When Peter, my father-in-law, suffered a heart attack and needed an urgent transplant, the hospital miraculously had a compatible heart.

Helen, my mother-in-law and I were overjoyed. We thought it was a blessing from above.

However, just as we were getting ready for surgery, Nate, my husband, disappeared with the compatible heart.

When we finally reached him by phone, it was Camile, his first love. “Nate is busy prepping for my dad’s heart surgery. Stop distracting him!”

Helen was trembling with fury. On her way to confront Nate, she got into a car accident and ended up in a critical condition.

I begged Nate to come back and operate on her, but he walked into another operating room.

In the end, my in-laws died. Their bodies were donated for organ transplant.

It was not until later that I found out that their organs had been donated to Camile’s family.

“Doctor, my father-in-law is running out of time. He needs the surgery now! Didn’t you tell us you found him a compatible heart? What do you mean you don’t have it?”

Helen Black, my mother-in-law, and I were standing at the door of the doctor’s office. We were begging for the update of a matching heart for Peter Black, my father-in-law.

The doctor looked hesitant and conflicted. Then he sighed deeply and scribbled a phone number on a slip of paper before handing it to us.

As Helen and I looked at the familiar number, we exchanged looks with each other. It was the number belonging to Nate Black, my husband.

Helen’s face lit up with relief. “I knew it. I knew we could count on Nate. He must have secured the heart himself to make sure everything went smoothly. It’s okay. Peter can hold on a little longer.”

I hesitated. “But I just tried calling Nate. He didn’t pick up any of my calls.”

Helen smiled and said, “It’s okay. He’s probably just tied up with something. He’s a busy man. I’d better go tell Peter the good news and tell him to wait a little longer. His son is coming to save him!”

As she hurried off to my father-in-law’s room, I could not shake the uneasy feeling in my mind.

Nate was the lead cardiac surgeon at this hospital. If he had reserved the heart in advance, why did he not tell us?

I tried calling Nate again, but he was still not answering.

Inside the ward, Helen was talking to Peter, who was struggling to breathe. My heart was sinking fast when I saw the joyful look on her face.

Clutching my phone tightly, I could not bring myself to step into the room. I leaned against the wall as a helpless feeling washed over me.

Suddenly, the monitor let out a piercing alarm. Peter’s condition had worsened again.

Helen’s smile froze in place. She watched in panic as doctors rushed in to stabilize him.

Frantically, I dialed Nate’s number again. This time, thank goodness, he answered.

Helen stared at the phone.

I quickly spoke into the phone. “Nate, your dad has had a relapse, and he’s in the hospital. You took the matching heart, right? Bring it over now. Dad is running out of time!”

However, another woman’s voice came through the line. It was Camile Walker, Nate’s first love. “Nate is prepping for my dad’s surgery. He’s busy! Andrea, why are you calling him at such a critical time? He’s working! Stop distracting him!”

She hung up.

A horrifying realization began dawning on me.

Helen’s voice was hollow as she said, “What was Camile talking about? Nate was prepping for surgery for her dad? Does that mean the compatible heart…”

Her hands started shaking uncontrollably.

I immediately grabbed her hand. “Mom, this has to be some kind of misunderstanding. I’ll find him and bring the heart back.

“Please calm down! Dad’s going to be okay! Stay here with him. I’ll find Nate!”

I grabbed my car keys and turned to leave.

Before I could go far, Helen called out, “Andrea, I’ll go! Let me go. Nate always listens to me!”

I was not comfortable with her going alone, but she smiled and said, “Andrea, you’re not as experienced behind the wheel as I am. Don’t worry. I know what I’m doing. I’ll bring Nate and Peter’s compatible heart back. Peter is waiting for me. That old man can’t live without me.”

I was still worried and suggested she take a cab instead.

Though she snatched the keys from me and said she needed to be ready and played it by ear.

All I could do was sigh as I watched her walk away.

I did not know it then, but that decision would become the biggest regret of my life.

I stayed at the hospital and paid all the necessary fees, including the cost of the surgery.

At first, the doctor was hesitant to even issue the payment slip, but I pleaded with him. “My mother-in-law could bring the compatible heart back anytime. We need to operate right away. I’m just preparing in advance!”

After persistent begging, the doctor finally relented and processed the payment.

Just as I finished making all the preparations, I was struck with shocking news. I got a call from the traffic police that Helen had been in an accident.

When I saw her, I could not hold back my tears.

She had collided with a freight truck. A steel rod from the truck had pierced straight through her chest and into her heart.

The doctor explained that the rod had impaled her heart. Pulling it out without extreme caution would cause massive blood loss. Nate was the only surgeon in the city skilled enough for such a delicate operation.

Even then, no one could guarantee she would survive once the rod was removed.

The doctor sighed and looked at me. “I heard Dr. Black has been scheduled for another surgery today. I’m afraid we can’t recall him.”

Nate!

