The donor heart I’d waited two years for was snatched away and given to Leo, the son they pretended was theirs. My doctor, Dr. Davies, told me I had just one week left to live. So, I decided to have my body cryopreserved. I donated my body to Leo’s research lab. The day I signed the donation papers, my daughter Lily rushed into my arms, saying, “Daddy, you and Uncle Leo are finally getting along again!” My parents, Eleanor and Richard, praised me for finally understanding “brotherly love” and being helpful. Serena, my wife, looked relieved, saying I’d finally put aside our differences and saw reason. I just smiled faintly. Yes, I really learned my lesson this time. I was going to give Leo back his identity as the Mo family’s son, and make all of you happy. … “Your time is short. Now, say your goodbyes to your family.” Dr. Davies’ voice was gentle, full of pity, but it felt like a boulder crushing my chest. I knew this was coming, but when the death sentence was finally pronounced, my eyes still welled up. I’m only twenty-eight. I’ve fought so hard to live. But the donor heart I finally found was stolen by my wife. She had it transplanted into Leo, the son who wasn’t really ours, who only had a mild heart condition. In a daze, I made my way to Leo’s hospital room. There were my parents, Eleanor and Richard, my wife Serena, and my daughter Lily, all gathered around him, fussing over him. When I walked in, Serena, who was just feeding Leo water, quickly put down the cup. She walked over to me. “What did the doctor say?” I looked at her. Her eyes flickered away, a tell-tale sign of guilt as she stammered, “It was an emergency, Alex. If Leo hadn’t gotten the new heart, he would have died from the pain.” My mom, Eleanor, immediately chimed in, “Serena’s right, Alex. It was a life-or-death situation. You’re not going to be so unreasonable as to resent us for this, are you?” The words I was about to say died on my lips. I just said flatly, “I’m not angry. The doctor said there would be good news in a week.” I paused, then added, “Good news for all of us.” Serena’s captivating eyes instantly lit up with a smile. “A suitable donor heart so soon? I knew our decision that day was the right one.” My dad, Richard, also let out a sigh of relief, smiling. “Our Leo is truly blessed. If you hadn’t given him your heart, he wouldn’t have made it another week.” My mom nodded repeatedly, gently stroking Leo’s hair. “Our Leo’s blessings are still ahead of him.” “Unlike some people, who could have waited for another donor heart, but chose to make a huge scene instead, embarrassing our family.” Even though I was already beyond disappointed with them, at that moment, my heart still ached. I clenched my jaw so hard I thought my teeth would shatter, forcing back the tears that threatened to spill. Serena looked at me tenderly, but her words were chilling, sending shivers down my spine. “You were too impulsive that day. I think you should apologize to Leo.” I stared at her, utterly disbelieving. Leo stole my heart, and she wanted *me* to apologize to *him*? My mom seconded her. “That’s right. And if you hadn’t bullied Leo that day, he wouldn’t have had those chest pains in the first place.” “You should be grateful he’s lying here, recovering. Otherwise, I would never have acknowledged you as my son.” I remembered that day. Leo stood in front of me, triumphantly displaying the marks on his neck, boasting about his intimacy with Serena and her passion… I couldn’t help but punch him. They walked in just as it happened. Serena furiously rushed forward and pushed me away. I was shoved to the ground, the room spinning around me, as my mom charged in and started hitting me. My dad stood coldly a short distance away, as if he also thought I deserved a lesson. Right after that, my heart flared up, and I could barely breathe. My mom, initially worried, asked what was wrong, but then Leo suddenly clutched his chest, gasping, “It hurts so much!” My mom immediately abandoned me and ran to his side. Everyone believed I was faking it, and he was genuinely in pain. Thinking of this, I twisted my lips into a bitter smile. I said flatly, “My apologies. It was my fault.” Everyone was surprised by how docilely I apologized. Serena looked at me with a hint of suspicion, a seed of unease beginning to sprout in her heart. Leo also frowned, giving me a look that screamed, “How can you be such a good actor?” My parents watched me warily, as if afraid I would cause more trouble. Only my daughter Lily rushed into my arms. “Daddy, that’s great! You finally admitted you were wrong.” “Don’t bully Uncle anymore, or I won’t like you, just like Grandma and Grandpa.” I lowered my gaze, looking at her. My parents’ and wife’s coldness, their misunderstanding and favoritism, I could endure all of it. But her, my own child, whom I raised with my own hands and poured all my love into – she also favored Leo. That was something I couldn’t bear. But, I no longer had the strength to fight. I gently stroked her face, smiling. “Daddy will listen to you.” My mom, Eleanor, finally nodded in satisfaction. “Good. It seems you’ve finally learned your lesson, Alex.” Serena also let out a complete sigh of relief. “My husband has