When Love Turns the Knife by Miley Chapter 07

When Love Turns the Knife by Miley Chapter 07

Chapter 7 The Price of Redemption

I felt life itself lose all meaning now that I was trapped at Winston’s side. I didn’t even want to wake up anymore.

In a way, my coma had become my most effective way of resisting his captivity.

My consciousness drifted in and out, listening as he stood helpless before my unconscious form day after day. Sometimes, my eyelids would part to see him standing at the foot of my bed like a statue.

His face grew more ashen and strained with each passing day. All he could do was rage at the doctors, demanding again and again to know when the transplant surgery could be done..

“We need some of the patient’s key indicators to improve first,” the doctor said cautiously. “It would be very risky to operate on her now. She might not even make it off the operating table.”

Winston flew into another furious outburst, forbidding anyone from mentioning words associated with death. It was as if making that word a taboo could keep me alive.

Madeline, who had been standing nearby, listened with unconcealed delight.

“Then, keep her alive a few more days,” she said lightly. “It’d be bad for me if her health fails. Winston, don’t worry. I’ll

definitely come out of the surgery safely.”

The unscrupulous doctor who had once operated on me glanced at Madeline, then at me lying in the hospital bed. He looked as if he wanted to speak, but he said nothing as per usual.

Perhaps he pitied me for being so close to getting completely hollowed out.

I was wheeled into the operating room a week later. One shot of anesthesia was all it took for everything to go black.

My hands felt numb when my awareness gradually returned. I found it odd because I assumed that I was supposed to be dead on the operating table. So… why could I still feel anything?

I forced my eyes open and saw that man looming over me. He really was like a ghost who refused to stop haunting me. He was sitting by my bed and tightly clutching my hand as he slept.

I couldn’t resist withdrawing my hand from his grip. He woke instantly, staring at me as his eyes turned red-rimmed. “You’re finally awake. Thank God. You’re finally awake.”

I closed my eyes, unwilling to look at him.

He continued hoarsely, “Madison, are you angry because Madeline and I lied together to evade the law? I kept her alive so she could give back everything you once donated to her.”

He lowered his head, hot tears splashing onto the back of my hand. “As for me… It’s not that I don’t want to take responsibility. I just wanted to take care of you first. I’ll turn myself in once you’re fully recovered.”

I sneered.

I expected him to say something like this. After all, shameless people would always find excuses to absolve themselves.

“What do you mean by that?”

Madeline suddenly appeared in the doorway, looking vengeful.

Her face was deathly pale, her hair thin and sparse. She was so emaciated that she looked like a walking skeleton.

“What do you mean by making me give everything back?” she demanded weakly, on the verge of collapse. “Winston, what did you do to me? What did you take from me? It’s no wonder I keep feeling worse and worse.”

Winston stonily rose to his feet and positioned himself in front of my bed. “You’re mistaken. She didn’t take anything from you. If anything, you’re returning things that were never yours in the first place. What we did to her was unforgivable. Now, we have to atone for it.”

“Atone?” Madeline screeched. “I want to live! I want to live! My mother gave birth to her just so I could have some spare organs!

She grabbed Winston by the collar, shaking him as she muttered hysterically, “Winston, am I really the only one who hurt her? What price have you paid?”

He replied flatly, “I’ll turn myself in once she’s fully recovered.”

“Turn yourself in?” Her eyes filled with despair. “You actually fell in love with her. You really did. You’d go that far for her, but what about me? You promised me that you’d take care of me for the rest of my life.”

She lunged at me in a frenzy. “It’s all your fault! Die! He’ll love me again once you’re dead!”

She thrashed with what seemed like every last ounce of her strength.

It actually took Winston and several medical staff to restrain her.

When they did, she promptly fell into a dead faint.

Grace wailed, begging Winston to save Madeline. His face remained cold and detached as he ordered the staff to carry her out.

When the farce finally ended, I was granted a brief moment of reprieve.

Winston peeled an apple calmly and asked, almost casually, “Do you want her dead, or do you want her to keep living like this?”

His tone was so light it felt as though he were asking me to decide the fate of an ant.

A chill crept up my spine.

Passion and cruelty were separated by nothing more than his mere whim. I now knew that whoever believed in his form of love was bound to suffer.

E

Igripped the corner of the blanket tightly. “I don’t care whether she lives or dies. It’s none of my business. I don’t want to suffer from any retribution. Don’t drag me into your affairs.”

He handed me the peeled apple. “Are you afraid of me now? Do you think I’m cold-blooded? I just don’t want them disturbing your peace after I’m gone.”

I didn’t take it. “Thank you, but I don’t need you killing anyone for me. I just want a divorce. After that, we can each go live our

own lives.”

He chuckled softly and took a bite of the apple himself. His dark eyes churned with emotions I couldn’t read.

Still, I understood enough to know that it was scalding in its intensity.

His eyes were bloodshot as he asked quietly, “Can we start over after I face the law, go to prison, and atone for my sins?”

“No.” I looked at him calmly. There was no resentment in my tone as I responded, “I thought about it, and I think that I did feel some warmth during the three years you pretended to love me.

“Regardless, my life was already a mess long before I met you. So, I can’t place all the blame on one person. I don’t hate you anymore, but I could never love you again. I’ll only ever have nightmares if we ever share the same bed.”

A bleak, miserable smile curled at his lips.

Then, he rose to his feet, spun on his heel, and walked out the door.