The day Jacob Clark won the Nobel Prize, I was lying in my rental apartment, enduring the agony that stomach cancer brought me. During the interview, the reporter asked Jacob to call someone he could never forget. Without any hesitation, Jacob immediately dialed my number. After the call connected, he only asked me one question: “Evelyn, you broke up with me because you thought I had no future. Do you regret it now?” Evelyn Collins is my name. Looking at the IV tube inserted in my body, I smiled. “Jacob, you’re a great scientist now. Could you lend me $500,000?” Jacob immediately hung up the phone. Afterward, Jacob sneered at the interview camera: “Now, I don’t remember that person anymore.” But he didn’t know that when he had his car accident, I gave him everything I had, including one of my kidneys. ***** I thought that would be the end of it. But the moment the TV screen went dark, $1 million appeared in my bank account. At the same time, I received a text message: 【Consider those few Christmases we spent together as something I paid for. That’s all you’re worth.】 I smiled bitterly and turned off my phone screen. As long as the money came through, that was fine. As for everything else, I couldn’t change it. I dragged my heavy body out of the rental apartment to pay the rent I’d been behind on for a Christmas. But as soon as I reached the street, I was drawn to the crowd ahead. Jacob was surrounded by everyone, still wearing that cold smile on his face. He looked as if nothing in the world could stir even the slightest emotion in him. However, the girl standing beside him, Sadie Gomez, who was smiling at him, was an exception. When Jacob and I were still dating, Sadie, as his junior, often stayed by his side. The two of them were very intimate, going in and out of places together. Everyone thought they were the perfect match. Who would remember my existence? Now that I had left Jacob, they could finally be together openly. That was a good thing too. I smiled and turned to leave. But Sadie still recognized me. She called out excitedly: “Evelyn, what are you doing here too?” As soon as Sadie finished speaking, everyone’s eyes focused on me. Jacob noticed me too. He didn’t hide the disgust in his eyes and asked: “What are you doing here? Are you stalking me?” Stalking? With my current physical condition, it was a miracle I could even leave the house. Where would I find the energy to stalk him? I coughed a few times, then looked at Jacob’s luxury car parked by the roadside. I couldn’t help but reach out and touch it: “Jacob, could I sit in your car?” Jacob became even more disgusted with me. He couldn’t help but take a step back, as if saying one more word to me would make him sick. “Evelyn, where did that innocent, kind person you used to be go? How did you become like this?” That innocent, kind person I used to be had naturally disappeared along with my healthy self. When someone’s very survival becomes questionable, where would they find the extra energy to maintain their original appearance? I shook my head helplessly: “Don’t you have someone more innocent than me by your side now? What do you still need me for?” Jacob fell silent for a few seconds, while Sadie beside him had already linked her arm with his. “Jacob, is Evelyn still blaming me? But you and I were truly innocent back then.” Then, without waiting for my answer, Sadie looked at me with red eyes, as if she was about to cry: “Evelyn, if you have any complaints, just take them out on me. Don’t resent Jacob. This car is Jacob’s birthday gift to me. If you like it, I’ll give it to you, as long as it makes you happy.” Sadie was so considerate. Too bad it was me who stayed with Jacob through the hard times. I lived in basements with him. During our poorest days, we shared a single pizza between us and drank tap water together. We couldn’t even afford to see a doctor. When I had a fever of 102 degrees Fahrenheit, I could only buy cheap drugstore medicine to bring it down. Just when we were at our most desperate, Jacob’s paper won an international award. I thought our hard days were finally coming to an end. Jacob was valued by our professor Caroline Wilson and was going to be sent abroad to compete. But then I received notice from the doctor that Jacob had late-stage kidney cancer. That day, I sat in the audience, watching Jacob give his speech on stage. I made a decision. I was going to donate one of my kidneys to him.
