"Jacqueline, who did you donate your bone marrow to? Why would you donate it to someone else? How much did he pay you? Or was it because you loved him?

"You abandoned me for him. Were you really willing to let me die while you gave him your bone marrow instead? Or… did you donate your bone marrow to me?"

At that last question, Hayden's voice was shaking uncontrollably.

Tears welled up in Jacqueline's eyes. He was about to marry Penelope, so she couldn't tell him the truth. Even if she did, what difference would it make now?

She started laughing until tears streamed down her face. "Hayden, don't tell me you thought I donated my bone marrow to you. Who in their right mind would do something so stupid? Let me tell you the truth—I sold my bone marrow for a million dollars."

Hayden's expression turned absolutely grim. His nails dug deep into his palms as he clenched his fists.

How ironic of him to hope that maybe, just maybe, she had donated it to him. He had drunk himself until his stomach bled. And in his weakened and half-conscious state, he had clutched their old photo just to stay conscious.

Yet, this was all he got in return.

He pinched Jacqueline's chin with his slender fingers and applied so much pressure that it felt like he might crush her jaw. "You've really got some nerve."

He yanked her up by the collar, lifting her off her feet. The tears in his eyes vanished in an instant, leaving behind only hate.

He flung her down beside Penelope's hospital bed and ordered, "From today onwards, you'll kneel here and serve Penelope. If I ever see you stand up, I'll break your legs."

Jacqueline lifted her head weakly. "Kneeling should come with extra pay."

A sharp, humorless laugh escaped his lips as he reached the peak of his fury. With an arched brow, he spat, "You like money that much? Then I won't give you a single cent."

That night, Jacqueline knelt at Hayden's feet until her knees went completely numb. He didn't look at her directly, though his gaze lingered on her from time to time.

Once upon a time, under the same moonlight, they had kissed and looked into each other's eyes with utmost sincerity and openness. But those sweet moments were long gone.

Outside the ward, the nurses' conversation drifted faintly through the corridor, pulling Jacqueline back to the present.

"Bed 31's still trying to scrape together money for the surgery, right? They finally got a bone marrow match, but can't afford the operation."

"I heard there used to be a doctor here who became a field doctor at a war zone just to earn money for her boyfriend's treatment. She got a 50-thousand-dollar subsidy."

"Being a field doctor is practically suicide. I'd never go that far for anyone, no matter how much I loved them."

"I heard from Dr. Lyle, who returned from the war zone, that she came back with one arm missing."

As their voices faded into the distance, Jacqueline's face went pale. She instinctively hid her right arm while glancing up at Hayden.

His eyes were calm and indifferent as he mocked, "What's this? Are you about to tell me you were that field doctor? Go ahead and lie. I'd love to expose you."

A dull ache spread through her chest, but she forced a smile anyway. "What a pity. Why didn't I think of such a perfect lie myself?"

Hayden's gaze hardened, and he spoke in a voice laced with intense hatred. "Jacqueline, the thing I regret the most in this life is that I once loved you."

Her breath hitched. A sharp and suffocating pain spread from her heart. His words echoed in her ears long after he had left the room. She hadn't even noticed when he had walked out.

…

The next evening, he took Jacqueline to a banquet. Many people surrounded Hayden, urging him to drink, but he pushed every glass toward her. He wanted her to experience the taste of alcohol burning through her stomach until she spat out blood. He wanted her to feel his pain back then.

Of course, Jacqueline understood his intentions. So, she drank one glass after another. Even when the alcohol burned her throat, she never uttered a single word of refusal.

As Hayden wished, she got a taste of the horrible pain he had once endured. She couldn't help but wonder how he had made it through those three years.

There were only seven days left. In these seven days, Jacqueline decided that she would drink on his behalf. Perhaps he wouldn't have to drink so much from then on.

Chapter 4

When Jacqueline woke up, her head throbbed painfully. There was a glass of hangover remedy on the bedside table. Taking one glance at it, she knew Hayden had made it himself.

He used to do this in the past. He liked cooking for her because he said her stomach was weak and she was too picky with food to eat properly. So, he took it upon himself to cook for her. To coax her to eat more, he had turned simple ingredients into something beautiful.

