Chapter 3

"Do it! Do it now!"

Maya ordered without a second of hesitation.

Minutes later, I was strapped to a cold metal table.

The anesthetic they gave me was clearly cut or underdosed. I could feel the scalpel slicing through layers of my flesh.

I wanted to scream, but my vocal cords were paralyzed, my limbs limp and useless.

For a terrifying moment, I genuinely thought I was going to die on that table.

When I finally opened my eyes, three days had passed.

Because Maya had obtained the kidney illegally, she couldn't risk taking me to a real hospital. She kept me locked in our guest bedroom.

The unlicensed surgeon was sent over once a day to change my dressings. A maid dropped off bland food during the day.

Maya never showed up once.

I lay in bed, staring down at the jagged, butchered scar running across my abdomen. The stitches were crude and uneven—an absolute hack job.

Suddenly, my phone vibrated on the nightstand.

I picked it up. A message from Ryan flashed on the screen:

"How are you feeling, bro? Maya told me you willingly gave up a kidney to save my life."

"I wanted to visit you the second I woke up, but Maya wouldn't let me out of bed until I fully recover."

"Take good care of yourself while Maya's away. Don't worry, I'll take good care of her for you."

Attached was a photo. Maya was curled up asleep against the edge of Ryan's hospital bed, her hand resting on his thigh.

This wasn't the first time he had sent me pictures like this.

A year ago, Maya's company landed a partnership with Ryan's firm. When her boss found out they were old flames, he put her in charge of the account.

During that month, Maya barely came home.

And every night, Ryan would text me a photo of Maya asleep beside him.

Back then, I blinded myself with excuses, telling myself she was just exhausted from work.

Now, looking at the picture, a mocking smirk touched my lips.

The same cheap parlor trick. It might have stung the first time, but after so many, I felt completely numb.

I blocked his number and tossed the phone onto the nightstand.

Just as I closed my eyes, Maya called.

"Logan, there's a limit to how childish you can be! It's just a kidney. You're not going to die, so stop throwing a tantrum!"

Her sudden barrage of insults left me baffled. Her anger was entirely psychotic.

"Ryan just wanted to thank you! Why did you block him?"

"Apologize to him right now, and I'll let this go."

I let out a dry, sarcastic laugh.

"Why the hell should I apologize? Another man texts me photos of my wife sleeping by his bed in the middle of the night, and blocking him is a crime?"

"What did you expect me to do? Throw a parade and ask him if he's sleeping with you?!"

"Logan!"

Maya shrieked through the speaker, her fury palpable.

"Do you have any idea what you're saying?!"

"I know you're bitter! That's why I stayed at the hospital to take care of Ryan instead of coming home—I wanted to give you space to cool down! I've told you a hundred times: I'm your wife. I would never cheat on you!"

"Ryan and I are just friends!"

If Ryan's wealthy, elitist parents hadn't fiercely opposed their relationship years ago, claiming Maya's background was too common, she would have married him in a heartbeat.

Even after marrying me, she spent countless nights locked in her study, secretly stalking Ryan's social media accounts.

If she loved him so much, why the hell did she drag me into marriage?

"Friends? Maya, do you even believe your own lies?"

Silence stretched across the line.

Silence was all the answer I needed.

"Whatever. That doesn't matter."

"We can't talk about this over the phone. I'm coming home right now."

"Logan, stop picking fights with me. I want a real future with you. Remember what I promised before the surgery?"

"I know you've spent the last five years begging for a baby. As soon as your incision heals, I'll give you one."

Her voice even sounded cheerful.

As if offering her womb was some grand act of mercy I should drop to my knees and thank her for!

Five years. Five years of devotion, patience, and love—and this was what it boiled down to.

A wave of intense nausea hit me.

She made me sick!

"A baby? Maya, you're delusional. Only my wife gets to carry my child. Who the hell are you?"