Chapter 3

"Aria, I'm begging you."

"Just give me one kidney!"

"I know I favored the others before. I know I hurt you."

"But it was because I was bedridden for a year after giving birth to you. You can't blame me for that…"

My mother's words, the same ones as always, filled my ears again.

In a haze I saw her again, that girl warped by her mother's cruel favoritism.

The one who grew up with no sense of safety, timid and full of self-doubt.

Rupert and I were twins, born together.

Yet she pinned all the blame on me alone.

"I won't donate."

I said it calmly, then turned without hesitation and got into the car.

"Aria, you have to give up that kidney!"

Rupert wrenched my shoulder back hard.

Dull pain shot through me and I tipped sideways.

I had barely steadied myself when Leonora hooked her foot under mine.

"Crash!"

My father's urn hit the ground.

A gust of wind swept through, carrying a little of the ashes away.

I froze for a second, then yanked off my coat and threw it over the scattered ashes.

"Rupert! Leonora!"

I spun around and slapped them both across the face in fury.

"Smack! Smack!"

The crisp sound of it rang out.

Rupert clutched his cheek, eyes blazing.

"Aria, you want to die!"

He drew his arm back and swung a vicious slap at me.

I twisted aside just in time and steadied myself again.

Then Leonora's voice came, low and venomous.

"Aria, the Delgados won't take a daughter-in-law who's missing a kidney."

"So be a good girl. Lose the baby, and give up the kidney…"

Something rammed into my waist and I went down, sprawling on the ground.

"What do you think you're doing?!"

"Who gave you the nerve to hurt Mrs. Farley and the Farley family's only heir?!"

"Do you have a death wish?!"

Ivan scrambled up, blood streaming down his face, frightened and frantic as he reached to help me.

But one of the "buddies" behind Rupert grabbed him and yanked him back.

"Mrs. Farley?"

"Only heir?"

"Aria, are you addicted to your little act?"

"No wonder Dad always favored you, our resident drama queen!"

"Even on his deathbed, you were the only one he wanted to see!"

Hatred and jealousy twisting his face, Rupert pulled out his phone.

He started a livestream.

"Hey, everyone, long time no see!"

"Today I've got another explosive show for you all!"

"The wife of Clyde Farley, richest man in New York, having a live abortion!"

He sneered the words, then shoved the phone right up to my face.

The pain at my waist had eased a little. I got to my feet and pulled my own phone out of my bag.

Cold-faced, I threw out one line.

"Rupert, I'm giving you one minute. Cut the stream right now!"

"Or the Farleys won't let you walk away…"

"Let me walk away?"

"Aria, quit dreaming!"

"You're not about to tell me Clyde Farley's affair was fake, are you? That he's madly in love with you?"

The streaming phone pushed into my face again.

I frowned and forced out the words again, my voice hoarse.

"Rupert, I'm saying this for the last time!"

"Shut off the stream and take Mom home!"

"Say it ten thousand times, it changes nothing!"

"Aria, today you're getting rid of that baby! And you're giving Mom your kidney!"

Rupert's face darkened. He pulled out a bottle of pills.

"You don't want to go to the hospital? Then we do it with the pills!"

He twisted the cap off and closed in, step by step.

Behind him, Leonora's panicked voice cut in out of nowhere.

"Wait!"

"Rupert, shut off the stream, now!"

"Farley Group just put out a statement setting the record straight…"