Dying for His Love, Reborn

"Ava, are you really going to propose to Liam again?" My best friend, Sarah, looked at me with worried eyes. I just smiled and adjusted my brand-new dress. This was the fourth time; it had to be a success.

An hour later, I was at the Grand Hotel, clutching the custom-made engagement ring for Liam. He was making a "huge announcement," and his best friend said he wanted me there. My heart raced, certain this was it-after three years and three rejections, he was finally ready to accept me. But then, standing beside him in the spotlight, was a beautiful woman I' d never seen before. "This is Chloe Green," Liam announced, "My fiancée."

My world imploded. The room erupted in applause, but to me, it was deafening silence. Hundreds of eyes turned to me-pity, mockery, amusement. I was the city' s biggest joke, watching him slip a sparkling diamond on her finger. When I tried to show him the ring I' d brought, he sneered, "You thought I' d ever want something from you? You thought I' d ever want you?"

Then he threw my precious, custom-made ring into the dark, freezing river below the balcony, challenging me: "Go get it, then. If you can find that ring in the river, I' ll believe you." Despite my fragile health and my doctor' s warning, I jumped. I found it, shivering and half-drowned, and returned to him, only for him to declare, "This scar... Every time I see it, it makes me sick. I would never marry a woman like you. Get out of my sight." The scar was from the kidney I' d donated to save his life.

I died alone in an empty chapel days later, a "dying wish" marriage proposal from me twisted into his cruel, public humiliation. My ghost, tethered to his hatred, watched him publicly propose to Chloe while I faded into transparency, my very existence erased by his disgust.

But a private investigator and my doctor had the truth about my sacrifice-my hidden kidney donation, my last letter to him. They revealed it all, forcing him to confront the monster he had been.

"Ava, are you really going to propose to Liam again?"

My best friend, Sarah, looked at me with worried eyes.

I just smiled and adjusted the collar of the brand-new dress I was wearing.

"This is the fourth time, Sarah. It' ll be a success."

For three years, I had been by Liam Davies' side. Everyone in the city knew I was desperately in love with him, a love that he never returned.

I proposed three times. Each time, he rejected me without a second thought.

But tonight felt different.

An hour ago, Liam' s best friend sent me a text message.

"Ava, big news tonight at the Grand Hotel. Liam' s making a huge announcement. You should be there. He wants you there."

My heart started beating fast. A huge announcement. He wanted me there.

Could it be? After three long years, was he finally ready to accept me?

I immediately called my assistant.

"Get the 'Starlight' ring. Bring it to the Grand Hotel right now."

The 'Starlight' was the engagement ring I had custom-made for him a year ago. It cost me a fortune, but it was worth it. I wanted to give him the best.

I rushed to the hotel, my hands trembling with a mix of excitement and fear.

The ballroom was filled with the city' s most important people. Lights sparkled, music played, and everyone was laughing.

I saw Liam standing in the center of the room. He was handsome, as always, in a sharp black suit. He was talking to some business partners, a confident smile on his face.

He hadn' t seen me yet.

Then, the music stopped. The lights dimmed, and a spotlight landed on Liam.

He took a microphone.

"Thank you all for coming tonight," he said, his voice smooth and deep. "I have someone very special I want you to meet."

My breath caught in my throat. This was it.

My hands tightened on the small, velvet box in my purse.

Liam turned and extended his hand.

But he wasn't looking at me.

He was looking at a woman standing near the stage, a woman I had never seen before.

She was beautiful, with long blonde hair and a bright, happy smile. She took Liam' s hand and walked into the spotlight with him.

"This is Chloe Green," Liam announced to the crowd. "My fiancée."

The room erupted in applause.

My world went silent.

Fiancée.

The word echoed in my head, drowning out everything else.

I felt hundreds of eyes turn to me. They were filled with pity, with mockery, with amusement.

I was the city' s biggest joke. The woman who chased Liam Davies for three years, only to watch him propose to someone else.

My legs felt weak. I wanted to run, to disappear.

But I couldn't move. I just stood there, frozen, as Liam slipped a glittering diamond ring onto Chloe' s finger.

Chloe leaned in and kissed him. The crowd cheered louder.

My heart shattered into a million pieces.

I must have made a sound, a small gasp of pain, because Liam finally looked over and saw me.

His eyes, which I loved so much, were cold. There was no warmth in them, only annoyance.

He and Chloe walked off the stage, hand in hand, and came straight towards me.

My heart did a stupid little flip. Maybe this was all a mistake. A misunderstanding.

I pulled the velvet box out of my purse, my hands shaking.

"Liam," I whispered, my voice cracking. "I... I don' t understand. This ring... I thought..."

I opened the box. The 'Starlight' ring sat inside, its unique design catching the light. It was a man' s ring, made just for him.

Liam glanced at the ring, and his face twisted into a sneer.

"You thought what, Ava?" he said, his voice loud enough for everyone around us to hear. "You thought I' d ever want something from you? You thought I' d ever want you?"

Chloe giggled beside him, a sweet, poisonous sound. "Oh, Liam, she' s so persistent. It' s almost sad."

