Love Lost, Rhythm Renewed

Chapter 1 On my 23rd birthday, Eric Welsh, my brother, claimed the spot as the richest man in the country. He threw an opulent birthday party for our housekeeper’s daughter and declared that she would be his only sister from then onwards.

Meanwhile, I only had one month to live because my artificial heart was wearing down, and I couldn’t find a matching donor.

Despite being tormented by the illness and suffering mentally, I video called him.

When he heard me coughing, he reprimanded, “You abandoned me back then because you didn’t want me to be a burden to you. What’s the matter? Do you regret it now because I’m rich?”

A knot welled up in my throat, and I stared at his unchanging expression. I smiled bitterly. “Eric, 30,000 dollars should mean nothing to you. Will you lend it to me?”

On the other end of the line, I heard him assuring Fiona Dobler gently, “It’s just a scam call. Don’t worry.”

Of course he had nothing to worry about. His heart, which was beating healthily, was mine.

The call ended, and I received a notification that I had received a transfer of 300,000 dollars into my bank account. My heart galloped, and I felt a sting in my nose.

After I paid off my bills, I lifted my head and saw Eric. Hurriedly, I scurried into a corner at the lobby, where I saw him gently cupping Fiona’s cheeks and smiling with adoration.

Five years had passed, but nothing changed about Eric, who still looked full of life. However, the only one who brought him happiness was now Fiona, whereas I no longer had the right to be by his side.

I thought he was at the hospital because he was sick.

I suppressed the emotions swimming in my chest. I lowered my head and tried to leave, but I caught sight of him softly blowing over Fiona’s scraped skin with a worried expression.

Smiling wryly, I brushed past him, but someone grabbed my wrist tightly. I stumbled but was able to steady myself, meeting his steely and furious stare.

After he gave me a onceover, Eric snickered, released his grip, and cleaned his hands with wet wipes in disgust.

Panic washed over my face, and I wanted to leave quickly.

He said, “Didn’t you flee abroad with the money to save my life? What happened? Are you back now to scam another victim after spending all your money?”

My eyes reddened, and I lowered my head, not daring to meet his gaze.

After a few seconds of silence, I snickered softly. “Yes. So, will you lend me some money again?”

The air around Eric turned cold, and his eyes glowered. He held my chin up, forcing me to look up at him. “We’re siblings, after all. Aren’t you going to explain anything to me?”

Excruciating pain shot through my chest amidst the struggle, and a metallic taste spread in my mouth.

His grip loosened, and I stepped back. “She’s your sister now. Just take it that the money from before is used to buy-off our kinship for the first 18 years.”

Eric’s hand paused mid-air before falling to his side weakly. Just when he wanted to speak, Fiona suddenly dashed forward and hugged me. “Are you Eric’s younger sister?”

She gave Eric a heart-breaking look and pinched my arm, which was covered in needle marks. “You turned your back to Eric back then. And now, you can’t wait to ask him for money because he’s rich. You have no shame at all.”

I was in pain, but before I could say anything, she dropped my arm and said, “I’m Eric’s only sister now, and he spoils me to bits. Even my pet dog uses an unlimited credit card for its grooming.”

Fighting back my tears, I stole a look at Eric behind her. He looked great—healthy and seemed free from illnesses.

When we were young, our housekeeper left us in a village, and we lived with an orphanage director, Macy Kingsley, in the freezing cold.

After forever, we reunited with our family, but we lived happily for only three years. Unable to deal with the depression of bankruptcy, our parents leaped off a building and left us to fend for ourselves.

Eric dropped out of school to support my education, taking up several part-time jobs without rest.

On the day our debts were cleared and I was accepted into a renowned international school, he passed out all of a sudden and was diagnosed with a hereditary congenital heart disease.

At that time, Eric’s heart was failing, and almost all of our money was used on the enormous medical bills.

Behind his back, I withdrew from school and got back the 100,000 dollars in tuition fees. Then, I transferred all the money to the hospital so that he could receive treatment without worry.

I worked long hours—washing dishes, handing out flyers, working in bars—not daring to catch a break. Even having a meal depended on the situation. Most of the time, I barely had a sip of water.

My body succumbed to exhaustion, but I only had enough money for a few days’ of the cheapest medication to hold back the symptoms.

