After learning that my boyfriend had been diagnosed with kidney failure, I left him without a second thought, even taking most of our savings with me. Three years later, Orion not only conquered his illness but also became a celebrated figure in City A. At his engagement party with Celeste, Orion made a heartfelt confession: “The only regret of my life is having missed three whole years with you.” As the leading lady of his youth, I hid in the banquet hall, watching the man I had abandoned. Orion would never know that while he saw those three years as a blemish, they were the best years of my life that I could never reclaim. Orion’s gentle voice gradually reached my ears. It had been three years since we last met. Back then, in the early stages of kidney failure, his cheeks were sunken, and he was burdened by illness. Now, he was a completely different person—full of life and prestige. The engagement was lavish, with journalists gathered around the venue. Every corner was adorned with hibiscus flowers, just as I had imagined for our engagement. But it wasn’t me Orion was engaging with. A nosy journalist, noticing Orion’s good mood, tried to dig for some scoop: “Mr. Orion, why did you and Mrs. Orion miss three years together? Do you have someone you consider ‘The One That Got Away’?” The last question was meant to be a joke, but it wiped the smile off Orion’s face. Celeste, clutching Orion’s hand, explained with a mix of sympathy and indignation, “Orion did have an ex-girlfriend, but she heartlessly abandoned him when he was in trouble.” “This has always been a scar in Orion’s heart, so please don’t bring it up again!” Orion patted Celeste’s hand to comfort her, but his voice grew colder: “That’s all old news now. I’ve made a name for myself and have a wonderful fiancée like Celeste. That woman is left with nothing but regret!” “If it weren’t for her ruthless abandonment, I wouldn’t have bounced back so strongly.” I knew Orion too well; even though he tried to hide his emotions, I could sense the bitterness in his tone. Just as I was lost in thought, my colleague nudged me: “Nora, quickly bring the cake-cutting knife! Nora!” Pushed by my colleague, I accidentally stumbled out of the crowd. Upon seeing me, Orion’s eyes widened. Celeste exclaimed in disbelief, “Nora, what are you doing here?!” Clinging to Orion’s arm, she eyed me suspiciously, “Why are you here? You abandoned Orion three years ago, and now you want to cling to him because he’s successful? Nora, how can you be so selfish!” With every word Celeste spoke, Orion’s gaze grew colder. I awkwardly got up from the floor: “I’m not, I’m just working here…” Hearing my words, Orion chuckled dismissively, looking me over from head to toe with disdain: “Three years and you’re reduced to being a waitress, how laughable.” “Nora, do you regret leaving me back then?” Speaking of the past, Orion’s voice tightened, his eyes piercing through me. After all, it must have been the most humiliating time of his life. Not only diagnosed with kidney failure but also abandoned by me, his girlfriend of many years. To his surprise, I mustered a standard smile: “No regrets.” “Mr. Orion, I earn my living with my own hands; there’s no shame in that.” “You should go cut the cake with Mrs. Orion.” Orion was momentarily stunned when I calmly referred to Celeste as “Mrs. Orion.” Back in the day, after every setback in his startup, Orion would hold me and promise: “Nora, I’ll succeed someday. I want everyone to respectfully call you Mrs. Orion!” And I would boldly wrap my arms around his neck: “Whether or not you succeed, Mrs. Orion can only be me!” Now, after all the twists and turns, I respectfully handed over the title of “Mrs. Orion.” “Nora,” Orion said with a bitter laugh, “you really haven’t changed!” With those words, Orion pushed over the three-tiered cake. Cream and chocolate splattered all over me, and I stood there like a clown, enduring the mocking gazes of the crowd.
The sudden incident caught everyone off guard. No one expected the engagement party to turn out like this. The manager rushed over to apologize, but Orion ignored him, focusing solely on me. I used to be so delicate, but even after being publicly humiliated, I didn’t say a word. Instead, I instinctively blurted out: “I’m sorry, Mr. Orion.” Contrary to feeling triumphant, Orion felt a blockage in his heart. “You let someone like her in on my engagement day. If you want me to let it go, you must fire her!” Hearing Orion wanted me fired, I quickly raised my head: “No! I… I need this job…” “Orion, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have been here. Please don’t make the manager fire me…” Seeing my teary eyes, Orion smirked maliciously: “A heartless woman like you doesn’t deserve anything!” “If you’re so desperate for money, I can introduce you to some patrons. Guaranteed income!” I stared in disbelief at Orion, who was now slut-shaming me. The shame and anger made me cry instantly: “Orion, you’re too much…” Seeing my tears, Orion’s previous arrogance was replaced with panic. He almost instinctively wanted to wipe my tears as he did three years ago. However, the next moment, Celeste clutched her right eye and whimpered: “Orion, my eye hurts…” Hearing Celeste’s voice snapped Orion back to reality. Concerned, he picked her up: “Celeste, is your eye acting up again? I’ll take you to the hospital right away!” As they passed by me, Orion gritted his teeth and spat: “Nora, I’ll get back everything you owe me!” After Orion left, the engagement party ended abruptly. The manager, not wanting to offend Orion, immediately fired me. No matter how much I begged, the manager shook his head repeatedly: “Nora, do you realize who you’ve offended? That’s Orion! We can’t afford to offend him, you’d better find another job!” Clutching the crumpled three hundred dollars, I wandered aimlessly through the streets. The cold wind made me shiver, as if placing me back on the cold operating table from three years ago. As my vision blurred, my legs gave way, and I collapsed on the street. When I woke up, I was in the hospital. My brother, Quentin, helped me sit up, his eyes filled with fear: “Sis, how did you end up like this? Didn’t I tell you not to worry about money? I can work more jobs, you just need to focus on getting better.” “Sis, I