Chapter 3

I froze, bumping right into Tristan. I thought he would recognize me, but his eyes held nothing but raw disgust.

"This is a private wing. What are you sneaking around here for? The hospital security needs to be fired. Letting random trash wander up here."

I gasped. Then I realized my face was completely wrapped in bandages due to the injuries from the loan shark attack. Tristan didn't recognize me.

But this also meant he hadn't visited my room even once since the surgery.

I had wondered if he would panic if I caught him. Now, his cold gaze gave me the ultimate answer.

The hospital security guards arrived and escorted me back to my crowded ward. Tristan didn't give me another glance. He turned back to comfort Blair, promising her that this "annoyance" wouldn't happen again.

Back in my bed, the nurse gasped. She realized that my sudden movement had ripped my surgical stitches, and blood was soaking through my gown. But the physical pain was nothing compared to the agony in my chest.

It wasn't until evening, when it was time to change my dressings, that Tristan finally showed up. He had changed into patient scrubs. Seeing my bandaged face, he frowned and asked with feigned concern:

"Clara, you've been through so much, and you gave your kidney to save me. How is your body? Is the baby okay?"

I instinctively placed my hand over my stomach and shook my head. "The baby is fine."

"You haven't eaten all day, right? I scraped together the last of my savings and bought you something from a nice restaurant."

He opened a bag with an air of sacrifice, showing me steak and lobster. These were luxuries I could never afford during our three years together.

I looked down. "These are so expensive. Why did you spend so much money?"

"You sacrificed your kidney for me. Of course I need to feed you the best to help you recover. Besides, I promised you we’d eat like this every day in the future. You won’t have to suffer anymore."

His lies were still so smooth, so convincing. If this were the old me, I would have been so moved that I wouldn't eat a single bite. I would have begged him to return it just to save a few dollars.

But now, I just stared at the food in silence.

Because on the steak, there was a visible bite mark. Blair's bite mark.

I touched my stomach. Driven by a mix of rage and despair, I grabbed a piece of the untouched meat with my bare hands and stuffed it into my mouth.

To pay off his fake debts, I hadn't had a proper meal in years. I lived on cheap crackers and tap water. I had forgotten how good real food tasted. As I swallowed, I sucked the grease off my fingers, and tears finally spilled over.

Tristan looked at me, a flash of annoyance crossing his face. He reached out to grab the box away. "Stop eating!"

I let out a bitter laugh. "Why? Didn't you buy this for me?"

Tristan lowered his eyes, suddenly pulling me into a tight hug. "I... I just feel guilty that I couldn't provide this for you sooner."

But I didn't miss the disgust that flashed in his eyes before he hugged me. Once the veil of lies was lifted, every ugly detail became blindingly obvious.

After the meal, the nurse walked in to remind Tristan to pay the hospital bills. Tristan went quiet for a moment.

"Clara, I'm so sorry. I... I can't afford the ward fees right now..."

I kept my head down, staring at his polished leather shoes. I had searched them online. Those handmade shoes cost tens of thousands of dollars. Blair had gifted them to him in her room earlier.

He noticed where I was looking and quickly pulled me closer, gripping my shoulders so hard it hurt.

He realized his reaction was too defensive and tried to soften his tone.

"Sorry, Clara. I didn't mean to squeeze so hard. Oh, these shoes? The guy sharing my ward didn't want them anymore. They looked brand new, so I took them. Do they look alright?"

Did he really think I was stupid enough to believe such a pathetic lie?

"They look great," I whispered. "Just like brand new."