For the third time, Genevieve Kershaw woke up in a ward to the sharp smell of disinfectant.

“Ms. Kershaw, your health is collapsing.” Her doctor nudged his glasses and said solemnly, “The dialysis treatment is failing. You need to get a new kidney as soon as possible.”

Genevieve nodded absentmindedly and dialed Nathaniel Weston’s number.

It rang for a long while before the line cut off.

She tried three more times. Nathaniel never picked up.

Suddenly, her phone buzzed with an Instagram notification.

Elaine Harvey just posted a photo of her hands wrapped together with someone else’s.

Genevieve recognized the watch on the man’s wrist right away.

The caption read: “The person I’ve secretly loved is finally mine. Even if it’s a dream, I hope it never ends.”

Genevieve’s chest tightened. She hit the like button by accident.

The next second, her phone started buzzing nonstop.

“Genny, I can explain.” Nathaniel sounded desperate on the phone. “I only agreed to date Lainey because of you. She told me she loved me, and that she’d give you her kidney if I agreed to be her boyfriend for a month.

“I’m doing this for you. Just give me some time. OK?”

Staring at the white ceiling, Genevieve murmured, “Is it… truly just for me?”

“Perhaps you wanted to do it,” she thought to herself.

Their friends were all familiar with their shared history. Genevieve and Nathaniel grew up together and had been inseparable, from kindergarten all the way through college. To others, he was cold and aloof, but to her, he was nothing but kind and caring.

When Genevieve had cramps, Nathaniel would drive across the city in the dead of night just to buy her favorite dessert. When she mentioned she liked a limited–edition purse, it’d be delivered to her the next day. On her 20th birthday, as fireworks burst over the sky, he dropped to one knee and proposed “Genny, let’s get married once you graduate.”

Everyone believed Nathaniel loved Genevieve more than anything in the world.

The fairytale fell apart six months ago, when Genevieve was diagnosed with kidney failure.

Nathaniel searched everywhere for a match for her, frantic and desperate, even drafting a will. With tear–filled eyes, he’d said, “Genny, I can’t live without you. If you go, I’m coming with you.”

Finally, he found Elaine Harvey, a young woman with a compatible kidney. He wrote her a check for 850,000 dollars on the spot in exchange for her kidney.

Elaine accepted the offer but delayed the procedure, claiming she was too weak and needed time to improve her health.

Over the past six months, she had turned down the operation three times.

The first time, she fainted from low blood sugar, and Nathaniel stayed by her side in the hospital for three days.

The second time, she said her anxiety was giving her nightmares, and Nathaniel sat with her throughout the therapy all night.

The third time, she suddenly came down with a fever, and Nathaniel left Genevieve, who was on dialysis, to take care of her.

This time, Elaine asked Nathaniel to be her boyfriend for a month in exchange for her kidney.

“Give her another 850,000 dollars,” Genevieve spoke up. “I don’t want you to date her. Just tell her to do the transplant right now. Can you do it?”

Nathaniel fell silent.

After a long pause, he said quietly, “Genny, we owe her a lot. I don’t want to push her.”

“Owe her?” Genevieve clenched the sheet beneath her. “850,000 dollars isn’t enough? Or…”

“Nate! I scalded my hand!” Elaine whined in a sickly sweet tone.

“Genny, I have to go,” Nathaniel said worriedly. “Lainey needs me.”

He hung up without waiting for an answer. Genevieve stared at her screen, her stomach dropping.

She turned to the doctor and asked, “How long do I have if I don’t get a transplant?”

Her doctor sighed. “A month at most. You’re getting weaker. If you get a transplant before-”

“I get it,” Genevieve cut him off softly. “I’m not having the transplant.”

She knew Elaine too well.

Elaine wasn’t going to donate her kidney. She’d only keep delaying it.

So Genevieve decided to face her death with peace.

She wouldn’t believe Elaine’s lies anymore, and she would… stop loving Nathaniel.

The setting sun painted the sky in hues of orange and gold as Genevieve returned home from the hospital.

She opened the front door and saw Nathaniel and Elaine sitting on the couch together.

