When my best friend, a doctor, diagnosed me with cancer, my life fell apart. My wife, Emily, drained our savings, sold our house, and even took out a loan with a sky-high interest rate—all to save me. I was deeply moved by her unwavering love and sacrifice. After I was discharged from the hospital, I worked three jobs to pay off the debt, but the interest kept piling up. Soon, loan sharks were breathing down my neck. One day, while running for my life, I accidentally stumbled toward our old house—the one we had sold. But just as I was about to leave, I heard voices inside. Voices I recognized. It was Emily. And my best friend, Nathan . “That idiot still thinks he actually has cancer,” Nathan said, followed by a burst of laughter. How could it be Emily’s voice? And… my best friend, Nathan? This house was supposed to be sold. Their conversation hit me like a freight train. “That idiot still thinks he actually has cancer,” Emily said with a laugh. “What if he finds out? Are you sure he didn’t suspect anything?” Nathan asked. “Please. Lincoln? He’s so clueless it’s almost cute. Now that his money and the house are ours, even if he finds out, what can he do? The loan sharks I introduced him to aren’t exactly the forgiving type. He’ll be too busy running for his life to worry about us.” “Oh, Emily, you’re brilliant,” Nathan said, laughing. I clenched my fists as rage boiled inside me. These two snakes! Just as I was about to kick the door open, a shadow loomed behind me. It was the loan sharks. “No… no, please—” Before I could finish, several burly men grabbed me, covering my mouth and dragging me to a van parked outside. When the blindfold came off, my eyes stung under the harsh fluorescent lights. I barely had time to adjust before a deep, cold voice spoke near my ear. “If you can’t pay back the money, don’t blame us for taking your organs instead.” Panic surged through me. I tried to scream, but my mouth was gagged. The icy blade of a knife pressed against my skin, and white-hot pain shot through me. My body trembled violently, but I couldn’t make a sound. The world around me blurred, the pain faded, and everything went dark. So this is how it ends, I thought. How unfair. Why do the wicked always seem to thrive while the good are left to suffer? My consciousness slipped away. Suddenly, I jolted awake. Opening my eyes, I found myself in a familiar place—the hospital room where I had been “diagnosed.”
“Lincoln, based on the results, it’s clear you have cancer,” Nathan, my trusted friend, said as he glanced at my medical file. “No… that’s impossible…” Emily gasped, covering her mouth in shock. “Nathan, you’re Lincoln’s best friend. Please, you have to do whatever it takes to save him!” Emily pleaded. “Thankfully, it was caught early,” Nathan replied. “There’s still hope, but the treatment will be expensive. You’ll need to prepare yourselves.” “Even if it costs us everything, I’ll make sure Lincoln gets the care he needs,” Emily said firmly, her voice filled with determination. The scene felt eerily familiar. This was exactly what had happened before. Nathan, sitting at his desk, delivering his grim diagnosis. Emily standing by my side, her unwavering support bringing me to tears. Last time, I had been overwhelmed with gratitude. I had handed Emily the bank card that held all my life savings, trusting her completely. But this time, things were different. The memories of that night—of their betrayal—echoed in my mind. Nathan’s voice pulled me back to the present. “Lincoln, are you okay? You seem a bit shaken. Don’t worry, with treatment, your chances of recovery are good. For now, Emily can take care of the initial payment.” I stood up abruptly. “I’m not paying a dime,” I said flatly. “What are you talking about?” Emily grabbed my arm. “Lincoln, are you crazy? This is your life we’re talking about!” Taking a deep breath, I steadied myself and patted her hand gently. “I’m not refusing treatment,” I said calmly. “But all our savings are in fixed-term accounts. I can’t withdraw them immediately. I’ll need to speak to the bank tomorrow.” Emily’s eyes flickered, and she exchanged a quick glance with Nathan. “Fine,” she said after a pause. “We’ll wait for you to sort it out.” “Just don’t take too long,” Nathan added with a reassuring smile. “Time is of the essence, after all.” I nodded, suppressing the storm of emotions brewing inside me.
