Elizabeth’s husband, William, clandestinely swapped the quota, diverting the kidney source that rightfully belonged to their daughter Isabella to the daughter of his goddess, Florence. Subsequently, Isabella’s condition deteriorated precipitously. Despite all rescue attempts, she passed away. Meanwhile, Florence underwent a successful kidney transplant, and William gleefully distributed red envelopes throughout the hospital. Elizabeth was consumed by fury and fainted. When she regained consciousness, she was informed that she had cancer and her life was now in the twilight. Despondent, Elizabeth left the hospital, clutching Isabella’s urn. In the cold and desolate home, she single – handedly drafted the divorce agreement. At ten o’clock in the evening, William finally arrived home. He shut the door, changed his shoes, and suddenly, the living – room lights blazed on, catching him off – guard. There was Elizabeth, seated in silence on the living – room sofa, cradling a white porcelain urn. She had been there, unmoving, for an indeterminate amount of time. “Elizabeth, have you lost your mind? Not sleeping in the middle of the night and scaring people like this?” William barked at her. Hearing his harsh reprimand, Elizabeth mechanically raised her head and regarded him. Even at this late hour, William’s hair was impeccably groomed, and his shirt was smooth and wrinkle – free. It was evident how crucial the mother and daughter he had been painstakingly attending to daily were to him – enough to make this usually laid – back man so meticulous about his appearance. Seeing that Elizabeth merely stared at him without speaking, William grew impatient. “Still holding a grudge over the kidney issue?” Elizabeth tightened her hold on the porcelain urn. “I’ve already told you, there will be other kidney sources in the future! I’m a doctor, and I must prioritize the patient. Florence is currently in the prime stage of recovery, and transplanting this kidney to her yields the best curative effect!” “I know you care about Isabella, but she had already waited for so long. Couldn’t she wait a bit longer? She’s my daughter, and I won’t abandon her…” William’s tone was saturated with impatience, making it seem as though Elizabeth was an irrational shrew. But it was truly just that brief span of time. After missing this kidney source, Isabella’s condition worsened rapidly, and she never opened her eyes again. Their daughter was so young. Before she died, she clasped Elizabeth’s hand tightly and asked where her father was, wondering if he no longer loved her. Elizabeth could only shower her with kisses on the cheek, assuring her that mommy was there and would always be by her side. Until her eyes closed forever, Isabella never got to see her father one last time. However, Florence, the daughter of William’s first love, survived because of the timely kidney source – which was clearly meant for Isabella! Elizabeth despised this hypocritical and selfish man with every fiber of her being and never wished to set eyes on him again in this life. Apparently deeming his scolding sufficient, William finally ceased and tossed his coat, which reeked of perfume, towards Elizabeth. “Take this and wash it thoroughly before I leave for work tomorrow. Remember to iron it smooth…” Seeing that Elizabeth remained motionless and didn’t reach out to catch it, allowing the coat to fall to the ground, William frowned. Elizabeth looked up, locking eyes with him, and stated firmly, “Let’s get divorced.” William was immediately dumbstruck. He seemed unable to fathom that these words were coming from Elizabeth’s mouth, disbelief and suspicion clouding his eyes. “What did you say???” Elizabeth forced a wry smile. “I said, William, I want a divorce from you.” As she spoke, she slid the divorce agreement she had drafted on the table towards him. “This is the divorce agreement. I don’t want any property. The Civil Affairs Bureau opens at nine o’clock tomorrow. Make sure to prepare the documents.” For an instant, the air in the living room seemed to solidify. William didn’t even glance at the agreement. Instead, visible rage gradually welled up within him. “Are you done yet?!” “Do you have to make a big deal out of this today? Florence needed this kidney source more than Isabella! Haven’t I made myself clear enough? Elizabeth, can’t you be less selfish?!” His angry glare pierced Elizabeth as if trying to force her to back down. Elizabeth completely disregarded him and calmly repeated, “William, I want a divorce – this is non – negotiable.” His face instantly turned cold and sullen, and then he sneered. “So you’ve learned to threaten me now, have you?” He picked up his coat, donned it with a tense expression, and turned to leave. Evidently, William decided that out of sight, out of mind, and he had no intention of staying home tonight. When he reached the door, he turned around and coldly warned Elizabeth, “Elizabeth, I’m warning you, even if we divorce, the custody of Isabella will be mine – you’d better not regret this!” With that, William slammed the door and departed. The living room was once again engulfed in suffocating silence. Elizabeth stroked the white porcelain urn in her arms as if soothing a terrified child. From the moment he entered until he left, William hadn’t bothered to inquire if his daughter had suffered pain that day or if she was asleep at this late hour. He hadn’t even cared about the volume of his voice, and the slamming of the door was deafening. From start to finish, he hadn’t even cared what the urn in Elizabeth’s arms held. Elizabeth stared at the empty doorway, her eyes vacant. William, you missed seeing Isabella one last time. You’re also doomed to miss seeing me one last time.
