Jace's mother rushed into the ward with a group of people. "Hold her down, sign the papers." Her arrogance had returned; she was no longer the desperate woman who had begged me earlier.

"I didn't even get a chance to read the documents before they forced me to sign and press my fingerprint onto them.

"Sharon, from this day forward, you and Jace have nothing to do with each other. Take your gambling-addict father and get out of Hensford!"

I let out a bitter laugh. "So, this was your plan all along. Huh?"

Cecilia looked at me with disgust. "People like you don't deserve to bear the Hawthornes' bloodline."

Cecilia tossed a check onto the bed and strode out of the hospital room, her high heels clicking sharply against the floor. That was when I realized I had been deceived. Not only had she used me to save Jace, but she had also taken the opportunity to drive me away.

My body felt heavy as I dragged myself to the ICU, desperate for a glimpse of Jace. Unfortunately, the bodyguards at the door blocked my way. "Please, just let me see him. I just want to see him from a distance, please?"

I needed to know if he was okay. I needed to know if my lung was a match for him and if there were any signs of rejection. I had already lost our child; I couldn't bear the thought of losing him too.

A towering bodyguard shoved me aside, sending me crashing to the floor. "No one is allowed in without Ms. Cecilia's permission."

I hit the floor hard, pain tearing through my wounds, making it difficult to breathe. Just then, a figure passed by and the bodyguards immediately stepped aside to make way. I quickly grabbed the hem of her coat. "Doctor, please, let me see Jace."

She looked down at me with an air of indifference. "I'm sorry, but the patient's family has requested that no one disturb him."

"I am his family. I'm his wife. Please, I beg you." I had never humbled myself like this before. Never.

She simply gave a cold laugh. "Ms. Lennox, please leave." I saw her name tag, Mila Sage. She was the doctor who had performed my surgery. In that moment, everything clicked. She was the doctor Cecilia had bribed.

I struggled to my feet and returned to my room, only to be told that I hadn't paid my hospital bills and had to leave immediately. Cecilia hadn't given me any time to think. Almost simultaneously, my father's creditors called. They threatened to throw him off a thirty-story building if I didn't pay them.

I felt all the strength leave my body. I sat on the edge of the bed, found a sticky note in my bag and wrote a message for Jace. Then I took the check Cecilia had left and left the hospital. By the time I managed to get my father back from the debt collectors, my wounds had bled through the bandages.

"I'm sorry," he sobbed. "I failed you. Cut ties with me, go back to your husband."

I closed my eyes in despair, tears slipping down my cheeks. "I can't go back." I had taken the money. So, I had no right to return.

A year later, the only five-star hotel in Kevern was hosting a prestigious event. After setting up the water and stationery for the meeting, I leaned against the wall, taking shallow breaths. I had never fully recovered from the surgery. After escaping to Kevern with my father, I had spent the year on the run, settling in this small town far from the bustling cities. The salary wasn't excellent, but it was just enough to get by.

Cecilia had only given me $70000, which wasn't nearly enough to cover his debts. Plus, she had blacklisted me, so no company in Hensford would hire me.

"Sharon, there's a signing ceremony later. You'll be in charge of serving coffee to the guests."

"Okay." I had just finished preparing the coffee when I saw Jace walk into the hall, surrounded by an entourage."

I never imagined we would meet again in this kind of setting. My heart pounded, my breath caught in my throat. I quickly turned my back, gripping the edge of the table tightly. "Yancy, could you please take the coffee for me?"

"No way! The manager specifically picked you because you're pretty. If I go, I'll scare the guests away."

A sharp pain shot through my chest. It was clear that he was doing well without me. Maybe being with me had been his biggest mistake. Every time I saw his name in the financial news, I wondered why he had ever loved me in the first place.

"What are you waiting for? Mr. Hawthorne likes iced Americanos and Mrs. Hawthorne prefers lattes. Hurry up and take it over!"

I adjusted my breathing, walked over to the tray and lowered my head as much as possible for fear that Jace would see it.

