Chapter 6N
When Justin carried Leah away that night, he made it clear to Lara what was going to happen. However, he never expected me to follow him. Never expected her to take that photo.
A strange unease settled in his chest. ‘Has she been watching the whole time?’ His eyes flicked to the message Lara had sent his parents.
[I’ve done everything I could for this marriage. If I can’t change him, I have no choice but to leave.]}]
Justin’s grip tightened around his phone. ‘Lara is leaving? Had she really given up?‘
A feeling he couldn’t name crept up his spine, something close to panic. ‘But isn’t this exactly what I want? Then why does it suddenly feel like the ground beneath me is cracking?‘}
Shoving the thought aside, he threw on his clothes and rushed to the door. Leah reached for his arm, voice soft and pleading. “Justin, don’t go… please.”
However, he didn’t even look at her. He yanked the door open, only for an envelope to slip out and land at his feet.
His hands shook slightly as he picked it up and tore it open. A divorce agreement. Signed. His name was already there, ink dried on the page.
Shock rooted him in place. Then, before he could process it, a pair of arms wrapped around his waist from behind.
“Justin,” Leah whispered, pressing against him. “What’s wrong? Don’t leave me here alone… I’m scared.“}]
Justin barely heard her. His eyes had landed on something else. Her waist. Or more specifically, the smooth, scar–free skin of her abdomen.
His stomach twisted. Grabbing her wrist, he turned her toward him, his grip tightening.
“You said you donated a kidney to me,” he said, his voice dangerously low. “So why don’t you have a scar?“}
Leah flinched, then quickly pulled her shirt down. “What are you saying?” she asked, forcing a laugh. “I just… healed really well.“}]
Justin’s jaw clenched. Something wasn’t adding up. For weeks, Leah had been acting fragile, playing the part of someone recovering from surgery. But thinking back… she had never once looked weak. Never seemed sick.
Meanwhile, Lara, who hadn’t even mentioned the surgery, looked like hell. She had been pale, exhausted and even had a fever two days ago. A cold realization hit him like a punch to the gut.
His voice dropped. “Fine. Since you won’t tell me the truth, let’s go to the hospital and find out.“>
Leah’s face drained of color as Justin dragged her out the door. The hospital exam didn’t take long. Justin stood stiffly as the doctor flipped through the results, barely sparing him a glance.!
“I told you,” the doctor sighed. “There’s no surgical scar. Miss Sloane never had a kidney transplant.” He turned the report toward Justin. “Both of her kidneys are intact and perfectly healthy.”}]
The blood in Justin’s veins ran ice cold, but before he could speak, the doctor kept going.
“That being said,” he continued, adjusting his glasses as he glanced at Leah, “Miss Sloane does need to take care of herself. She’s had multiple abortions and her uterine lining is severely damaged-“}
Justin stopped listening. His ears rang, his mind reeled. And for the first time… he realized he had been played. Completely.
“Shut up!” Leah shrieked, lunging forward to cover the doctor’s mouth. “Where did you even find this quack? Making up lies like this, believe it or not, I’ll sue you for defamation!“}]
The doctor, clearly done with this nonsense, knocked her hand away, his patience snapping.
“Defamation?” he scoffed. “You’ve had seven abortions in the past year. Seven. The most recent one was last month. It’s all in your medical records, so tell me, how exactly am I making this up?”
Justin took a shaky step back. His whole body stiffened, his face paling as if the ground had just shifted beneath him.
“Seven…” he whispered.D
His eyes locked onto Leah, but it was like he wasn’t seeing her anymore, like the woman standing in front of him was someone completely unrecognizable.
“Leah,” his voice was hoarse, almost disbelieving, “you told me I was the only one you ever loved. I tried to kill myself for you seven times… and the whole time, you were having seven abortions behind my back?“{
His breath came out uneven, like he was trying to keep himself from collapsing under the weight of it all. “What was I to you?”
Leah panicked. She grabbed at his sleeve, her voice shaking. “No, Justin, no! I was forced! I never meant to betray you, I swear!“}}
However, Justin barely heard her. Everything around him felt distant. Muted. Like he was watching his life unravel from outside his own body.
He swallowed hard, turning to the doctor. His voice was quiet, but there was something broken in it.
“I just… I just need to know one thing.” His hands clenched at his sides. “Who actually donated a kidney to me that day?“}
The doctor flipped through the medical records, his expression unreadable. Then, finally, he looked up and met Justin’s eyes.
“The donor,” he said, slow and deliberate, “was Lara Kessler. Your wife.”
Justin’s breath caught in his throat. The doctor shook his head, letting out a dry laugh. “How blind do you have to be,” he muttered, “to not even realize that the woman you threw away was the one who saved your life?“}
Justin felt his stomach drop. And for the first time, the full weight of his mistakes hit him like a punch to the gut.