Just like now, there was a carrot carved into the shape of a flower at the bottom of the glass.

Jacqueline got up and walked toward Penelope's hospital bed, only to find her already awake. On the table beside the bed sat an entire spread of dishes, each plated to perfection. It turned out the hangover remedy was just something Hayden had made on the side.

He was sitting by the table with a spoon in hand, gently feeding Penelope.

"Be good. Have a little more. Do you see how beautiful it looks? I put a lot of effort into this," Hayden said.

Jacqueline froze and turned away immediately. Over the past few days, she had seen for herself how much he cared for Penelope countless times.

He warmed the thermometer before placing it against her skin. He tasted every medicine himself first to make sure it wasn't bitter. Furthermore, he never left until she had fallen asleep.

None of this surprised Jacqueline. She knew exactly how Hayden acted when he loved someone. But even so, witnessing it still hurt.

When Hayden left the hospital for a meeting that afternoon, Penelope stood before Jacqueline and questioned her accusatorily.

"Jackie, didn't I say I want you gone from his heart completely? Why are you still hanging around him? Why did he take you to that business dinner? Was he introducing you to his friends? Why didn't he take me instead? Are you trying to drive me to my grave?"

Her words chilled Jacqueline to the core, making her shudder. "I'll agree to anything you want. I'll leave. Just don't hurt yourself."

Penelope pulled a small vial from her pocket. "Drink this."

Jacqueline reached for it with her left hand. The icy sensation made her freeze up. Was it a drug?

Upon seeing her pause, Penelope suddenly lunged forward and pried open her mouth. She forced the liquid down her throat without mercy. Then, she smiled satisfactorily. "Have fun, Jackie."

She backed away quickly and slammed the door shut, locking it from the outside.

Within moments, heat rushed through Jacqueline's body from her head to her fingertips. She wanted to rip her clothes off. Worse than the heat was the craving—she wanted a man.

That was when she realized what Penelope had done.

Through the haze, the door creaked open, and a tall figure stepped inside. Jacqueline bit down hard on her tongue and curled up in a corner, trembling uncontrollably.

As the man came closer, her reason slipped further away. Her trembling hands began unbuttoning her shirt on their own.

But in the next moment, she heard a familiar voice. "You sure look pathetic, Jacqueline."

At the sound of his voice, she instinctively clutched her shirt close tightly. She couldn't afford to take off her shirt, or he would see her prosthetic arm.

"Don't come any closer!" she shouted.

Somehow, her words triggered him. He grabbed her roughly and threw her onto the bed. He pinned her down, his breath cool against her skin. Jacqueline almost lost it.

Hayden's expression was dark, and his hand around her throat tightened its grip bit by bit.

He hissed, "Do you hate me that much? Even when you're drugged, you'd rather die than let me touch you?"

Jacqueline stared at his lips. His hot breath got dangerously close to her bare skin.

Just as he was about to touch her, Jacqueline snatched the fruit knife from the nightstand and stabbed it hard into her own thigh. The searing pain jolted her back to clarity.

She forced a shaky laugh and said through clenched teeth, "Mr. Gardner… we haven't discussed the price yet. I'll charge you a discounted price based on our friendship. How about ten thousand dollars per session?"

Hayden froze for a second before cursing under his breath. The fiery lust in his eyes vanished instantly as he flung her off the bed with brutal force.

"You're such a filthy bitch, Jacqueline!"

Cold water splashed all over her from head to toe, dousing the inexplicable heat coursing through her body.

Jacqueline turned and looked expressionlessly at Hayden, whose chest was heaving due to intense anger.

She said evenly, "Get me a doctor. No need to undress me, as I'm fine from the waist up. I'd like to keep what's left of my purity. I might still need to sell it."

"Jacqueline!" Hayden gritted his teeth, unable to come up with a retort.

When his furious back finally disappeared from her sight, Jacqueline's strength gave out completely.

Thank goodness she made it through.

There were only six days left. She couldn't afford to fail now.

Chapter 5

For the next few days, Hayden didn't show up in front of Jacqueline again. The butler, Henry Cooke, said he had gone on vacation with Penelope.

