Nathan immediately grabbed my hand, about to say something, but Trinity’s sobs cut him off.
“Tegan, you’ve misunderstood me and Nate. Even if you don’t want to give me a kidney, you shouldn’t lie about something like this just to make Nate worry.”
Mom chimed in from the side, “I asked the doctor just yesterday. He said your condition is stable. You could wait another ten years for a donor if you had to.”
Nathan’s eyes suddenly turned sharp. “Tegan, you’ve really changed. What happened to the kind and innocent girl I used to know? Or maybe Mrs. Bartlett was right all along. You’ve been manipulative since you were a kid, always lying, always bullying your sick sister.”
I didn’t answer him. Instead, I pushed him aside and headed straight for the door.
“One kidney is enough to survive. Even if I refuse the transplant, the hospital would never give both kidneys to Trinity. All of you need to stop dreaming.”
Mom’s face darkened instantly. She blocked my path, refusing to let me leave.
In the struggle, I had no idea what Nathan did to me, but my vision suddenly went black, and I collapsed.
…
When I woke up again, I was in a secluded house in the countryside.
Nathan stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, speaking softly on the phone. “Just rest up and get ready for the surgery. I’ll have someone watch over Tegan.
“Trinity, you’re too kind. That’s why Tegan always takes advantage of you. If you hadn’t risked your life to save me back then, I wouldn’t even be alive today. I…”
Before he could finish, he heard me stirring and turned to look at me. His voice instantly lost its warmth. “I have something to take care of. I’ll call you later.”
I only realized I was crying when the cold tears slid down my face and into my mouth.
Nathan, the man who used to feel heartbroken every time I cried, now looked at me with indifference and impatience.
“You’re going to stay here quietly until Trinny’s surgery is done. Then, you can go back to the hospital.”
I wiped my face roughly and demanded, “You love her, don’t you? You won’t care even if I die, right?”
Nathan frowned slightly and said flatly, “Tegan, don’t think that just because I’ve spoiled you, you can use death to threaten me. You know I hate being threatened the most.”
He leaned down, one hand braced against the bed while the other gripped my chin. His voice was low, filled with warning. “You haven’t been sick as long as your sister. She just wants to live like a normal person. Why are you so selfish? Can’t you just wait for the next donor?”