Since I’d already made the decision to donate my kidney, there was no point dwelling on it anymore. Now that Jacob had a bright future ahead of him, my sacrifice hadn’t been in vain. Though he didn’t know the truth about what happened that Christmas, just seeing him doing well was enough for me. I remained silent, but Jacob assumed I was acting irrationally out of jealousy over him and Sadie. Worried I might do something to hurt Sadie, he fixed me with a sharp stare and protectively pulled her behind him. Jacob said, “Evelyn, you’re the one who couldn’t handle the hardship and abandoned me when I needed you most. It’s too late for regrets now. As long as Sadie’s happy, I’d give her not just a luxury car, but everything I have.” Sadie smiled shyly and snuggled against Jacob’s chest. The two of them were clearly devoted to each other and seemed like a perfect match. Still, my heart ached uncontrollably. I said, “Then I wish you both all the happiness in the world. I have things to take care of, so I’ll be going now.” Seeing me about to leave, Sadie looked somewhat anxious. She said, “Evelyn, it’s been so long since we’ve seen each other. Oh!” Sadie suddenly fell backward. To everyone watching, it looked like I had pushed her. Jacob immediately rushed forward to catch Sadie, then turned back to glare at me furiously. He said, “How can you be so vicious? Sadie was just trying to help you out of pity, and you actually hurt her!” I was stunned. It had been so long since I’d faced such baseless accusations. For a moment, I didn’t know how to respond. All I could say was, “No. I really didn’t push her.” During our argument, the IV tube I was carrying became visible. Jacob reacted quickly, immediately pulling the tube from my grasp. He asked, “Are you sick?” I felt so ashamed that my face turned red, and I tried to hide the IV tube. But Sadie gripped my hand tightly. She said, “Evelyn, we understand you need money. But you can’t use these deceptive tricks. Your health has always been perfectly fine.” Jacob, who had shown me a moment of sympathy, immediately looked disgusted again. He said, “Evelyn, you’re really scheming! If Sadie hadn’t warned me, I almost would have fallen for your act.” I frantically snatched the IV tube back from Jacob and hung my head in panic. I said, “I’m sorry. I’m sorry.” I was like a stray dog now—where was that spirited, determined woman who had first gotten together with Jacob? Sadie smiled smugly, though she still tried to calm Jacob down. She said, “Don’t be angry with Evelyn anymore. She must be doing this because she’s in such desperate straits.” Compared to Sadie’s gentle demeanor, I appeared even more malicious. Jacob’s eyes were full of adoration for Sadie. He said, “You’re just too kind-hearted, which is why she keeps deceiving you.” Sadie seemed like she wanted to say a few more words in my defense, but Jacob didn’t give her the chance. The two of them left, leaving me surrounded by the crowd. I stood there numbly, listening to their mockery. One woman said, “Women who only care about money never end up well. She abandoned Mr. Clark when he was at his lowest point. Now she’s getting exactly what she deserves!” Another woman said, “Mr. Clark and his wife are so devoted to each other. She’s probably trying to become his mistress—how shameless!” I didn’t argue back at all, just quietly walked away from the crowd. Watching Jacob’s luxury car drive farther and farther away, I seemed to see that young man I had loved desperately for so many years, smiling at me. I thought to myself, “Jacob, do you know that part of your body belongs to me?”
After donating my kidney to Jacob, my already weakened body developed severe rejection reactions. The subsequent treatment and recovery would cost a lot of money. Jacob’s career was finally taking off—how could I drag him back into poverty because of my illness? I didn’t want to stay by his side too long and risk him discovering my physical condition. So I had to make up an excuse, telling him I couldn’t handle the hardships anymore and had found a man who could give me a better life. I wanted to break up with him. On the day we broke up, Jacob begged me desperately not to leave. He couldn’t believe that the woman who had stood by him when he had nothing, who had struggled alongside him, would leave him for such a ridiculous reason. Though my heart ached so much I could barely breathe, I steeled myself and walked away. Only if I left could Jacob focus on developing his career. That way, my illness wouldn’t burden him. Just as I was about to disappear from his sight, Jacob suddenly looked up at me. He asked, “Evelyn, if I succeed in the future, will you regret this?” My steps faltered for a moment, then I masked the pain in my eyes. I said, “No.” I thought to myself, “As long as you’re okay, I’ll never regret anything I’ve done.” But I would never get the chance to tell him those words. I huddled in my cold rental room, looking at the blood seeping beneath me. I knew clearly in my heart that even if I paid for medical treatment now, my body was beyond saving. Maybe this was for the best. If I died, Jacob probably wouldn’t hate me so much anymore. When people are about to die, they tend to remember the past. That day, looking at my extremely thin, pale reflection in the mirror, I suddenly felt an urge to visit the school where Jacob and I had once studied together. The school’s exterior hadn’t changed much. But the person who used to be by my side was no longer there. I slowly shuffled forward when I suddenly heard commotion behind me. Someone said, “Mr. Clark, as an honorary alumnus, your photo should certainly be displayed in the school. It’s just that in all your school photos, Evelyn is always beside you. What should we