Soon enough, Penelope flooded her Instagram with photos. Hayden was with her at the beach, diving into the sea. He went skydiving and car racing with her, too.

At every adrenaline-filled moment, Hayden held her hand and said loudly, "I love you and only you!"

Jacqueline reached out to touch his image on the screen. A single tear slid down her face.

At about 3:00 am, her phone lit up as some messages came in.

"Jacqueline, why did you like Penelope's post but not message me?"

"I love Penelope."

A while later, new messages came in.

"Aren't you jealous?"

"Jacqueline, what am I to you? Am I just some pet you can carelessly throw away?"

"I have money, Jacqueline. You can come love me for that."

"Say you regret it. Say you'll never leave me again. That's all I want to hear, Jacqueline."

Moments later, all those messages were deleted.

In their place, only one message remained. "From now on, I'll only love Penelope."

Outside her door, Jacqueline heard Henry talking on the phone.

"Mr. Gardner is drunk again? He's drunk every day lately! Doesn't he care about his health? Prepare more of the hangover remedy. Have Ms. Penelope talk to him. He listens to her."

Jacqueline felt a lump in her throat upon hearing that. She quickly typed a message, "Hayden, stop drinking."

But in the next second, she deleted it. Instead, she wrote, "Pay me more. I don't mind having a pet again."

That night, Jacqueline lay awake until dawn. Memories of her and Hayden flooded her mind.

She had always hated the smell of alcohol. Every time he drank, she would pretend to be angry. So, whenever he had to drink to socialize, he would set an alarm to remind himself when to stop. After it happened enough times, people began teasing him for being henpecked.

But no matter how the others poked fun at him, he smiled proudly and said, "I have a wife who cares about me. You all wish you had someone like that."

In just three years, he had become used to drowning himself in alcohol. And Jacqueline had lost the right to be mad at him about it.

At sunrise, Jacqueline's phone rang.

Penelope's panicked voice came through the line. "Hayden's leukemia relapsed! It's bad!"

Jacqueline's mind went blank. It was to be expected, given his reckless participation in extreme sports and his drinking habits.

She wanted to grab Hayden by the shoulders and scream at him. Why didn't he care about his health? He had no idea how much pain she had endured just so he could live.

But as she sat in the car, she couldn't utter a word. She just wished the car would move faster.

At the hospital, the doctor spoke quickly about his condition. "Mr. Gardner's condition is critical. We'll keep his vital signs steady first, but the best solution is a second transplant. We'll need to find the original donor."

Before Jacqueline could even catch her breath, she nodded frantically.

But Penelope stepped forward first and said, "It was me. I can donate my bone marrow again."

Jacqueline froze and clenched her fists. Of course. In her panic, she had forgotten that the name on the donor record wasn't hers. It was Penelope's.

Through a small gap between the doctors, Jacqueline caught sight of the man lying on the bed. In just three days, he looked like he had lost considerable weight.

Her eyes stung, but she forced herself to hold back the tears and turned to the doctor. "What are the risks?"

The doctor replied, "The second surgery is extremely dangerous. Right now, we don't have a qualified surgeon for a case this complex. There used to be, though—the Blanchett family's two expert surgeons. If they were still alive, this surgery wouldn't be a problem.

"There was also the Blanchetts' prodigy daughter. But no one knows where she is now…"

At those words, Penelope fixed a piercing gaze on Jacqueline.

Instinctively, Jacqueline hid her prosthetic arm behind her back. She could use this arm to save lives on the battlefield. But to perform such a delicate surgery with it, especially on the man she loved… It was an impossible task. If she went through with it, failure was certain.

But then Penelope suddenly said, "Don't worry, doctor. The Blanchetts' prodigy daughter is right here. She can do it."

The doctor's eyes lit up. He followed Penelope's gaze and looked at Jacqueline.

Jacqueline froze as every head in the room turned toward her. She couldn't do it!

Her mind spun, and her lips trembled as she forced out the most hurtful words, "I won't do the surgery."

On the hospital bed, Hayden's eyes flew open. A single tear slid down from his bloodshot eyes as he stared at her.

"Jacqueline, you're going to abandon me again."