The next day, Elizabeth waited punctually at the entrance of the Civil Affairs Bureau. After nine o’clock passed and William still hadn’t arrived, Elizabeth promptly called him. An exasperated voice came from the other end, “Elizabeth! What else are you capable of besides throwing tantrums? Are you deliberately trying to make me miserable?” Elizabeth replied serenely, “Come and get divorced, William. Don’t make me despise you.” Eventually, he showed up. After signing names and affixing the stamps, the divorce certificate was in hands. William’s face was extremely unsightly, and he laughed in anger. “Fine, fine, fine. I really underestimated you.” “Don’t forget what I said. The custody of Isabella is mine! Elizabeth, I’ll give you three days to pack your things and send the child over – otherwise, I won’t hesitate to take you to court!” Watching his furious back, Elizabeth wanted to laugh, but a metallic taste of blood rose in her throat. William, Isabella is already dead, right on the day Florence’s surgery was successful. Are you happy? At least you saved the cost of a lawsuit. Elizabeth didn’t return to that home again. She had already incinerated all of Isabella’s belongings and discarded all of her own. She had also shredded all the family photos in the house. Recently, her health had been deteriorating rapidly, and there was often debris from her internal organs in the blood she spat out. She had been so adamant about obtaining the divorce certificate just to sever all connections with William – even in the afterlife. That day, Elizabeth took the luggage she had already packed and held Isabella’s urn as she returned to her hometown. Her parents had always respected her decisions. Just as in the past, when they clearly disliked William but still consented to her marriage to him just to make her happy. It was the same now. They looked at the urn in her arms and her gaunt body and had likely surmised what had transpired, but they didn’t pry further. They simply prepared nutritious meals for her daily and wiped away the blood that spurted from her mouth. Once again, after spitting blood until her voice was hoarse, Elizabeth looked at the pain in her parents’ eyes and felt nothing but remorse. She regretted burdening them during the final moments of her life. Probably sensing her thoughts, her mother tightly embraced her and couldn’t help but sob, “My dear, your father and I are so glad you came back – being able to accompany you in your last journey, we have no regrets!” Tears streamed down involuntarily, and Elizabeth finally found peace in her heart. On a sunny afternoon, Elizabeth sat in a rocking chair, with the grapes her mother had washed beside her. In the midsummer glow, Elizabeth saw Isabella. She was wearing the white dress Elizabeth had recently burned for her, lying on Elizabeth’s lap, beaming brightly at her. “Mommy! Isabella can touch you now!” Elizabeth held Isabella’s hand and watched as her parents placed her own urn beside Isabella’s. One large and one small, the two porcelain urns nestled together, just as Isabella used to sleep in Elizabeth’s embrace. Isabella blinked her clear, large eyes. “Mommy, Grandma and Grandpa can’t see us…” Elizabeth stroked her head. “But they hold us in their hearts.” Although they didn’t know why they still lingered in this world. But after seeing that her parents’ emotions had stabilized, Elizabeth decided to take Isabella to see her father. When she was alive, William had been entirely preoccupied with Florence in the adjacent ward. Isabella had yearned for her father’s visit daily but never got to see him in the end. Now, Elizabeth was going to fulfill her wish and let Isabella see him to her heart’s content. In the hospital, William had just emerged from the operating room. Isabella finally beheld the father she had longed for and excitedly flitted around him. But William was oblivious to her presence and sat there resting impassively. Another doctor passed by, and William, as if remembering something, called out to him. “Dr. Henry, how was my daughter’s recovery before she was discharged?” The doctor smiled. “She recovered splendidly. The treatment was highly timely, and there were no complications at all!”
