apter 6
I thanked him and left the café, feeling an unexpected calm. If Hannah had really found a matching donor, this whole mess would finally be over.
Unexpectedly, just as I reached the university entrance, I saw a large crowd buzzing anxiously around the bulletin board.
As I drew closer, a bright red notice jumped out at me. [Urgent notice! Hannah Cooley’s donor match has gone missing. Critical situation! Quinn Browning, please report to the hospital immediately!]
I stood rooted to the spot, thunderstruck. It was yet another trick.
15
“
Back in my dorm, my phone was bombarded with calls and texts from everyone. Mason, the Cooley family, my lecturer, my counselor, and even the Dean’s Office urged me to think of the bigger picture and get to the hospital immediately.
I shook with rage. They’d stop at nothing to force me to give in.
As I hesitated about turning off my phone, it buzzed again. It was Jacob, the reporter. “Quinn, I just saw the hospital announcement. How are you holding up?”
forced a wry smile. “I’m fine. It’s just another one of their schemes.”
Jacob fell silent for a moment. “I looked into it. There is indeed a registered donor match, but apparently, the procedure is temporarily on hold for some reason. I don’t know the specifics, but if you need help, feel free to reach out to me.”
1 thanked him and hung up.
Just then, a text popped up. [Quinn, it’s Hannah. If you can, please come to the hospital. I have something to tell you. I know you won’t donate your bone marrow, and I won’t ask again. I just want to see you one last time.]
I stared at the message for a long time, my heart in turmoil. In my previous life, I’d never doubted Hannah. It wasn’t until my dying breath did I finally see her true colors.
But in this life, though I guarded against her at every turn, I’d somehow lost the ability to tell truth from lies.
I thought about the possibility of her telling the truth and genuinely wanting to see me one last time.
After much deliberation, I decided to go to the hospital, but I wasn’t about to be easily persuaded to donate my bone marrow.
In the hospital corridor, Mason saw me approaching, his expression a mix of emotions. “You actually came.”
“I’m just here to check on her,” I said coolly. “Don’t read too much into it.”
Mason hesitated, words caught in his throat, then pushed open the hospital room door. “She’s waiting for you.”
In the hospital room, Hannah lay on the bed. Her thin frame made her look barely recognizable, and her skin was pale. Seeing me enter, she managed a weak smile and said, “Quinn, you’re here.”
I stood by the bed, at a complete loss for words.
“Don’t worry,” she said weakly. “I’m not going to pressure you to donate your bone marrow anymore. I just… want to talk. Like we used
to.”
I wordlessly took a seat, offering no reply.
“I heard you did an interview with a reporter?” she asked.
I nodded. “Yeah, it’ll be in tomorrow’s paper.”
That’s wonderful,” she said, sounding genuinely pleased. “At least people will get to hear your side of the story.”
Silence fell between us, broken only by the steady beeping of the monitors in the hospital room.
“Quinn,” Hannah said suddenly, “what if I told you… I’ve found another matching donor? Would you believe me?”
I looked up at her. “Is that true?”
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Chapter 6
“It’s true,” she whispered. “But the donor is still hesitating. The hospital is reaching out to the
I stared straight into her eyes and asked, “Why are you telling me this?”
“Because…” She hesitated. “I want you to know… it doesn’t have to be you.”
I was surprised. I was sure she’d keep guilt–tripping me.
“What about Mason?” I asked abruptly. “Why hasn’t he taken the donor matching test?”
Hannah’s face paled. “W–Why would you ask that?”
“Just curious,” I said with feigned casualness. “Aren’t you two… pretty close?”
Hannah clutched the sheets tightly, her voice trembling. “Quinn… there’s nothing going on between Mason and me.”
“Really?” I sneered. “Then why does he panic more than I do every time you faint?”
Hannah fell silent for a moment, then suddenly blurted out, “Quinn… there’s something I’ve been keeping from you.”
My heart raced. I wondered if she was finally going to confess.
My
“Mason… is actually my cousin,” Hannah murmured.
I froze. “What?”
Hannah explained softly, “Our family has always kept this secret from everyone. There are… certain reasons.
“That’s why he cares so much about me, and also why he can’t be my bone marrow donor. Close relatives share too many HLA genes, so the doctors said it wouldn’t work.”
I didn’t know whether to believe it or not. This explanation came out of nowhere. It was just too perfectly timed.
“Why are you only telling me this now?” I asked.
Hannah looked at me, tears welling up in her eyes. “Because… I’m afraid time is running out. Quinn, whether you believe me or not, I want you to know that you’ve always been my best friend. I never meant to use you… or hurt you.”
Her voice broke as she suddenly grasped my hand. “Promise me… If I don’t make it, please look after my parents. They only have me.”
At that moment, I was completely at a loss. She could be telling the truth, and the betrayal I remembered from my previous life could just be a misunderstanding.
I stepped out of the hospital room, my mind a swirling chaos. Hannah’s words could be true, and Mason could be her cousin. I could have misread the intimacy I saw before dying in my previous life.
Mason was waiting in the hallway. “Quinn, did Hannah tell you everything?”
I nodded, but I wasn’t in the mood to talk.
“Sorry for keeping this from you all this time,” Mason murmured. “It’s a family secret… After my mom remarried, she never wanted outsiders to know about my relationship with Hannah.”
The explanation sounded plausible enough, but something about it just didn’t sit right with me.
“If you two are cousins, why didn’t you say so earlier?” I demanded sharply. “Why let everyone think there was a love triangle between
us?”
Mason flashed a bitter smile. “We just didn’t want anyone to know we’re related. When my mom remarried, it caused quite a scandal. She was afraid it would reflect badly on us.”
I remained noncommittal and turned to leave, but Mason grabbed my arm. “Quinn, Hannah really has found a new donor match, but they’re overseas. It’ll take time. She might not make it that long.”
“So what?” I asked coldly. “Trying to get me to donate again?”
“It’s not bone marrow, just some hematopoietic stem cells to help her through this critical period,” Mason pleaded desperately. “There’s absolutely no risk, I swear!”
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Chapter 6
In my previous life, he’d given me the exact same guarantee.
I withdrew my hand sharply. “That won’t be necessary. I wish Hannah the best.”
