Love is Gone After Waking up From a Dream

"Miss Swanson, are you sure you want to donate all your organs except for your heart? Your artificial heart is failing, but there's still time to replace it. Are you certain you don’t want to wait?"

"No need to wait. I've made up my mind. My heart can keep beating for five more days. After that, you can come and collect my body."

When Karen said this, her gaze was resolute, carrying the air of someone ready to embrace death. Her determination left the staff member slightly stunned. It was the first time she had encountered someone so eager to die.

It wasn’t that Karen was unwilling to replace her failing artificial heart, her body was simply too weak to endure another major surgery.

Seeing her unwavering determination, the staff member said no more and handed her an agreement, signaling for her to sign.

Without hesitation, Karen wrote her name on the paper, then slowly walked out of the hall.

She had barely taken a few steps when a Bentley pulled up in front of her, blocking her path. The next second, two men in suits stepped out of the car and grabbed her without warning.

"Miss Swanson, Mr. Greene wants to see you. Please come with us."

Before Karen could react, they shoved her into the car.

Ten minutes later, she was pushed into a private lounge.

The room was crowded with men and women, drinking, laughing and indulging in pleasure. The atmosphere was lively, yet tinged with an unmistakable sense of wildness.

No matter how wild the crowd got, no one dared to disturb the man sitting in the center. His status was so powerful that he could control everything with just a flick of his fingers. No one would risk offending him.

Yet, the man who was known for being ruthless and indifferent was now patiently peeling an orange for the woman beside him, his gaze filled with undisguised tenderness.

Karen was shoved in front of him and the next second, she was forcibly pushed to her knees.

"Mr. Greene, we’ve brought her."

Jason didn’t even pause his actions. He carefully fed a piece of the peeled orange to Rebecca before finally turning his cold, piercing gaze toward Karen.

"Didn’t your dad tell you to stay by Rebecca’s side and take good care of her? So why were you missing for a full three hours today?" His voice was laced with icy disdain. "If something happened to Rebecca, could you afford the consequences?"

Those words undoubtedly reopened the deepest wound in Jason’s heart. His face darkened and he leaned down, grabbing Karen's wrist, forcing her to meet his gaze. His voice was cold as he questioned, "Karen, what makes you think you're entitled to feel imbalanced? Have you forgotten what you did to me back then?"

The countless needle marks on Karen's wrist flared with pain and she winced, her face paling. Yet, she forced herself to maintain a calm facade and replied, "Those things are in the past, Mr. Greene. Why are you still holding onto them? I’ve already forgotten. Now, I just want to live my life as a daughter of the Swanson Family."

She lied to Jason. She would never forget what she had done to him all those years ago because it wasn’t just a wound for Jason. It was the beginning of her nightmare.

When she was five, her parents divorced. Both of them only wanted her younger brother and no one wanted her. It was Halley who took her in, treating her like her own daughter. Jason also treated her like a sister, loving and caring for her.

But despite all the affection, they ultimately had no blood relation. Over time, as they spent more time together, different feelings began to emerge. Eventually, at the age of eighteen, they secretly confirmed their relationship and dated for three years.

Their relationship was incredibly strong and they had sworn that they would be with each other for life. At that time, the Greene Family’s financial situation was poor, but Jason always gave the best of everything to Karen, treating her like a precious gem. Halley was very supportive of their relationship and they were a happy and harmonious family.

However, their happiness was shattered when Halley was diagnosed with terminal stomach cancer. The doctor informed them that surgery had to be done immediately, or there would be no hope left. That’s when their world came crashing down.

The money needed for the surgery was an astronomical sum for Karen and Jason at the time. Even if they worked day and night, they still couldn’t save even a fraction of it. They simply didn’t have enough money to afford the treatment for Halley.

In their moment of despair, Karen’s father, Rowan, approached her with a proposal. He told her that his daughter had fallen ill and only Karen’s blood could save her. If she agreed to donate her blood to his daughter, he would arrange for the treatment of Halley.

But that was not all. He made an even more outrageous request, one that ultimately pushed Karen into an abyss.

Karen had long considered Halley as her own, so naturally, she wouldn’t pass up any opportunity to save her. Without hesitation, she agreed to Rowan's request.

