'Sorry!
You trusted us so much, and we only came here for your heart and your life!
If there's a next life, I would do anything for you, Bob. But in this life, I am sorry, ' Anne said in her
heart.
Eddy drew his lips in and bit down anxiously as he gazed at Bob's smiling face. He knew that his
survival depended all on Bob's heart.
Especially since time was a factor.
Once Bob's terrible blood disease spread through his body, there would be massive organ failure. So
far, only his liver and kidney had been affected. While Eddy's only failing organ was his heart.
No one knew if one day Bob's heart would deteriorate. They had to put Bob's heart into Eddy's body
before that happened!
It was a race against time.
"Eddy, Aunt Anne! You are finally here. I've been waiting for you for a long time. Where are we going
today?" Bob held Eddy's hand as he asked so happily, his innocent eyes sparkling.
The little boy's sincerity struck at Anne's conscious causing her eyes to darken briefly from the
inescapable guilt. She made sure to hide the emotion, plastering a smile on her face. "Bob, have you
had breakfast?" she asked casually.
Bob bit his lips instead of answering. Anne felt a genuine smile softly pull at her lips. She already knew.
The hospital didn't give out meals at this time of day. She quickly whisked Bob and Eddy out to the
closest restaurant for breakfast.
While some children might have been disappointed to see only healthy food and nothing greasy on the
table, Bob spared it no thought and treated it as if precious gold.
He gulped down the food and Anne felt the stirrings of guilt and sadness once more, her eyes briefly
darkening. They were determined to have Bob's heart. So while he could still eat, run and dance, the
least she could do was to help him enjoy these final happy moments!
Early that evening, Bob's mother ran into Anne while visiting. She couldn't take her eyes off Bob's
smiling face. "He's been so happy since he met you and Eddy. Thank you." She expressed her
gratitude. It meant everything to her to see him happy so much so that she was willing to overlook the
other woman's odd behavior. The elegant woman had brushed aside her appreciation with a shake of
her head, refusing to accept her gratitude. Even though she found it more than a little strange.
'Everyone have their own secrets, stories they couldn't tell, but it doesn't mean that it is necessarily a
bad thing, ' Bob's mother optimistically thought.
The mother and son kept up their visits, arriving daily just to see Bob. It was no wonder he soon grew
attached to the pair and ran around calling them cheerfully. On a few occasions, they were
accompanied by another friend, Emily who was great with the boys.
The day the medical fees were due, Anne went to see Jayson. It was a surprise to Anne when he told
her that Bob's family were struggling and had only been able to pay for half of their medical fees!
Since they had first met Bob, she had yet to see his father. Bob's mother had always told Anne that he
was working. Once she had admitted that he didn't dare to take time off. Still, after all of that effort they
had only been able to pay half of the medical expenses of this month!
Anne sighed and pulled out her card to pay the rest of the medical fees. The money might be an
exorbitant sum for some, but not for her and Kevin. It wasn't even a drop in the bucket.
Everyone knew that the Fu Family was extremely rich!
Bob's parents were shocked when they were given the good news. The unexpected generosity gave
them much-needed financial breathing room. They would never be able to show the depths of their
gratitude but, at the very least they could promise to pay it all back. Anne and Kevin shared a
meaningful smile. The chances were slim that the parents would ever be able to pay back the amount.
It didn't matter though, they didn't lack money.
However, they worried if the couple would still believe it was out of kindness when they found out they
needed Bob's heart.
Before they knew it, a week had flown by with them in M City. Selma had religiously called them every
day anxious for news. Kevin had assured her they were working on it but he had been too vague for
Selma's comfort. She could only helplessly waited as she had to take care of the other two children at
home.
However, as quickly as Anne's and Eddy's routine with Bob started, it came to an end. One day while
looking for Bob, Anne unexpectedly came face to face with his parents. The usually warm couple were
stone cold.
They had fallen into silence when they saw her and the atmosphere had thickened with tension.
Anne stared at the couple in confusion. "What's wrong with you two? What happened? If there's
anything, just tell me. I will help you as much as I can."
Anne immediately thought that the couple's radical transformation was due to medical expenses.