finally grown up.” Watching her feign affection, I only felt a wave of nausea in my chest. Just then, Leo suddenly cried out, “It hurts!” Serena immediately rushed to his side. My daughter, who had just been hugging me, let go and ran over too, calling out, “Uncle Leo, where does it hurt? Lily will kiss it better!” My parents’ eyes were red with concern. Standing there, a distance away, I felt like a clown. I couldn’t stand the atmosphere anymore. I used being tired as an excuse, turned, and left the hospital room. 2 The moment I reached the door, the pain in my chest nearly made me pass out. I leaned against the wall and crouched down, frantically searching for my potent painkillers. I swallowed several pills before the pain subsided. Inside the room, I could still hear my mom scolding me for my coldness. She thought I didn’t care about Leo. But I knew that as long as I was there, Leo would always feel “unwell.” It was his usual trick to grab attention. But he didn’t even need to do it, because from the very beginning, my parents, my wife, my daughter — they only ever loved him, the son they pretended was theirs. And I, just like the name my parents gave me, “Alex,” was meant to be kept away. This was the name they gave me the day I returned, sixteen years after I went missing. My mom said she hoped I would be cautious, never getting lost in sudden wealth. But that night, I overheard Mom comforting Leo. She told him that in her and Dad’s hearts, he was their only son. The name she gave me, Alex, was actually a play on words, a subtle hint: ‘Don’t come close.’ That night, it was as if someone had doused me with a bucket of cold water. I fully woke up from the joy of having found my parents. I should have known all along. I was, and always had been, the unwanted child. Dazed, I left the hospital and took a taxi to Leo’s research lab. I had already arranged to donate my body for their cryopreservation and revival experiments. When I signed the agreement, the staff member asked, “Mr. Alex, do your parents and wife know about your decision?” I smiled faintly. “They are all very respectful and supportive of my decision.” The staff member said enviously, “That’s wonderful. Your family must love you very much, hoping you’ll have a chance to be revived one day.” Looking at her admiring gaze, I almost felt like I really was a man deeply loved by his parents and wife. My lips curved up involuntarily. I smiled. “Yes, who doesn’t love their own family?” With that, I handed over the agreement. After confirming everything, I left and returned home. The moment I walked in, I saw my belongings piled up in the living room. I frowned, looking at Brenda, who was standing there directing everyone. She was Leo’s nanny, who had raised him. Why was she here? Brenda, like my parents, clearly disliked me, the real son. Seeing me, she gave a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Mr. Alex, Leo is being discharged today. Mrs. Eleanor asked me to come and take care of him, and to pick a room for him to recover.” “I thought the master bedroom, being so bright and spacious, would be perfect for Leo to recuperate.” “All the other rooms in the villa have a purpose, so I’m afraid you’ll have to make do with the downstairs utility room.” I said flatly, “Alright.” Brenda probably didn’t expect me to be so agreeable. All the words she was ready to say got stuck in her throat. She looked at me suspiciously. “You’re not angry, Mr. Alex?” I shook my head and turned, walking towards the utility room. Brenda scoffed disdainfully. “Well, it seems Mr. Alex has finally learned some sense. If only he had been like this sooner.” “If you had been like this sooner, the master and madam wouldn’t have disliked you so much.” I didn’t say anything. As I entered the utility room, an overwhelming stench of mildew hit me. The cramped space was filled with all sorts of items. There was only a cramped twin-sized bed, half-covered with books, the other half empty. I just lay down on it and drifted off into a heavy sleep. I was so tired. I just wanted a good night’s rest… But even that small wish couldn’t be granted. I don’t know how much time passed, but I was suddenly pulled awake by a strong force. When I opened my eyes, I saw Serena’s face, filled with panic. Seeing me awake, her worried expression instantly turned cold. She angrily demanded, “Why did you post about our marriage online?” “Don’t you know Leo is being cyberbullied right now? He just had surgery, his body is already fragile.” “Because of this, the shock and stress caused him to collapse!” “I actually thought you had learned your lesson. Turns out you were just silently planning how to get revenge on us!” My head felt like it had a hammer pounding inside it. The intense pain made it hard to understand her words. I could only say weakly, “I didn’t do anything… If you don’t believe me, check my phone.” Serena roared furiously, “Enough! Those reporters admitted you paid them to publicize this! “How long are you going to keep up this act? Come with me now, go kneel and apologize to Leo!” 3 Serena roughly yanked me off the bed, dragging me out. She moved too fast. My leg slammed hard against the doorframe, making a dull thud. The