Chapter 3

Chapter 3

When mentioning that bastard child, the disgust in Vincent’s eyes grew thicker. He wished. Kristin would just drop dead.

Back in the day. Kristin slept with another guy in a hotel, dragging the FitzGerald family name through the mud. To top it off, she got knocked up and popped out that bastard right before she had been thrown in the slammer.-

Desperate, Kristin gazed at Vincent as if she never truly knew him. “The child… The child is innocent.” she implored.

“Innocent? When Ruby got swapped into your trashy life, she was innocent, too,” Mamie shrieked, her voice sharp, and slapped Kristin across the face twice more for good measure.

If Johnnie hadn’t stepped in, she probably would’ve kept going until she felt better.

Her ears ringing. Kristin dropped her gaze and allowed the blows from Mamie to land on her

swollen face.

She had a debt to repay for twenty–one years of care and upbringing. The time had come to settle it.

Taking a deep breath, Kristin’s eyes welled with tears as she looked up at Vincent, her voice. weak but resolute. “I’ll donate the kidney…

She’d do anything if they spared her child.

“You’re something, aren’t you?” Vincent watched Kristin’s pathetic, groveling state, his heart tightened, but he didn’t let her off the hook. “Take her to get checked. Give her to the doctor and make her sign.”

“Don’t touch me…” Kristin’s voice trembled, but gone was the earlier cowardice and begging.

She stood upon her own, a mess but with a determined look in her eyes as she stared at

Johnnie. “You’re fully clued into my situation… If I give you a kidney, that clears my tab, right? So, after that, let’s call it quits and let me off the hook.”

She’d got a congenital heart defect and had been frail since she was a kid. Giving birth five years ago nearly cost her life, and the Turner family wanted her kidney, knowing they were asking for her life.

Johnnie frowned a flicker of emotion in his eyes.

After all, they raised her for twenty–one years. Kristin had indeed been obedient and sensible in the Turner family.

“You’ll continue to atone even after death!” But Mamie wasn’t willing to let go.

“Enough,” Johnnie sighed. “The five years you’ve been in prison have punished you enough. If you agree to this kidney donation and promise to stick to the straight and narrow afterwards, we’ll cut you loose, no more hassle from our end.”

Chapter 3

Kristin laughed weakly.

With the way things were, she probably wouldn’t even make it off the operating table.

onating a kidney makes up for your mistakes? You’ve stolen Ruby’s wonderful life for twenty–one years!” Yet Vincent didn’t seem satisfied, as if he wanted to grind her into dust.

“Everyone who once loved me belonged to Ruby. Wasn’t that enough? What more did I have to do to atone? What did I do wrong?” Kristin thought so.

“Vincent…” Kristin’s voice was feeble as she suddenly chuckled. “If you hate me that much. scatter my ashes after I die.”

Her lips were pale, her appearance a mess. “Leave my child alone.”

Vincent’s eyes were gloomy with malice. Even then, she was still protecting that bastard!

“You think we wouldn’t dare?” Clarence responded to Vincent, his eyes mocking as he looked at Kristin. “You’re downright rotten, following in your mother’s lowly footsteps! That bastard child deserves to die. He’s an embarrassing blight!”

Kristin didn’t respond, her vision went dark, and before she could leave the hospital room, she collapsed to the ground, passing out.

“Kris!” Right before losing consciousness, Kristin thought she heard someone calling her Kris.

Was it Vincent? How ironic.

“Don’t mind her! She’s just acting! I knew it. She didn’t learn a thing in those five years in jail,” Clarence said angrily, storming into the bathroom to fetch a basin of cold water to splash Kristin awake.

Kristin attempted to open her eyes, but strength failed her.

She knew why Clarence was so agitated. He feared Vincent would uncover the truth; with her congenital heart condition, giving up a kidney would be a death sentence.

“Clarence…” As Clarence was about to douse her, Vincent grabbed his wrist. “Enough…”

“Feeling sorry for her, Vincent?” Clarence sneered at him. “Don’t forget, you’re engaged to Ruby now. And my sister had that accident because of you!”

Vincent paused, then slowly released Clarence’s wrist.

That basin of cold water still ended up doused all over Kristin’s face.