Chapter 515 I Will Stay by Mr. Howard's Side
"Ms. Hughes, the bone marrow match results are in. Just like you thought, it's a match."
Margaret clutched her phone, the voice on the other end slowly calming her nerves. She didn't think she was stuck in the past; she just didn't want to owe anyone a life debt.
He had donated part of his liver to her, and now she was giving him bone marrow in return.
From now on, they were even, with no debts between them.
The next day, Margaret postponed her meeting and rushed to the hospital to donate bone marrow. Before leaving, she instructed Rufus to do everything possible to save Raymond and to bill The Hughes Group for the medical expenses.
Rufus nodded.
"What if Mr. Howard asks about the donor?"
"Just tell him the donor wants to stay anonymous."
She didn't want any more entanglements with Raymond. Margaret was exhausted from the back-and-forth.
After Margaret left, Rufus went to Raymond's room.
He found Raymond sitting in a wheelchair, facing away from the door, looking desolate.
He was wearing a knitted hat.
Rufus walked over, but Raymond didn't even glance at him. Following Raymond's gaze, Rufus looked outside.
The sun was shining brightly, with no wind, rain, or snow.
The warm light fell on the tree branches outside the window, where new green buds were sprouting, full of life and hope.
The sunlight made Raymond squint, his eyes reflecting a hint of discomfort. A bitter smile played on his lips.
He looked down at his hands.
His fingernails were pale, and his fingers were cold.
He had another nosebleed this morning.
Outside the hospital, everything was thriving.
But inside, he was barely holding on, nearing the end of his life.
"Mr. Howard, I have good news for you. You'll be pleased to hear it," Rufus said respectfully, bending down.
Raymond didn't respond. He had no expectations for good news anymore.
"We found a bone marrow match for you. You can have the surgery. I'll personally perform it tomorrow night." Rufus added.
The news hit Raymond like a stone thrown into a calm pond, causing waves of emotion.
He looked up, surprised, at Rufus. "You found one?"
"Yes, we did. A kind person who wishes to remain anonymous donated it."
Raymond's lips curled into a smile. He hadn't expected to find hope for life just as he was nearing the end.
"What's the success rate of the surgery?" Raymond asked.
Rufus didn't want to lie. "Less than twenty percent."
Less than twenty percent.
Raymond's smile froze.
The odds were not in his favor.
"Don't worry, Mr. Howard. We'll do our best to make the surgery a success. Get some rest; I'll prepare for tomorrow night."
Rufus left.
The room felt empty.
Knowing there was a match but only a slim chance of success left Raymond with mixed feelings.
He had a brief moment of joy, because he could live.
He used to hope for a miracle, thinking that if one happened, he and Margaret wouldn't have to part.
But now that a miracle had occurred, he felt uneasy.
"Raymond, I'm here to collect your body. Next time, have Alvin call me. Make sure you're really dead before he does. My only wish now is for you to die soon."
Margaret's curses echoed in his ears.
Her cold eyes and sharp gaze replayed vividly in his mind.
Margaret wanted him dead.
If he had the surgery, her wish wouldn't come true.
Besides, he didn't deserve to live. He had caused her so much pain, indirectly leading to her family's death. Because of him, she became an orphan.
The Hughes Family was destroyed because of him.
Margaret had regained her memory and hated him deeply. Even if he survived, what would it matter?
He had lost Margaret forever.
Fate had a cruel sense of humor. The bone marrow match appeared only after he had settled his affairs and completely let go of Margaret.
Without Margaret, his life had little meaning.
Even if the surgery succeeded and he survived, could he bear to watch Margaret with Daniel, getting married and having children?
Raymond wasn't that magnanimous.
He couldn't do it.
If he lived, he would be unable to resist trying to win Margaret back.
After much thought, Raymond decided to forgo the surgery.
Alvin rushed to the hospital after work, looking tired but happy. "Mr. Howard, I told you God would bless you. Relax, don't stress. The surgery will be a success tomorrow night."
As Raymond heard Alvin's concern, his heart warmed.
He smiled faintly.
But his words were cold. "I'm not going through with the surgery."
"Why?"
"Mr. Howard, you must be joking. This isn't funny. We've been searching for a match for so long, and now that a miracle has happened, how can you give up?"
Raymond looked at him, sitting in his wheelchair, his thin lips pressed into a line.
Alvin knelt down, almost in tears, pleading, "Mr. Howard, don't do this. There's hope if you're alive. Not for yourself, but for Ms. Hughes. If the surgery succeeds, you can grow old together. Don't give up. Life is precious."
Raymond's eyes reddened. It was precisely because of Margaret that he didn't want the surgery.
He didn't want to burden her, didn't want to make her unhappy.
If he survived, he wouldn't be able to resist appearing before her, trying to win her back.
His relentless pursuit would only annoy her more.
Margaret's only wish was for him to die soon.
He couldn't deny her that.
"If you die, The Hughes Group, which you built over half your life, and the woman you've loved for so long, will all belong to someone else. Are you really okay with that? Mr. Howard, dying is the easy way out. Living is the hard part. If you live, I'll be by your side. With your talent and ability, you could start over. In time, you and Ms. Hughes could reconcile," Alvin said, tears in his eyes, his voice trembling.
Raymond's throat tightened. He turned away, not wanting to look at Alvin.
He feared that seeing Alvin's tears would weaken his resolve.
The door opened again.
Rufus, wearing scrubs, walked in.
"Mr. Howard, I've prepared everything for tomorrow's surgery. Relax and get some rest tonight. We'll be ready for the battle tomorrow."
Before Raymond could respond, Alvin turned to Rufus. "Mr. Howard doesn't want the surgery. Please, convince him."
Rufus's expression changed. He remembered Raymond being happy about the match. What had changed?
He approached Raymond, about to speak.
"I have made my decision. There's no need to say more," Raymond said coldly, cutting him off.
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