pain instantly made me tremble. But she only glanced back at me before continuing to drag me outside. When we reached the living room, she threw me violently to the floor. My whole body felt like it was falling apart. Just as I tried to stand, my dad, Richard, rushed over and slapped me several times. A foul, metallic taste like decay bubbled up, overwhelming me. I looked up to see Leo clinging to my mom, Eleanor, looking incredibly frail. My mom, meanwhile, glared at me with a contorted face. Her dark eyes were filled with disgust and hatred for me. As if tearing me limb from limb wouldn’t be enough to satisfy her. Perhaps my gaze was too cold, because my dad swung another punch at me. I couldn’t hold it back anymore. A mouthful of blood sprayed out. Blood splattered all over his hands and face, making him freeze. I collapsed exhaustedly, blood also starting to trickle from my nose. Serena rushed forward in horror, asking anxiously, “What’s wrong with you? Why are you spitting up so much blood?” I looked at her. Her hands were trembling. She almost looked genuinely worried about me. I pushed away her hand as she tried to help me up. I tried to stand, but then I started to shamefully vomit large mouthfuls of blood again. A hint of fear finally appeared in my dad’s eyes. He shook his head. “I… I only slapped him a few times! I didn’t do anything else!” Then, with rare concern, he asked, “Alex, what’s wrong? Dad… Dad will take you to the hospital right now…” My mom also walked over. “What’s happening? Quick, help Alex up first.” My daughter Lily also ran over, crying. “Daddy, you’re bleeding so much! Are you going to die?” My dad sternly said, “Don’t say such nonsense!” Just then, Brenda, the nanny, suddenly walked out. She was holding a bag of something and said angrily, “Mr. Alex, how could you use a fake blood pack to scare the master, madam, and Ms. Serena?” A fake blood pack? What fake blood pack? Before I could process it, my mom had already rushed to Brenda’s side. She looked at what was in Brenda’s hand, then furiously threw it to the ground. She screamed in anger, “Alex! You truly are devious! You actually tried to use a fake blood pack to trick us into pitying you!” I smiled bitterly and shook my head. I had already learned my lesson, so why wouldn’t they leave me alone? Serena crouched down, looking at me with disappointment. “Alex, how could you have become like this?” My dad furiously kicked me, saying in disgust, “You ungrateful brat! You’re truly an unruly street kid, cold-blooded and unscrupulous!” “You’re not even a fraction as good as our Leo! No, you’re not even worth a single hair on Leo’s head!” I said nothing, just desperately swallowed the blood that threatened to surge up. Lily, who had been hugging me, now pushed me away in disgust. She frowned. “Daddy, I thought you’d changed. You’re so bad, I don’t like you anymore!” Then, she ran to Leo’s side, leaning on his lap. “I want Uncle to be my daddy!” My heart withered to dust. I gripped my hands so tightly that my fingernails dug deep into my palms. Serena sighed, then reached out and wiped the corner of my eye. “You know how awful it feels to be betrayed by the person closest to you.” “So why did you do such a thing? Now Leo’s reputation is ruined, and our company’s stock is fluctuating.” “All of this is because of you. So, you not only need to apologize, but also take responsibility.” I wanted to say I knew nothing, but Leo started to cry. He sobbed, “It’s alright, Serena… My brother has hurt me repeatedly. I’m afraid if I make him apologize again, he’ll hate me even more.” “Even though I don’t know why he dislikes me so much, I… I’m willing to overlook it for Mom and Dad, and for you, Serena.” My mom, Eleanor, said with concern, “Leo, you’re just too kind, that’s why he bullies you.” “Don’t worry. Dad and I will always stand by you. With us protecting you, he won’t have another chance to hurt you.” Then, she turned to me with a cold face. “Listen closely. For the sake of our families’ reputations, we’ve already discussed a solution.” “You and Serena will get a divorce tomorrow. Then she’ll marry Leo.” “We’ll announce to the public that Serena and Leo were already married.” “It’s just that you weren’t well and were infatuated with her, so they kept it from you.” I looked at Serena. “You agree to this?” Serena avoided my gaze, frowning impatiently. “There’s no other way. Who else caused this mess but you?” She paused, then added, “But don’t worry, this is just a temporary measure. Once the storm passes, I’ll divorce Leo.” I looked at her. Though I had a thousand words, I no longer had the strength to speak. Perhaps it was guilt, or perhaps she saw my silence as defiance, which made her very displeased. She said coldly, “Whether you agree or not, I will…” I slowly began to speak. “Congratulations. Happy wedding.” 