Reborn Rejecting the Fake Donor and Choosing My True Protector

My doctor boyfriend found a matching kidney donor for my transplant—his foster sister. While everyone celebrated the miracle, I turned on my livestream and looked straight into the camera: "Everyone, look closely. The people in this room are trying to murder me and steal my family fortune." The second the words left my mouth, my boyfriend and his so-called "charity-case" donor turned ghost-white. My boyfriend lunged forward to snatch my phone, but I backed away before he could touch me. "Stay away from me, or I'm pressing charges for assault." Julian Hayes's face twisted into an ugly grimace. "Natalie, what kind of scene are you making? Chloe volunteered to give you her kidney out of the goodness of her heart. Why are you acting so ungrateful?" Chloe Miller's eyes welled with tears, her voice trembling. "Natalie, why are you calling the police on us..." I kept my distance and watched their pathetic performance. My heart was dead silent. All I felt was an urge to laugh. In my previous life, this was the exact routine they used to swindle my family's fortune and leave me to die. This time, neither of them was walking away. In my past life, Julian brought his foster sister to my hospital room under the exact same pretense. My parents were so moved by her supposed sacrifice that they decided to officially take her in as their goddaughter to make it up to her. Yet, on the scheduled surgery date, she never showed up. Julian came to my bedside with a remorseful face: "I'm so sorry, Natalie. Chloe's health is fragile right now. Her vitals don't meet surgical criteria, so the doctors need to stabilize her first." Then came the second delay. The third... Every single time, he had a new excuse ready for her. By the ninth delay, my body had deteriorated to the point of complete organ failure. Desperate, I dragged myself out of bed to find them, only to walk in on the two of them rolling around in bed together. When I confronted them in tears, Julian shoved me to the ground with pure disgust in his eyes: "Your bad luck is your own fault! How can you be so selfish as to demand Chloe sacrifice her body for you?!" My head smashed against the floor, and my vision went black. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the very day Julian first brought Chloe into my room. I stood a safe distance away from them, my voice flat and icy: "I refuse the kidney, and I have nothing to say to either of you." Just then, my parents walked in from the hallway and immediately snapped at me: "What is all this commotion? Why are you calling the police?" Julian seized the distraction, grabbed my phone, and shut down the livestream. "Richard, Eleanor, Natalie must look down on where I come from. That's why she's saying these things." "Even though my kidney is a perfect ten-out-of-ten match, if Natalie doesn't want it, I'll just leave." Tears streamed down Chloe's cheeks as she spoke. "I just don't understand why she called the cops on me. I only wanted to help..." Julian chimed in, his hand clamping around my wrist like a vice: "It was just a misunderstanding. Natalie has been moody and throwing tantrums lately." His grip was punishing, warning me to shut my mouth. I tried to pull away, but couldn't. A chill settled deep in my bones. To everyone else, I was just being unreasonable. My mother's eyes softened as she took Chloe's hand, comforting her gently: "Good girl, don't cry. Natalie is just causing trouble." "Eleanor, I don't want her kidney," I interrupted, cutting through their touching reunion. My mother's expression soured, but Julian jumped in to smooth things over: "Eleanor, don't mind her. Natalie's probably just jealous." Julian smiled, pulling me into his chest and ruffling my hair the way he had done thousands of times before. I tried to pull away, but he held me tighter. I caught the familiar, clean scent of his cologne. Once, it made me feel safe. Now, it made me want to vomit. "Chloe is a college student I've been sponsoring. Today is our very first time meeting in person." "Natalie, stop acting out," he whispered, looking down at me with a gaze so gentle it felt like poison. "A match this perfect is impossible to find again if you let it slip away." For a fraction of a second, I almost fooled myself into thinking my past life was just a nightmare. He looked like the same devoted boyfriend who had always protected me. The very next second, the phantom pain of end-stage renal failure flared up from deep inside my bones. We were childhood sweethearts, the envy of everyone around us. From high school uniforms to white lab coats, he had held my hand, promising we would get married the second I got better. How wonderful it sounded. Yet, nine times. Nine agonizing times, he held out hope only to smash it to pieces in front of me. Right up until I was left to rot in that freezing hospital room, he still lectured me to be "understanding." I was done living in a fairy tale. My parents were already sitting on