Snuggled against Nathaniel, Elaine was feeding him fruit with a wide smile.

“Genny!” Nathaniel sprang to his feet and hurried up to Genevieve. “I got you a present.”

He handed over a delicate gift box, anticipation dancing in his eyes. “Accept it… and I’ll take that as your agreement to my deal with Lainey.”

Without a glance at the box, Genevieve said, “I’m fine with it even if you don’t give me a gift.”

Nathaniel was shocked. “Really?”

“Yes.”

Elaine hurriedly came over and looped her arm around Genevieve’s. “Then let’s be nice this month. Don’t get jealous when Nathaniel and I act all cozy. He’s just fulfilling my dream.”

“I won’t be jealous,” Genevieve replied calmly, pulling her arm away.

Relieved, Nathaniel went to the kitchen and returned with some soup. “I made this for you. It’s good for your health.”

It smelled delicious. Genevieve took a sip, and her throat burned.

“No…” She clutched her throat, her face turning pale. “You put shrimps in it? I’m allergic to seafood. Don’t you remember?”

Nathaniel panicked. “I thought you were allergic to peanuts.”

“Nate, you got it mixed up,” Elaine retorted sweetly. “I’m the one who’s allergic to peanuts.”

Genevieve was seeing dark spots. Her heart hurt as if there was a knife twisting inside.

Nathaniel couldn’t even remember what she was allergic to anymore…

Before she passed out completely, she heard Nathaniel’s panicked voice.

When Genevieve woke up, Nathaniel was sitting by her bed with bloodshot eyes. “Genny, I’m so sorry. It was a mistake. I’ve cleared my schedule. For the next few days, my only priority is you. And I promise you, this will never happen again. Please, forgive me.”

Genevieve turned away from him. “You don’t have to. You’re Elaine’s boyfriend now. You only need to remember things about her.

“Nathaniel, from now on, stay out of my life… for good.”

Nathaniel paused, brows furrowing. “Genny, what are you talking about? The thing with Lainey will end in a month. I’m just pretending to be her boyfriend.” He reached out a hand to touch Genevieve’s face. “You’re the one I love.”

Genevieve tilted her head, dodging his hand. She pulled the quilt up and lay down. “I need to rest.”

Nathaniel’s hand poised in the air. After a while, he sighed and walked out.

As the door closed, Genevieve opened her eyes, tears falling down her cheeks soundlessly.

She used her last strength to get out of bed and dragged a dusty box out from the deep end of her closet.

Genevieve stayed up all night to reorganize her trinkets with Nathaniel.

The movie tickets on their first date. Gifts from Nathaniel. Photos they took on trips..

At dawn, Genevieve lit a brazier in the backyard.

“What are you doing?!”

Elaine ran over and gave Genevieve a hard shove.

The brazier tumbled over. Sparks of the burning coals landed on Genevieve’s arms, leaving red marks on her fair skin.

Genevieve winced in pain. Before she could recover, Elaine lunged at her. “If you don’t want me to move in, just say the words. Why are you burning my stuff?”

“What’s going on?” The noise attracted Nathaniel. When he showed up, he instantly pulled Elaine behind him. “Are you hurt?”

“Nate, Genny doesn’t like me here, so she burns my things!” Elaine pointed at the burning remnants, her eyes red as if she was heartbroken.

Nathaniel looked at Genevieve for the first time since he arrived, his gaze filled with disappointment. “Genny, we owe Lainey so much. She’s going to donate her kidney to you. How could you?”

Genevieve felt her heart had been squeezed by an invisible hand. The pain was suffocating

She crouched down, picked out a small piece of a photo from the ashes, and held it in front of the two. “Look at this. I’m burning my memories with Nathaniel. These aren’t your things.”

The photo was taken last winter. Nathaniel was wrapping a scarf around her. Genevieve’s nose was red due to the cold, but her eyes were full of joy.

Nathaniel’s body stiffened. “What makes you want to burn them?”

“They’re molded.” With red–rimmed eyes, Genevieve threw the photo into the brazier. “So, I decided to burn them all.”

