Got married five years ago, and it took 99 requests before my husband finally agreed to a wedding ceremony. But that night, a fire broke out. I was nearly blinded by the smoke, suffered severe organ damage, and my daughter was critically burned and fell into a coma. Declan, devastated, rushed us to the hospital and ensured the arsonist was put behind bars. When I regained consciousness, I anxiously inquired about my daughter’s condition, only to accidentally overhear a conversation between the doctor and Declan in the adjacent room. “There’s still a chance to treat Ms. Cora and the child now. If you wait any longer, Ms. Cora might remain blind forever, and your daughter could die. She’s your own flesh and blood. Is risking so much worth it just for a ceremony for Adeline?” “The daughter isn’t particularly lovable, and there will be other children. If she’s blind, she won’t have to witness the wedding, which might prevent unnecessary complications.” “Adeline did me a great favor in the past. I just want to fulfill her last wish so her child won’t be labeled illegitimate. If our daughter dies and Ms. Cora goes blind, she’ll have to focus on taking care of Adeline’s child.” It turned out, an event I had longed for was so easily attainable for others. Over the years, what I thought was a happy home was actually a dark, damp prison. If that’s the case, then I should leave. 0
“Enough talk. Arrange the kidney transplant surgery as soon as possible. Adeline can’t wait any longer. I don’t want her to continue suffering. Increase the anesthesia to ensure Ms. Cora doesn’t wake up and find out.” The doctor hesitated momentarily but carefully replied, “The kidney can wait a bit longer. What if there’s a way to achieve both goals?” “But Adeline can’t wait! I can’t bear to see her undergoing dialysis frequently. That beauty-loving girl has lost all her hair.” “Then the scars from the transplant will eventually be seen. What will you say to Ms. Cora if your daughter really dies? She loves kids so much…” “Then burn that patch of skin, and she’ll think it’s from the fire. I’ll tell her medical technology was limited, and we weren’t meant to be with the child. I’ll adopt Adeline’s son to divert her attention.” I pinched my thigh hard to keep from crying and shakily took out my phone to record. The doctor listened with a slight frown, his tone mixed with reluctance: “Think about it again. Ms. Cora is already blind, and her future life will be inconvenient. If the child dies and she loses a kidney, not only will it be hard to get pregnant, but just an infection could be fatal.” Declan sighed, sounding helpless: “I’ll find the best medical team to keep her alive for the rest of her life. There’ll be children in the future. I can’t just watch Adeline’s last wish go unfulfilled.” “She saved me before. I owe her. Whatever she and her child want, I must give them. Little Cora loves me so much; she’ll surely support me.” The doctor shook his head slightly with regret. Before leaving, I heard him mutter, “As long as you don’t regret it, I hope Ms. Cora’s love won’t be exhausted.” On this side, Declan took out his phone and made a call, speaking seriously: “Compensate the arsonist nanny well and let her live in a different city or country after her release. I don’t want any news reaching Ms. Cora’s ears.” I slumped inside the ward door. Even though the physical pain was overwhelming, the heartbreak was worse, and tears flowed uncontrollably. The person who should’ve been my closest companion now seemed so unfamiliar, whether it was tears blurring my eyes or smoke from the fire. Hearing footsteps approaching outside, I shakily stood up, put away my phone, ignored the blood seeping from the scars on my body, and lay down on the bed. Thinking of my severely burned daughter, whose condition was still unknown, I felt a dull ache in my chest that wouldn’t go away. Such a beauty-loving little girl, how could she face disfigurement and pain alone? I covered my painful chest, suppressing the nausea rising in my throat, but couldn’t stop the tears soaking the sheets. That fire was orchestrated by the man I was so proud of. My daughter and I were just sacrifices paving the way for his beloved. Adeline’s last wish was paramount to him, while my daughter’s and my life meant nothing. These seven years of marriage were nothing but a joke. 0