the sofa with Chloe, calling her their sweet girl. I heard my mother say: "Finding someone as kind as Chloe with a perfect match is a blessing from God." "Our Natalie is finally going to live." Not a single person asked what I wanted. In their eyes, all that mattered was this fragile lifeline that could snap at any moment. I slipped my hand out of Julian's grasp, walked quietly toward the bathroom, and shut the door behind me. Leaning against the cold surface, I let out a ragged breath. In this life, my parents wouldn't believe me because they were too desperate for hope. Julian wouldn't care because his heart had never belonged to me in the first place. I refused to bet my life on a ticking time bomb who could pull out at any moment. And I certainly wasn't going to bet it on a childhood sweetheart who had already betrayed me. In this life, my survival belonged entirely to me. I pulled out my backup phone, dialed a number, and spoke with eerie calm: "I need a favor."The next morning, an edited clip of my conversation with Chloe hit the internet. Framed as a self-sacrificing donor being reported to the police by an ungrateful patient, the comments turned into a digital lynching. "She volunteered her kidney to a stranger, and this is what she gets? Chloe is literally an angel!" "She offered her own organ and got framed for attempted murder? I'm sick to my stomach." "A flawless match! God literally sent her a savior, and she called the cops?" "Why bother saving someone this ungrateful? It's a waste of medical resources!" "She's clearly just jealous of a pretty younger girl and terrified her boyfriend will get stolen!" "I hope the donor backs out. Let this snake suffer on her own!" Staring at the screen, my stomach churned with nausea. In my past life, I had listened to the internet and treated Chloe like a saint. And what did it get me? Endless delays for "poor health," and a lonely, agonizing death. That afternoon, relatives from the Ward family arrived alongside several major board members of our company. They crowded around my bed, not a single one asking how I felt. Instead, the scolding started immediately: "Natalie, you are way out of line!" "Chloe is an angel. Why would you call the cops on her? Do you have any idea how bad this makes our family look?" "If word spreads, the entire Ward Group's reputation will be ruined!" My parents sat beside them with grim faces. After a long silence, my father sighed heavily: "Natalie, Eleanor and I have decided to officially adopt Chloe as our goddaughter." "The girl comes from nothing. She took all this humiliation and still wants to save your life." "Our family owes her security. We cannot let her feel unappreciated." I refused immediately and flatly, earning only a look of profound disappointment from my parents. "Natalie, you're an adult. Stop playing games with your own life." Night fell, and the room grew quiet. Julian walked in. He tucked in my blanket and gently stroked my cheek. "Natalie, still upset?" "What am I going to do with you? All I want is for you to live." My nose stung. For a fleeting second, I wanted to confront him directly. Julian, why did you do that to me in our past life? Why did you stand by and watch me die? Before I could open my mouth, his next words shoved me right back into an arctic chill. "Post a public apology to Chloe tomorrow." "Say your illness messed with your emotions and made you act on impulse." He stroked my hair, talking to me like a petulant child. "Trust me, Natalie. I'll make sure Chloe goes through with the surgery." "But she's a good girl, and she's your savior. I have to look out for her, too." I stared at the ceiling in complete silence. He was the one whispering sweet promises right now. And he was the exact same man who watched me rot in my past life. The next day, I asked someone to look into the national organ registry. When the report came back, my blood ran cold. My parents had halted the expedited search on international organ banks. Their reasoning? "If Chloe finds out, she'll think we don't trust her. It would break her heart." Julian had used his hospital connections to shelve every backup donor on my file. He had personally instructed my primary care team: "Natalie already has a match. Put the other options on hold." My life had been pinned exclusively onto Chloe Miller. Right on cue, the first postponement arrived. Chloe clutched her chest, pale and tearful, as she spoke to my parents: "Richard, Eleanor, I've... I've developed severe anemia lately." "I want so badly to save Natalie, but the doctors said my body is too weak for the harvest right now." "The second my counts recover, I promise I'll be the first on the table..." Instead of blaming her, my parents panicked and immediately threw a lavish banquet to welcome her into the family. At the party, Chloe officially became the Wards' goddaughter and moved into our family estate. She wore a designer dress bought by my mother, clinging to Julian's arm the entire evening. They looked just like a bride and