Chapter 2

My father clutched his chest and toppled back onto the couch. I grabbed the emergency heart pills and quickly fed him one.

He caught my wrist, eyes swimming with tears, his voice trembling.

"Vera, sweetheart, listen to your father. Give Percy one of your kidneys. I'm begging you."

I pulled my hand free and shook my head.

That afternoon, every relative was summoned to our house.

My uncle, my three aunts, my sister-in-law's parents and her side of the family too. Everyone who could come, came.

The little apartment was packed wall to wall, loud with voices, and every one of them was aimed at me.

Nobody asked whether I was afraid of the pain. Nobody cared whether the surgery would leave me broken for the rest of my life.

Everyone had the same question: why won't you save your nephew?

My eldest aunt leaned against the door with her arms crossed over her chest, her tone sharp and full of scorn.

"Vera, it's just one kidney. It won't kill you. A few months and you'll be fine."

"Percy is the only grandson the Fox family has. Are you going to stand there and watch him die?"

I twisted my fingers together and held my ground.

My second aunt let out a long sigh.

"Kids these days, honestly, the older they get the more selfish. No sense of family at all."

"If my kidney were a match, I wouldn't say a word. I'd donate it right now."

I lifted my head and looked at her, my voice flat.

"You talk big now, Aunt. But years ago, when your daughter-in-law nearly bled out giving you a grandson, you wouldn't even give a little blood. Why was that?"

"That, that isn't the same thing! Percy is family. Don't you go dragging up old scores to change the subject."

My uncle chimed in.

"Exactly! Vera, you're too cold-hearted. Your parents raised you for twenty years, and when it actually counts you're no use at all."

"If you don't save your nephew, do you think you'll ever have a clear conscience? You'll be punished for this!"

My mother took my hand and pleaded with me earnestly.

"Sweetheart, be good. Donate it. We're all family."

"You help your nephew, and later your brother and his wife will help you. When you're old, Percy will take care of you, treat you like his own mother."

"Think of the bigger picture. Don't give people a reason to point at you behind your back and call you cold and heartless."

I drew my hand back.

"Mom, I'm not afraid of what people say. I have a daughter. And I don't need Percy to take care of me when I'm old."

"All I want is to keep my body intact, live a few more years, and raise my little girl."

In my last life, I believed all of it.

I believed in "family helps family." I believed in "we'll pay you back someday." I believed in "it's just a small injury, no big deal."

And what did I get in the end?

A body full of ailments, endless blame, and one final line, "your kidney was poor quality," before they drove me to my grave.

I looked at the crowd of hateful faces. My voice wasn't loud, but every one of them heard it clearly.

"Donating a kidney means permanent damage. I'll die young. So whoever wants to donate can donate. I won't."

That sentence set every one of them off.

My sister-in-law dropped straight to the floor and threw a screaming fit, wailing.

"Why is my life so cursed! My boy is perfectly good, and now he has to sit here and wait to die, all because he has a heartless aunt!"

"Heaven has no eyes! Why won't it let me suffer in his place, why does my son have to go through this!"

Her mother suddenly knelt down in front of me, sobbing and begging.

"Good girl, please, help your sister-in-law. I'll kowtow to you if that's what it takes."

I turned my body away and clenched my fists.

"There's no reason for any of this. Instead of wearing yourselves out on me, you'd be better off looking for another way."

My brother's face was ashen. He stared at me, his voice cold enough to frighten.

"Vera, I'm asking you one last time. Are you going to donate or not?"

I looked him straight in the eye and didn't give an inch.

"No."