It was only later that she learned the truth. Rebecca's illness required Karen to constantly donate blood to her for survival. Each transfusion needed to be adjusted according to Rebecca’s condition, which placed a tremendous strain on Karen's body. The risks were enormous and if she wasn’t careful, she could end up losing her life.

Fearing that Halley would stop her once she found out, Rowan ordered Karen to sever all ties with the Greene Family. He threatened to kill Halley and Jason if she didn’t comply.

So, Karen pretended to have had enough of the impoverished life and, with the most humiliating words, scolded Halley and Jason. She arrogantly announced that she was going to recognize Rowan as her adoptive father and live a good life with the Swanson Family.

She would never forget Jason's reaction at that moment. He, who had always been so proud, knelt in front of her in public, begging her not to leave. His eyes, which had never shed a tear, were red and swollen from crying.

He said he would work hard to earn money, save Halley and never let Karen suffer again. All he asked was for her to stay and accompany him.

However, Karen only let out a cold laugh. She raised her hand and slapped him across the face before getting into the luxury car sent by the Swanson Family.

From that moment on, she became Rebecca’s mobile blood bag. Whenever Rebecca needed it, Karen was required to donate blood immediately.

Rowan also kept his promise and cured Halley’s illness. To ensure the transaction between him and Karen wasn’t discovered, he used an anonymous donation.

When Halley learned that Karen had abandoned her and Jason to become the Swanson Family's adopted daughter, she was heartbroken. The intense emotional pain caused her to fall ill again. She spent an entire month in bed recovering before she fully regained her health.

Jason's hatred for Karen deepened after that. He worked tirelessly to climb up the social ladder and indeed, he achieved significant success.

However, just when his career started to take off, he developed a heart disease due to overexertion and required a heart transplant. Upon learning this, Karen immediately went to get tested for a compatible match. Once successful, she proceeded to transplant a new heart into Jason, while she herself was fitted with an artificial heart with a theoretical lifespan of seven years.

Before the surgery, the doctor informed her that due to her continuous blood transfusions, her physical condition was extremely weak. She could only undergo one major surgery. If she used the artificial heart, she would only live for seven more years. After that, she would not be able to undergo another heart transplant like other people.

Karen understood the doctor's words clearly. She only had seven years left to live. Once the artificial heart failed after that, her life would come to an end.

She was worried that Jason would be heartbroken if he found out about this, so after the surgery, she left the hospital without letting him know that it was her who had given him the heart.

Seven years later, Jason finally achieved his goal and became the most powerful business tycoon in the country. His first order of business was to arrange a marriage alliance with the Swanson Family. However, the person he was marrying wasn't Karen, but Rebecca.

Karen knew that he was doing this to punish her for abandoning him, intentionally making her watch as he married someone else.

The flashback ended and Karen suppressed the indescribable pain in her heart. She forced a smile and said to Jason, “Mr. Greene, rest assured. The person you want to marry is the true daughter of the Swanson Family. I am just an adopted daughter and I can’t compare to Rebecca. Naturally, I’m not qualified to have any objections about your marriage. The reason I disappeared for three hours today is simply because I wasn’t feeling well and went to the hospital for a checkup.”

For some reason, after she finished speaking, Jason’s expression darkened even further. He impatiently threw Karen to the ground, looking down at her with disdain. “At least you know your place.”

As he spoke, he paused for a moment, his gaze falling on the bottles of alcohol on the table. A cold glint flashed in his eyes and then he spoke in a frosty tone, "But you disappeared for three whole hours today, leaving Rebecca there, alone and anxious. I can't let this slide without punishment. Drink all twenty bottles of this alcohol and I’ll consider this matter closed."

Karen froze for a moment, a flash of hurt flickering in her eyes.

Jason had always known about her allergy to alcohol. It wasn’t deadly, but even a drop could send her to the hospital. Now, he was demanding that she drink twenty bottles of strong liquor at that. His intention was clear: he wanted her to beg him, just as he had once begged her.

If it were in the past, she would have stubbornly finished all the alcohol and then spent a month in the hospital. But now, she couldn’t do that.

The doctor had warned her. She must not drink alcohol, or she wouldn’t even last five days.

She still had many things left unfinished. She couldn’t just die like this. So, she pleaded with Jason. "Mr. Greene, I was wrong today. I beg you to let me off this time. I promise this will never happen again."

