The Donor's Trick

The bedroom still clung to the sticky haze of desire.

Jeffrey Moss's phone on the nightstand lit up with a message sprawled across the lock screen. "Jeffrey, Emma's pushing again. The doctor said the surgery has to happen soon. Have you... sorted out Amelia yet?"

Amelia Fuller leaned against the headboard and reached out on impulse to grab the phone. She unlocked it.

In the chat, the contact marked as Caiden Phillips turned out to be Jeffrey's buddy.

Maybe because there had been no reply for too long, the other side fired off a string of messages. "Emma can't wait any longer. Hurry up, man. Amelia hasn't gotten suspicious, right? But don't worry. I already greased the wheels at the organ transplant center. Just need you to sweet-talk her onto the operating table. Such high compatibility. It's like the universe is helping Emma."

Finally, there was a PDF file with a red mark that had been sent back and forth.

Amelia's physical exam report showed all her data matched a woman named Emma Foster at 95 percent.

The shower shut off in the bathroom. Amelia mechanically put the phone back in place and lay down.

Jeffrey emerged with the fresh scent of body wash and leaned in to wrap an arm around her out of habit.

Amelia started to pull away, but the phone rang right on cue. Jeffrey let go of her almost instantly.

A few seconds later, he bent down to plant a kiss on the top of her head and said gently, "The office has an emergency. I need to handle it. Sleep early. Don't wait up."

Amelia kept her eyes shut tight until she heard the front door click shut. Then she got up and sat at Jeffrey's computer desk.

After five years of dating, Jeffrey never took his phone into the bathroom.

Amelia had always trusted him. She never snooped, not even on his phone.

The computer had his chat app open. Naturally, he forgot to log out.

Amelia's fingers shook as she tapped the trackpad. The chat with someone named Emma stared back from the pinned spot.

The last message had gone out ten minutes earlier. "Suddenly craving that pastry from the alley behind the university district. You used to sneak over the wall to buy it for me. My chest feels stuffy now. I can't eat anything. Just thinking about that one bite."

"Stop messing around. I'll come over now. No pastry. Eat the nutrition plan the doctor set first."

The so-called emergency turned out to be another woman's craving for pastry.

Amelia felt her hands and feet plunge into ice water. Her fingers trembled as she scrolled the mouse.

She did not suspect. She masochistically hunted for proof they had once loved each other.

She searched for even the tiniest trace that could prove these five years of sincerity were not a complete joke.

The chat history stretched long with Emma's messages that alternated between coquettish whining and complaints about her illness.

Jeffrey replied with patience and indulgence Amelia had never seen. He cared about every test result and remembered her preferences down to the details.

Scattered among them were bits about Amelia herself.

"You come see me so often. Won't your girlfriend get mad? She seems pretty into you."

"Don't worry. She's easy to placate. And her kidney compatibility is so high. Once she donates it to you, everything will be fine."

Every word carved into Amelia's heart.

She lost track of how long she scrolled until she lifted a hand to her cheek and felt it soaked.

All these five years of love had been for her two kidneys that matched Emma so well.

But Jeffrey did not know, years ago, Amelia had already donated her left kidney to a uremia patient who had waited for ages.

At four in the morning, Amelia found the wedding planner's number and dialed it. "The wedding is off."

The voice on the other end paused for a few seconds before sounding confused. "Off? Mrs. Moss, you mean cancel the wedding... but it's less than a month away. All the arrangements and deposits..."

"Yes, cancel it." Amelia repeated, "I'll cover all the losses."

Amelia sat in the same position in the chair until dawn.

Yet at breakfast, he casually picked up a fried egg for her with his fork and leaned over to kiss her.

Amelia dodged almost instinctively.

Jeffrey paused but thought nothing of it. He figured she felt upset about him leaving after their intimacy last night.

"Amelia," Jeffrey suddenly called her and asked casually, "what happens if someone loses a kidney?"

As a doctor, Amelia knew a healthy person with one kidney faced no issues.

Her chest tightened. She deliberately made it sound grave. "The risks are significant. It could trigger various diseases. The chance of chronic kidney failure rises in the future..."

Halfway through, she shifted and asked, "What's wrong? Did someone you know run into this?"

Jeffrey avoided her gaze with a hint of guilt. "No... just asking randomly. By the way, have you... had a checkup lately?"

Amelia sneered inside but kept her face neutral. "Routine exams are done. No problems."

"That's not enough," Jeffrey set down his cup and looked serious. "In a few days, go to the private hospital under the Moss family for a full checkup. That way I'll feel better."

Amelia started to refuse, but Jeffrey persuaded her in a gentler tone. "Be good, Amelia. Your health matters most. I need to make sure you're perfectly fine."

Perfectly fine?

So his Emma could use her kidney without a hitch.

