The Man Who Gave His Kidney Away

I locked eyes with Nina and said, "Because… they're afraid I'll die out there."

Nina's eyes flickered with panic, but only for a moment before she erupted into fury.

"You—stop lying! The doctor said you're fine!"

Her anger burned in her gaze, and all I could feel was the absurdity of it all.

"I'm not lying," I said. "It's cancer. The doctor said I don't have long to live."

Her breath caught. Her eyes blazed as she stared at me, searching, as if trying to see through my words.

Then Theo groaned, clutching his stomach.

"Nina… my stomach hurts… is my old condition acting up?"

In an instant, Nina abandoned me and rushed to him. Her eyes overflowed with concern, soft and tender as if they could melt.

"It's okay, Theo. No matter what, I won't let anything happen to you."

But when she turned back, her gaze had frozen to ice.

"If Theo actually gets sick from hunger, I will never forgive you! And now you're making up lies about having cancer… if you really have cancer, you'd better die out there and never come back!"

In a single heartbeat, my hollow chest felt torn apart, a bitter chill flooding in.

I shakily gathered my documents from the cabinet, preparing to leave.

Suddenly, Nina's mother's booming voice thundered from the doorway.

"Caleb! Get out here!"

Leena Dawson barged in, slamming a divorce agreement onto the table with a sharp thud.

"Caleb, sign this! Leave with nothing! You're a sick man—don't waste my daughter's and Theo's future!"

Theo stood, feigning shock, leaning in with gentle words.

"Leena, please don't be angry. Caleb and Nina have been married three years… it's fine, I don't mind…"

But his words only fueled Leena's rage.

"Three years, and she's still not pregnant! This house isn't a shelter! Pack your things and get out!"

Nina steadied her mother, staring at me with impatience.

"If Mom want you to sign, just sign! Don't make a scene!"

A sharp ache tightened my chest. This family had clearly been waiting for me to make way so Theo and Nina could be together openly.

I glared at them, lips twitching.

"Leave with nothing? On what grounds? I worked alongside Nina from the factory floor to management. Half the technology in that factory is my patent!

"And when Nina's father's kidneys were failing, do you remember how you begged me?"

Their faces turned pale with embarrassment, but then flushed crimson with anger.

Nina slapped me across the face, her shouts ringing in my ears.

"What patents? Your mother died three years ago! My family took you in out of kindness! You owe us! Sign it today!"

The heavy slap sent me sprawling, my forehead smashing into the corner of the table. Blood trickled down as I pressed my hand to it. The woman before me was like a demon. My heart was ashes.

All I wanted was a divorce, and they wanted me to leave with nothing. Fine. Just see who would truly pay the price.

"Fine… I'll sign."

Nina's eyes flickered at me, confused by my calm.

I clenched the cold military medal in my pocket, picked up the pen, and signed my name on the divorce papers. Blood from my forehead dripped onto the signature.

"From this moment on, I am no longer part of your family."

I grabbed my suitcase and walked out, never looking back.