Kayson lay on the operating table, waiting for the procedure to begin.
Two nurses moved quickly, preparing anesthetics, antiseptics, and surgical supplies.
"Pull your pants down," one of them ordered.
Blushing, Kayson pulled them down slightly.
"Oh, for crying out loud! Are you a little girl? Stop being so shy!"
"I have other patients to attend to! Hurry up!"
One nurse reached over coldly and yanked his pants all the way off, tossing them aside.
Kayson curled up on the table, fragile as a leaf in a storm, letting the nurses do as they pleased.
The nurses remained expressionless as they cleaned and sterilized his side.
Moments later, a doctor walked in.
"Get your family to sign the consent form. We need a signature before surgery."
Kayson's face flushed.
"My mother is critically ill and unconscious.
My father disappeared a year ago.
I have to sign for myself."
The doctor in the white coat stared at him flatly.
"Don't you have a wife? Have her sign.
Nothing else you say matters. These are hospital rules.
If you want the surgery done quickly, call your wife and get her signature."
"She doesn't even have to be here in person. We offer remote digital authorization.
She can join a video call, record her consent, and it will be legally valid."
The doctor gave him a quick tip, then turned and left to attend to other work.
Kayson's heart sank. Sophia had hung up on him only moments before.
But the hospital's request was reasonable.
Every operation required family authorization, to prevent disputes or legal trouble later on.
He called Sophia again.
This time, he heard breathing on the line.
The call had connected.
"Sophia, I'm at the hospital. They need you to sign a consent form."
"What is it?" she replied shortly.
"I'm fine, it's just —"
"If nothing's wrong, why are you calling me? I told you not to bother me unless it's important!"
Before Kayson could finish, the line went dead with a beep.
The two nurses in the operating room exchanged amused glances.
Sophia was known as the most beautiful woman in Aster City.
And where Sophia went, Kayson's reputation followed — for all the wrong reasons.
Three years ago, their wedding had shocked the entire city.
Everyone knew Kayson as the most pathetic, useless live-in son-in-law in Aster City.
Sophia, in turn, had become the butt of every joke.
No one blamed her for being furious.
She was an elite graduate from a top university, a young CEO, admired by everyone.
And she was stuck with a good‑for‑nothing husband who did nothing but cry.
For three years, he'd done nothing but cook, clean, and wash for the Sullivan family without earning a dollar.
Now his mother was sick, and he had no money at all.
He was even selling his kidney to pay for her treatment.
He just kept getting more pathetic.
A lowlife like him wasn't even worthy of a nurse, let alone Aster City's most beautiful, brilliant CEO.
Watching Kayson get hung up on after just a few words, the nurses burst out laughing.
"Look at him, he doesn't even blush. I kind of admire his thick skin," one said.
"Thicker than a city wall," the other joked.
"Poor Miss Sullivan. How did she put up with this loser for three years?"
"I couldn't stand him for a single day."
"He's loyal to his mom, but he's so pathetic and useless. It's unbearable."
"What if they had kids? He couldn't even pay for a doctor's visit."
"I heard they never even slept together. It's just a fake marriage."
They giggled among themselves as Kayson called Sophia again.
"Don't hang up! Please, just listen to me!" Kayson almost shouted into the phone.
Sophia was taken aback by his tone.
Seizing his chance, Kayson spoke urgently.
"My mother is in a coma. She needs $50,000 for emergency surgery.
I'm selling my kidney to save her. I need you to sign the form."
"It's not that I'm demanding it. Hospital rules require a family member's signature.
I'm not even asking for money! Why do you keep hanging up? Is signing your name really that hard?"
Kayson didn't bother explaining himself.
His adoptive mother was bedridden, unable to move or use the bathroom on her own.
She needed constant care. How could he hold down a job?
To keep his mother alive, he swallowed his pride.
He took the insults from the Sullivans just to have a roof over his head.
But his mother never ate a single meal paid for by the Sullivans.
Linda carefully counted every dollar she gave Kayson for groceries, even checking market prices to make sure he wasn't stealing.
His mother's medical care and food came only from the $200,000 Kayson had received when he married into the family.
He was torn between caring for his paralyzed mother and waiting on the Sullivans.
No one who hadn't lived his life could understand how heavy it was.
His throat was dry, his voice hoarse from desperation.
"It's just your signature! It means nothing to you, but everything to me.
Sign it, and my mother lives. I'll be grateful to you for the rest of my life."
Kayson held the phone tightly, terrified she would hang up again.
Every passing minute reduced his mother's chance of survival.
He didn't even ask for money anymore. He only told her he was selling his kidney.
Partly because he knew asking for money was hopeless.
And partly because he knew Sophia had no money of her own.
Linda controlled every dollar Sophia earned, calling it protection against "thieves in the house" — meaning Kayson.
She even took all of Sophia's jewelry, afraid Kayson would steal it.
But signing a piece of paper? That cost nothing.
"I'll bet you Miss Sullivan won't sign. The surgery's not happening," one nurse grinned.
"I bet she will sign. She doesn't care about him at all," the other replied.
The two nurses sat nearby, eating sunflower seeds.
Anesthetics and instruments were ready.
They only waited for Sophia's remote signature.
Click!
Sophia hung up without a second thought.
"See? I told you she wouldn't do it."
"We wasted our time. Let's go."
The nurses packed up the equipment and left the room.
"Mom! Mom! I'm so sorry! I'm useless!"
Alone now, Kayson buried his head in his hands and screamed in tears.
For three years he had slaved for the Sullivan family, from dawn till late at night.
They didn't even wash their own socks — they made him do it.
And they always said the same thing:
"You're ours. We paid $200,000 for you. We'd be stupid not to use you."
Kayson had pushed himself like a spinning top, hoping to win Sophia's heart.
But in the end, the Sullivan family was cold as iron.
His mother-in-law refused to lend even a dollar.
And now, his own wife wouldn't even sign a simple form.
He could only watch his mother suffer, with no way to save her.
"AAAAH!"
Overwhelmed by despair, Kayson threw his head forward and slammed it against the wall.
BOOM!