At that moment, Jeffrey's phone rang conveniently. He glanced at it and stood up. "Caiden wants to discuss some business. I'm heading out."

Amelia watched his hurried back. Once he left, she grabbed her car keys and followed.

Jeffrey did not go to the office. He went to a private club they often visited.

Amelia followed inside. She knew which private room they used and quietly stood at the hallway corner.

The soundproofing lacked perfection. Voices carried clearly.

Jeffrey's voice came first with a touch of irritation. "I know! Don't we have a kidney source? Amelia's compatibility is the highest so far!"

The other person hesitated. "Yes... Miss Fuller is indeed the best candidate. But donating a kidney is major surgery. She needs to sign the agreement completely willingly..."

Amelia recognized the voice as Alex Lewis, the director of the Moss family private hospital.

"Willingly?" Jeffrey snorted. "She will be. She loves me that much. Once she finishes the checkup at Moss Hospital and confirms all metrics are perfect, we'll proceed as I said."

He paused. His voice showed real guilt. "I don't blame Emma at all for leaving me to go abroad back then. On the contrary, with Amelia, if Emma gets the kidney transplant smoothly, as thanks, I'll definitely marry her... Emma is too naive. She can't handle the internal fights in the Moss family. Amelia is different. She's poised and sensible enough to stabilize things for me..."

Amelia could not hear the rest clearly.

So he pursued her with all that effort just to spite his childhood sweetheart.

So marrying her served as repayment for his sweetheart getting the kidney!

She murmured inwardly, "Jeffrey, you played a fine game. You wanted her kidney to save the love of your life? No way. You would get nothing you wanted."

Even though Amelia repeatedly told the wedding planner not to inform Jeffrey about canceling the wedding, she still needed to keep up the act.

Amelia followed the schedule and went with Jeffrey to the bridal shop to try on dresses.

Jeffrey sat on the sofa behind her and typed rapidly on his phone screen with his head down.

Amelia spoke softly. "Jeffrey, have you confirmed the wedding process?"

Jeffrey acted startled and quickly locked the screen.

He looked up with a smile already in place. "Huh? Oh, the process... it's all set. Don't worry."

He stood and walked behind her. His hands settled on her waist as he whispered in her ear. "Everything centers on you. Whatever you like... you look so beautiful, baby."

Jeffrey's tone stayed attentive and thoughtful. Amelia might have felt dazed. He truly treated her like the center of his world.

If not for the impatience in his eyes that he failed to hide in time.

"You really confirmed it?" Amelia stared at the mirror while adjusting her earrings. She said it casually. "The planner mentioned some details need the groom's final approval."

Jeffrey's eyes flickered. Then he laughed. "Decide those small things yourself. My bride deserves the most perfect wedding, of course."

Amelia said nothing more. She quietly watched the mirror as Jeffrey kissed her neck with apparent affection.

Even when his mind wandered, his performance remained flawless.

How ironic.

She tried on wedding dresses here. If she stayed unaware, she might already dream about their future.

Yet he schemed carefully for another woman to receive her kidney smoothly.

"I'm tired. I'll change out of the dress first." Amelia said it flatly and turned toward the fitting room. She avoided looking at him.

When they left the bridal shop, Jeffrey naturally draped an arm over her shoulder and spoke gently. "Amelia, since we're out today, let me take you to Moss Hospital for the checkup."

Amelia pretended to hesitate. "I had a physical at the start of the year. Everything was normal. And trying dresses today really tired me out..."

She tested him to see how eager he felt.

Sure enough, Jeffrey's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly. He recovered quickly. "Be good. Just to put my mind at ease. Regular checkups aren't thorough. This time do a deep one. It won't take long. After, I'll take you to that sushi place you crave. Okay?"

He coaxed and persuaded. Amelia knew she could not dodge it. She stopped resisting and agreed.

At the hospital, Alex personally greeted them.

The checkup process dragged on with great detail. Kidney-related tests received extra attention.

After some small talk, Alex sighed as if casually. "Speaking of which, Mr. Moss has some family troubles lately. There's a young lady in the family. She grew up with Mr. Moss like a sister. Her name is Emma. Miss Fuller, you might have heard of her?"

Amelia sensed the stiffness in the person beside her. She shook her head lightly. "Jeffrey never mentioned her in detail."

Alex looked pained. "That poor girl. So young, but she has kidney failure. She relies on dialysis now. She just waits for a suitable donor to save her life."

He changed the subject and looked at Amelia. "Miss Fuller, you're in medicine. With a doctor's compassion, you understand better than most what a healthy kidney means to Emma. It truly saves a life!"

He paused and watched Amelia's reaction. "Sometimes I think, if someone matches, donating a kidney is an act of immense merit. It saves a vibrant life. Don't you agree?"