4 Serena’s voice caught in her throat. She stared at me blankly, a strange panic blooming in her heart. She felt like the current me was a light piece of paper, liable to be blown away by the wind to a place she could never see. I slowly got up, leaning on the wall and wiping the blood from my face. I looked at my mom, Eleanor. “Serena and I never actually got married.” “So, she can go ahead and marry Leo directly.” My mom looked a little surprised. “You didn’t get married?” Serena’s face was grim. She frowned and explained, “We were too busy before, and then we just forgot.” But my mom clapped her hands. “That’s even better!” Lily, my daughter, tentatively looked at me. “So, Uncle will be my daddy now?” I nodded to her, smiling. “Happy?” Lily jumped up excitedly. “That’s wonderful! Uncle is going to be my daddy now!” Then, as if afraid I’d be upset, she added, “Daddy, oh, I mean, Mr. Alex, as long as you promise not to bully Uncle anymore, I’ll still like you.” I lowered my eyes. “Understood.” Leo was overjoyed, on the verge of tears. “Brother, are you really willing to let Serena marry me?” I said calmly, “Yes. Don’t call her ‘Sister-in-law’ anymore.” Leo glanced at Serena, a look of longing in his eyes. He thought Serena would be thrilled, but she was just staring at me. He instantly clenched his sleeves, hiding the jealousy in his eyes. When he looked up again, his eyes were full of innocence. He said sincerely, “Thank you, Brother.” I shook my head. “We’re family. No need to be so polite.” “Besides, I’ll need to rely on your care in the future.” Leo didn’t know that I had donated my body to his research lab. He thought I was just being polite and immediately chuckled. “We’re brothers. I’ll definitely take good care of you, Brother.” My mom, seeing us “reconciled,” finally nodded in satisfaction. “That’s right. If you had been this sensible earlier, how could your father and I have been angry with you?” I looked at her, wanting to ask her, *Was I really insensible?* I was the actual son of the Mo family, but everyone thought I was their adopted son. Serena was the one who insisted on marrying me, but everyone thought I was the disgusting third wheel. I willingly took care of her and Lily without a title, all for Serena, but everyone thought I was manipulative… I slowly closed my eyes, forcing back the surge of tears. I didn’t want to appear pathetic in front of them anymore. Because I knew if I showed any dissatisfaction, Leo would immediately feign injury. Then, even my pain would become a mistake. When I opened my eyes again, the constant ache in my heart felt completely numb. Like an old clock, it had simply stopped ticking. I looked at Serena. She was still watching me, and her eyes held a hint of pity. The feeling struck me as absurd. I quietly asked, “Can I go back and rest now?” Serena nodded. “Yes, go rest.” I breathed a sigh of relief and slowly shuffled towards the utility room. But my mom said, “Pack your things and go back home.” “There are reporters everywhere outside. If people find out you’re still living at your sister-in-law’s house, who knows what rumors they’ll start.” I obediently nodded. “Alright.” My mom told Serena to drive me back. Once we were outside, Serena suddenly grabbed my hand. “I’ll go with you into surgery in a week.” “After your surgery, we’ll talk properly.” “Leo and I… it’s really not what you think.” I saw Leo’s face suddenly change. I smiled at Serena and said, “Okay.” But she didn’t know that I wouldn’t have a chance to hear her hollow explanations. Serena looked at me strangely. She felt as if the person standing in front of her was a block of emotionless wood. She said impatiently, “Let’s go.” Once in the car, the ride was silent. Serena tried to speak several times, but each time she saw my pale, blood-stained face, her desire to talk vanished. The car had only gone halfway when she received a call from my mom. The next moment, she pulled over to the side of the road. She said anxiously, “Leo suddenly fainted. It might be a severe rejection reaction.” “I have to rush back. You can take a taxi.” I glanced at the clock on the dashboard. It was 3 AM. And this was a deserted overpass. A taxi? Where would I find a taxi? But I didn’t say anything, just obediently got out of the car. Before I could even steady myself, Serena stomped on the gas and drove off. The roar of the sports car tore at my heart, making it ache. I clutched my chest, taking a long time to recover from that excruciating pain. But just as I started to feel better, a dull rumble of thunder echoed overhead, as if even the heavens were enraged by my weakness, roaring in fury. Soon after, large raindrops began to fall, some hitting my head, stinging painfully. Hearing the “thump, thump, thump” sounds, I realized it was hailing. I quickly covered my head and walked forward. Hard hailstones relentlessly pelted my hands and face. As I walked, my vision suddenly went black, and I collapsed to the ground. A long, long time later, I think I heard an ambulance, and then Dr. Davies’ familiar voice. He sounded like he was crying, repeatedly demanding, “What happened? He still had a week to live! How… how could he suddenly be gone?” My ribs hurt so much, Doctor. You’re pressing down too hard on me. Are you performing CPR? But… it really hurts… Living hurts so much… Please, just let me go… “Beep…” Patient Alex Mo was pronounced dead at 5 AM on June 1st, aged 28. Simultaneously, the renowned Ingenuity Medical Research Lab received his body and initiated cryopreservation.
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