Chapter 2Two Hearts Pledged

The other doctors in the room stared at us, momentarily stunned.

Then, someone spoke up. “Picking now to whisper sweet nothings? That’s just disgusting.”

“Your brother is fighting for his life, and you’re in here hitting on your sister-in-law with cheesy lines.”

Only our immediate families knew Kitty and I were married. Her colleagues had never met me. And since Kitty had handled every single aspect of Jason’s hospitalization, everyone in her department assumed he was her husband.

Kitty had never bothered to correct them.

“Exactly. Instead of trying to save his own brother, he’s trying to seduce his wife.”

“What a waste of a heart.”

Their words were like daggers. I had to tell them the truth. “Actually, I’m the one who’s—”

Kitty came back out and grabbed my arm again, her grip tight. “You are donating your heart today. Your brother is already in the operating room. You’re next.”

She brandished a stack of papers. “I’ve already signed the consent forms. All you have to do is get on the table.”

Inside the OR, I saw Jason. He looked so frail and weak that it was impossible not to feel sorry for him.

“Don’t worry,” a doctor said kindly. “Your wife, Dr. Evans, will make sure you live a long, healthy life.”

Jason didn’t correct him. He just offered a weak, grateful smile. “It’s all my fault,” he rasped, his voice filled with self-reproach. “Making my brother sacrifice so much for me.”

He looked at me, but his eyes held a glint of triumph.

The other doctors murmured in sympathy, their gazes turning on me with contempt. To them, my brother was a saint, and I was a monster.

After a few reassuring words to Jason, Kitty turned to me. She ignored my frantic struggles and forced me onto the operating table.

“Get the anesthesiologist in here. Now,” she ordered.

A moment later, the fight went out of me.

Kitty’s fingers brushed against my cheek. “Don’t worry,” she whispered. “I’ll make sure you survive this.”

Her mentor had been a pioneer in heart transplantation. She was confident she could pull this off.

“After your brother recovers, the whole family will finally accept you. And I’ll be right here by your side.”