Jason seemed surprised that she had given in so easily. His expression darkened even more and he almost gritted his teeth as he said, "Back then, when I begged you, you gave me a slap. Now that you're begging me, how could I not return the favor? Someone, make her drink all of it!"

As soon as he finished speaking, two men stepped forward, pinning Karen down and forcing a bottle of strong liquor into her mouth.

Her artificial heart was already nearing its limit.

As soon as the alcohol slid down her throat, Karen felt a violent turmoil in her stomach. A sharp, twisting pain spread from her chest and her already fragile heart trembled forcefully, beat after beat.

She knew that this was the final burst of energy before her heart completely gave out.

She struggled desperately, but how could she possibly overpower two men? The only result was bottle after bottle being forced down her throat. She wanted to beg Jason to spare her, but she wasn’t even given a chance to speak.

Not until the last drop of alcohol was swallowed did the two men finally let go, ruthlessly throwing her to the ground.

Karen had been tortured to the point of complete exhaustion. She lay motionless on the floor like a lifeless fish, her empty gaze staring blankly ahead.

Jason’s eyes flickered with a trace of concern, but the words that left his mouth were filled with nothing but disdain.

"Do you think putting on this pitiful act will make me feel sorry for you like I used to? Stop wasting your efforts. The only thing I feel is annoyance. Someone, get her out of my sight."

The next second, Karen was dragged out of the private room and thrown into a deserted corner.

The searing pain in her heart continued, so unbearable that she didn’t even have the strength to make a phone call. All she could do was curl her body tightly into a ball to ease the agony, if only slightly.

Suddenly, footsteps approached and a sharp, mocking voice rang in her ears.

"Karen, after drinking so much, do you think your heart can still hold on?"

Karen slowly lifted her gaze and met Rebecca’s smug expression. "You knew I could die from drinking alcohol. Why didn’t you stop Jason? Aren’t you afraid that once I die, there’ll be no one left to give you blood?"

Rebecca sneered, looking at Karen as if she were a pathetic joke. "My body fully recovered a year ago. I don’t need your blood anymore. The only reason I didn’t tell you was to stop you from getting healthy enough for a heart transplant, so you wouldn’t steal Jason from me."

The words struck Karen like a bolt of lightning. She froze on the spot, her eyes burning with fury as she glared at Rebecca. "Rebecca, you’re heartless! Aren’t you afraid that Jason will find out the truth?"

"So what if he knows? Your heart can only last five more days. Do you really have the heart to let Jason live in guilt for the rest of his life after learning the truth? And what about his aging mother? If she finds out you willingly became my slave just to save her, she might just die from the shock. Can you bear that?"

Karen trembled with rage at Rebecca’s words. This woman knew exactly how much she loved Jason and his mother and how she couldn’t bear to see them in pain. That was why she dared to trample all over her without restraint.

Seeing Karen’s face contorted with pain and fury, Rebecca was beyond pleased. She crouched down, pinching Karen’s chin with a mocking smile.

"You see, Karen, the more you care, the more pathetic you are." Rebecca chuckled lightly, her tone full of disdain. "That’s not up to you..."

As she spoke, she glanced sideways at the approaching Jason before suddenly collapsing onto the ground, feigning agony.

The moment Jason saw this, his face turned pale in an instant. He rushed forward, gathering Rebecca into his arms.

"Rebecca, what’s wrong? Are you okay?"

"Jason, I feel awful... My old illness seems to be acting up again... I can’t breathe... Am I going to die?" Rebecca whimpered in distress, her voice trembling as if she were barely holding on.

Jason had heard before that Rebecca suffered from a strange illness. Her father had spent years trying to cure her, but it never completely went away and would flare up from time to time. However, he had never known the exact details of her condition.

He hadn’t expected to witness one of her episodes firsthand today.

Jason held her tightly in his arms, gently comforting her, "Rebecca, you won't die. I'll take you to the hospital right now."

Rebecca shook her head weakly and said, "It's useless. Only my sister's blood can cure me. But she drank alcohol just now and isn't feeling well. If she gives me blood now, it might harm her body."

Upon hearing this, Jason glanced at Karen. Seeing her pale face as she curled up in the corner, looking so frail that she seemed on the verge of death, his heart twisted with pain.