Elizabeth was filled with confusion. Since William had admitted to switching the kidney source to Florence, Elizabeth had never trusted him again and had resolutely taken Isabella to transfer to another hospital. The doctors in the other hospital had assisted them in arranging a new kidney – source channel. After considering Isabella’s state of mind and conducting a condition assessment, Elizabeth then began taking her home to recuperate. Although three days later, Isabella’s condition suddenly worsened, and she was rushed back to the emergency room. But when they left the hospital where William worked, Isabella’s physical condition was far from good. How could this doctor say such things? But William had already believed it. He exhaled in relief, thanked the doctor, and then returned to work. After he left, Dr. Henry scratched his head. “What’s wrong with young William? Wasn’t he the one overseeing his daughter’s condition all the time?” “Didn’t he distribute red envelopes throughout the hospital when the surgery was so successful on the 13th? Has he forgotten so quickly?” Elizabeth was stupefied. Isabella tugged at Elizabeth’s hand beside her, her eyes shining brightly. “Mommy, did Daddy come to see me that day?” Elizabeth’s throat constricted, and she was rendered speechless. The 13th was the day Isabella couldn’t be saved and passed away. Elizabeth still vividly remembered her tiny form covered by the white sheet, her cold little hands, and her pallid face. And on that same day, Florence had received the life – saving kidney that was meant for Isabella. So, the people in this hospital had all mistaken Florence for William’s daughter. And on the 13th, William had joyously distributed red envelopes throughout the hospital. Even though souls couldn’t feel the cold, Elizabeth shivered. William, did you ever consider that while you were elated about Florence’s successful surgery, your own flesh – and – blood daughter was closing her eyes forever in another hospital six kilometers away? You had the time to give out red envelopes to everyone but couldn’t be bothered to answer the over – twenty calls I made to you. Isabella had been thinking of you until the moment she closed her eyes! Elizabeth didn’t know whether to feel sorrow or rage within and managed a bitter smile. William, you are completely unfit to be a father! Isabella sensed Elizabeth’s emotions and hugged her leg. “Mommy, don’t be sad anymore. Isabella will always be with you!” Whether she had guessed something or not, this time Isabella didn’t ask for her father again. In the evening, William got off work. Elizabeth took Isabella and trailed behind him home. Although she didn’t mention it, Isabella was still happy floating beside William. After all, which child doesn’t love their parents? When they reached the door, William took out his keys. The door opened, and Caroline and Florence, mother and daughter, came out to greet them. Elizabeth was thunderstruck. Even Isabella was too shocked to utter a word. Caroline, acting like the mistress of the house, took William’s briefcase and coat, smiling gracefully. “Welcome back. Dinner is ready. Go wash your hands.” Florence had recovered well and was bouncing around merrily. She was nothing like Elizabeth’s Isabella, whose soul seemed so fragile. William entered the house, stroked Florence’s head, and smiled tenderly at Caroline. “Caroline, thank you for your hard work.” Witnessing this scene, Elizabeth felt as if she had been struck hard. The first time she saw Caroline was when Isabella was in elementary school. Isabella had always been a lively and smiling little girl, but a few days into the second grade, she grew increasingly reticent. Elizabeth had initially thought it was a normal part of the child’s growing – up process. Until one time when she bathed her, Elizabeth discovered numerous purple and blue bruises under her clothes. The next day, Elizabeth sought out Isabella’s class teacher. “Miss Catherine, you must do something about this!” “How could a child be so malicious at such a young age? Do you know this is called school bullying?!” Elizabeth was trembling with fury. The class teacher attempted to placate her in a hushed tone but was at a loss for a solution, which only enraged Elizabeth further. After ranting alone for a while with no response from those around her, Elizabeth angrily turned around and saw William staring blankly in the opposite direction, looking at the girl who was the instigator of the school bullying, Florence – and her mother. In the end, this bullying incident was resolved with Caroline’s apology and William’s magnanimous forgiveness. Florence escaped any punishment. Elizabeth was incredulous and couldn’t accept the outcome. William forcefully dragged her away. When faced with Elizabeth’s inquiries, he showed not the slightest hint of guilt. “I know Caroline’s character. There must be some misunderstanding about this.” “She has a kind heart, and the daughter she raises will definitely not engage in bullying.” It was only then that Elizabeth learned that William had a goddess first love. They had been passionately in love during their youth but were forcibly separated. Until now, with William having a family and Caroline being a single mother, they had finally reunited by chance.
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