The next morning, I went to a different hospital and underwent a thorough check-up from head to toe. The results? I was perfectly healthy, not a single sign of illness. Staring at the test results in my hands, I felt the fire of rage burning so fiercely in my chest it threatened to consume me whole. So it was all true—my beloved wife and my most trusted friend had conspired to deceive me. I wanted nothing more than to confront them immediately, to demand answers. But as my fury subsided and my rationality took over, I realized that acting on impulse would be the worst possible move. If I stormed into the hospital and confronted them with the test results, they could easily dismiss it as a “mistake” or a “misdiagnosis.” The memory of the knife cutting into my flesh in my last life was still vivid in my mind. The cold, sharp pain was etched into my brain, as clear and real as if it had happened yesterday. This time, I wasn’t going to let them off the hook so easily. If fate had given me another chance, I wasn’t going to waste it. Reckless revenge wouldn’t do justice—I needed a plan, something meticulous and foolproof. When I got back home, Emily rushed to greet me. “Did you get the money? Nathan and I already agreed we need to head to the hospital today to pay for your treatment and pick up the medication.” She couldn’t even wait another second. Feigning regret and shame, I put on my best “guilty husband” face and sighed. “Emily… I wasn’t being honest with you yesterday. The truth is, I invested all our savings. And… I lost everything. There’s nothing left.” I buried my face in my hands, pretending to be overwhelmed with remorse. “What did you just say?” Emily shot up from the couch, her disbelief turning into anger. “It’s true. Look for yourself.” I pulled out my phone, opened my banking app, and held it up for her to see. The balance was zero. Of course, I had withdrawn the money earlier that morning and invested it in a new restaurant. The restaurant’s owner was someone I had gotten to know in my previous life while working as a delivery driver. He was a man of great integrity and exceptional culinary skill. I knew his restaurant would thrive and bring in substantial profits before long. But Emily didn’t need to know any of that. “Lincoln! What kind of person does that? How could you gamble away all of our money without even asking me?” Emily shouted, pointing her finger at me accusingly. “I’m sorry, Emily. I really am. Maybe… maybe we should just forget about the treatment.” I lowered my head, pretending to be utterly defeated. At the mention of “not getting treatment,” Emily’s fiery demeanor instantly deflated like a popped balloon. Her tone shifted to forced concern. “No, we can’t just give up on your treatment. It’s life or death, Lincoln. I’ll figure something out.” Of course, she wouldn’t let me stop treatment. If I didn’t take the medication or go through with the procedures and still stayed healthy, their entire scheme would crumble in an instant. “I’m so sorry for putting you through this, Emily. From now on, I’ll do whatever you say.” I squeezed her hand and looked at her with what I hoped was an expression of pure devotion, suppressing the nausea rising in my chest. “Fine, fine. I’ll think of something,” she muttered, pulling her hand away and heading out the door. I watched her leave, curiosity sparking in my mind. What exactly was she planning?