Noticing his reaction, Rebecca's expression darkened. She deliberately added, "Although Karen abandoned you and your mom for money back then, she did it for herself. I have no right to make her keep giving me blood..."

These words were undoubtedly a reminder of what Karen had done to Jason and his mother in the past, like a spark instantly igniting his fury. With a cold voice, he ordered, "Take her away! Send Karen to the hospital immediately and arrange for her to give Rebecca a blood transfusion!"

Karen's face changed drastically. Her eyes turned red as she pleaded with Jason. "No! I’ll die..."

She had thought that no matter how much Jason hated her, he wouldn’t go so far as to wish for her death.

But then she heard him say coldly. "What's wrong with trading your life for Rebecca's? Your living only brings pain to others."

These words were like a sharp blade stabbing deep into Karen’s heart, severing her last hope of survival.

In the end, she was forcibly taken to the hospital, where all of her blood was drained for Rebecca’s transfusion.

As Karen watched her blood being drawn away, her eyes turned red. She could feel her life slipping away, little by little.

She had thought she still had five more days to properly say goodbye to Halley and Jason. But now, it seemed she wouldn’t even get to see them one last time.

Watching smugly from the side, Rebecca leaned in and whispered, "Karen, just die in peace. I’ll take good care of Jason and his mother for you."

Karen wanted to refute her, but she didn’t even have the strength to open her mouth. She could only watch helplessly as Rebecca painted a vivid picture of her future life with Jason.

As the last drop of blood was drained from her body, Karen’s artificial heart completely stopped beating and her consciousness faded away.

Was she really going to die?

Karen had a dream.

She dreamt of the day she turned eighteen, the day Jason confessed to her.

Back then, they were both still young and innocent. Jason stood in front of her, holding a bouquet of chamomile, her favorite flowers. He was nervous and shy, his voice trembling as he clumsily confessed the feelings he had kept hidden for so long.

Finally, he looked at her with earnest eyes and asked, "Will you be my girlfriend?"

Karen smiled brightly and threw herself into Jason’s embrace, saying she was willing to be his girlfriend.

Jason was so excited that he held her tightly, then carefully placed a diamond necklace around her neck. It was a gift he had saved up for through his parttime jobs. He told her that this was their symbol of love and that no matter what happened in the future, as long as she wore this necklace, he would always forgive her.

Karen laughed, calling him childish, but in her heart, she cherished the necklace deeply. She vowed to stay by Jason’s side forever, never leaving him, never abandoning him.

But just as the beautiful scene was about to end with their kiss, everything suddenly froze. In the next moment, the world shifted and Karen felt herself plunging into a dark abyss.

The shadows of her past emerged all around her, each one a reminder of the pain she had endured over the years. She saw herself abandoning Jason and his mother, the memory of that fateful choice playing over and over. She relived the torment and humiliation she suffered in the Swanson Family, treated like a mere dog. And then came Jason’s return, successful, powerful and ruthless, repaying her with endless cruelty.

These agonizing memories clawed at her like unseen hands, dragging her deeper into the darkness. Fear consumed her, yet there was no escape.

And the necklace Jason had once given her, the symbol of his love and forgiveness, had long been locked away in a metal box by her past self, buried forever, never to see the light of day.

Karen was startled awake by the terrifying scenes in her dream. She shot up from the hospital bed, gasping for breath. When her eyes adjusted to her surroundings, she saw she was still in the same place as before she lost consciousness. It took her a moment to process until she realized she was still alive.

Before she could react further, Rebecca waltzed into the room, her expression smug and condescending, looking down at her like she was nothing more than an ant.

"Aren’t you curious why you’re still alive?" Rebecca sneered. "Because I changed my mind. I decided I didn’t want you to die so easily. I want you to be alive to personally witness me marrying the man you love the most, while you can do absolutely nothing about it."

She deliberately paused, watching the color drain from Karen’s face before adding, "Jason and I have already set the wedding date. It’s in five days. Coincidentally, it was the exact day your heart is supposed to fail completely. When that day comes, make sure to watch closely. Consider it my final gift to you before you die."

Karen's heart clenched in pain. Just as she was about to say something, the door was suddenly pushed open by Jason.

He seemed to have overheard part of the conversation, his brows furrowed deeply with a rare trace of concern in his eyes. His voice was tense as he asked, "What do you mean by a ‘final gift before you die’? Karen, are you dying?"