Chapter 4
Linda stared at the agreement in disbelief. She thought to herself, was it really necessary? It was just one heart. And he actually dared to propose divorce over this. Linda angrily threw the pastries into the trash, “If you don’t want this home, then never come back.” At that moment, the phone rang. Linda picked up her phone. “Linda? Where has Herbert been lately?” My dad, who rarely called, was asking about me. After all, he usually only ever mentioned Hans. Linda thought for a while and realized only my parents could force me to show up. Plus, Hans had mostly recovered by now. So she told my dad about Hans’s surgery. My parents rushed to the hospital overnight. At the first sight of my parents, Hans couldn’t stop his tears. After the three of them cried together for a while, my parents asked about me, “Where’s your younger brother? You’re in the same department and he hasn’t come to see you yet?” Hans hesitated. “He’s already been discharged.” My mom hugged Hans, “Discharged? His body’s pretty strong, doing surgery and leaving just days later, not afraid of dying out there.” My dad quickly stopped her. “What are you saying? Even though Hans had surgery, there’s no guarantee there won’t be future problems. If he dies, what will happen to Hans?” After hearing this, my mom slapped her mouth repeatedly, “Oh crap! Even if I die, I prefer to die before Hans.” “Don’t worry Hans, Mom and Dad will always protect you.” Hearing his parents’ words, Hans felt a wave of warmth in his heart. The next day, when Linda entered the ward, she saw a heartwarming scene of my parents surrounding Hans. She felt it a bit harsh to her eyes, because she had never seen my parents treat me like that. “Linda, you’re here. Hans’s heart is all thanks to you.” My parents focused only on thanking Linda, never mentioning me. Linda asked if there was any news about me. As soon as my parents heard my name, their faces fell, “Why care about him? He’s already discharged, meaning he’s fine. Better focus more on Hans.” “Hans has always been weak since he was little, while Herbert has always been strong as a bull.” My parents had always wanted to pair Hans with Linda, but because of Hans’s health, they never said it aloud. Now that I was out of the picture and Linda was about to divorce with me, they could finally make it happen. Before Linda could say anything, a colleague walked in, “Dr. Cardel is so good to her husband, coming to guard him every day.” Hearing this, my parents assumed it was a done deal, while Hans blushed slightly. But Linda’s face showed anger instead, “Who told you he’s my husband?” The colleague didn’t notice Linda’s expression and laughed, “Everyone in the department knows. Don’t pretend anymore.” After saying that, she hurried off to work. My parents pulled Linda aside, “Linda, since Herbert isn’t around and everyone thinks Hans is your husband, they’ll take better care of him.” Seeing Hans’s pale face, Linda forced down her anger. Back in the office, before Linda could find that colleague to ask questions, someone said her mentor had arrived. Hearing this, Linda quickly ran to the director’s office. The moment she saw Derek Albine, Linda rushed up and shake hands with him, “Dr. Albine, it’s been so many years, how’s your health?” Derek nodded, then smiled and looked Linda up and down. “I heard you performed a heart transplant. Truly the student surpasses the mentor.” Derek then reminisced about when he had operated on young Linda and how she had now inherited his legacy as an adult. Linda froze in place, “Dr. Albine, what surgery are you talking about?” Derek hadn’t expected such a reaction from Linda, “The heart transplant surgery, the one you had when you were a child.” The office fell silent for a moment before someone rushed in, “Dr. Cardel, come quickly! The family members at ward 32 are fighting!” Hearing ward 32, Linda immediately thought of Hans. She dashed to the ward. As soon as she entered, she heard someone shouting, “How dare you deny it! My nephew donated his heart to your daughter!” Linda rushed forward and separated the two people. Upon seeing Linda, Maria, Linda’s mother, her eyes turned red with grievance. The other person, after being pulled apart, pointed at Linda and shouted again, “It’s you! My nephew Herbert’s heart is inside you!” Linda stared at the person in disbelief, suddenly remembering my words, “What’s going on here?”