Goodbye, My Heartless Husband

"Get on top. Then keep moving."

It had been months since Michael Owen and Noreen Scott had been together that way, and the frustration Michael had been carrying for so long made him far more demanding than usual.

Noreen had always been the one who gave in. No matter what he wanted, she never argued and simply followed his lead.

A sheen of sweat covered Michael's firm body. The bedroom felt unbearably warm, and the empty encounter seemed to stretch on without end.

Noreen's sight grew hazy. She slowly lifted a trembling hand and reached toward his face.

Michael usually hated gestures like that. He never saw any value in them. Yet for reasons she couldn't understand, he lowered his head and pressed a gentle kiss against her fingertips.

Noreen felt her heart tighten. Even breathing became harder for her.

One round didn't satisfy Michael. He still wanted more.

Noreen pressed a hand against her chest and hid her pale, damp face against the pillow. "It hurts," she said hoarsely. "I can't do it again."

Her condition had been getting worse for a long time, and her weakened body couldn't endure much more. Even what they had just finished had already taken too much out of her.

Michael barely heard her. "What was that?" he asked impatiently.

Noreen parted her lips to say it again, but the sharp sound of a ringing phone stopped her.

The faint light from the screen fell across Michael's handsome face. The cold look in his eyes disappeared and was replaced by something much softer. He sat upright and answered the call.

"It's late. What's going on?"

A woman's quiet voice drifted through the phone.

Noreen remained silent as she listened to another woman flirt with her husband.

Michael spoke very little. As soon as the call ended, he turned away from Noreen and got out of bed as though she wasn't there.

After two years of marriage, Noreen had become used to living this way. She had no say in their relationship and no place in his heart. All she could do was endure his affairs in silence. Tonight, however, felt different.

Ignoring the ache spreading through her chest, Noreen gathered her strength and spoke. "Michael, can you stay with me tonight? Please?"

This would probably be the last time they would ever see each other.

Michael showed no interest in her plea. "I'll come by another time," he said coldly.

What he was really saying was that he'd return whenever he needed her again. It was the sort of careless excuse a man would give a passing affair, yet he was saying it to his own wife.

A bitter laugh escaped Noreen's lips. "What if I told you I'm dying?"

For the past two years, she had been living with a serious heart condition while quietly watching her health decline. She never made an effort to hide it from him, but Michael had never paid enough attention to notice. In his eyes, she existed only to meet his physical needs.

Even at that moment, Michael believed she was trying to manipulate him. A look of contempt crossed his face. "You're actually using that excuse to make me stay? Know your place, Noreen. Stop trying to pull those cheap tricks on me."

The harshness of his words made her eyes burn.

Slowly, Noreen closed her eyes. The final trace of hope she had been holding onto faded away.

Without wasting any time, Michael took a shower and walked out.

Silence soon settled over the bedroom.

The warmth that had lingered in the room disappeared before long, leaving behind a coldness that seemed to seep into her bones. Noreen remained still on the wrinkled sheets while countless thoughts filled her mind.

Earlier, she had intended to tell him everything. She had been ready to exchange her last bit of hope for even the smallest amount of affection from him. Now, all she felt was regret.

She no longer wanted to leave her life in the hands of fate, and she no longer wanted to chase after Michael's love. To her, that love had no value at all.

After forcing her sore and exhausted body upright, Noreen reached for her phone and placed a call.

The person who answered was a famous professor and one of the leading experts in terminal illnesses.

"Professor Edwards," Noreen said. "I've made my decision. I'm willing to donate my heart for your experiment."

Clint Edwards sounded surprised by her answer. "The risks involved are extremely high. Are you completely certain about this?"

"I understand," Noreen said softly. "I don't have much time left anyway. I might as well take this chance. No matter how it ends, I won't regret my decision."

Noreen had just completed a heart examination at the hospital.

A serious look settled on Lydia Edwards' face. "Your heart is getting weaker, and it won't hold on much longer. You need a transplant as soon as possible. Have you told Michael about your condition?"

Instead of answering, Noreen lowered her gaze and remained quiet.

Frustration crept into Lydia's voice. "Why haven't you told him? If it weren't for him, your body wouldn't be in this state!"

Those words immediately brought back a memory Noreen had buried deep inside her heart.

Three years ago, she and Michael had met, fallen in love, and chosen to spend their lives together. Not long after their engagement, a terrible accident changed everything. Michael suffered severe injuries while shielding her from danger, and his life hung in the balance. Because he was born with a heart condition, his situation became even more dangerous. Left with no other choice, Noreen made the greatest sacrifice she could. She gave him her heart and bought him the time he needed to survive.