"It' s not sad, Chloe. It' s pathetic," Liam said, his eyes drilling into me.

He took the ring box from my trembling hands.

For a crazy second, I thought he might actually take the ring.

But he just laughed, a cruel, ugly sound.

"You want to prove how much you love me, Ava?" he asked, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

He turned and started walking towards the large balcony at the end of the ballroom. The crowd parted for him like he was a king.

I followed him, my feet moving on their own.

The cold December air hit me as we stepped outside. Below the balcony was a dark, fast-moving river.

Liam held the ring up.

"You want me to accept this?" he asked.

I nodded, unable to speak past the lump in my throat.

With a flick of his wrist, he threw the ring. It flew through the air in a glittering arc and disappeared into the black water with a tiny splash.

"Go get it, then," he said, his voice a low, vicious dare. "If you can find that ring in the river, I' ll believe you."

The crowd gasped. Some of his friends laughed.

Chloe looked at me with fake sympathy. "The water must be freezing. Don' t do it, Ava. It' s not worth it."

My eyes were locked on the spot where the ring had vanished.

My health was fragile. My doctor, Ethan, had warned me just yesterday about exerting myself, about catching a cold. He said my body couldn't handle it.

But all I could hear was Liam' s challenge.

Prove it.

I looked at his cold, handsome face. I was desperate. I needed to show him.

Without another thought, I climbed onto the balcony railing.

"Ava, stop!" someone yelled.

But it was too late. I closed my eyes and jumped.

The icy water was a brutal shock. It stole the air from my lungs and pierced my skin. The current was strong, pulling me under, trying to drag me away.

My dress, so beautiful just moments ago, was now a heavy weight trying to drown me.

But I fought. I opened my eyes in the murky darkness, kicking my legs, searching.

My lungs were burning. My head was pounding.

Just when I thought I was going to pass out, my fingers brushed against something small and hard on the riverbed.

The ring.

I grabbed it, my fist closing around it like it was life itself.

I kicked my way back to the surface, gasping for air, my body shaking uncontrollably from the cold.

I swam to the riverbank, my limbs numb and heavy. I dragged myself out of the water, coughing and shivering.

I looked up at the balcony. Liam was still there, looking down at me, a dark silhouette against the party lights.

I held up my hand, opening my fist to show him the ring.

I did it. I proved it.

I stumbled back towards the hotel entrance, dripping water, my teeth chattering. I made my way back to the ballroom, back to him.

I stood before him, a pathetic, soaking mess. I held out the ring.

"Liam," I choked out. "I found it."

He looked at the ring in my palm. Then he looked at me. His expression was unreadable.

He reached out, and for a moment, I thought he was going to take it.

But his hand went to my waist, his fingers brushing against the thin fabric of my wet dress. He traced the faint line of a scar on my abdomen.

His face contorted with a look of pure disgust.

"This scar," he spat, his voice filled with a hatred so deep it physically hurt me. "Every time I see it, it makes me sick. It reminds me of how dirty you are, Ava."

He pushed me away. I stumbled backward, a fresh wave of pain hitting me, colder than the river water.

"I would never marry a woman like you," he said, his voice final. "Get out of my sight. Don't ever let me see you again."

He turned his back on me and put his arm around Chloe.

"Let' s go, my love," he said to her, his voice suddenly gentle. "Let' s not let this ruin our night."

They walked away, leaving me standing alone, dripping and broken, in the middle of the crowded room.

The 'Starlight' ring fell from my numb fingers and clattered onto the marble floor.

Unwanted.

Just like me.

The scar Liam hated so much was the reason he was still alive.

I sat on the edge of a hospital bed, the thin gown doing little to warm my shivering body. Dr. Ethan Miller wrapped a thick blanket around my shoulders.

"You' re lucky you didn' t get pneumonia, Ava," he said, his voice gentle but firm. "What were you thinking, jumping into a river in December?"

I didn' t answer. I just stared down at my abdomen, at the pale, thin line that Liam found so disgusting.

He thought I got it during a wild, promiscuous phase of my life, a time before I met him. He thought it was a mark of shame, a symbol of a past he couldn' t stomach.

The truth was, that scar was from a surgery three years ago.

The surgery where I gave him one of my kidneys.

He had been in a car accident. His kidneys were failing, and he was on a long waiting list for a transplant. The doctors said he didn' t have much time.

I was a match. A perfect match.

I didn' t hesitate. I begged the doctors to keep my donation anonymous. I didn' t want him to feel indebted to me. I just wanted him to live. I loved him that much.

The surgery was a success for him. For me, it was the beginning of the end.

Donating the kidney put too much strain on my remaining one. My body, already weak from a chronic condition I' d had since childhood, couldn' t cope.

My own kidneys began to fail.

"The test results are back, Ava," Dr. Miller said softly, pulling me from my thoughts.

I looked up at him. I already knew what he was going to say. I could feel it in my bones, in the deep, unshakable exhaustion that never left me.

"It' s end-stage renal failure," he confirmed, his face full of sorrow. "There' s nothing more we can do. The dialysis isn' t working anymore."

"How long?" I asked, my voice a flat, lifeless whisper.

