Chapter 2

I tasted blood. “Apologize?” A broken laugh slipped out of me. “I've spent so much time in the ICU that I've lost count. I've been critical. I've spent nights gasping for air and wondering if I'd even wake up.”

I turned toward Lawrence. “And you know what your people offered me?”

He didn't answer.

“A private room. Better equipment. More privacy. They said they could arrange it because they knew I was the wife of the head of the Santiago Legacy.” My eyes burned. “But you refused.”

Lawrence's expression didn't change.

“You said we couldn't use the family's power just because I was your wife. You said I had to follow the same rules as everyone else.” I let out a shaky breath. “So why didn't those rules apply to her?”

Nobody moved.

“She wasn't even as critical as I was.” I looked at Lorinne. “But you moved the entire Santiago Legacy for her.”

My gaze went from Lawrence to my mother, then my father.

All three of them were standing closer to her than they were to me.

I couldn't understand it. I really couldn't.

“You're the people who are supposed to protect me,” I whispered. “You have money. Power. Connections. The whole Santiago Legacy at your fingertips.” My voice cracked. “I was dying, and you still made me step aside.”

Silence.

Not one of them defended me.

Not one of them even looked sorry.

They just stared at me as if I was the one ruining everything.

Fine.

I wiped my face. “Then make her your real daughter.” I looked at my parents. “If she's the one you love so much, replace me properly. Give her my place too.”

I turned to leave.

I didn't get far.

My chest suddenly tightened, and I stopped. I couldn't pull in enough air. My lungs felt like they were collapsing from the inside, and every breath became shorter than the last. My knees buckled beneath me.

I coughed, and something warm filled my mouth.

Blood.

I tried to breathe again, but nothing came.

The floor rushed toward me.

Then everything went black.

...

When I opened my eyes, my whole body felt heavy. My chest hurt every time I breathed, and even the smallest movement made my lungs feel raw.

I was behind a glass wall in the ICU, in isolation. I couldn't move much, but I could hear voices outside.

Dr. Samuel was there. He'd worked with my family for years, and his voice was low as he spoke to someone in the hallway. “This episode was caused by her worsening respiratory failure. Her lung condition has progressed badly. Even if we stay optimistic, she may have less than one month.”

One month.

My fingers curled weakly against the sheets.

Samuel continued, “If she has another major episode like this, we might not be able to stabilize her.”

After everything I'd endured, after spending years waiting for a transplant, I had less than one month left?

The ICU doors suddenly opened.

Lawrence walked in first.

His eyes landed on me for barely a second.

Then Lorinne appeared behind him.

And everything changed.

The hardness disappeared from his face.

He walked straight to her, touched her shoulder, and lowered his voice. “You're awake.”

Then he looked at me again. “I took care of the reporters. They won't bother you anymore.”

He sounded almost annoyed, as if the cameras and reporters had been my biggest problem.

“You caused quite a scene out there, Stella,” he said. “But it's over now. You're safe.”

Safe.

I stared at him from behind the glass.

Was I?

Lawrence turned back to Lorinne. “Don't worry about anything. I'll handle the rest. Just focus on getting better.”

Lorinne held her bouquet against her chest, crying so hard her shoulders shook. “I’m sorry, Stella. I never knew this would happen. If I’d known the lungs were meant for you, I never would've agreed to the surgery. I can give them back. I’ll find the doctor and have them remove them. I’ll give you my chance to live.”

“No.”

Lawrence's voice stopped her immediately. He turned toward her, and the cold expression he'd been wearing disappeared. He gave her that soft smile I hadn't seen directed at me in years and gently brushed the tears from her cheek. “Don't say that again, Lorinne. The transplant was successful, and your body accepted the lungs. You're finally recovering.”

Then he looked at me, and all that softness disappeared.

“And you need to stop this. You caused a scene in front of everyone. You humiliated me, and you put Lorinne in an awful position. She's already been through surgery, and now she's crying because of you. Can't you control yourself for once?”

For once.

Those two words hurt more than they should have.

My mother stepped forward. “Stella, she's your cousin, and she's family. You need to accept what's happened. Lorinne didn't steal anything from you. She's part of this family now, and you need to stop treating her like an enemy.”

“Accept it?” My voice came out barely above a whisper. “I've spent my whole life accepting things.” I looked at her. “Accept being ignored. Accept being left behind. Accept being told to wait. Accept being the one who gets less because somebody else supposedly needs more. And now I'm supposed to accept that the lungs I waited years for were given to her?”

Lawrence's jaw clenched. “Enough, Stella!”

“No, I'm not done.”

“Don't speak to Lorinne that way,” he said, his voice hardening. “She's fragile right now. She just survived major surgery. If you have any decency left, you'll stop making her feel guilty for being alive.”

I laughed, but tears were already sliding down my face. “Decency? I've spent twenty-eight years being decent!”

“Sister, please,” Lorinne shook her head quickly. “If I'd known those lungs were yours, I would've refused them. I can wait. I can find another donor. You can have mine if that's what you need!”