My sister-in-law suddenly had a heart attack, and the doctors said that only my husband could perform the specific surgery she needed. The situation was dire, and when I finally reached him, it was his old friend, Linda, who picked up the call.

"We're planning to go hiking tonight in the Alps, so we won't be back until tomorrow!" she said casually.

My anxiety was skyrocketing. "Alanna's had a heart attack; she needs surgery immediately. Please, get him back to the hospital."

Then I heard my husband's irritated voice on the other end. "Will you stop making such a fuss? Stop jinxing my sister!"

Before I could explain further, he hung up on me. Any attempts to call back were met with nothing; his phone was switched off.

In the end, my sister-in-law passed away after missing the critical window for surgery. When my husband found out, he was devastated.

---

Just as I arrived at work, I received a call from my husband's colleague.

"Emerson, we've been trying to reach Dr. Cook with no luck."

"His sister had a heart attack and needs immediate surgery."

"Can you get in touch with him?"

Upon hearing about Alanna's condition, I dropped everything and rushed to the hospital. Throughout, I kept trying to contact my husband but to no avail. By the time I arrived, Dr. Julien Franklin was shaking his head, sighing.

"This surgery can only be done by Dr. Cook. We need to get him back as soon as possible."

Alanna had been living with a heart condition since she was young. My husband pursued a career in medicine precisely because of her. As a leading heart surgeon, he had devoted years to handling complex heart surgeries like hers.

With the situation urgent, I desperately tried to reach him. After countless calls, I finally got through. But it was Linda on the line.

"Emerson, is there something you need?" she answered.

"We're about to go hiking, so we're not coming back tonight."

Ignoring the edge in her voice, I spoke urgently into the phone.

"Alanna's had a heart attack. She needs surgery now—get him back to the hospital!"

But instead of concern, my husband replied impatiently, "Can't you just drop it?"

"Alanna is perfectly fine. Why are you wishing such terrible things on her?"

I knew this wasn't the time for an argument, so I held back my frustration and explained calmly.

"Noe, you need to come back."

"Alanna really needs you for the surgery..."

Before I could finish, the call was cut off. When I tried calling back, all I got was a message saying his phone was off.

Beside me, Alanna’s fiancé, Remy, was falling apart, tears streaming down his face.

"Sis, what are we going to do about Alanna?"

"Please, get my brother to come back and operate on Alanna!"

Their engagement party was scheduled for tomorrow, and no one had expected such a tragic turn of events today. I'd always treated Alanna like my own sister, and I wasn't about to lose hope. Fighting back my grief, I offered Remy a few reassuring words.

"Noe is her brother; he won't leave her in the lurch."

"I'll find Noe and bring him back. Call me if there are any updates."

I knew the camping spot my husband Noe often visited, so I drove there straight away. When I arrived, I saw Noe and Linda still at the base of the hill, laughing and talking as they prepared for their hike. Unlike the stern demeanor he usually had around me, Noe looked lively and wore an expression of tenderness I had never seen before.

Ignoring everything else, I rushed over and called out to him, "Noe."

His expression changed the moment he saw me, his tone turning to one of displeasure. "Emerson, what are you doing here? Can't you give me some space?" The warmth he had with Linda disappeared, leaving only annoyance directed at me.

I spoke urgently, "Alanna needs you to perform heart surgery. Come back to the hospital with me!"

Noe's expression grew darker, his voice edged with disbelief. "I saw Alanna this morning; she was perfectly fine. Are you really going to say she's having a heart attack just to drag me back?"

He was convinced I was lying and was about to leave with Linda. I quickly blocked his path, "Alanna is really in trouble, I'm not lying!" I handed him my phone, showing a video of Alanna lying in a hospital bed. I had recorded it specifically to prove that I wasn’t making it up. "Please, come back and help her!"

To my shock, Noe knocked my phone out of my hand. It crashed to the ground, the screen shattering. "Enough, Emerson! Stop joking about Alanna’s life, or you'll regret it!"

Since our parents passed away, Noe had been protective, his world revolving around his sister. My repeated insistence that something had happened to her was more than he could handle. Normally, I would have backed down, calming him with soft words. But now, with her life at stake, I tried to explain once more, "It's true. If you don’t believe me, call the hospital!"

Seeing my determination, Noe hesitated slightly, but Linda interjected, "Alanna just texted me about tomorrow's engagement party. And here you are, cursing her." She looped her arm through his, coaxing, "There's a meteor shower tonight, a once-in-a-lifetime event. Let's go, or we'll miss it."

At her smug, mocking smile, I couldn't hold back any longer. I shouted back, "Shut up! What's more important, a life or a camping trip?"

Unexpectedly, Noe slapped me hard across the face, making it clear he valued the camping trip more. He yelled in anger, "I've had enough of you! After Alanna’s wedding, let's get a divorce." With that, he stormed off with Linda, not looking back.

I was in shock from the slap, and before I could regroup to chase after him, the phone with the cracked screen on the ground started ringing. It was Remy calling, "Emerson, have you found Noe?"

"The doctors say Alanna might not make it. Please come back quickly!"

Hearing this, I sank to the ground, feeling utterly powerless. If only Noe had come back to the hospital with me, Alanna might have had a fighting chance. But Noe was so resolute in his decision to leave. Mustering all the strength I could, I shouted into the distance, "Noe! If you don't come to the hospital today, you'll regret it for the rest of your life!"

There was no reply from him, so all I could do was drive back to the hospital. In Alanna's hospital room, her face was pale, and she reached out her trembling hand, asking for me.

"Emerson...where's my brother?"

I quickly took her hand, my voice thick with emotion. "I'm sorry, Alanna. I couldn't bring your brother back..."

Alanna gave a faint smile, "It's not your fault, Emerson."

"It's my brother who didn't know what he had... You've been through so much."

At this, I couldn't hold back my tears any longer and held her, weeping. She gently patted me, her voice weakening.

"I've left something for you on my phone, Emerson."

"If you decide to split up, I support you..."

As she finished speaking, Alanna took her last breath.

"Alanna!"

Remy broke down in tears, nearly fainting as the nurse, Ivanna, helped him away. Dr. Julien and Ivanna both came in to console me, offering their sympathies. I sat in the hospital room, overwhelmed with grief and despair.

Just yesterday, Alanna was talking about how nervous she was about the engagement party. We had even planned a family trip for the weekend. I couldn't accept that Alanna was gone.

It was only when Ivanna called me to get up after a long time that I forced myself to gather some energy. I had intended to call Noe to discuss Alanna's funeral arrangements. But then I saw a post Linda had made just half an hour earlier on Facebook. It was a photo of her and Noe, snuggled up together, enjoying the view, looking so close. In that moment, I felt utterly disillusioned with Noe.

I stared blankly as the nurse moved Alanna's body away, hoping she'd have a long, healthy life in the next. Then I sent Noe a message: "Let's get a divorce."