She was both shocked and thrilled. After he had rejected her so harshly, he was now not only in her room but had locked the door.


    "Timothy..." she breathed his name, her voice full of emotion.


    "I need your help with something," he said bluntly. There was no time to waste; Jessica couldn''t wait. She was in so much pain, and he couldn''t bear the thought of her suffering for another day.


    "Is it something important? You look so serious," she said. "You know you don''t have to be like this with me. If you need my help, of course I''ll help you."


    "Jessica has liver cancer. I need you to be a donor."


    She thought she was hallucinating. Was this a scene from a novel? The man she loved was asking her to give one of her organs to the woman he loved.


    "Timothy, don''t you think you''re being cruel?" she asked, a bitterugh escaping her lips. "You know how I feel about you, yet you''re asking me to donate my liver to Jessica? The Zimmermans are powerful, and so are you. Are you telling me you can''t find a single suitable donor, and you have toe to me? Timothy, you''re very good at what you do. Are you sure I''m the only match? Have you even been tested? It feels like you''re not here to ask for a favor, but to rip my heart out!"


    "Vince came to me personally. She''s had cancer for a while now, and he and Herbert have been searching for a long time. If there were any other options, why would I be here?"


    She''s eyes widened. “But I''ve never been tested for a match. How could they possibly know I''mpatible?"


    "Have you ever had aprehensive liver scan?"


    She remembered that she had.


    Seeing her silence, Timothy


    continued, "The hospital where you


    had the tests done belongs to


    Herbert. Your data was a match in Herbert.


    their registry. I''m begging you.


    Please, help me this one time."


    She''s mind raced. If Jessica died, she and Timothy might finally have a chance. If she agreed to be a donor and Jessica survived, what hope would she have left? She couldn''t do it.


    She had even asked her father to help ensure Jessica''s demise. Now, with Jessica having cancer, it was clear the Zimmermans were desperate. Vince would never have approached Timothy otherwise.


    To think she was the one person who could save Jessica. It was almostughable. But she couldn''t refuse outright; that would destroy the image she had carefully crafted in Timothy''s mind.


    "A live liver donation is a major operation," she said carefully. "It''s painful, and there are risks. What if go into surgery and don''te out? Timothy, if it were for a close rtive, wouldn''t hesitate. But have no connection to Jessica. How can I risk my life for her?"


    She had brought the question down to life and death, making it a serious matter.


    "She might not be rted to you, but I''m the one asking. I promise Herbert will arrange for the best surgeons. You won''t be in any danger, I swear.”


    She''s voice wasced with pain. “She isn''t just anyone; she''s your wife. And you know my feelings for you. How could I possibly do that for her? Timothy, I''m sorry. I can''t."


    She had to seize this opportunity. Fate had handed it to her.


    "And she''s determined to divorce you. After that, you''ll have no rtionship with her at all. Why should


    u care what happenset


    her? heard from Mom that you copsed outside the Zimmerman house, that you nearly died. Not a single one of them showed any mercy. Why are you doing this to yourself?"