Back then, Noreen believed surviving such a painful experience would bring them even closer together. Instead, Michael woke up after the operation with no memory of her at all.

Every memory of Noreen disappeared from his mind. The feelings he once had for her were gradually redirected toward another woman who stayed by his side during his recovery. From that point on, the man who had loved her was gone. He was just the new business tycoon in Zafield-powerful and coldhearted.

Noreen tried to help him remember their past. In the end, all she gained was a marriage that existed only in name. On paper, she was his wife. In his eyes, however, she was no more than an object without feelings.

Over the past two years, Michael's constant indifference slowly wore down the last of her strength. Eventually, she no longer saw a reason to keep fighting.

Besides, if Michael hadn't protected her during that accident, she wouldn't have survived. She chose to treat these years of silent suffering as a way of repaying the life he had saved. As far as she was concerned, neither of them owed the other anything anymore.

......

Since Lydia had grown up alongside Noreen, she knew every detail of the painful story. She also understood that the situation wasn't as simple as blaming one person. All she could do was let out a quiet sigh. "If Michael ever remembers everything and realizes how he's treated you these past two years, he won't be able to forgive himself."

Three years ago, back in that small town, Michael's love for Noreen had been sincere and unmistakable.

Just as Noreen was about to respond, her phone vibrated. A message from an unfamiliar number appeared on the screen. Attached to it was a single photograph.

In the picture, Michael was sleeping peacefully. Resting against his chest was a woman wearing a bright smile as she looked into the camera. The intimate pose made it clear how much she enjoyed capturing that private moment.

The photo had been taken the night before. It was obvious that whatever Michael hadn't gotten at home, he had gone somewhere else to find.

A faint, bitter smile appeared on Noreen's face. After putting her phone away, she finally responded to what Lydia had said earlier. "That's all behind me now. I was foolish, and I ended up giving everything I had to a jerk."

......

Rather than respond to Hayley Marsh's provocative message, Noreen chose to ignore it. Even so, she unexpectedly ran into Hayley herself in the hospital hallway.

A medical file rested in Hayley's hands as she deliberately stepped into Noreen's path. "What a surprise, Noreen. Are you here because you're sick?"

Then she lightly lifted the folder and smiled. "Don't misunderstand. I'm only here because Michael came in for a check-up."

Behind her, the examination room door stood slightly open. From where she was standing, Noreen could see Michael seated inside. Only the side of his face was visible, and he appeared to have his eyes closed.

As Michael's personal doctor, Hayley spent a great deal of time around him. Although neither of them had ever openly admitted to being involved, they were almost always together.

Feeling drained, Noreen had no interest in staying any longer. Before she could leave, Hayley moved closer and lowered her voice. "Did you see the picture I sent you? Aren't you going to say anything about it?"

Calmly, Noreen met the smug look in her eyes. She wasn't someone who looked for trouble, but she never avoided it when it came her way. A small smile touched her lips. "It's only a photo. What exactly am I supposed to say? Next time, send a video instead. Don't bother hiding anything either. I'd be happy to judge how well you performed."

For a moment, Hayley could only stare at her in shock. She seldom challenged Noreen face-to-face, and she certainly hadn't expected such a bold response.

Just as Noreen stepped forward to leave, something caught her attention. From the corner of her eye, she noticed Michael opening his eyes. His gaze landed directly on her.

At night, they clung to each other in passionate intimacy. By daylight, they might as well have been strangers. At that moment, Michael looked more irritated than anything else, clearly annoyed that his rest had been interrupted.

A spiteful impulse rose in Noreen's chest. She turned toward Hayley, her voice edged with mockery. "So when you sent me that picture, were you already done?"

For a split second, Hayley's expression tightened before she looked away and played innocent. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

A glacial smile tugged at Noreen's lips. "Oh, I know exactly what I'm talking about. You might want to take Michael to see a men's health specialist. He didn't even make it thirty minutes before passing out. If it's premature ejaculation, better deal with it before it gets worse."

The remark crashed into Hayley without warning, leaving her stunned. She had sent that photo to embarrass Noreen, never imagining she'd dissect it so mercilessly from a single glance.

As Noreen turned to leave, she caught sight of Michael's expression. His face had gone completely dark. The look on him was enough to send a surge of grim satisfaction through her.

The two of them could rot for all she cared!

...

Hayley stepped into the room with reddened eyes, looking as though she'd been holding back tears for far too long.

"Michael," she murmured, heartache bleeding into her tone. "Noreen really hates me, doesn't she? This happened because I crossed a line. I shouldn't have gotten so involved. Maybe... maybe it'd be better if I stayed away from you from now on."

"Don't pay attention to her," Michael said without emotion.