Bob's father gave her a cold look and laughed sarcastically. Anne frowned and looked to Bob's mother
for an answer only to be met by another cold stare.
They acted as if she were the enemy!
Bob sat alone on the bed. He was nervous and was slightly biting his lips as he did when he didn't
know what to do. He helplessly stared at Anne at a loss.
"What's wrong with you? Did something happen?" Anne tried once again.
Nothing she said seemed to reach through their impenetrable cold hearts. The face of Bob's mother
hardened further. "Anne, the first time I met you, you took Bob to play. I was anxious but grateful to you.
You also paid for our medical expenses. Both Bob's father and I thought that we had been lucky
enough to meet such a good person like you. But yesterday, we found out that you have other
intentions!" She spoke the words as if they were acid.
Anne felt the floor give way beneath her. Suddenly, she realized that everything had gone very wrong.
She quickly gestured to Emily to take Eddy away. There was no reason for either of them to witness the
scene that was sure to come. Emily ushered a struggling Eddy out of the ward to safety.
"Let's make it clear." Anne soothed trying to placate the upset couple.
Bob's mother sneered in answer, "Anne, at this moment, do you dare to say that you have no purpose
in approaching us? Are you not after Bob's heart?"
Anne's face turned pale at the question. What could she say? There was no reasonable defense for
what she had done. She had approached the child for the sake of his heart. Anne could never excuse
that fact but as a mother, there was nothing she would not do to save her child!
Anne blinked. She had been so careful not to let anything slip that they were interested in Bob's heart.
Both, Kevin and her had agreed to gently approach the family about the possibility. 'How did Bob's
mother know about it?' The question popped unwanted into her mind.
"Anne, what is done by night appears by day. I was so blind that I thought you were a good person. You
have a big group, and you are rich and powerful. We are just ordinary citizens and can't defeat you. But
don't forget that in the legal society, you can't control the whole world!
Let me tell you now. Bob is everything to us. If we have to sell our organs, we will definitely do it to save
Bob. Even if anything happens to him, we would never donate his heart to your son. Just give up!"
Bob's mother emotionally threw at Anne.
The belief that she had met a good person had shattered only for her to find out it had all been a cruel
trick!
It was not something she could easily accept.
Emotion overwhelmed her until she thought she would never be able to bear it, then came the anger.
Furious, she picked up the cloth bag on the floor and threw it across the room to Anne. It landed
heavily on her shoes. Pain radiated up from Anne's lower limbs but her brain barely registered the
sensation. She was numb. The mother's expression of hurt and betrayal took away all thought.
"The medical fees you paid for us, here, I am giving it back to you. Treat the rest as payment anything
else you spent on my son. We never want to see you again. If you dare appear here again, we will call
the police!" She grew more and more agitated with every word until her once calm voice ended in a
roar.
Anne willed herself to look down at the bag to discover that the cloth bag was indeed full of money.
There was no point in fighting as Anne was bodily pushed out of the ward. The bag of cash followed
her closely as the door was shut with a slam of finality.
An eternity had passed since Eddy and Emily had left the room to wait for Anne. Neither was happy to
hear the shouting from inside the room and then to see Anne shoved out the room with no
consideration. Eddy flung himself at his mother wrapping his small arms tightly around her. Anne felt
some warmth return to her limbs. Not caring how it might look, she sank to the floor and returned
Eddy's embrace.
Emily gritted her teeth and walked over. She frowned when she saw Anne's red eyes. The bag caught
her attention. She knew it didn't belong to Anne. Curiously, she walked over to see what could be
inside. She couldn't hide her gasp at the sight of the money. Surprise gave way to confusion and she
turned to Anne for answers. "Bob's parents had run out of money. There shouldn't have been anything
left to take out. Where did they get this?"
That was exactly what Anne wanted to know.
Hadn't she heard from Jayson that Bob's parents had borrowed all the money they could get for Bob's
treatment? 'How could they get so much money overnight?' she mused. It wasn't a pleasant line of
thought but, Anne could only conclude that someone had manipulated the family.
"I'm afraid someone did this deliberately." Anne sounded exhausted.
