Chapter 869
Ruby was lost in her memories.
When Ophelia was suffering from kidney failure, Ruby was already married to her ex-husband. He was charming in public but often came home drunk and abusive.
She had cried and begged her parents for help, but they valued sons over daughters. They told her that all married women had to endure such things for the sake of family honor and advised her to tolerate it and try to win her husband's favor.
In the end, it was Ophelia who noticed Ruby's injuries and brought bodyguards to warn her ex-husband. Only then did he restrain himself somewhat.
But on the night they found out Ruby was a match for Ophelia, her greedy in-laws forced her to sign the donation papers immediately.
When she refused, she was slapped twice and locked up.
Eventually, she escaped back to her parents' home.
Her family was just as thrilled as her in-laws, sharing the same mindset.
They persuaded her that losing a kidney was no big deal. She would be well taken care of, and it wouldn't affect her life, but she could become the savior of the Kelly family.
Yes, she would only lose a kidney, but everyone else would benefit. Why not go along with it?
In that situation, rather than being forced to donate, she decided to seek benefits for herself.
Since she couldn't keep the kidney, why not appear willing and ensure the benefits came to her?
In the end, her choice proved right. Ophelia was deeply grateful to her.
The Kelly family was even more thankful, and she used a small trick to let Oberon see her ex-husband dragging her off the sickbed during her recovery.
Oberon then decided she should divorce her ex-husband, and she stayed at the Kelly Manor after the divorce.
From then on, Oberon and Flora treated her like their own daughter.
But their kindness only highlighted her biological parents' coldness and fueled her greed, making her desire more.
She was truly jealous of Ophelia. She wished she were Ophelia or that Ophelia didn't exist.
Maybe her kidney could sense her thoughts, or perhaps fate was finally favoring Ruby.
In the third year after the transplant, Ophelia suddenly experienced severe rejection, and her condition rapidly deteriorated beyond control.
She died young, which ultimately benefited Ruby.
And now, she was just one step away from getting everything she wanted.
She had lost a kidney, her health, and the chance to be a mother. She had sacrificed so much and was about to gain everything.
How could she let it all go to waste now?
Without Terrence's kidney, she would have nothing.
With this in mind, Ruby clenched her fists and looked at Jackson.
"What did you do to threaten the Wheeler family? Acting on your whims and cutting off people's paths will come back to haunt you!"
Ruby spoke righteously, showing no sign of guilt, like an elder earnestly advising a younger person.
Ruby's reputation was indeed well-deserved.
Even in this situation, she maintained her image.
Unfortunately, her act did not affect Jackson.
Jackson looked at her coldly. "No matter how many bad things I've done, they don't compare to yours. Save your words for yourself."
Terry nodded. "Exactly. You don't even spare the elderly and children. You're despicable. The world would be better off without you!"
Ruby trembled, finally pushed to her limit. She angrily retorted, "You're slandering me! What bad things have I done? When did I harm the elderly or children? Just because I was worried about Anouk and asked Lyra for help, and Lyra fainted from anxiety, Jackson, you want to push me to the brink! On what grounds?"
Jackson sneered. "Slandering you? If you didn't harm the elderly, how did my grandmother and Oberon end up in the emergency room? If you didn't harm children, how did you become Terrence's daughter's savior, making Terrence so grateful that he agreed to donate a kidney to you?"
Jackson's gaze was cold and full of mockery.
Ruby's heart skipped a beat. Did Jackson know the truth about how she saved Terrence's daughter? Impossible! She had done it very discreetly.
Kenneth stepped in, holding Ruby's shoulder and speaking confidently. "What do you mean? My wife is kind-hearted. She saw Terrence's daughter almost being kidnapped and saved her in time, then took her to the hospital for treatment, saving her life. Terrence only has that one daughter and was grateful for my wife's help. Later, he met my wife at the hospital, learned about her kidney problem, and decided to donate a kidney to her because they were a match! It's all because of my wife's kindness."
Jackson scoffed and stood up, laughing. "Some men are truly laughable, not knowing if their partner is human or a monster."
With that, Jackson started to leave. Kenneth instinctively blocked him. "Jackson, explain yourself! You can't just slander my wife. And I don't care what you did to threaten the Wheeler family, cutting off my wife's kidney source..."
Jackson cut him off. "Cut off your wife's kidney source? I never admitted to that."
With that, Jackson pushed past Kenneth and walked out. His words left Kenneth momentarily stunned. Terry followed, mocking Kenneth. "Think about it. How could it be such a coincidence that she saved someone, and the child's father was a matching kidney donor?"
Terrence's wife had died of kidney cancer years ago, leaving Terrence and his seven-year-old daughter alone. Terrence was busy with work, and his daughter was kidnapped while playing outside six months ago. Ruby happened to discover and save the girl in time. The girl was severely beaten by the kidnappers and was barely alive when Ruby saved her and took her to the hospital, paying for the surgery and saving her life.
On the surface, that's how it seemed. But in reality, when Terrence's wife had kidney cancer, Terrence underwent matching tests. Terrence wasn't a match for his wife, but his matching information remained at the hospital. Ruby discovered that Terrence's kidney matched hers, leading to the kidnapping incident. The Wheeler family only figured out the connection and realized the supposed savior was the perpetrator, which is why they backed out.
Ruby was truly heartless, targeting the elderly and children.
