Chapter 3

When Emily spoke, the whole room fell silent.

The woman in charge hadn’t expected her to make such a demand and looked at her, awkwardly pursing her lips.

All this effort to paint me as the “other woman” was just to convince my daughter to donate an organ to her son, who was born out of wedlock.

My hands trembled as I took out my phone and called Mark, but he didn’t pick up. So, I sent him a message, urging him to get here quickly.

Seeing that no one was backing her up, Emily pulled Jason to the front.

“Jason has been sick since he was three, relying on dialysis for the last two years. He can’t run, play, or go to the park, and has never been to school. All he does every day is lie there, like a puppet with no life in him. And your daughter? She takes dance classes and travels for workshops, all funded by my husband!

“Anna, do you really want me, his rightful wife, to beg you on my knees before you agree to save Jason?”

“Miss, my mom always taught me to share. Can’t you ask your daughter to share a kidney with me? I’m still so young. I don’t want to die!”

Jason’s pale face was streaked with tears as he looked up at me pitifully.

Hearing their little back-and-forth made me chuckle bitterly. I fixed my gaze on Emily. “Emily, before I even think about donating my daughter’s kidney, how about you first tell everyone if you are legally married to Mark?”

She bit her lip, her eyes darting around.

Suddenly, she put on a show of desperation, waving her hands at me frantically. “Fine, I’ll get a divorce. I’ll divorce Mark tomorrow if that’s what you want!

“No, I’m the other woman here; you and Mark are the real couple! Just promise to donate the kidney, and I’ll do whatever you ask.”

Her defeated expression stirred sympathy in the crowd.

“Why should Anna’s son die while this other woman’s child gets to live?”

“The wife is being way too forgiving. Emily’s already taken her husband. Asking for a kidney to save her son is just common decency.”

“That child shouldn’t even have been born. This kidney must be donated!”

“Yes! Donate the kidney! Donate it!”

The crowd’s voices grew louder, waving their arms and chanting to pressure me.

Emily turned her back to me, smiling smugly.

My anger boiled over. Before I knew it, I slapped her across the face.

Jason saw this and grabbed my arm, biting down hard.

Not wanting to hurt the child, I shook my arm, stepping back repeatedly. However, I tripped over a cable on the stage, hitting my head on the ground with a sharp pain, and everything went foggy.

Seeing the situation escalate, the hospital director rushed over with several doctors to calm things down.

I struggled to pull myself up, leaning against the podium, blood dripping from my forehead.

Emily, pretending to be calm, said, “Anna, I didn’t want to make a scene. If you’d just agreed to donate the kidney in the first place, this wouldn’t have happened. I’m not asking for your daughter’s life—she still has one kidney left!”

My eyes blazed as I scoffed. “And why should I save Mark’s illegitimate son? What makes you think you deserve that?”

Just as I finished speaking, Mark, covered in sweat, rushed up onto the stage.

He grabbed my shoulders, his voice full of worry.

“Anna, what happened? Are you dizzy?

“Come on, let’s get you checked out!”

I pushed him away. “Now that I’ve been publicly shamed as the mistress, you want to act concerned?”

Mark’s anger flared as he looked at Emily standing off to the side.

He stood up, turned, and slapped her across the face.

“Where’s security? Get this troublemaker out of here, now!”