Chapter 2After His Faked Death, I Gave Him to Medical School

The donation form was real.

Three years ago, Julian had orchestrated the whole thing as a publicity stunt to help him get his promotion to associate professor. He'd even had a local news crew interview him. He had laid it on thick, sounding so incredibly righteous.

"I would rather my body be cut a thousand times if it meant paving the way for the future of medicine," he had said, looking directly into the camera.

He never imagined that the prop from his little performance would be the very thing that sealed his fate.

Lily's face was now the color of chalk. Of course, she knew about the form. She was the one who had run the paperwork to the notary's office for him.

She was trembling, her eyes darting in terror toward the man on the bed.

Beneath the sheets, Julian's fingers twitched violently.

I saw it.

But I pretended not to. Instead, I rushed forward and clasped his hand, my voice thick with emotion.

"Darling, I know you can hear me," I whispered. "Don't worry. I'll make sure your last wish is fulfilled."

Just then, the Dean of Medicine burst in, flanked by a nervous-looking group of hospital administrators. They had been in a panic over the malpractice settlement. But when he heard the news about the body donation, his eyes lit up.

This was a godsend.

A classic case of turning a disaster into a PR triumph. The negative press from the malpractice suit could be completely overshadowed by the moving story of a brilliant surgeon's ultimate sacrifice for medicine.

The Dean strode over, grabbing my hands with both of his, his mustache trembling with excitement.

"Dr. Clarke! This is… a truly selfless act! Truly selfless!" he boomed. "Dr. Heard was the pride of this hospital, a pillar of the medical community! Rest assured, we will give him a send-off worthy of his immense contribution!"

Lily panicked. If she didn't do something, Julian was going to end up on a dissection table.

"Mr. Dean, you can't!" she cried, dropping to her knees in a heap. "His body is still warm! This is against protocol! We can't just… just murder him!"

She latched onto the Dean's leg, smearing tears and snot all over his expensive trousers.

I let out a cold, quiet laugh. "Dr. Shaw, did you sleep through your anatomy classes?"

I looked down at her, my expression one of pitying disdain. "After brain death, the body's thermoregulatory center fails. The warmth you're feeling is just residual metabolic heat. It will dissipate soon enough."

I swept my gaze over the other doctors in the room. "We are all professionals here. Surely I don't need to explain such a basic concept?"

No one spoke. But the way they looked at Lily had changed. It was a mixture of confusion and contempt. For a surgical resident to argue against such a fundamental medical principle was deeply embarrassing.

"Security," the Dean ordered, his face darkening. "Please escort Dr. Shaw out. She's overwrought with grief and is no longer behaving rationally."

Two guards moved in, lifting Lily by her arms. She struggled wildly, her eyes locked on the bed in desperation.

"Dr. Heard! Say something! Wake up!" she screamed, her voice raw and cracking.

Julian lay perfectly still. But I could feel his fear.

He didn't dare wake up.

If he opened his eyes now, he would be exposed as a fraud. His career would be over, his reputation destroyed, and he'd be facing millions in debt and a prison sentence.

He was gambling.

He was betting that I was just bluffing. That in the end, I wouldn't have the heart to actually pull the plug.