The white sheet was soaked through with crimson blood. It was not unlike a grotesque watercolor painting.

The heartbreak I felt was unbearable.

The greatest gift my marriage to Nate ever gave me was the love of my parents-in-law. They were like my real parents, to the point I referred to them as Mom and Dad instead of their names.

They gave me the warmth and care I had never known growing up.

For the first time in my life, I had known what it meant to be loved by family.

However, the universe was stealing even this little happiness from me.

Helen’s hand was growing colder in my desperate grasp. I was overcome with fear and helplessness.

I thought, “Nate! You ungrateful jerk! Where the hell are you?”

I called Nate’s phone again. Once again, Camile answered his phone. “Are you serious right now? I told you, Nate’s busy!”

Before she could hang up, I rasped, “Mom was in a car accident! She was in an accident! Do you hear me? Tell Nate to get back here! She needs his help!”

Nate’s voice came through the other side of the line. “Andrea, I’m not the only doctor in the hospital. Will you stop hounding me? You just don’t want me to operate on Camile’s dad. You’re being as petty as always, you know? This is my job, do you understand? Camile’s father needs me more right now. Our hospital has perfectly capable doctors. I trust them. Your mom is in good hands. Just stop calling me!”

“Hang on, Nate! It’s your parents’ surgeries. You’re the only one who can save them! Please get back here! They’re running out of time!”

Nate just snorted. “Andrea, you’re getting sloppier at lying. Didn’t you say it was your mom in a car accident? Now it’s my parents? I’ve had enough of this, Andrea. Stop calling me!”

The line went dead.

Staring at the darkened screen, I froze in place. A chill crept up from my fingertips, where I still clutched the phone, and spread through my chest. I could not breathe. I could not move.

I tried calling again, but it went straight to voicemail.

I turned and looked back toward the room, where Peter and Helen lay pale. I wiped away my tears and ran out of the hospital.

I found out where Nate was operating from the doctor.

I was going to find him. I was going to fight for the only chance his parents had left to survive.

“Camile, where is Nate?” I grabbed Camile’s sleeve and asked.

She yanked her arm free and wrinkled her nose in disgust. “Ugh, you reek of sweat! Stay away from me! You just don’t quit, do you? I told you, Nate’s not available. And even if you managed to track us down, there’s no way I’m letting you drag him away. My dad is having his surgery today. If anything happens to him, you’ll regret it!”

“But my parents need Nate too!” I started shouting, “Nate Black, come out! Dad has had a heart attack, and Mom was in a car crash! You have to come with me now!”

Before I could say anything more, a nurse rushed over and rebuked me. “This is a hospital. Please lower your voice.”

I ignored her. I kept calling Nate’s name and frantically searched the place.

Camile tried to grab me, but I shoved her to the floor.

As nurses swarmed me, I finally found him.

I grabbed Nate’s arm and tried to pull him with me, but he shook me off. “Andrea, I’m prepped for surgery. Do you realize how contaminated your hands are? You just ruined everything. Stop being hysterical! You’re looking like a shrew right now. This is so embarrassing. I can’t believe I ever married you!”

His words cut straight through me, but I refused to let go.

Tears burst from my eyes as I stared at him. “Nate, please come with me. Mom and Dad need you. They’re waiting for you to save them.”

A few nurses rushed over and started trying to pull me away from him.

Nate sneered and said, “Andrea, I’ve made myself clear over the phone. If your parents were really in critical condition, you wouldn’t have time to chase me down! I was worried you’d sabotage Mr. Walker’s surgery, so I scheduled his surgery here. And yet, you still found us. When are you going to stop being so petty and controlling?”

My heart ached so much that I felt like it was being ripped apart.

With tears blurring my vision, I dropped to my knees before Nate. “I’m not lying, Nate. Just come with me and see for yourself. Mom really was in a car accident. I’m begging you, please come with me now. If we wait any longer, it’ll be too late.”

Nate was stunned as he looked at me. His stern expression faltered as he took a few steps toward me.

Sensing the shift, I quickly grabbed his arm and pulled him with me.

“You’re lying!” Camile’s shrill voice cut through the chaos as she blocked our path.

She thrust her phone in Nate’s face.

“I just checked the news. Yes, there was an accident in the city, but the woman involved wasn’t your mom. It was just a fender-bender. No one was hurt.”

Nate glanced at the screen. There was a look of disappointment on his face as he looked back at me.

“Andrea, you lied to me again. You make me sick!”

He turned to a nearby nurse. “Call security.”

As he started to walk away, I struggled and shouted, “Nate, don’t you dare leave! I’m not lying! Please, you have to believe me. You have to!”

The hospital security guards tackled me to the ground. I could only watch as Nate’s figure disappeared down the hall.

Camile stepped on my fingers with her designer shoe and said in an icy tone, “Andrea, you had it coming! Your parents deserved their accidents! Maybe this was karma for raising a daughter like you. Andrea, I’m back now. Nate will be mine again!”