As there was no news of a matching donor, I could only watch in vain as the illness ravaged Eric and turned him into a wreck. For him, convulsions, vomiting blood, and being unconscious were common occurrences.

When he sobbed and told me to give up the treatment, the doctor hesitantly led me out of the ward. “Ms. Welsh, there’s only one way to save him. Would you like to give it a try?”

Chapter 2 It turned out that the solution the doctor meant was transferring my heart to Eric. Then, I had to install an artificial heart he had just invented but was yet to be tested.

Even though I was aware of the consequences, I was willing to do anything for Eric’s sake as long as he could live.

I snapped out of my memories upon hearing a snicker. Eric was protective of Fiona, paying all his attention to her.

He said, “Are you thirsty? There’s nothing to say to an ungrateful, useless bum. You’re the only one who sympathizes with me, as expected of the little princess I’m spoiling. Whether it’s you or your pet dog, I’ll provide the best for both of you.”

The tranquil scene before my eyes stabbed my heart, which was already wincing in pain. It was as though something was closing in my throat, cutting off my air supply.

As I didn’t want to witness their intimate moment any longer, I walked past Eric’s hand, which he had extended hesitantly, and buried the unspoken bitterness and jealousy in my heart.

I had barely taken a few steps when Fiona suddenly sidestepped and knocked my shoulder. “Watch where you’re going. It’s not a problem if you hit me, but Eric can’t take your abuse.”

The left shoulder was connected to the heart, and my throbbing head caused me to stumble, causing blood to trickle down the corner of my lips.

Eric furrowed his brow when he saw me throwing up blood and wanted to help me out of reflex.

However, Fiona’s face turned solemn, and she threw herself into his arms, sobbing. “Eric, the way she’s looking at me is scary…”

When Eric met my icy gaze, his eyes turned dark. “Ellie Welsh, did you forget all of your manners? How could you try to fool me with blood plasma just to get money from me? As your brother, I’m disgusted by your behavior!”

As I held onto the edge of the wall, I struggled to my feet pathetically and wiped the blood from my lips nonchalantly. “That’s fine. Lend me another 100,000 dollars, and I’ll disappear forever and never show up in front of you again.

Eric tightened his fists and punched the wall hard.

Fiona hugged him tight, crying sadly. When she turned to me, she was looking at me with intense disgust and malice. “Eric, you shouldn’t hurt yourself because of her. She’s not worth it. But, no matter what, she was once your sister even when she…

“Thankfully, you received help from a kind person and pulled through your crisis. Just take it as an act of kindness and help her out.”

Fiona didn’t say everything, but it was enough to remind Eric of his suffering in the past. I was the center of his attention, but I left with the money to save his life because I was worried that he’d be a burden to me.

The little pang of heartache in Eric’s eyes transformed into immense hatred. “I’ve seen too many cowardly people like her. Even if all of this is true, it’s all because she deserves it.”

He held Fiona’s hand and left in big strides, cutting off all the sympathetic words she wanted to say. However, he failed to see the disdain at the corner of her lips.

Numbing pain emanated from my palms as I dug my nails deep into them, and my robotic heart quivered. My vision blurred, and I couldn’t see their figures clearly anymore.

I was startled for a second from a beep and turned on my phone.

When I read the notification that the payment for the surgery was successfully paid, my heart trembled unwittingly, and the new scar overlaying the old scar on my chest burned in a stinging pain.

My beloved brother would have never guessed that the so-called kind person was me, the cowardly sister.

Chapter 3 With no suitable heart donor, Eric gradually lost weight, and the times when he was conscious were declining.

I was overjoyed at the emergence of artificial hearts even though the technology had yet to mature and only a minority of people had received it. Furthermore, there were many hidden dangers which were life-threatening.

Still, I signed the transplant agreement without hesitation, giving my heart to Eric and installing an artificial heart which would last for five years for myself.

For only tens of thousands of dollars, I received the worst quality robotic heart. I would vomit blood and hurt from time to time. After a few steps, I’d become breathless. Other times, I’d be inexplicably weak, chills running through my body.

Despite that, it was the best deal that I had ever made.

Artificial heart technology was very developed now, and it was working much better in the human body. Despite that, I had run out of money for surgery.

