My head was buzzing, and I couldn't hear what he was saying for a moment.

I only saw him protect Alice behind him, his face full of anger and vigilance.

I stood up, casually wiped the blood from my forehead, and walked to the bedside.

"You are not Alice's uncle. I don't care how much she paid you, but I was first in line for this kidney. I waited three months for it. You can't have it."

"Jane!" Alice blocked my way, screaming, "Don't push my uncle! He's not well. If you have an issue, come at me!"

"Fine. Give me back my kidney." I stared into her teary eyes, "I'll give you back James."

"I can abort this child to make room for you. Just give me back my kidney."

"Have you had enough?"

"He's not her uncle at all! Are you blind?"

"Slap!"

The slap hit my face, causing me to lose hearing in one ear. Through blurry vision, I saw James' fingers trembling with anger, "Jane, if you keep this up, this wedding won't happen!"

"Wedding?

At this point, would I still think about marrying him? He's the executioner who wants to take my dad's life!

I can forgo the wedding as long as he gives me back the kidney."

I swallowed the metallic taste in my throat and, before I could speak, I saw him wave his hand.

"Take Ms. Miller out."

"No!" I frantically grabbed a fruit knife from the table and pressed it against my neck, "James, I won't marry you. Give me back the kidney. Otherwise, I'll die with two lives in front of you."

James' pupils contracted violently.

The next second, a palm strike from behind knocked me out.

In the moment of blurred consciousness, I saw his cold gaze.

"How foolish, to think of threatening with death in front of him who doesn't love me anymore."

I was unconscious for three days with a high fever.

When I slightly regained consciousness, the doctor gave me the bad news.

The night I fell unconscious, my dad's room was in chaos. His newly stabilized condition deteriorated rapidly, and he was rushed to the ICU that night.

"Seeing Mr. Miller's stable condition, I had planned to wait for the next kidney.

"Ms. Miller, I'm really sorry. I didn't expect it to have such a big impact."

I wanted to check the surveillance footage, but it coincidentally malfunctioned.

I didn't blame the doctor.

Under James' protection, Alice could do whatever she wanted.

I handled my father's funeral and knelt at his grave.

My phone screen suddenly lit up.

I glanced at it, realizing that James had removed me from the blacklist.

Looking at the phone, I suddenly remembered it was the first gift James had given me.

On my birthday a month ago, I waited in the restaurant for three hours. It was his assistant who handed me the phone.

"Ms. Miller, Mr. Scott had to go on a sudden business trip and couldn't make it. This is the gift he prepared."

I held the phone, feeling very happy and treasuring it dearly.

But now, I couldn't recall that feeling anymore.

I only felt regret and hatred.

I shouldn't have fallen in love with James.

I shouldn't have chased him for so many years.

I shouldn't have had any entanglements with him.

If so, my father would still be alive.

He would be holding my hand, smiling and calling me, "Jane."

I staggered to my feet and threw the phone into the ravine.

The wind on the mountain was strong, and rain fell intermittently.

I staggered as I walked, nearly stumbling.

A large hand steadied me.

Before I could look up, I heard a cold voice above me.

"Why are you here?"

I shivered and quickly pushed his hand away, barely standing firm.

James and Alice stood side by side. James held a large black umbrella, and his suit jacket was draped considerately over Alice's shoulders.

They looked like a perfect match, quite pleasing to the eye.

"Jane, is it fun for you to always act like this?" James' eyes narrowed, "Alice's uncle's surgery failed. Are you happy now?"

I looked over at Alice.

In this season, she wore a goose-yellow dress, with delicate cat-eye makeup, looking pitiful with her tear-filled eyes.

"Huh.

If you paid attention, how could you not see through her lies and pretense?"

He was James, a formidable presence in the business industry.

"If it weren't for your disruption before the surgery, Alice's uncle wouldn't have died on the operating table!

"Following us here won't help. A life is at stake. How can you be so willful!"

He looked at me with an intense, oppressive gaze.

"James, stop! I think Ms. Miller doesn't want this either. She just... she just doesn't want to see me with you."

