Rachel drove Joel to a remote, unfinished building on the outskirts of the city. There were weeds everywhere, and it was completely abandoned.She dragged him along, swiftly making her way into the unfinished building, but his body no longer could keep up with her pace.Joel staggered along, struggling to catch his breath in gasps, yet Rachel was seemingly blind to it. She was only moving forward anxiously.She finally came to a halt.Joel looked up and saw Christopher with his hands bound. He was hanging from the rooftop. He cried out, "Save me, Rach!""Chris!" Rachel was heartbroken. She tried to comfort him and said, "Don't be afraid, I'm here now. I won't let anything happen to you!""Just as the rumors say, Ms. Rachel really does love her lover very much." A group of abductors walked out while asking gleefully, "Have you brought the money?"Rachel coldly replied, "How am I supposed to get you five million dollars in such a short time?"One of the abductors said, "So the de
Rachel had supported Christopher all the way back.She was always gentle and cautious with him. She spoke softly as if afraid that even a careless word might bring up his painful memories and worsen his condition."How do you feel now? Do you want to take a hot shower and get a good night's sleep now? Everything will be fine once you wake up." Seeing Christopher's pale face, Rachel believed he must have had the biggest shock.Joel's face flashed in her mind for a brief moment, yet she quickly pushed the thought away.She figured that he, as a normal and healthy person, wouldn't be more depressed than Christopher at this point in time.Furthermore, nothing would happen to him when Lily was already going to the hospital with him.Rachel placed all of her attention on Christopher instead.He looked shaken as he grabbed her sleeves. "Please don't leave, Rach. I'm really scared. Can you stay with me a little longer?"I know Joel really needs you, but I… I can only have you for now.
Rachel tried to convince herself with that ridiculous excuse.Joel's phone was on, but no one answered her calls. A cold, emotionless automated voice followed after the busy signal.The more she listened to it, the more agitated she grew. Her initial rationality was now completely taken over by panic.Wasn't what Joel had just a slight cold? Why wasn't he back yet? What was going on with those test results?Rachel couldn't bring herself to connect him with something as dreadful as stomach cancer no matter how much she tried.She continued to call him tirelessly, listening to the automated voice repeatedly until a blood-curdling scream came from the room next door.Christopher had woken up.Rachel could only end the call she had just made and rush in to check on him. However, she found the door, which she had gently closed earlier, entirely locked from the inside. She pushed against it but it didn't budge."What happened, Chris? Please just open the door! It's me!" she yelled as
Rachel's train of thought was interrupted by Christopher's sudden loud wails.He shouted, "You really think the same, don't you? I was the one who caused trouble to Joel, so I should just die now. Don't worry, I won't disturb the both of you anymore!"He cried until his voice went hoarse, looking as if he might collapse anytime soon. Yet, his grip on the railing remained firm.Rachel feared that something tragic might happen at her house. When Christopher tilted his head up to let tears slide down his face, she rushed to the balcony and grabbed his wrist.He cried even louder then.Rachel tried to pull Christopher back indoors, yet he stubbornly moved his feet further out. He continued to cry and scream, "Just let me die! Only then will Joel stop blaming me—"He was making it sound like Joel did something to him.Rachel hesitated once again. She comforted him, "It's not your fault. It was the fault of the abductors. You have nothing to blame yourself for. As for Joel… I'm the on
Tina scoffed when she saw Christopher's panicked expression. She said disdainfully, "Your little act won't work forever."Christopher glared at her begrudgingly, yet he dared not retort in return.He could tell that Rachel was starting to doubt him. He had to be more careful moving forward.At the same time, Rachel stood looking perplexed in the hallway. She held onto her phone and asked, "Did you guys get the wrong number?"Her ears were ringing, and she wondered if something was wrong with her hearing.On the other end of the line, Amy carefully went over the details before explaining, "We couldn't have made a mistake, Mrs. Lewis."I understand you must be upset right now, but as a staff of the body donation department, I want to first thank your husband, Mr. Lewis, for his significant contribution to the medical field—"Amy proceeded to express her gratitude further, yet Rachel couldn't understand a single word. She asked with a trembling voice, "What do you mean? My husband…
It was completely normal for the family to struggle with acceptance. As such, Amy spoke with care, afraid that Rachel might cause a scene in the hospital or try to reverse the donation.However, it was too late by now.Rachel only wanted to confirm if Joel was truly dead. She refused to believe his passing until she saw him for herself.…The medical school wasn't too far from the affiliated hospital. In order to save time, Rachel did not even bother driving but instead rushed over on foot.She was promptly stopped by Jessie Keele, the security guard outside of the medical school. "This area isn't open to the public. You should go to a different department if you want to tour the campus. You can't enter here."Rachel replied, "I'm not here for a tour—I'm looking for someone."Jessie asked, "Do you have an appointment?"Rachel said, "I can register myself.""No, you have to have an appointment," Jessie replied firmly, refusing to let a stranger enter the medical school.The do