In five years, I had been through the ups and downs life had to offer. I had no more regrets because I could still see him one more time and know that his heart was still beating before I died.

By the time I reached my old flat at the outskirts of town by foot, the sky was already dark. Pushing the door open into the shabby flat with a moldy smell, I shivered from the cold wind which greeted me.

There was only a rusty bed and a flimsy ceiling fan in the tiny space. It was small, but I could still live here.

Once, this was a place Eric and I called home, and it was in this same place where we reunited with our family.

We were inseparable. That was why I made a scene and wanted to sever all ties with him when I knew that my heart could save him.

Eric had protected and spoiled me for 18 years. After witnessing the different sides of life, he knew how tough our lives were until that point.

For his sake, I worked day and night without whining, and he was aware of my contribution. No matter what, he would never agree to a heart transplant from me.

Out of ideas, I had to feign cowardice and purposely distanced myself from him. Regardless how much he hated me, I wouldn’t blame him.

In the nurse’s presence, I complained that he couldn’t take care of his sanitary needs and the stench coming from him disgusted me.

I pointed at his nose and berated him, saying that I had enough of days filled with despair. While there were other people in the room, I even said things such as telling him to end his life because he would be a burden to me alive. If he was even just a little swayed, I could leave him emotionlessly.

On the day he ignored me, I tossed the severance agreement at his face with a smile. As tears mixed with snot streamed down his face, Eric signed his name with force on the paper.

On the other hand, I took the agreement and proceeded with the surgery.

I claimed that I’d leave the country with all the money and never return again. However, I would hide next to the door during sunset, watching in secret as he slowly recovered under Fiona’s care.

Nobody would have guessed that I, who had supposedly left the country, was hiding in the dark and not daring to show myself. Even I would’ve never guessed that I could still meet him one more time before dying.

The cold and humid flat would become my dying place. All was good as long as he was happy.

On my lockscreen, Eric was majestic. Even though I was proud of myself, I couldn’t help feeling bitter.

…

A series of anxious ringing woke me up, and the doctor informed me that the payment was unsuccessful.

Reading the late payment warning written in red, I smiled in a self-deprecative manner. There weren’t many people whom I could contact anymore.

After some hesitation, I dialed Macy’s number, begging her to help me look for a job, regardless of how tiring it would be.

Eric thought that I had abandoned him and fled with the money to save his life, so he hated me to death. If he knew that I was down and out, he’d definitely be over the moon.

Although my heart had given warning signs, I still had to work to pay off the accrued medical bills from before.

Though I said that I didn’t mind dying, when a chance of living presented itself to me, I would cave and try clinging onto it.

Macy didn’t believe that I’d be such a heartless person and was heartbroken at what I had been through all these years. Without hesitation, she got a job for me in her eldest son’s hotel.

Meanwhile, Eric was organizing a class reunion for his beloved younger sister and was in need of servers. The pay was 500 dollars a day, enough to keep me alive with a few months of medications.

When I arrived at the hotel in a rush, I accidentally bumped into someone’s warm chest. As I raised my head, I found myself looking into Eric’s startled and complicated gaze.

Chapter 4 The entourage behind Eric was simultaneously familiar yet foreign to me.

Donning a haute couture dress, Fiona held onto Eric’s unassuming but expensive sleeve. Everyone flattered them, basking them in adulation.

Hurriedly, I lowered my head to apologize. That was when I saw a pair of heels studded with crystals. “Oh, some pauper is trying to get acquainted with a rich man to get ahead in life. Do you smell the stench of poverty on her, everyone? It stinks!”

Fiona covered her nose in disdain and chuckled coyly.

Without a word, I kept my head lowered and retreated. However, there was a loud slap, and I felt a sharp pain as my cheek burned brightly.

Fiona approached me and snickered. “Where’s the manager? How can they hire such an ignorant person? Is the hotel able to compensate us if she can’t control herself and steals from us? Hurry and throw her out!”

Eric pursed his lips, staring at me in surprise. Jealousy flooded Fiona’s eyes, and she pushed me to the ground before stepping on my chest hard.

Excruciating pain hit me, and I curled up unwittingly, gasping in pain.

“Stop staring at my brother with your filthy eyes. Get lost!” Fiona laughed smugly, though her tone was filled with endless fury.

