Goodbye, My Heartless Husband

"Get on top. Then keep moving."

It had been months since Michael Owen and Noreen Scott had been together that way, and the frustration Michael had been carrying for so long made him far more demanding than usual.

Noreen had always been the one who gave in. No matter what he wanted, she never argued and simply followed his lead.

A sheen of sweat covered Michael's firm body. The bedroom felt unbearably warm, and the empty encounter seemed to stretch on without end.

Noreen's sight grew hazy. She slowly lifted a trembling hand and reached toward his face.

Michael usually hated gestures like that. He never saw any value in them. Yet for reasons she couldn't understand, he lowered his head and pressed a gentle kiss against her fingertips.

Noreen felt her heart tighten. Even breathing became harder for her.

One round didn't satisfy Michael. He still wanted more.

Noreen pressed a hand against her chest and hid her pale, damp face against the pillow. "It hurts," she said hoarsely. "I can't do it again."

Her condition had been getting worse for a long time, and her weakened body couldn't endure much more. Even what they had just finished had already taken too much out of her.

Michael barely heard her. "What was that?" he asked impatiently.

Noreen parted her lips to say it again, but the sharp sound of a ringing phone stopped her.

The faint light from the screen fell across Michael's handsome face. The cold look in his eyes disappeared and was replaced by something much softer. He sat upright and answered the call.

"It's late. What's going on?"

A woman's quiet voice drifted through the phone.

Noreen remained silent as she listened to another woman flirt with her husband.

Michael spoke very little. As soon as the call ended, he turned away from Noreen and got out of bed as though she wasn't there.

After two years of marriage, Noreen had become used to living this way. She had no say in their relationship and no place in his heart. All she could do was endure his affairs in silence. Tonight, however, felt different.

Ignoring the ache spreading through her chest, Noreen gathered her strength and spoke. "Michael, can you stay with me tonight? Please?"

This would probably be the last time they would ever see each other.

Michael showed no interest in her plea. "I'll come by another time," he said coldly.

What he was really saying was that he'd return whenever he needed her again. It was the sort of careless excuse a man would give a passing affair, yet he was saying it to his own wife.

A bitter laugh escaped Noreen's lips. "What if I told you I'm dying?"

For the past two years, she had been living with a serious heart condition while quietly watching her health decline. She never made an effort to hide it from him, but Michael had never paid enough attention to notice. In his eyes, she existed only to meet his physical needs.

Even at that moment, Michael believed she was trying to manipulate him. A look of contempt crossed his face. "You're actually using that excuse to make me stay? Know your place, Noreen. Stop trying to pull those cheap tricks on me."

The harshness of his words made her eyes burn.

Slowly, Noreen closed her eyes. The final trace of hope she had been holding onto faded away.

Without wasting any time, Michael took a shower and walked out.

Silence soon settled over the bedroom.

The warmth that had lingered in the room disappeared before long, leaving behind a coldness that seemed to seep into her bones. Noreen remained still on the wrinkled sheets while countless thoughts filled her mind.

Earlier, she had intended to tell him everything. She had been ready to exchange her last bit of hope for even the smallest amount of affection from him. Now, all she felt was regret.

She no longer wanted to leave her life in the hands of fate, and she no longer wanted to chase after Michael's love. To her, that love had no value at all.

After forcing her sore and exhausted body upright, Noreen reached for her phone and placed a call.

The person who answered was a famous professor and one of the leading experts in terminal illnesses.

"Professor Edwards," Noreen said. "I've made my decision. I'm willing to donate my heart for your experiment."

Clint Edwards sounded surprised by her answer. "The risks involved are extremely high. Are you completely certain about this?"

"I understand," Noreen said softly. "I don't have much time left anyway. I might as well take this chance. No matter how it ends, I won't regret my decision."