groom. Curled up in my hospital bed watching the livestream, a text from Julian lit up my screen: "Natalie, Chloe is only resting so she can give you a healthier kidney." "She has such a pure heart. She's your sister now. Don't be cold to her." I typed back: "Is her kindness so pure that it requires an advance deposit from my family?" Julian fired back several messages: "Natalie, she's family now. Don't speak so vilely." "Everything we do is for your own good. Why can't you see that?" I didn't reply to a single word. By dusk, my condition took a sharp turn. Wave after wave of nausea battered me, and my entire body felt submerged in freezing water.The hospital door was slammed open without warning. My parents and Julian marched into the room, followed closely by Chloe, whose eyes were swollen from crying. Julian shoved his phone right into my face. On the screen was the text message I had sent earlier. "Natalie Ward, what the hell is this supposed to mean?" My father's face was thunderous: "Do you have any idea that Chloe spent the entire afternoon sobbing?" "She's offering you a piece of her own body, and all you do is spit venom at her!" Leaning against the headboard, cold sweat soaked my back. "She cried for an afternoon?" I managed a dry, hollow laugh. "What about me? I'm lying in this bed waiting to die. Has a single person asked about me?" My mother's eyes watered, but her words were razor-sharp: "Natalie, when did you turn into such a bitter, spiteful person?" "Chloe is your savior! Without her, you'd already be in a grave!" "To repay kindness with malice like this—you've disgraced our entire family!" Chloe sniffled on cue, shrinking behind Julian like a terrified sparrow. "Natalie, I know you hate me... but I really just want you to live!" "If seeing my face makes you sick, I-I'll just leave." Hate her? Staring at her pitiful expression, I suddenly smiled. In my past life, I adored her. I even sent Julian away to look after her. And what did she do? She delayed the procedure nine times until my kidneys failed completely, leaving me chained to dialysis bags with less than two weeks to live. Before that, I had countless chances to find another donor. By the time she was done stalling, my window had closed forever. The suffocating despair of watching my life slip away came rushing back. I raised my trembling hand toward the nurse call button. Julian caught my wrist before my fingers could reach it. "Cut her painkillers starting today." He looked down at me, his eyes dead and unfeeling. "You love making a scene, don't you? You love calling the cops and throwing fits." "We've spoiled you for too long." "The surgery is around the corner anyway. Endure it on your own for a few days." "If you don't feel a little pain, you'll never learn to appreciate what Chloe is doing for you!" A vicious spasm stabbed through my abdomen. Organ failure leaves the immune system completely defenseless. Without pain management, systemic stress would send my infection risk skyrocketing. In the past, the moment I showed a hint of discomfort, he would rush the attending physician to adjust my dosage. Now, while I was drenched in sweat from sheer agony, he cut my medication just to teach me a lesson for Chloe. I turned my eyes to my parents. They exchanged a brief, hesitant glance. Chloe covered her mouth and sobbed louder, tears spilling everywhere. "It's all my fault. I always upset Natalie. I never should have offered." "I'll leave right now so I don't ruin her mood. Please don't fight because of me." My mother's heart instantly melted, her jaw setting hard: "Chloe, you did nothing wrong! Julian is right! She needs to learn her lesson!" With that, they turned around, linked arms with Chloe, and walked out. That evening, the attending doctor on duty had clearly read the headlines online. When he walked into my room, his eyes rolled almost to the back of his head. He shoved the thermometer under my arm with zero care, muttering under his breath: "Some people are knocking on death's door and still act like entitled brats." "Honestly, you deserve this sickness. You haven't suffered enough." As he stepped out, his conversation with the nurse drifted through the cracked door: "That's her! Someone offers her a kidney, and she calls the police claiming it's an assassination plot." "Total paranoid lunatic. If you ask me, let her rot." I gripped the bedsheets, my nails digging deep into my palms. Just then, the head nurse stopped by to inform me that my pre-transplant assessment was cleared. The next second, Julian walked back in with a scowl. "Cancel it. Chloe just ran a fever. The harvest is delayed." My body turned to ice. Right on schedule. In my past life, it was always a "fever," "anemia," or "emotional distress." Once, twice... nine delays. Right up until I drew my final breath. Julian turned his glare on me, his patience completely worn through. "This is all because you threw a fit today! Chloe was so heartbroken she got sick!" "A girl that sweet can't handle your disgusting