Still engulfed in sadness, a pair of warm hands gently wiped away my tears and pulled me into an embrace. “Don’t be scared. I’m here. Is your wound still hurting? I had the doctor prepare a special painkiller for you.” “I found a top doctor who can perform skin graft surgery. You’ll get your beautiful body back. Just sleep a bit, and you’ll be as good as new.” I felt the warmth of his embrace, just like every time he comforted me when I was upset before. But now, all I felt was coldness, and the man before me seemed unfamiliar. Taking a deep breath, I looked at him earnestly: “Declan, will I really go back to how I was before? Will I see again? Where’s our Phoebe? I…” I still wanted to test the importance of my daughter and me in his heart, hoping for a bit of conscience to save us. But I was wrong. The next moment, I felt his body stiffen, and he interrupted me harshly: “Enough. You’re a mother now. We’ve been married for so long. Don’t you trust me? Do you still think you’re a beauty-loving little girl? Don’t let Phoebe learn your vanity.” Seeing my pale face, he finally realized his harsh tone. He gently stroked my hair: “Don’t worry. I’m here. I won’t abandon you. Be brave for Phoebe, alright?” Can sleeping really make everything disappear? No, waking up will only bring more sorrow and deceit. I closed my eyes, feeling his kiss on my forehead. Then, from somewhere, a needle pierced my body, and my consciousness blurred. The bright lights above shone, causing my already blurry eyes discomfort. At that moment, I could only feel the blood leaving my body, the cold machines working inside, and the smell of burning flesh entering my nose. Beside me seemed to be another person undergoing surgery, radiating happiness. I knew that was Adeline, the next owner of my kidney. Tears involuntarily flowed again. The surgery went well. My waist and abdomen were wrapped in heavy bandages, just like the heavy barriers in our relationship. “Cora, you’re really brave. Tell me what you want, and I’ll make it happen. Be careful of wound infection.” “Our Phoebe would be proud of her mom if she knew. By the way, I adopted a child named Milo. He’s a little man too. We’ll always be here with you, giving you strength.” Now, he couldn’t wait to announce Milo’s identity in front of me. The happiness surrounding him was probably because they were reunited as a family. Once, I’d have thought he was a reliable husband, felt happiness in the family. But now, I only sensed his uncertain tone and that coldness. Turns out, love and indifference are so obvious. I was not just blind but also blind in heart, ignoring the deceit. 0
Maybe the medication hadn’t worn off. I drifted into a deep sleep as soon as I closed my eyes. When I woke again, I was alone. I got up, enduring the excruciating pain in my abdomen, to find my daughter’s ward. But the laughter from the next ward caught my attention. In the blur, I saw Declan affectionately holding a boy, gently caressing the face of a woman on the bed. “Adeline, everything’s over. You’ll soon be fine. Milo and I will protect you. Don’t worry; I’ll treat him as my own.” “I’ve invited your favorite designer from Country A to design your wedding dress. The jewelry I ventured to Africa for will be yours. I’ll give you the best of everything.” “You said you like a seaside villa. I bought one for you and your son. Later, I’ll take Milo to the amusement park. Don’t worry; we’ll bring back your favorite Dorayaki…” He meticulously planned their future, so tenderly and lovingly. Turns out he wasn’t a dull man. In these seven years, on every anniversary, he wasn’t home, nor did he prepare gifts, but he remembered everything about Adeline and Milo. I once cried and argued, but he said long-married couples didn’t need so many ceremonies. Even the most important wedding in life, he kept delaying. I just wasn’t worthy. He wasn’t busy but took the time to go to the amusement park. Once on Phoebe’s birthday, she asked him to join, but he claimed no interest. He was with someone else. The three of them, close and planning their future, even sneaked kisses when the child wasn’t looking. Adeline blushed and playfully scolded him. Each scene stabbed my heart. Without lingering, I called my mentor to help treat me and my child and to train me in acupuncture and traditional medicine. My mentor was overjoyed, repeatedly saying “good,” and began preparing to welcome me. I also bought two tickets for the wedding day, as a final farewell. As I walked, I finally found my daughter’s ward. Even with my blurred vision, I could see the girl wrapped in bandages, quietly lying on the bed. Her breathing was weak as if she might vanish at any moment. At that moment, I gently held Phoebe’s hand and finally couldn’t hold back, bursting into tears. I didn’t linger. I turned around and called my mentor, asking him to help treat my child and me, and to pass on his acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine skills. My mentor