The night before my wedding, I walked in on my fiancé cheating with my best friend. The shock hit my mother hard, triggering her heart condition and putting her in urgent need of a transplant.

By some miracle, I was a match. I made the choice to donate my heart to her and live with an artificial one instead.

With the surgery costs skyrocketing, I begged my fiancé for help. He shrugged it off, saying he didn't have the money, then ran off and eloped with Yvette.

That's when Gabriel showed up. He covered all the expenses and personally performed the surgeries for both my mother and me.

When I woke up, Gabriel was there, but his face was grim. He told me that my mother's body had rejected the transplant and she passed away soon after.

As I broke down, Gabriel pulled me into his arms, confessing his love and promising to be there for me forever.

Seven years into our marriage, I accidentally overheard a conversation between Gabriel and one of his friends:

"So, you swapped Olivia's heart with Yvette's right in front of her mom? That's cold."

"I didn't have a choice. Yvette's life was at stake."

"But a donor had been found. Yvette just needed to wait a few hours. Why rush it?"

Gabriel sighed, "I couldn't stand to see Yvette suffer, not even for a second."

...

In the study next door, Gabriel puffed out a cloud of smoke, his voice sharp with bitterness.

"Since society won't let me marry her, I'll make sure Yvette is safe for the rest of her life."

Zack's face was torn. "But Olivia has a rare blood type. It's almost impossible to find a matching heart. She's been coughing up blood and suffering from chest pain for years. She can't even have kids."

"Don't forget, her artificial heart's only got a month of battery life left. It needs to be replaced soon. Do you really want her to keep going through the agony of open-heart surgery over and over? Olivia loves you so much. Give her heart back to her. You've already got a bunch of backup hearts for Yvette, right?"

Gabriel didn't hesitate. "No way. Every extra heart is just more insurance for Yvette's health. I'm not gambling with her life."

Zack's voice grew more agitated. "And what about Olivia? I still remember her mother's blood-soaked tears as she died, in agony, knowing the truth. Aren't you scared Olivia's gonna come for you when she finds out?"

Gabriel went silent for a moment before laughing bitterly. "If she wants my life, she can have it. I was always planning to take care of her, anyway."

"As long as Yvette's happy, I can die without regrets."

My hand shook uncontrollably around the doorknob. I could feel the veins in my wrist throbbing.

I quickly recorded everything on my phone and stumbled back to the bedroom, hoping Gabriel wouldn't catch me.

My body was rejecting the artificial heart, leaving me weak, coughing up blood, and constantly in pain. I'd been suffering for so long.

Back then, Gabriel told me heart transplants needed a living donor, and since my mom had passed, he said there was no way to return my heart to me.

I convinced myself it was okay. At least my heart would stay with Mom forever.

It all made sense now. Gabriel refused to let me see Mom one last time, claiming I was too weak from the surgery. He even rushed through her funeral arrangements, handling everything for me.

So his so-called "devotion" was just a mask. He never even performed the surgery on my mom.

Both Mom and I were nothing but sacrifices, sacrificed for Yvette's sake.

He even forced my mom into the operating room first, making her watch as her own daughter's heart was placed inside someone else. She died, tears of blood staining her face.

Even now, without a heart, the pain in my chest was unbearable. I coughed up another mouthful of blood.

"Olivia?"

Gabriel appeared suddenly. He saw the blood on my lips and rushed to carry me to the bed, gently wiping the blood away.

"I'm so sorry, Olivia. I haven't been taking good care of you. Don't worry, I've arranged for the best artificial heart for you. We'll replace yours in a few days."

His eyes were red with guilt, just like every time he saw me in pain.

I used to think he truly felt bad for me, so I'd force myself to smile to make him feel better.

Looking back now, I was a fool.

"Gabriel, I've been in so much pain these years. Can I stop using the artificial heart?"

"You've got plenty of backup hearts for Yvette, right? So why not give mine back to me?"

Gabriel hesitated for only a second before smiling and stroking my head. "Olivia, don't be silly. You don't have a suitable donor. Without the artificial heart, you want me to watch you die? You might as well kill me first."

Don't I?

But my heart is beating in Yvette's chest right now.

A chill ran down my spine. I forced a smile. "You're right. I'm being stupid."