Oberon treated her like his own, yet she schemed to take everything from the Kelly family.
She even caused Lyra to faint without batting an eye. To get Terrence's kidney, his seven-year-old daughter suffered multiple fractures and internal injuries, lying in the hospital for a whole month.
Such a vicious woman, and Kenneth still thought she was kind-hearted. He was truly blind.
Terry scoffed, thinking he had made things clear enough for Kenneth to start doubting and seek the truth.
But Kenneth only paused briefly before angrily retorting, "This is just good karma! Why wouldn't it be such a coincidence?"
Terry was speechless, chuckled, and followed Jackson out.
As soon as they left, Ruby collapsed into Kenneth's arms, silently shedding tears. "I shouldn't have asked Lyra for help regarding Anouk."
Kenneth helped her sit down, wiping her tears. "You did nothing wrong. They're being unreasonable and cruel!"
Ruby's face was unnaturally pale as she leaned against Kenneth. "Honey, you know ever since I donated a kidney to Ophelia, my health has been poor. My immune system is weak, I get tired easily, and even walking a few steps makes me dizzy. I willingly gave up my kidney to extend Ophelia's life by three years. It was worth it! I don't expect anyone to always remember my sacrifice, but they shouldn't push me to the brink."
Ruby looked up at Kenneth with tearful eyes. "Honey, Jackson is desperate to win back Lilian. He shouldn't be so heartless towards us. Isn't he worried that Lilian will be angry when she wakes up? Do you think Lilian might already be awake, and Jackson is acting with her approval?"
Ruby suspected this. Jackson was being too ruthless. After all, they were Lilian's biological father and stepmother. No matter what, she was Ophelia's savior. Jackson's actions were tearing their relationship apart. Wasn't he worried about the consequences when Lilian woke up?
Kenneth frowned slightly. "If Lilian were awake, she wouldn't hide it. Now that Anouk is missing and Jackson has cut off your kidney source, his actions are reckless. Lilian might be in danger, which is why he's acting without regard for consequences."
Ruby thought this made sense and sighed. "Let's hope Lilian wakes up soon and can persuade Jackson."
Kenneth patted her back, comforting her. "Don't worry, I won't let anything happen to you. Rest now, I'll go to the Wheeler family and convince Terrence to change his mind. I'll also use all resources to find another matching kidney. We'll prepare for both options."
Ruby looked touched, nodded, and smiled. "Okay, honey, I trust you."
Kenneth helped her lie down and then asked, "By the way, wasn't that medication working well? Do we have enough?"
Ruby's kidney function had deteriorated significantly over the past year, but six months ago, she got a new medication from a medical research institute in Averlake. The medication had stabilized her condition, slowing the decline over the past six months.
Now that the kidney source was in jeopardy, the medication became crucial and couldn't be interrupted.
Kenneth's reminder made Ruby realize this.
She sat up, opened the bedside drawer, and saw half a bottle left.
"It should last about half a month. The next batch should arrive in a few days. I'll call and order more."
"I'll handle it."
Kenneth took the phone from Ruby after she dialed, thinking it would be a simple task to urge the supplier and order two more boxes.
But to his surprise, the response was a cold, fluent refusal.
"Sorry, we can no longer provide the medication."
"What? Why? You've been supplying this medication for the past six months!"
"Sorry."
The reply was indifferent and dismissive, followed by the call being abruptly ended.
Kenneth's face fell, and he spoke in a low voice.
Ruby saw his expression and knew something was wrong. She sat up again.
"Honey?"
"They said they won't supply the medication anymore. How can this be? Could it be..."
Kenneth's voice trailed off, suspecting it wasn't just a coincidence.
The kidney source had just been cut off, and now the medication was also unavailable.
It seemed Jackson might have tampered with the lab as well.
Kenneth feared saying it would alarm Ruby.
But Ruby could guess it herself.
Without the medication, her health might deteriorate rapidly, possibly before they could secure a kidney source, making her unfit for surgery.
In that moment, Ruby felt true despair and panic.
Her lips trembled, and she clutched her collar.
Unable to voice her anger, Ruby's vision darkened, and she collapsed.
Like Lyra before, she was overwhelmed with anger and anxiety.
She closed her eyes and fainted.
Jackson and Terry got into the car, leaving the Castillo Mansion. Jackson gave a stern order.
"Keep searching for the person who pretended to be the kidnapper!"
Ruby had orchestrated the kidnapping and abuse of Terrence's daughter, then pretended to be the savior.
Though they had uncovered the truth, the person who pretended to be the kidnapper hadn't been found.
Otherwise, they could directly report Ruby and have her imprisoned.
"Yes, Mr. Frane."
Terry nodded. The person who helped Ruby must be someone she trusted deeply.
Terry planned to review Ruby's personal information and investigate further.
Jackson took out his phone and made a call.
The other end answered quickly, with Ambrose's clear voice.
"Mr. Frane calling me personally? I'm truly honored."
Ambrose's tone was somewhat sarcastic, showing no real sense of honor.
Though he had decided to step aside and bless Lilian and Jackson, he was still extremely displeased with Jackson's past actions.
Every time he thought about it, Ambrose remained deeply annoyed.
Moreover, he and Jackson had never gotten along.
Previously, they were rivals, mutually disliking each other.
Now, as the brother-in-law, Ambrose still found Jackson disagreeable, especially since Jackson's goal was to take away his beloved sister.
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