To him, the marriage had never been about love. Noreen existed in his life for one purpose alone-a means of satisfying his needs whenever the demands of life became unbearable. As long as she fulfilled that role, her sharp comments and occasional hostility barely registered in his mind.

And that was precisely what gnawed at Hayley. Noreen possessed something Hayley could never understand. Michael had no feelings for Noreen. That much was obvious. Yet despite that, he seemed incapable of completely distancing himself from her. More importantly, throughout all these years, Noreen was the only woman he had ever touched.

Hayley had worked hard to secure a place in his heart. She had gotten closer to him than anyone else, becoming someone special in his life. Yet even after all that effort, she still couldn't get him to spend the night with her.

Hayley had spent a long time wishing she could be the one to fix Michael's "peculiar ailment." While they rode in the car, she quietly slipped off her jacket and shifted closer, letting herself rest against him.

"Michael..." Her voice came out soft and hesitant. "You actually have some free time today. Would you... maybe like to come back to my place later?"

Michael was no clueless teenager. The meaning behind her invitation couldn't have been more obvious. Any other man would have been distracted by the soft, enticing body leaning against him. Michael, however, felt absolutely nothing. No matter how much he liked her, not even the slightest hint of desire surfaced.

Keeping his gaze fixed on the road, Michael lifted a hand and turned the air conditioning to full blast.

"I've got something to do later," he remarked evenly. "My driver will take you home."

The icy rush from the vents swept over Hayley, sending a sharp shiver through her body. Swallowing her pride, Hayley tugged her jacket over her shoulders, her jaw rigid with resentment and embarrassment.

...

Noreen was still standing outside the hospital, waiting for a taxi, when a black Maybach glided to a stop at the curb directly in front of her. A faint crease appeared between her brows.

As the tinted window slid down, Michael's chiseled side profile came into view. "Get in," he said, leaving no room for refusal.

Her immediate reaction was to decline. Unfortunately, his car was parked right in front of the hospital entrance. In the short time it had been sitting there, a line of vehicles had already begun piling up behind it. Unwilling to attract attention or cause a public scene, Noreen swallowed her irritation, pulled open the door, and climbed inside.

The moment the door shut, the air seemed to turn heavy. Michael sat beside her with the same cold, unapproachable presence he always carried.

"Why were you at the hospital?" he demanded, a hard edge creeping into his voice.

Noreen instinctively tightened her hold on the medical file resting against her knees. The dryness in her throat made even the simplest words feel heavy. After a brief pause, she finally answered, "I came in for a heart checkup."

A slight twitch crossed Michael's brow before disappearing just as quickly. He'd seen her take pills more than once over the years. The thought of asking what they were for had simply never occurred to him. "Is it bad?" he asked, sounding almost indifferent.

Without missing a beat, Noreen swung her gaze toward him. Not a flicker of warmth crossed his striking features. His expression remained cool and detached, and his eyes held nothing that resembled worry.

Or maybe there was a trace of concern after all. Not for her. He was afraid of losing what she represented. If she died, he'd have to spend time searching for another woman whose body matched his so perfectly-someone just as convenient, just as suited to his needs.

Too tired to keep pretending, Noreen finally abandoned every last bit of restraint. "Yes," she said, her voice devoid of emotion. "I'm dying."

The edge of Michael's mouth lifted into a sharp, humorless curve. That sliver of disdain struck harder than any slap, cutting straight through Noreen's chest.

In that instant, Noreen understood. He hadn't believed her for even a second.

In his eyes, she was still the calculating woman who had destroyed his previous relationship and maneuvered her way into becoming his wife. To him, her claim wasn't the truth-it was just another desperate performance, another cheap attempt to win his attention.

Turning away, she fixed her gaze on the passing scenery beyond the window. A quiet laugh escaped her lips, tinged with bitter self-mockery.

A soft breeze drifted in, lifting a few loose strands of hair from her face. With her skin drained of color and her features delicate to begin with, the illness only made her seem more fragile. There was an almost unreal vulnerability about her now, the kind that instinctively stirred a man's urge to shield and protect.

Her physical appeal struck at the one weakness Michael couldn't seem to overcome.

There was something about her that drew him in completely-her face, her body, all of it. It wasn't simple attraction anymore. It had long since crossed into an obsession that refused to loosen its grip.

That was why he kept subjecting himself to endless examinations and consultations, clinging to the hope that one day he could rid himself of this "peculiar ailment." Yet all those efforts seemed meaningless now. With her sitting only inches away, the discipline he had painstakingly built was crumbling fast. Desire burned through him, leaving him consumed by a single urge-to finish what they'd begun the night before.