“That’s not right, Genny. These are our memories!” Nathaniel’s voice was tight. “We said we were going to watch them when we were old…”

Genevieve stared at him silently, taking in the anxiety on his face and the pity in his eyes.

How laughable. Nathaniel still believed they had a future.

Didn’t he realize that she was dying….

Genevieve opened her mouth to say something, but Elaine disrupted her by leaning weakly on Nathaniel’s shoulder.

“Nate, my hand hurts…”

Nathaniel dropped Genevieve’s hand right away and held Elaine’s hand up nervously. “How did you get hurt? Let’s go inside. I’ll tend to it.”

Wrapping an arm around Elaine, Nathaniel walked her back into the house, not sparing a glance at Genevieve.

Genevieve returned to her room by herself and took out a first–aid kit.

She poured alcohol on the cotton and pressed it to her burns. The pain almost made her pass out, yet it wasn’t nearly as bad as the pain in her heart.

Back in the days, Nathaniel would fuss over Genevieve and drag her to the infirmary even though it was only a paper cut. But earlier, he had completely ignored the serious burns on Genevieve.

Genevieve closed her eyes. Tears that had been kept in bay finally rolled down and landed on her burns, making the pain worse.

For the next two days, Elaine upgraded her action, not leaving Nathaniel’s side at all

In the living room, she pouted and ordered Nathaniel to feed her the shrimps. On the couch, she demanded that Nathaniel cuddle with her as they watched a movie.

Every time Genevieve passed them, Elaine would smile and ask, “Genny, you promised. You don’t mind, do you?”

“Not at all” was Genevieve’s default reply.

As her health was getting worse day by day, Genevieve decided to go out and take a picture for her funeral before she was too weak to walk.

In a photo studio, Genevieve sat quietly in front of the camera.

The cameraman praised her grace and asked what the picture was for

“For my funeral,” Genevieve answered calmly.

The cameraman’s hands shook, almost dropping his camera.

When Genevieve waited for her photo, she heard a familiar laughter coming through the front door.

Elaine and Nathaniel walked into the studio, arm in arm. She froze when she noticed Genevieve.

“Genny, what are you doing here?” Elaine looked at her curiously.

“I took a photo for my ID.” Genevieve pocketed her photo. “What are you doing here?”

Elaine put her head on Nathaniel’s shoulder and said sweetly, “A photo album is an important part of a couple’s experience. We took some pictures a few days ago and are here to collect them.”

“I only did it as Lainey insisted,” Nathaniel explained as he looked at Genevieve lovingly. “We can make a photo album too, once you recover.”

Genevieve’s heart broke a little more, but she said nothing.

One of the staff members came over, informing them they could start selecting photos for the album. As Genevieve already had her photo for her funeral, she wanted to leave. But Elaine stopped her. “Genny, help us pick the photos!”

Without waiting for Genevieve’s answer, Elaine sat her down in front of a computer.

Looking at the intimate photos of Elaine and Nathaniel, Genevieve felt her eyes prickling.

In a photo, Nathaniel and Elaine were holding hands and looking at each other’s eyes fondly.

Elaine and Nathaniel were kissing with the setting sun behind them. Elaine’s dress blew in the wind.

Nathaniel, in an identical white shirt to Elaine’s, was hugging her from behind.

Each and every one of the photos was so sweet that it hurt Genevieve’s eyes.

The heartbreak was making it hard to breathe, yet she still had to endure Elaine’s high- pitched voice as Elaine urged her to pick a nice shot. Lips trembling, Genevieve opened her mouth, but her words were stopped by a loud noise.

The metal shelves in the studio fell!

At that critical moment, Nathaniel lunged at Elaine without thinking, protecting her with his body.

Meanwhile, Genevieve was…

With a deafening noise, the heavy mental shelf hit Genevieve’s delicate shoulder. The sharp edge pierced through her clothes, tearing her flesh. Blood flooded out, staining her clothes in no time.

“Nate, it hurts!” Elaine cried with tears in her voice, pointing at a barely noticeable scratch mark on her arm.