Christopher's tone was so anxious that it sounded strong and energized. It was completely lacking the depression and hopelessness he'd shown in front of Rachel before.Rachel's doubts were instantly sparked. The anger from being deceived fuelled her as she marched over to him.Christopher almost dropped his phone onto the ground out of surprise. However, he realized what was happening and hurriedly ended the call.He nervously said, "Why did you come back all of a sudden, Rach? You… you have to let me explain—this is all just a misunderstanding!""Alright. Tell me what is this misunderstanding all about then," Rachel said."I—" Christopher gritted his teeth. His voice was trembling as if he was about to cry. "I didn't want my friends to worry about me, so I'm just calming them down. You know how it is, I really don't want anyone to be concerned about me—"He had completely forgotten about the lies he had told earlier in his rush to come up with an excuse, and his explanation fell
Morgan was worried that Rachel might doubt him. He immediately pulled his drawer open and showed her a genuine copy of a diagnosis letter.Rachel spotted the difference with just one glance, yet she did not react immediately. She figured she might as well make sure Christopher was completely exposed since she was already here.She took a pill bottle out of her pocket and handed it over. "He said he has depression and insomnia and has to take sleeping pills prescribed by the hospital on a daily basis."Morgan glanced at the pill bottle, which seemed fairly legitimate. He immediately opened it and gave it a sniff before sighing. He replied, "These were just regular vitamin tablets. They even smell like sour oranges."It turned out that Christopher's lies had been so poorly constructed all along.Rachel walked out of the consultation room in a daze. She leaned against the wall to support herself and laughed bitterly. She felt foolish because he had been toying with her. She had even
Renee and Joel exchanged glances before they got to work, making preparations to bring Benny to a bigger hospital in the city.Joel took the task of comforting Gillian Woods, Benny's mother, assuring her that she'd be able to follow them to the hospital. Meanwhile, Renee drove the car over, taking the mountain roads at full speed during New Year's Eve.…They finally arrived at the Metropolitan General Hospital just before midnight.None of them had expected to return to this hospital under such circumstances, but they had no time to stop and reminisce.Benny was rushed into the emergency room as quickly as possible.As Renee was more familiar with the medical staff here, she was better suited to stay with Gillian, who was on the verge of an emotional breakdown. They waited for the results of the emergency treatment, while Joel took care of the paperwork, payments, and other errands.Once he was finished, he was about to head back to the emergency room to join them when a famili
Joel never once saw himself as a patient who needed care. Instead, he was ready to make a difference.He arrived at the rural health center with Renee after a long journey, and within just a few days, he threw himself completely into his work.The conditions there were worse than they had imagined.The nearby villagers were completely reliant on this two-story health center for their medical needs, yet they were severely understaffed. Besides the two of them, there were only a few elderly village doctors and some intern nurses sent from the town.Joel took everything in stride. The rapport between Renee and him in their work turned out to be deeper than they had expected. In less than six months, his exceptional medical skills and kind-hearted nature earned him praise from the nearby villagers.Most of the young and middle-aged villagers had gone to work in the city, leaving mostly the elderly, women with children, and left-behind children with no one to care for them.Joel took
Renee said, "Don't mention it. It's the least I can do. After all, I—"She paused before continuing, "We're fellow alumni, it's only natural for us to look after each other. Besides, I wasn't completely sure about the surgery in the first place. I should be the one thanking you for your trust in me."Although Renee's words were polite and friendly, the way she looked at him was anything but innocent. Other than concern and joy, there was also an unmistakable look of admiration.Joel, having just come back from the brink of death, was not in the position to notice her feelings. He smiled and replied, "It's good enough that you were willing to try. If it wasn't for you, I would've turned into a teaching tool for good."He had signed the agreement and was fully prepared to bid his goodbyes to the world, but fate had other plans.Renee happened to save his life by removing most of the cancerous tissues from his stomach. Although it would affect his health, at least he was still alive.