The sound of footsteps turned their attention to the figures of Kevin and Sam hurrying towards them.
Kevin slowed down as he reached his wife. It pained him to see her look so defeated. Gently he helped
Anne to her feet.
She weakly smiled at him, "I'm fine." she tried to comfort him.
It was clearly a lie. Kevin frowned and looked at the door that was firmly shut behind them.
Before he got a chance to say anything his phone rang loudly. He briefly considered ignoring it but
afraid it was important, he apologetically looked at his wife before pulling out his phone. A glance at the
name on the screen made him wish he had ignored it. The last thing he wanted to do was answer the
call but there was no other choice. Kevin felt the beginning of a headache. Reluctantly he answered,
"Mom, what's wrong?"
"I've arrived at the hospital in M City. Where can I find the ward? I'll be right there." Selma's voice
carried across the line was strong and sure as ever.
It was the last thing he expected to hear today. Not once had he thought Selma would actually come all
the way to M City.
It was already a mess. And with Selma's arrival, there was no telling what would happen.
Anne's reaction to the news mirrored his own but she kept quiet. There was nothing to be said that
could change the situation. Kevin sighed. Selma was already here. Silent communication passed
between the husband and wife before Kevin stooped to pick up Eddy and lead his family out to meet up
with his mother. Emily followed closely behind them. Sam watched them leave in a daze until he
realized they had left him on his own with a bag full of money! Snatching the bag, he raced to catch up
with others.
'Anne and Kevin might be filthy rich but they still couldn't just waste money like this. Could they?' He
panted to keep up.
Selma tapped her high-heeled foot in impatience as she waited in the hospital lobby. A wave of anger
washed over her as she realized Kevin had just hung up on her. It was enough to make her curse. She
had come all this way just for him. And did she get any gratitude? No, instead he had the audacity to
hang up on her.
'What the hell was Kevin doing? How could he just cut me off?'
Selma fumed. It was not like she wanted to be here! But, they had been here a week and still they
hadn't convinced the boy's family to donate the heart. So it had become clear to her that she would
have to sort the matter out for them. Never had she thought that Kevin would treat her with such
indignity. Just wait, she would set him straight.
Selma pulled up her son's contact with every intention of giving him a piece of her mind when she
spotted him. Selma's self-righteous indignation deflated. She decided to rather let the matter slide for
now. She speedily made her way towards them leaving a trail of dust in her wake.
"You could have just told me where the ward was. Why did you have to come out to welcome me?"
Selma chided Kevin, not missing a beat as she took her grandson into her arms. She pinched his cute
little cheek with a smile. "Dear grandson, have you missed me these days?"
Worryingly, Eddy didn't answer. His eyes welled up with unshed tears and he buried himself in Selma's
arms clinging to her for comfort.
Anxious for answers, Selma looked around their small group and stopped by her daughter-in-law
silently asking her what had happened. Anne gave an awkward smile and pathetically tried to distract
her, "Mom, why are you here?"
Selma sighed at the question. The answer was obvious. She wanted the couple to know how
disappointed she was in their actions this past week. "It's just to buy a heart, but you delayed it for too
long. I was anxious, so now I am here to help."
The corners of Emily's mouth twitched at Selma's words. When she realized she could not fight it, she
helplessly lowered her head to hide it. Emily had a suspicion that Selma's presence would not help
their current predicament. If anything it would only exasperate it.
Not that Emily would ever say it out loud.
"Now tell me about that child. Have his parents agreed yet? Do they want money or shares? And how
much?" There was no time to answer as Selma pelted question after question. In her opinion, there
was nothing in the world that money could not buy. Even a child's heart. Life was a business
transaction to her. She believed that success in anything was only a matter of naming the right price.
'How could she so casually discuss a child's life?' Kevin stared at his mother in disbelief. The
realization that only the blunt and honest truth would break through to her, gave him no joy. "Mom, they
have given everything they have to fight this disease." But they still won't give up!
His heart is his life. This is not something that money can buy!"
Selma's face visibly tightened as she dug out the point of Kevin's words. The child's parents wouldn't
sell the child's heart!
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