Nathaniel checked it over nervously, his brows knitting into a knot. “I’m getting you to a hospital!”

He carried Elaine up bridal style and turned to leave. However, he paused at the door as if he had remembered something. Nathaniel looked over his shoulder.

Genevieve was struggling to crawl out from under the metal shelf. Blood ran down her arm, forming a small pool of blood on the floor rapidly.

Her eyes found Nathaniel’s.

One second.

Two seconds.

Nathaniel broke eye contact and carried Elaine out without a word.

Genevieve willed herself to stand up and go to the hospital alone.

“You’re severely injured! Why didn’t you ask someone to bring you over?” The doctor asked with a frown while stitching Genevieve’s wound. “A young woman came over just earlier. She only had a mild graze, but her boyfriend was so worried about her. He asked for a consultation.”

As the needle pierced her flesh, the pain made Genevieve want to pass out. She smiled bitterly. “The boyfriend is my boyfriend too.”

Shocked, the doctor snapped his head up and almost dropped the tweezers.

He opened and closed his mouth. In the end, he said nothing and went back to stitching Genevieve’s horrible wound in silence.

Nathaniel returned in the middle of the night.

He opened Genevieve’s bedroom door and found her trying to change her dressing. She was struggling.

She lifted the graze, revealing the ferocious wound underneath. Nathaniel’s pupils shrank when he saw the bloody wound.

“How?” He closed the distance in a few strides, his voice hoarse.

Not bothering to raise her head, Genevieve answered, “I got hit by the shelf.”

Nathaniel’s hand poised in mid air, shaking. “Genny, it was complete chaos. Lainey was hurt and was crying. So, I left with her. I didn’t mean to…”

“You did nothing wrong. You should save her.” Genevieve cut him off, her voice steady. “After all, she’s your girlfriend.”

Genevieve pushed Nathaniel’s hand away, but he forcefully grabbed her hand, not letting her escape.

His hand was warm, and his voice was filled with worry to an unprecedented level. “Genny, I told you many times. I’m nice to her only because of her kidney!

“You’re the only one I love. Please don’t do this to me…”

“I know.” Genevieve lowered her eyes, hiding her heartbreak. “So, I didn’t take it to heart.”

Nathaniel heaved a sigh of relief and carefully bound the bandage around Genevieve’s wound. “Get some sleep. I’ll watch over you.”

His hands were dry and warm as always.

Genevieve closed her eyes and felt like they were in the past. Every time she was ill, Nathaniel would stay by her bedside.

The blaring ringtone broke the peaceful night.

“Nate…” Elaine was sobbing. “I miss you. I’m scared as I can’t find you…”

“I’ll be there.” Nathaniel said in a low voice. Once he hung up, he looked at Genevieve with guilt. “Lainey is scared because she’s alone in the hospital. I need to keep her company.”

He left in a hurry, taking away the remaining warmth in the room.

Genevieve curled into a fetal position in her bed, having a hard time breathing due to her broken heart.

Nathaniel didn’t come home for the next two days.

Genevieve stopped caring. She took her meds and changed her dressing in time every day, healing in peace.

One afternoon, when she was reading a book by the window, her phone rang.

“Hello? Genny.” Elaine said with barely concealed smugness in her sickly sweet voice. “Do you know that Nate risks his life for me?”

Genevieve froze.

“I was just saying that I liked the jewelry for the champion of a car race. He signed up immediately, though it was super dangerous!” The excitement grew in her voice. “You should see it! To win the championship, he drove so fast that his car almost flipped! And he chanted my name when they rolled him into the operating room.”

Genevieve closed the book and looked outside. It was a beautiful sunny day. However, the sunlight was making her eyes hurt.

“He needs someone to take care of him now. Genny, would you like to come over?” Lainey drawled, waiting for Genevieve’s reaction.

“He got hurt for you,” Genevieve said, deadpan. “You’re boyfriend and girlfriend. I’ll leave it to you.”

With that said, she hung up and tossed her phone aside.

Leaves of the phoenix trees outside rustled in the breeze. Suddenly, Genevieve remembered something and called the graveyard.