My thoughts wandered back to when Spencer was first diagnosed with kidney failure.
Before the surgery, everything had seemed so perfect. It was a top-tier private hospital—fancy, spotless, with state-of-the-art facilities.
The place was funded by the Wore family, and the lead surgeon was Doctor Bever, someone who'd cared for Fiona since she was a kid.

That gave me a strange sense of comfort.
But when I woke up, I wasn't in that luxurious hospital anymore.
I was in a dingy clinic.
The pain hit first—the searing, gut-wrenching ache as the anesthesia wore off. A dim, flickering light swung above me, making my vision swim.
The door creaked open, groaning like it might fall off its hinges.
A round-faced nurse peeked in, startled to see me awake. After a quick check, she rushed off to find the doctor.

Their dialect was thick, impossible for me to understand.
I stayed there for six months, trapped in that grimy, unfamiliar place, before the Saun family finally remembered to come and get me.
When they brought me back to the Saun house, I ran straight to Spencer, my heart pounding with relief.
But the moment he looked at me, his gaze was cold, distant—scanning me from head to toe like I was some stranger he didn't recognize.

After what felt like an eternity, he spoke one word.
"Filthy."
Dumbfounded, I tried to explain. "Spencer, are you upset because I haven't been around? I didn't mean to! After donating my kidney, your mom sent me away—I just got back, I swear! I didn't—"
"Liar."
The word hit me like a slap. Why? I'd given him a kidney—what more could I have done?
I opened my mouth to defend myself, but before I could speak, Fiona appeared at the top of the stairs. She looked fragile, her face pale, as if she'd float away in a gust of wind.
Spencer instantly abandoned me and rushed to her, cradling her like she was made of glass.
"Your body's still weak," he said gently. "You're recovering too slowly. Why aren't you resting? Why come out here?"
Fiona offered a faint, angelic smile, just soft enough to seem sincere.
"I heard Maya was back. I had to see her. Spencer, don't blame her. Not everyone has the courage to do what I did."
Her words didn't make sense, and the confusion must've shown on my face.
"My mom told me everything," he said. "You were a match, but you ran away. Three days after your grandfather was buried, you disappeared! If Fiona hadn't stepped up and donated her kidney, I'd be dead right now. Maya, you're nothing but an ungrateful leech."
No. No, that wasn't true.
Tears stung my eyes as I yanked up my shirt, exposing the scar. The proof. The undeniable truth that I had given him a part of myself.
But he closed his eyes in disgust.
"That scar? The one from when some old man's wife had you beaten? And now you're using it to milk sympathy? Pathetic. If I didn't already know the truth, I might've actually believed you."
I felt myself breaking. I had to find Mrs. Saun. She had to tell him the truth.
Spencer shoved me to the ground so hard it knocked the air right out of me.
"My mom keeps saying we shouldn't hate you, calling it just a momentary lapse in judgment. Be grateful we even let you back into this house. Quit trying to cause trouble!"
Then, like I didn't even exist, he helped Fiona to her feet and walked off.
I wasn't giving up that easily. I tried to follow, but the butler at Mrs. Saun's side grabbed me and dragged me away.
When I finally stood in front of her, her words hit me like a brick wall.
"Then why bring me back?" The question spilled out, over and over, like I couldn't stop myself. Like my mind had just... snapped.
It was a long time before she even bothered to respond.
"This was the Wore family's decision."
Fiona had only been born with one kidney. She needed a backup. A spare.
***
"Don't waste time dwelling on the past. Whether you scream or stay quiet, it won't change a thing." Doctor Bever's voice snapped me out of my swirling thoughts.
I retorted, "I won't let things go your way."
He didn't seem mad, though. Instead, he waved his phone at me, showing a short video. Clara, hauling her suitcase, rushing out of an airport. The shaky angle screamed hidden camera.
"You're threatening me?"
Weirdly, I felt calm.
He slipped his phone back into his pocket, all smug and slow. "Threatening? That's a bit dramatic. I thought you'd appreciate a little update on your best friend."
I locked eyes with him, and slowly, a smile crept across my face. "Fine. Guess we're done here, huh?"
That threw him off. For the first time, he looked rattled, fumbling over a few instructions before storming out. The door slammed shut, and just like that, I felt something lift inside me.
"I'm hungry," I called, loud enough to be heard.
There was a shuffle outside, and soon, a table appeared, piled high with perfectly plated food, colorful and fragrant.
I dug in, savoring every bite. Let them have it, whatever "it" was.
Because there's nothing crueler than dangling their hope just long enough to watch it break.