was thrilled and immediately agreed, starting to make arrangements for my arrival. I also purchased two plane tickets for the day of the wedding, intending them as a final farewell. While making calls and searching, I eventually located my child’s hospital room. Even though my vision was still blurry, I could make out the girl lying quietly on the bed, her body wrapped in bandages. Her breathing was weak, as if she might vanish at any moment. At that moment, I gently held Phoebe’s hand and finally couldn’t hold back my tears. A pair of hands appeared on my shoulders, gently embracing me, wiping my tears, and trembling uncontrollably. “Lydia, don’t be too upset. It’s not good for your eyes to cry; it breaks my heart. Phoebe might not make it, so let’s make her last moments happy, okay? Don’t cry and make her sad.” “And you just had surgery. The doctor said the recovery isn’t going well, and it might be difficult to have children in the future. Don’t worry, I won’t abandon you. We adopted Milo, didn’t we? We still have a child…” “Let’s think of him as staying with us in place of Phoebe. She would find peace knowing that…” As he spoke, his voice began to tremble, tears sliding down my neck as if he was enduring immense pain. If I weren’t aware of the truth, I might have thought he was empathetic and understanding. But I know this is all a web of lies around me. The one losing a kidney, going blind, and possibly dying is me. I’m the one about to lose a child and be forced to accept my husband’s lover’s child. What did I do wrong to deserve such deceit? 0
After a long silence, my tears had dried. Declan spoke carefully, “Lydia, you can’t attend the wedding this time. We’ll have plenty of chances in the future. Let Adeline attend the wedding in your place, okay?” “She won’t interfere with our relationship. Her health is poor, and who knows how long she has left. She just hopes for a wedding, to give the child a status, to fulfill this wish, okay?” He tightly held my hand, revealing his current anxiety. He had spoken, how could I refuse? After all, he’s denied me 99 times before; what’s one more time? I smiled and nodded, agreeing, “She has done you a favor; you should repay her. We’ll talk about our wedding later. I just want to wait for Phoebe to wake up now.” Declan seemed ready to persuade me further but didn’t expect me to agree so readily. He was momentarily stunned, then grasped my hand and praised me happily, his joy evident. Just then, he received a notification on his phone. “Why did you buy a plane ticket for a few days later? Your eyes haven’t recovered yet, can you see? Is there an emergency? If not, I’ll go with you, why didn’t you say anything?” When we were dating, he linked our information, saying he wanted to ensure my safety. But he never used this software. I always informed him of my whereabouts to give him a sense of security. I didn’t expect the first time he’d use this software would be under such circumstances, and I felt bitter inside. I didn’t look at him, denying it, “I was thinking of buying them for a honeymoon trip after the wedding. Now they won’t be used, and I haven’t had time to cancel them yet. We’ll talk about it later.” He listened with slight regret, then kissed my forehead to comfort me, “In the future, we’ll have plenty of time to travel as a family of three. Just focus on recovering, no need to rush.” I instinctively tightened my grip on my daughter’s hand, then loosened it, suppressing the overwhelming sense of pain inside. After exchanging a few words, he received a call and hurriedly left the room. I knew it was Adeline feeling unwell again. I didn’t try to stop him. His heart was long gone from me; there was no need to suffer further. At this moment, a small, soft hand moved, and a hoarse voice spoke, “Mom, were you crying? Phoebe will blow, and the pain will fly away.” “Where’s Dad? I miss him. Mom, can you find Dad for me?” I bit down on the soft flesh inside my mouth, controlling my voice so my daughter wouldn’t notice, and gently said, “Phoebe is the bravest. Does it still hurt? I’ll go find Dad now, okay? Don’t move, or you won’t look nice.” My daughter nodded obediently, looking forward to seeing her father. I gathered my courage again to find Declan. Even if I were heartless and could let go of everything, I couldn’t take away my child’s hope for a father’s love. Let her see him one last time, let her give up. 0 I straightened my numb body, noticing the bandage around my waist was stained with blood, and there were faint traces on the ground. But I couldn’t care about that. I went to Adeline’s hospital room.
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