"Slap!"

I slapped her face.

"Are you crazy! Try hitting her again!"

James protected Alice behind him, her tear-filled eyes showing a hint of triumph.

"Ms. Miller, don't be angry... You really misunderstood our relationship. If my uncle wasn't in urgent need, he wouldn't have spent three billion for that kidney. After his funeral, I'll leave as far as possible."

"Fine. Swear it." I interrupted her, "If you don't leave, may you be struck by lightning, damned and never reincarnate!"

Another slap landed heavily on my face, a metallic taste in my throat, and amidst the ringing in my ears, I still heard the overlapping voices clearly.

"Jane, how can you be so vicious! It's simply unreasonable!"

I fell into a high fever again, with disjointed scenes flashing before me.

One moment, I was chasing James; the next, he was holding my hand.

The scene shifted, and he was choking my dad. "Alice's uncle needs a kidney. Go die!"

I sat up in bed, startled, drenched in cold sweat.

I looked at myself in the mirror.

My face was pale, one side swollen, my eyes bloodshot.

Since James and I started dating, my dad had been worried.

James was handsome, rich, well-connected, and capable. Such a man wasn't a match for an ordinary family.

It was me, smiling, telling him, "Dad, I love him for who he is, not for his money! I have true feelings!"

Huh, true feelings.

My true feelings were really poor.

I shouldn't have foolishly dreamed of falling in love with the capable man. It was my mistake.

I washed my face, preparing to go back to the grave.

I wanted to accompany my dad, or I wanted him to accompany me.

Though my forehead was still burning, my heart was too cold.

After several days of rain, the sky cleared, and its color was especially beautiful.

I walked the muddy path, slipping every few steps.

Stumbling to the hillside, I saw five workers with hoes had already dug up my dad's grave.

"Who are you! Stop! Stop right now!"

I rushed at them like a madwoman.

A hoe couldn't be pulled back in time, and half of my hand was exposed to the bone, blood gushing.

"In broad daylight, who allowed you to dig up the grave! Get out! Get out of here!"

My dad's tombstone was already broken into several pieces.

"Ms. Miller, what do you want? I consulted a master, and this is the best spot for my uncle's burial. No matter the cost, James will pay! Why do you have to put on this act? Can't you let my uncle rest in peace!"

I ignored her, carefully holding the urn, piecing together the photos that had been shattered.

"Jane, you've really had enough!"

A sudden force threw me aside, and the urn in my arms fell heavily to the ground.

Ashes scattered everywhere, and my eyes filled with rage.

I reached out urgently, but couldn't grasp anything.

James was about to kick away the photo I had pieced together when his gaze suddenly froze.

His body swayed heavily.

I fell in love with James when I was 17.

During the school sports meet, halfway through the 3280-foot run, my period suddenly came. I was wearing white shorts, surrounded by cheering classmates. I couldn't stop or quit.

As I was feeling embarrassed and flustered, a gust of wind passed behind me.

A tall, handsome boy ran beside me. “Here, this jacket will bring you good luck,” he said.

He winked at me, and I blushed as I tied the jacket around my waist.

The jacket had a pleasant smell. Despite my period, I achieved my best result in that race.

I thought, in that moment, I fell for him.

Later, I learned his name was James Scott, two years ahead of me.

I returned his jacket and started to pay attention to him.

He took guitar as an elective, so I bought a guitar and practiced hard.

He was the student council president, so I worked hard to become a member of the student council.

When he graduated and got into Averside University, I set that as my goal.

Averside University.

I studied day and night. Over two years, I lost ten pounds, and the piles of completed exam papers could fill a room.

Hard work always makes dreams shine.

I got into Averside University. Although we had different majors, I often saw him on campus.

James was the campus heartthrob.

Listening to my friends, I realized he was out of my league.

But at twenty, my youthful passion couldn’t be restrained by such factors.

Although I never gave him a love letter, my actions and looks couldn’t lie.

During a team-building event, I pushed him aside and blocked a falling rock.

This secret could no longer be hidden.