do about this?” After that livestream incident, almost everyone knew about the conflict between Jacob and me. The school administration, afraid of offending Jacob, left the decision about how to handle the photos up to him. In every single photo, I stood beside Jacob. Sometimes I smiled gently while looking at him. Sometimes I was laughing. More often, I simply stood quietly by his side. Jacob stared at my familiar face in the photos and froze for a moment. Seeing his silence, the school administrator assumed he was extremely annoyed by me and quickly reached out to take the photos back. He said, “I’ll have these photos destroyed immediately. Not a single one will be circulated.” But just as the administrator’s hand was about to touch the photos, Jacob suddenly put them in his pocket. He said, “No need. It’s just a photo. I’m not that petty.” Deep down, he still couldn’t bring himself to be completely heartless. Even though our relationship had changed, those happy times we shared had been real. Seeing this scene, I sighed. Let this photo be my final gift to him. Just as I was about to leave, a playful couple suddenly ran past behind me. They were so focused on each other that they accidentally knocked me to the ground. The couple immediately panicked and apologized to me. I wanted to say I was fine, but my body was in excruciating pain. I couldn’t even stand up. The commotion quickly caught Jacob’s attention. When Jacob’s gaze fell on me lying on the ground, his body trembled violently. He instinctively leaned forward, wanting to help me up. But in the end, his rationality overcame his emotions. Jacob pulled back his outstretched hand and said coldly, “Evelyn, you’re really shameless. You’ve been following me this whole time. Don’t you find it annoying?” Jacob stood at the center of the crowd, basking in flowers and thunderous applause. Meanwhile, I was covered in dirt, the only stain on his pristine life. I knew I shouldn’t be here. Silently, I picked myself up from the ground, wanting to leave. But Jacob had no intention of letting me off easily. He signaled for the people around him to block my path. “Evelyn, people can’t be too greedy. I’ve already given you plenty of money, yet you’re still not satisfied. No wonder you’ve become what you are now—you deserve it.” Sadie, standing beside Jacob, was already upset that he wanted to keep our photos together. Now, she finally found an outlet for her frustration. She quickly grabbed my arm: “Evelyn, didn’t I already transfer a million dollars to you privately? Why are you still bothering Jacob and me? Do you need me to divorce him before you’ll be happy?” Tears welled up in Sadie’s eyes, making her look pitiful and vulnerable. Jacob frowned deeply: “Not only do you ask me for money, but now you’re harassing my wife. It seems I need to teach you a proper lesson, or you’ll keep clinging to me.” He pulled out his phone and dialed the police. “There’s a beggar here committing fraud, and she’s even trying to extort my wife. Please send someone to take her away immediately.” Jacob’s eyes were filled with undisguised disgust. I couldn’t help but tremble all over. No, I couldn’t go with the police. Time was running out. Caroline and I had arranged to meet at school one last time. She was one of the few people who knew the truth about what happened at Christmas. Given my current physical condition, if I were thrown in jail, I would likely die there. I couldn’t go. Absolutely couldn’t go. Panicked with fear, I clutched my head and tried to run, but the crowd surrounded me. I felt like I couldn’t breathe, so I looked at Jacob pleadingly. “I didn’t mean to appear in front of you. I didn’t ask her for money either. Please believe me.” Jacob thought I had done too many bad things and was afraid to go to the police station. The more I pleaded, the more disappointed he became. “You keep lying. Would Sadie lie to me? Evelyn, making mistakes isn’t scary—what’s scary is becoming a liar who can’t tell the truth.” The smugness in Sadie’s eyes became more and more obvious, though she hid it well in front of Jacob. “Jacob, why don’t we give Evelyn one more chance? If she’s willing to admit her mistakes, it shows she’s truly repentant.” I was stunned. She wanted me to admit fault at the busy school entrance, crushing the last bit of my dignity? Seeing me standing motionless, the people around began urging me on. A woman said: “What are you standing there for? Mrs. Clark is being kind and giving you a chance—hurry up and apologize!” A man added: “Exactly! Otherwise, just the fraud charge alone will keep you in prison until you die!” My already foggy mind became even more confused. The blazing sun hung high overhead, making me dizzy and blurring my vision. At that moment, only one thought remained in my mind: “It’s okay, I’m going to die soon anyway.” Like a robot, I moved my body and bowed my head before everyone. “I’m sorry, I was wrong. I’m shameless and have no dignity. I shouldn’t have appeared in front of you. Please let me go.” I bit my lower lip hard, drawing blood. Jacob hadn’t expected me to actually apologize. After all, I used to be so proud—I would rather die than bow my head. His expression grew increasingly ugly. The laughter of the onlookers sounded particularly grating in his ears. “All of you, shut up!” Jacob roared. Just then, I couldn’t hold on any longer and collapsed to the ground. At the same time, Caroline, with her white hair, came running toward me from the school gate. When she saw Jacob, Caroline was both anxious and furious, delivering a hard slap across his face. “You fool! Evelyn’s body is severely compromised from donating a kidney to you. How could you treat her like this?”
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