The Three Thousand That Ended My Devotion

Tristram sighed and gripped my hand tight.

"Angie, don't be so stubborn. One day you'll understand everything I did was for your own good."

Two doctors stepped forward, and a needle of anesthetic went into the side of my neck.

I blacked out. When I woke, I found myself locked alone in a hospital room, and the doctors came in on schedule to inject me with drugs.

In the middle of the night I was writhing on the bed from the pain when I heard two people talking in low voices at the door.

"Honestly, of all the people this Angela Swanson could have crossed, she had to go and offend the eldest Galloway daughter. Let me tell you a secret. That match report was forged by Miss Galloway. The match never succeeded at all. The real donor is someone else entirely."

"That explains it. This girl's malnourished, weak, anemic. She never met the conditions for a marrow transplant."

"Shh, keep it down. Miss Galloway is drawing her blood just to teach her a lesson. That's what she gets for stealing another woman's man."

Their voices faded down the corridor.

My mind went blank. I pulled the blanket over my head and let the tears fall in silence.

Five days later, Tristram finally showed up.

He handed me a bouquet of roses.

"Angie, the transplant's this afternoon. Don't worry, I've arranged the best doctors for you. It'll only take a few hours."

I was shaking all over with fear. Clinging to one last shred of hope, I grabbed hard at the hem of his shirt.

"Don't go! Please don't go! Desiree is trying to hurt me. My marrow doesn't match hers at all. Go check the doctors' test results for me, please?"

Tristram listened, and his face went dark.

"Angie, Desiree is dying, and instead of wanting to save her, you're trying to frame her."

I tried to defend myself. "It's true. I heard the doctors talking. She faked the test report."

To my shock, his eyes were full of disappointment.

"Angie, I'm realizing how selfish you really are. You're so jealous you'd stand by and watch Desiree die. The girl I fell for was simple and sweet. What you've become now is ugly enough to make me sick."

I fought to explain.

"Tristram, I've never once lied to you. Why won't you believe me just this once?"

But he cut me off, pulled out a photo, and flung it in my face.

"Enough! I already had someone check. Your mother was never sick at all. For a lousy three thousand dollars, you'd curse your own mother and lie through your teeth to trick me. Angela Swanson, you really are both greedy and stupid. For money, is there anything you wouldn't do?"

The sharp edge of the photo cut open my cheek.

I didn't stop to think about the wound. I snatched up the photo, and the tears came pouring out.

In it, my mother was walking my little brother to school, her smile as bright as the sunlight, and the date printed in the corner was yesterday.

I pressed a hand to my chest and murmured, "It's not true. That day the hospital called and said my mom had been in a car accident, that they were fighting to save her and needed money right away."

Tristram stood, looking down at me, and his voice came out cold.

"Not one word out of your mouth do I believe now."

"You wanted to break up, didn't you? You've got your wish. Once you've donated the marrow for Desiree, I'll give you a breakup settlement."

The surgery went on for three full days.

The first time, the doctors said the transplant failed, and right after they did a second one.

I thought I would die in that freezing operating room. Somehow, in the end, I pulled through.

The day I was discharged, I went back to the mansion alone to get my luggage. Inside, a lavish party was underway, celebrating Desiree's recovery.

Tristram and his friends sat clustered together, laughing as they made me the joke.