malice!" "You've become completely unreasonable lately. You sicken me." He pulled out a document and slapped it onto my tray table. "Sign it. It's a statement of voluntary delay." "Once Chloe recovers, we'll schedule the operation." "I won't sign it." He glared at me, stepped forward, and tried to pry my medical records and ID out of my hands. During the struggle, he flung me off the mattress. A flicker of panic flashed in his eyes as he hastily scooped me off the floor and laid me back down. "Natalie, be good. Stop fighting us. Everyone is trying to help you." His tone was gentle again, exactly like it used to be before Chloe showed up. Yet in my past life, he had used that exact same gentle voice to discuss my funeral arrangements. The moment he left, I locked the door and dialed that private number. "Arrangements are set," the voice on the other end said. "Transfer the day after tomorrow. Immediate surgery." "Understood."Hanging up, a rare sense of peace finally washed over me. To my surprise, Chloe announced the very next morning that her fever had broken and she was ready for surgery. Pre-op assessments today, final blood panels tomorrow. Neither my parents nor Julian showed a trace of concern, nor did they bother consulting me. By the afternoon, orderlies and nurses swarmed into my room, unlocking the wheels of my bed to push me toward the surgical wing. "I'm not going!" I gripped the bed rails with everything I had. Julian offered a calm smile, but his hands held my shoulders down with brutal force: "Natalie, Chloe took the prep shots just for you! Stop acting like a spoiled child!" Chloe stood by the doorway, tears welling in her eyes: "Natalie, I already took the mobilization injections... and now you're refusing?" "I said no." My father's face darkened. "You don't get a say in this!" Several orderlies pinned me down. As I fought back, the metal IV pole crashed onto the floor with a loud clang. Chloe darted behind Julian, tears cascading down her cheeks. "Natalie, I'm sacrificing my body to save your life. Why do you have to step on my heart like this?" "Even if you despise me, you can't throw your own life away!" My mother wrapped Chloe in an embrace, glaring at me with raw venom: "Natalie Ward, do you have any idea how much pain Chloe is enduring for you?! When is this childish tantrum going to end?!" "Chloe, don't be afraid," my father said, his voice filled with a tenderness I had never received. "Walk into that operating room with your head high. I'm transferring fifty percent of the company's shares to your name today." "You are saving our daughter. You are our family's savior, and we will never shortchange you." Chloe's eyes flashed with unmistakable greed, though her lips still formed a modest protest: "Richard, I can't accept that... I'm doing this out of love, not for money." My mother held her hand with tearful affection: "You deserve every penny, sweet girl. You are our lucky star." Listening to them made my stomach turn violently. The orderlies pinned my arms and legs. Julian uttered two cold words: "Tie her down." Restraint straps were wrapped tightly around my wrists and ankles, biting deep into my skin. My phone slipped from under the sheets, and I managed to dial that number one last time amid the chaos. A second later, Julian snatched it away. "Natalie, you'd rather trust an outsider than your own family?" He ended the call and smashed the phone into the trash can. "You think anyone is coming to save you today?" I glared straight into his eyes, spacing out every word: "Do you have any idea that you've stalled me to the very end?" "If she backs out on that table, I will die right there!" "Did a single one of you think about that?!" Chloe burst into theatrical wails, acting like the most victimized soul on earth: "Why would I back out?! How could you accuse me of that?!" "I took the medication! I'm standing right here! What else do I have to do to prove my heart?!" My father slammed his fist onto the table, his finger pointing at my nose: "Bastard! Son of a bitch! All you know how to do is spew poison at innocent people!" "How did I raise a daughter like you?!" Julian let go of my arm, his eyes as cold as a frozen lake: "Natalie, sometimes I genuinely regret ever falling for a woman like you." My mother turned her back, holding Chloe and comforting her softly. I suddenly burst out laughing. Laughter mixed with tears that poured down my cheeks. In my past life, what they did to me was a hundred times crueler. Back then, every knife they drove into my back was wrapped in honeyed words. Now that the mask was gone, their true ugliness lay completely bare. As they began rolling my bed toward the doors, I glanced at the clock on the wall and felt an eerie stillness settle inside me. "See? If you had just behaved, we wouldn't have had to do this!" Julian snapped. In my head, I counted down. Three. Two. One. A deep, commanding voice shattered the noise in the hallway: "Who authorized an operation against the patient's explicit refusal?"