Eric frowned, but the heartache in his eyes was replaced by iciness in a second.

The manager, Gerard Hudson, wanted to take me away, worried that I would be hurt again.

Snorting, Eric told Gerard to move aside and pulled me up by grabbing my wrist. “Ellie Welsh, did you come all the way here after me for the sake of money?”

It was then when a mocking gasp of surprise escaped Fiona’s mouth, and she cleaned my face with a tissue. “Goodness, it’s Ellie. As an overseas graduate, you have no need to humble yourself and serve people here.”

After she said that, silence blanketed the entire hall, and unfriendly gazes surrounded me.

“So, that’s Ms. Welsh. Back then, she abandoned Mr. Welsh heartlessly. Is she doing so badly that she has to beg for money now?”

“Look how pathetic her life is. She deserves it.”

“Mean people are scheming. Nobody appreciates kindness which comes late.”

Someone shoved me toward Eric, and he extended his arms subconsciously, but he suddenly took a step back, and my body flung toward the corner of a table uncontrollably. I was struck with a piercing pain, blood and tears flowed simultaneously, but I couldn’t feel any pain.

Silently, I wanted to leave, but Eric blocked my path. He looked down at me from above. “You want money, don’t you? Fiona is allergic to alcohol. Why don’t you drink in her stead?”

He dragged me into a lounge and ordered three boxes of strong liquor, covering the table. “30,000 dollars for a bottle. We’ll pay you as much as you can finish.”

Fiona stuffed a bottle of alcohol into my palm. “Drink it. Don’t try to fool us with some excuse.”

Ignoring her, I stared at Eric’s solemn face and sniggered. “Are you sure you want me to drink?”

Surprise flashed past his face, and he paused for a second.

Chapter 5 The first generation of artificial hearts had problems with serious rejection reactions. Just a little discomfort was enough to cause me excruciating pain. Moreover, I was the one who was allergic to alcohol, not Fiona.

Seeing the hesitancy in Eric’s eyes, I snickered softly. “If I drink it, will you waive the 300,000 from before?”

Eric balled his fists and tightened his jaw. “Sure.”

His firm answer encouraged me to throw my head back and pour the liquor down my throat. Since I didn’t have long to live, I had no need to heed the doctor’s advice for me to refrain from alcohol.

The strong liquor jolted my brain, and the burning liquid ran down the scar on my chest, sending waves of trickling pain.

Acid churned in my stomach , and I bent over unwittingly to retch, as though I was about to cough up my entire heart.

After I finished one bottle, Eric swatted the bottle away, looking grim. “That’s enough!”

His voice cut off everyone’s laughter in the room.

He clenched my shoulders so tightly that I felt as though he was about to crush my bones. “Ellie Welsh, you did well. Well done!”

Numbly, I shrugged him off and saw the reflection of my pale face from the spilled wine and broken liquor bottle.

Just when I was about to pick up the liquor from the floor and drink it from my palm, Fiona suddenly pulled me up, concern written all over her face.

“It’s undignified to drink off the floor like an animal. Eric, don’t make things difficult for her. Just tell her to do something simple like… taking off her clothes.” She looked at me with a smile, yet her eyes carried disdain. “One piece for 100,000 dollars. How about it?”

For a moment, I said nothing, shaking off her hand without a word.

As Eric watched in disbelief, I removed my working uniform and unbuttoned my shirt. When I reached the last button, he flipped the couch in anger.

My heart could no longer sustain the constant pressure. A belated and excruciating pain struck me, and I threw up a fresh mouthful of blood.

I appeared as if I didn’t notice a thing, undoing the last button covering my dignity, my hands robotic but trembling.

Eric’s eyes were bloodshot, and he growled in a deep voice, “Stop.”

I forced a smile and fell to my knees weakly. Shattered glass pieced into my knees, blood oozing out.

Panicking, Eric wanted to pick me up, but he was shoved aside by Macy, who had rushed over. She held me in her arms and placed a shirt over my body, heartbroken.

Amidst the chaos, the horrifying scar on my chest was revealed. Eric’s face crinkled, and he kneeled in front of me fearfully.

Macy shielded me in her arms and glared at him, yelling, “You’re a beast! Ellie already gave you her heart, but you’re still humiliating her in this manner. Will you only be happy to see her dead?”