He hesitated. "A week. Maybe less."

A week.

Seven days.

That' s all I had left.

A bitter laugh escaped my lips. I had saved his life, and in return, he despised the very mark of my sacrifice. And now, I was dying because of it.

The irony was so cruel, it was almost funny.

"There' s one last thing I need to do," I said, a sudden, desperate idea forming in my mind.

I ignored Dr. Miller' s protests and checked myself out of the hospital. I went home, changed into dry clothes, and drove to Liam' s mansion.

He was home. I saw his car in the driveway.

I rang the doorbell. The housekeeper, a kind woman named Maria, opened the door. Her eyes widened in shock when she saw me.

"Miss Williams! You' re all wet... what happened?"

"Is Liam here?" I asked, pushing past her.

I found him in the living room, pouring a drink. Chloe was nowhere in sight.

He turned when he heard me, and his face hardened.

"I told you to get out of my sight," he said coldly.

"Liam, please," I begged, walking towards him. "I have one last thing to ask of you."

He took a sip of his whiskey, watching me over the rim of the glass with contempt. "I' m not interested."

"Marry me," I blurted out.

He choked on his drink, then burst out laughing. It was a harsh, mocking sound.

"Are you insane?" he asked, wiping his mouth. "I just got engaged to another woman, and you' re asking me to marry you?"

"It doesn' t have to be a real marriage," I said, my voice trembling. "Just a ceremony. A small one. Just you and me. It' s my dying wish."

The words slipped out before I could stop them.

Liam' s laughter died. He stared at me, his eyes narrowing. "Dying wish? Don' t try to guilt-trip me with your pathetic lies, Ava. It won' t work."

"I' m not lying," I said, my voice gaining a strange strength. "I have kidney failure. I have a week to live, Liam. Dr. Ethan Miller at City General can confirm it."

I saw a flicker of something in his eyes-doubt? surprise?-but it was gone as quickly as it came. He masked it with a cynical smile.

"Wow. You' re really committed to this act, aren' t you?" he said. "Fine. You want a wedding? You' ll get one."

Hope, fragile and stupid, bloomed in my chest. "Really?"

"Sure," he said with a shrug, a cruel glint in his eyes. "This Saturday. At the old waterfront chapel. Be there at noon. Wear a white dress and everything. We' ll make it official."

Tears of gratitude filled my eyes. "Thank you, Liam. Thank you."

He just smirked and turned his back on me, dismissing me.

I spent the next few days in a daze of weak, delirious planning. I was too sick to go out, so I ordered the simplest white dress I could find online. I didn' t have the strength for anything more.

Each day, my body grew weaker. Pain was a constant companion. Sometimes I would just pass out from the exhaustion, waking up hours later on the floor, disoriented.

But the thought of Saturday kept me going. The thought of standing in a chapel with Liam, of hearing him say the words, even if he didn' t mean them. It was the only thing I wanted.

Saturday arrived. It was a cold, grey day.

Getting into the white dress was an ordeal. My body ached with every movement. I had to stop and rest every few minutes, leaning against the wall, fighting waves of dizziness.

I looked at myself in the mirror. I was pale, almost translucent. The white dress made me look like a ghost.

But I was going to be Liam' s bride.

I drove myself to the waterfront chapel. It was a small, beautiful old building that overlooked the sea.

When I arrived at noon, the chapel was empty.

The doors were unlocked, so I went inside. Dust motes danced in the pale light filtering through the stained-glass windows. It was silent and cold.

Liam wasn' t here.

I waited. One o' clock came and went. Then two.

He' s just late, I told myself. He' s busy. He' ll be here.

My phone buzzed in my purse. It was a notification from a news site.

"Billionaire Liam Davies hosts surprise public proposal to fiancée Chloe Green."

My fingers trembled as I clicked the link.

A live video feed filled my screen. It was from the city' s central plaza. A huge crowd was gathered.

And there, on a stage decorated with thousands of white roses, was Liam.

He was on one knee.

In front of Chloe Green, who was wearing a stunning, couture gown.

He was holding a microphone, his voice broadcasting to the entire city.

"Chloe," he was saying, his voice thick with emotion, the same emotion I had dreamed of hearing directed at me. "You are the only woman I have ever loved. The only woman I will ever love. Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

The crowd roared. Chloe cried tears of joy and screamed, "Yes!"

They kissed, and confetti rained down on them.

I stood in the empty, silent chapel, watching the man I loved give my dream to another woman.

He had never intended to come.

He had orchestrated this whole thing-the fake promise, the empty chapel-on the same day as his real, public proposal.

It was his final, most creative, most public humiliation of me.

A sharp, unbearable pain shot through my chest, far worse than any physical ache I had ever felt.

It felt like my heart was literally tearing apart.

My vision started to blur. The phone slipped from my hand and crashed to the floor.

The beautiful stained-glass windows swam before my eyes.

My legs gave out. I collapsed onto the cold stone floor of the empty chapel.

The last thing I saw was the white dress I was wearing, spreading around me like a shroud.

The last thing I felt was the crushing weight of a love that had not only been unrequited, but had been used as a weapon to destroy me.

And then, everything went black.