heard everything. Orion is such a jerk, aren’t you going to tell him the truth?” I weakly shook my head. Since I made my decision three years ago, I never intended to turn back. Three years ago, Orion was diagnosed with kidney failure, and only a kidney transplant could save him. But the hospital had a shortage of kidneys, and Orion couldn’t get one. To save him, I secretly donated a kidney. I knew him well enough to know that if he found out I nearly exchanged my life for his, he wouldn’t accept the donation. So, I pretended I didn’t want to be burdened by him and disappeared after he was hospitalized. In reality, I was preparing for his kidney transplant. But due to my weak constitution, I developed chronic renal failure after the surgery. I didn’t want Orion to live with guilt, so after being discharged, I left for three years. Because of the need for dialysis, Quentin and I lived frugally, even working multiple jobs. That’s why I was working as a waitress at Orion’s engagement party. After waking up, despite Quentin’s protests, I insisted on being discharged. We simply couldn’t afford to stay in a top-tier hospital. However, just as Quentin was helping me out, we ran into Orion and Celeste in the corridor. Seeing me, Orion immediately frowned: “Nora, are you following me here? You’re shameless!” Hearing Orion insult me, Quentin immediately stepped in front of me: “Orion, what nonsense are you talking about!” Seeing a strange man in front of me, Orion’s eyes darkened, and the temperature around him dropped. “What’s that in your hand?” Orion reached for the medical report I was holding. Afraid he’d see the results, I quickly stepped back. Seeing my reaction, Orion’s hand froze mid-air. Just then, Celeste spoke up: “Since Nora is coming from the obstetrics department, could that be a prenatal check-up report?” When Orion began to hurl insults at me, Quentin quickly stepped in front to shield me. “Orion, what on earth are you talking about?” Orion’s expression turned cold upon seeing a stranger standing in front of me, and the atmosphere seemed to chill. “What are you holding there?” Orion spotted the medical report in my hand and reached to snatch it. Afraid he would see the results, I quickly stepped back. Seeing my reaction, Orion hesitated, his hand stopping mid-air. At that moment, Celeste chimed in: “Since Nora came from the obstetrics department, could that be a prenatal check-up report?” It was then that I realized the obstetrics department was indeed just behind me. “I never thought, Nora, that you were already pregnant.” “Although you wronged Orion in the past, he isn’t someone who holds a grudge. If you had just mentioned it earlier, he wouldn’t have treated you that way yesterday, right, Orion?” As Celeste’s words sunk in, Orion’s face darkened with anger, his eyes blazing as if they could cut through Quentin, who stood protectively before me. I knew Orion was relentless once he pursued something. To avoid further questions about the report, I chose to stay silent. Seeing my tacit admission, Orion gritted his teeth, nodding sharply: “Nora, you’re unbelievable!” “A heartless woman like you—how have you not met your comeuppance yet?” “I must have been blind to have been with you for so many years!” Watching Orion storm away, his anger still palpable, my heart grew heavy. Celeste approached me with a triumphant smirk: “Nora, don’t expect Orion to love you like he did three years ago. His heart belongs to me now!” “You, his past love, should be long forgotten!”
I thought Orion and I, separated by worlds, would never cross paths again. But fate was unkind. Half a month later, at a diamond exhibition, I unexpectedly encountered him once more. Beside him, Celeste deliberately chose me to serve her. Not long after, she screamed: “Nora, have you lost your mind? How dare you steal the engagement ring Orion gave me!” Hearing the commotion, Orion hurried over. Faced with the crowd’s scrutiny and Celeste’s accusations, I defended myself with a clear conscience: “Celeste, haven’t you had enough? I just want a job to make a living. Why do you have to keep targeting me?” Celeste clung to Orion’s sleeve, sobbing: “Orion, I didn’t… It was clearly Nora. I asked her to keep my jewelry box safe, but when I checked, the engagement ring was missing!” “Nora was the only one who touched my jewelry box. Who else could have taken it?” Orion’s disgusted gaze swept over me, then he reached directly for me: “Return Celeste’s ring.” Seeing him unquestioningly side with Celeste, my heart sank once more: “I told you, it wasn’t me!” Orion wouldn’t listen to my explanation. Seeing my refusal to admit, he sneered: “Fine, if you won’t confess, don’t blame me for being ruthless.” “Take off your clothes!” Orion’s words left me stunned in place. Seeing no movement from me, Orion stepped forward, trying to unbutton my clothes: “If you stole the ring, you’d hide it on yourself. If you want to prove your innocence, I’ll give you the chance!” In terror, I pushed him away, clutching my sleeves tightly: “Are you insane… Orion, I didn’t steal anything. You know I’m not that kind of person…” “I don’t know!” Orion raised his voice abruptly: “Nora, I don’t understand you at all.” “If you won’t cooperate, don’t blame me for being merciless. You guys, strip her clothes off!” The bodyguards moved at his command, surrounding me. I fell to the ground in terror, desperately avoiding their hands reaching for me. But no matter how I struggled, I was ultimately outnumbered. With a loud “rip,” my shirt was torn open from the back. Just as I was about to be exposed, Quentin broke through the bodyguards, shielding me: “What are you doing! Let her go! Stop it!” At the same time, a bodyguard suddenly handed something to Orion: “Mr. Orion, we found the ring!” Seeing the recovered ring, Orion looked down at me with disdain: “Nora, you’d go to any lengths for money. This ring is worth five million. If I want, I could make you rot in prison for life!” As I trembled uncontrollably, Quentin couldn’t hold back, roaring at Orion: “How can you treat my sister like this! She once donated her kidney for you!” As Quentin’s words fell, the once bustling exhibition fell silent. After a long pause, Orion spoke hoarsely: “What did you say?”
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