The room went completely silent. It was as if time had paused.Rachel was the one who broke the silence. She frowned and asked Tina, "Why are you looking so pale?"Tina shook her head in surprise. "I'm fine, Ms. Rachel. But are you asking about Mr. Lewis?"Perplexed, Rachel retorted, "Who else could be the man of this house? I haven't seen him for the entire day now. Didn't he say he was going to meet a friend? Why hasn't he come back yet?"She had seemingly forgotten about Joel's passing.Tina was instantly alarmed upon seeing Rachel's calm demeanor. She quickly came up with an excuse to put up with Rachel, then hurriedly called for Grace Palmer, a private doctor close to the Harrisons.Grace was already aware of Rachel and Joel's situation and had mentally prepared herself before coming over. However, her expression turned somber after speaking to Rachel. She then discreetly signaled to Tina. Tina understood instantly and hurriedly followed Grace to the hallway, away from Rac
Tina found it hard to accept the reality and burst into tears. "Why must Mr. Lewis suffer so much?"Rachel was heartbroken and looked beyond pale. She slowly walked down the hallway into the living room amidst Tina's sobs.In the bright daylight, she could clearly see all the traces left by Joel in the house.They had picked out the fabric couch covers and curtains together. They had picked out the wind chimes hanging in the hallway together. The same went for the wooden figurines by the coffee table and a pair of photo frames.Those little things were full of their memories, but she couldn't remember when they had started to bear the marks of time.Rachel noticed that one of the bells on the wind chimes was about to fall off and reached out to try to fix it.However, the exhaustion of staying up for a full day caught up with her, and a wave of dizziness flooded her before she could even tie the string back.Rachel collapsed along with the sound of the bells hitting the floor. S
Christopher even tried to argue, "Do you have any evidence? It's definitely collusion if all of you are accusing me!"He was shaking like a leaf, nervously thinking that he had to at least remove himself from being the main perpetrator if he couldn't clear his name.However, the suspects were all interrogated separately. While it might still be reversible if only one person claimed it, it was an undeniably solid case with so many of them saying the same thing.One of the abductors said, "I secretly recorded him with another phone. He's definitely the one who asked us to stage the entire thing."Another said, "He told us it was all just an act back then, not a real abduction. But suddenly, there was a real hostage thrown at us. Who wouldn't be afraid then? We never hurt that person!""We're innocent!" one exclaimed.Just like Christopher, they were equally good at twisting the truth, making them evenly matched opponents.Rachel coldly watched everything unfold from the side, comp
Rachel's words were interrupted by the sound of her phone ringing.The ringtone echoed off the walls of the spacious and abandoned unfinished building, sounding louder and sharper than usual.Rachel couldn't bear to look at Christopher for a second longer. She turned away to answer the call.It was a call from David, the officer in charge of investigating the abduction case. He solemnly said, "There has been progress with the case, Ms. Rachel. You'd better come in person. By the way, is Mr. Scott there with you?"Rachel laughed bitterly. "Of course, he is."David paused before continuing, "You guys should come together then."Rachel noticed something was off. "Is there something wrong with the case? I'll head over in a bit, but my husband just passed two hours ago. I hope you can tell me the entire truth."Although Joel's death may not be directly related to this incident, there was no doubt this was the final blow that made him lose all hope in her.In order to resolve the ent
Morgan was worried that Rachel might doubt him. He immediately pulled his drawer open and showed her a genuine copy of a diagnosis letter.Rachel spotted the difference with just one glance, yet she did not react immediately. She figured she might as well make sure Christopher was completely exposed since she was already here.She took a pill bottle out of her pocket and handed it over. "He said he has depression and insomnia and has to take sleeping pills prescribed by the hospital on a daily basis."Morgan glanced at the pill bottle, which seemed fairly legitimate. He immediately opened it and gave it a sniff before sighing. He replied, "These were just regular vitamin tablets. They even smell like sour oranges."It turned out that Christopher's lies had been so poorly constructed all along.Rachel walked out of the consultation room in a daze. She leaned against the wall to support herself and laughed bitterly. She felt foolish because he had been toying with her. She had even
Christopher's tone was so anxious that it sounded strong and energized. It was completely lacking the depression and hopelessness he'd shown in front of Rachel before.Rachel's doubts were instantly sparked. The anger from being deceived fuelled her as she marched over to him.Christopher almost dropped his phone onto the ground out of surprise. However, he realized what was happening and hurriedly ended the call.He nervously said, "Why did you come back all of a sudden, Rach? You… you have to let me explain—this is all just a misunderstanding!""Alright. Tell me what is this misunderstanding all about then," Rachel said."I—" Christopher gritted his teeth. His voice was trembling as if he was about to cry. "I didn't want my friends to worry about me, so I'm just calming them down. You know how it is, I really don't want anyone to be concerned about me—"He had completely forgotten about the lies he had told earlier in his rush to come up with an excuse, and his explanation fell