It wasn’t until late evening that Emily returned home. “Lincoln, I’ve thought it through.” She hesitated for a moment, then continued, “We should sell the house. I found a buyer who’s willing to pay in full immediately. That way, we’ll have the money for your treatment.” “No way!” I blurted out, rejecting the idea on the spot. In my previous life, Nathan had prescribed me outrageously expensive medications. Within days, all of our savings were gone. Desperate, Emily had suggested selling the house, claiming she had already found a buyer who could pay in cash. Back then, overwhelmed by the pressure to fund my treatment, I had blindly followed her lead. I even felt grateful to her for being willing to make such a sacrifice for me. We sold the house in record time, and I moved into a tiny, dingy basement apartment she had supposedly rented for us. Emily, on the other hand, claimed she was staying with a friend and never came back. I never saw a penny from the sale. Emily told me all the proceeds had gone toward paying for my medication. In reality, the entire house sale was nothing but a scam. “You can’t be serious, Lincoln. If you don’t get treatment, you’re going to die!” Emily snapped, trying to scare me into submission. My mind raced as I searched for a way to buy time. I sat down next to her and gently placed my arm around her shoulders. “Emily, it’s just… it’s cancer. Even if we spend all the money, there’s no guarantee the treatment will work. If the worst happens, and I don’t make it, I’d feel terrible leaving you with nothing.” “What are you trying to say?” she asked impatiently, pulling away slightly. “I want to leave the house to you. Next month, let’s go to the courthouse and transfer the deed into your name. That way, no matter what happens to me, you’ll at least have the house to fall back on.” In my last life, the buyer had been someone I didn’t recognize—clearly not a close friend or relative of Emily’s. If I suggested transferring the house directly to her, it would minimize her risk and make her more inclined to agree. I was betting that she’d see the logic in my proposal and take the bait. Sure enough, a flicker of surprise and greed flashed across her face. “Lincoln, you…” “This way, even if the treatment doesn’t work, you won’t be left with nothing,” I added, my voice full of fake sincerity. Emily’s eyes darted back and forth as she weighed her options. Finally, unable to resist the temptation, she nodded. “Alright. Let’s do it your way.” Just as I’d expected, she couldn’t resist the offer.
After calming Emily down, it didn’t take long for Nathan to grow impatient and show up at my door himself. “Lincoln, I noticed Emily hasn’t come by the hospital to handle the payments. Is everything okay? You know your condition can’t wait—it’s critical.” Feigning gratitude, I poured him a glass of water. “Thanks for checking in, Nathan. You know how tight things have been for us. It’s hard to scrape together such a large sum of money right now.” “No matter how hard it is, you’ve got to prioritize your life. And besides…” Nathan paused, his tone becoming calculated. “Even if you don’t have savings, your house would fetch a good price on the market, wouldn’t it?” Blunt. No attempt to hide his intentions. I nodded, pretending to take the bait. “Emily and I already talked about it. I’ve decided to leave the house to her. Next month, we’ll transfer the ownership. That way, if… well, if I don’t make it, at least she’ll have something to fall back on.” “Oh? Is that so?” Nathan’s expression froze for a moment. His eyes flicked to Emily, who immediately avoided his gaze. The tension in the room thickened as the silence hung between us. It was clear that Nathan hadn’t expected this turn of events. After an awkward pause, Nathan forced a smile and stood up. “Well, it’s getting late. I should get going. Lincoln, you really need to start your treatment as soon as possible. Delaying it could be life-threatening. Let me know if there’s anything I can do to help.” His words were polite, but I wasn’t about to let him leave without taking advantage of the situation. “Actually, there is something.” Nathan froze mid-step, turning back to face me. His surprise was evident. “Oh? What is it?” I hesitated, clasping my hands nervously and biting my lip as if unsure whether to speak. “Nathan, you know… with my condition, I can’t work anymore. Things have been really tight at home. Could you… could you lend me some money? I’ll pay you back as soon as I can. But if it’s too much trouble, I understand.” Nathan’s face twisted through a series of emotions—shock, annoyance, and something akin to panic. Before he could respond, I wiped at my eyes as if fighting back tears. “I hate to ask, but I’m desperate. If it weren’t for Emily and how tough things are, I’d never put you in this position.” Emily, standing beside me, tugged hard at my sleeve, clearly signaling for me to stop. Taking the cue, I quickly added, “I’m sorry, Nathan. That was inappropriate of me. Forget I said anything.” But to Nathan, it probably looked like we were playing a coordinated act. His jaw clenched as he pulled out his phone. “Come on, Lincoln. We’re friends. Don’t say it like that. I should’ve thought of this sooner.” The notification of the deposit came through on my phone moments later. I raised my eyebrows in mock surprise. Though it wasn’t a significant amount, it was satisfying to bleed him a little. I kept my tone genuine. “Nathan, thank you so much. It means the world to me that you’d do this. Emily, why don’t you walk Nathan out? It’s the least we can do.” Emily didn’t protest, and the two of them headed downstairs together. Quietly, I followed behind. I’d set the stage for them. Now it was time to enjoy the show.
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