“You like me.”

As the bandage wrapped around my arm, he suddenly looked at me deeply.

I stared into his deep gaze. My heartbeat seemed to stop and yet was uncontrollable.

It was chaotic and fast.

I didn’t know if I nodded or shook my head. I only saw his cold, calm gaze.

He said nothing, paid the medical bill, and left.

Watching his back, a faint sense of loss filled my heart.

Tens of minutes later, he came back.

He was carrying a jar.

“I bought some porridge. You should eat,” he said, clearing his throat and reaching for the bandage on my forehead.

“Jane, we can give it a try.”

I looked at him in shock, feeling like countless brilliant fireworks were set off in my mind.

Even the most brilliant fireworks eventually turn to dust and vanish into nothingness.

What was once a ridiculous hope becoming the sharpest needle, piercing the softest part of my heart.

The pain was suffocating.

My hands shook uncontrollably.

The ashes I had struggled to hold couldn’t be placed into the urn.

There’s a saying, “Grind the bones and scatter the ashes.”

I didn’t know what heinous crime my dad had committed.

He had gotten a matching kidney, yet couldn’t survive.

Even in death, he couldn’t rest in peace.

Actually, the one who was wrong wasn’t my dad. It was me.

Why did I have to like James, who was from such a different world?

Why did I have to like James, who had a lover in his heart yet wanted to marry me?

Why did I have to like so powerful James, who couldn’t distinguish the wrong things, and was so foolish?

What was there to like about such a promiscuous, despicable, ruthless, and vile man?

Because of my blind heart, I caused my dad’s death.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, Dad... It was my fault, I was wrong.”

My lips moved, but no sound came out. It felt like thousands of blades were stabbing into my chest and being pulled out repeatedly.

“Jane...”

James Scott touched me, and a wave of nausea made me retch uncontrollably.

“Jane, are you okay?”

“Don’t touch me! Get away!”

I used all my strength to slap him, then retreated while holding the urn.

“Jane, I’m sorry, I didn’t know.”

I looked at his helpless face and slapped him hard again.

“You didn’t know? Didn’t know you couldn’t take someone else’s kidney? Didn’t know we waited a month for this kidney?

“Didn’t know he would die without a suitable kidney transplant? Or didn’t know everyone has the right to live?

“Didn’t know throwing money at someone wouldn’t make them agree? Or didn’t know disturbing someone’s grave would prevent them from resting in peace?

“What did my dad do wrong, James? Dying wasn’t enough? You had to grind his bones and scatter his ashes too!

“No, no, no, it wasn’t my dad who was wrong. It was me, it was me.

“I shouldn’t have foolishly liked you. I shouldn’t have overestimated myself and wanted to marry you. It was me.”

“No, Jane, no...” James Scott frantically grabbed my shoulders, “You weren’t wrong. I really didn’t know.”

I laughed, tears streaming down my face, unable to straighten my back.

“Huh. Were you blind and couldn’t check for it? Even if you stepped into my dad’s room that day, asked a doctor, or had your assistant check! You would have known the person waiting for a life-saving transplant was my dad. I didn’t lie to you! How could I use my dad’s life to lie to you?

“Of course, you only believe Alice. Your beautiful, kind, and generous Alice. Her uncle was in critical condition, so you had no energy for anything else? Taking my dad’s life in exchange was justified.”

“Jane...”

“Don’t call me that. It makes me sick. I want to vomit.”

“Ms. Miller,” Alice said, her eyes red with righteous indignation, “Why must you speak so harshly? James didn’t know it was your dad. Ignorance is no crime. What right do you have to hit him?”

I looked up at her.

Maybe my gaze was intimidating, she stepped back a few steps.

“You’re right, ignorance is no crime.

“But what about those who know?

“You don’t really have an uncle, do you? For James, you took my dad’s life and dug up his grave.

“You’re right. After what you’ve done, I can’t turn back.

“Alice, I give you him. Now, it’s time for you to atone.”

Alice saw my gaze and trembled with fear,she said“I... What are you going to do...”