"Your coffees, sir, madam." As I placed the iced Americano on the table, I caught Mr. Hawthorne's gaze. His eyes were like ice, piercing right through me.

The next second, he threw a cup of coffee right at my face. "The thought of drinking something you touched makes me sick."

It was iced coffee, yet my face burned as if it had been scalded. "I'm sorry. It was my mistake for not meeting your expectations." I lowered my head even more, but I couldn't stop the tears from falling. Tears mixed with the coffee, bitter and humiliating. I dropped to my knees, scrambling to clean up the mess.

The manager rushed over, apologizing profusely before pulling me away. "What the hell did you do? Did you stick your fingers in the cup or something? I've worked here for years and I've never heard a customer say a server was disgusting!"

He was so furious that he could barely speak. I took off my name tag. "I'm sorry, Manager. This was my fault. You can fire me, I won't object."

"Fire you? What good would that do? This was Mr. Hawthorne's first time bringing his wife to a public event and you just had to ruin it! Do you know how lucky we are that no reporters were around? Otherwise, I'd be out of a job too!"

All I could do was apologize. By the time my manager was done scolding me, my shirt was soaked with coffee.

"Clean this up and go help outside the venue. If we weren't short on staff, I would've kicked you out already!"

I went to the restroom to clean myself up when a woman walked in. I instinctively looked away, avoiding eye contact.

"Sharon, do you regret it? Abandoning Jace while he was still unconscious for a measly seven million? Do you even know how much he makes in a single day now?" That was Cecilia. She was still as ruthless as ever. That woman always exaggerated the truth, turning the seventy thousand check into seven million.

That surgery left me with irreversible damage. It wasn't until I went to Kevern for a check-up that I found out my right lung had been completely removed. My health had deteriorated over the past year. My breathing was getting weaker and last week, the doctor gave me a critical diagnosis. He said I might not survive if I didn't get treatment.

I turned to face her, my voice unwavering. "I don't regret it." I don't regret giving up my lung to save Jace. I had done my research and I knew lung transplants had a high rejection rate. The fact that his body accepted mine perfectly was the best possible outcome.

The woman in front of me curled her lips into a smirk. "You really are a disgusting gold-digger."

It was then that I recognized her. She was the surgeon who had performed my operation, Mila Sage. Was she Jace's mysterious fiancée? She finished washing her hands and was about to leave when I instinctively reached out to stop her. "Wait, you're Dr. Sage, right? You were the one who operated on me back then … "

Before I could finish, Jace grabbed her wrist, not sparing me even a glance. His cold voice echoed in my ears. "Honey, why are you talking to a stranger?"

Mila clung to his arm, pouting. "It's your fault for spilling coffee all over her earlier. I just wanted to apologize."

My words caught in my throat, unable to utter a sound. He called me a stranger. Jace, who once risked his life to save me, now treated me like a stranger. I gripped the wall for support, barely keeping myself from collapsing. The manager reassigned me to the lobby. By the time their meeting ended, it was already 8 p.m.

My ankles were raw from my high heels when I got the news that I had to work overtime. "Sharon, Lowen from the restaurant called in sick. You'll have to help serve dishes for a while."

"Manager, my shift is over."

"I'll pay you overtime, alright?"

I had no choice but to grit my teeth and push through. I went upstairs to the restaurant to help out. I thought I had successfully avoided any unwanted encounters, but I still ran into Jace.

The hallway to the private dining rooms was long and there was no way to avoid him. I could only step aside to let him pass, but he stopped right in front of me. "How much for one night?"

I was stunned. It wasn't until I saw the mocking smile on Jace's lips that I realized what he was talking about. "Sir, I'm just a waitress. I'm not selling myself!" I spoke too quickly and almost bit my tongue.

He scoffed. "You'd go with an old man, so don't pretend you have any pride. How much do you want for a night with me? A hundred thousand? Two hundred thousand?"

I knew my face must've turned pale, but there were cameras here. So I couldn't throw the food in the man's face. I clenched my jaw and forced myself to respond. "Sir, don't make baseless assumptions about others."