After Yelena Sullivan, the youngest daughter of the Sullivan family, lost her sight, my older brother Ethan Lambert broke off their engagement and went abroad. My parents had no choice but to send me, their adopted son, to live with her as compensation. For five years, I meticulously cared for Yelena until her vision was finally restored. Just as Yelena and I were about to get married, Ethan showed up at the wedding with a bouquet of flowers, knelt on one knee, and confessed his love to her in a voice thick with emotion. Yelena, who had always been cold and distant, burst into tears. She threw away her wedding ring, rushed off the stage, and blamed Ethan for why he had waited until now to come back for her. At that moment, all the guests were laughing at me. I simply changed out of my wedding attire and quietly gave up the ceremony to them. Yelena praised me for being understanding and generous, insisting it was all a charade and promising her husband’s title would belong to me always. I smiled but said nothing, booking a one-way ticket abroad. Yelena had no idea that the care I gave her all those years was nothing more than a paid job. Now that Yelena’s old flame had returned, it was time for me to live my own life.
As soon as I stepped off the stage, I heard Ethan explain, “Lena, I was diagnosed with cancer back then. I didn’t want to burden you with my worries, so I went abroad, but I never expected it to be all just a misunderstanding. “You regained your sight because I prayed for you day and night. “I’ve always loved you, and that hasn’t changed.” My mother, Maria Lambert, pushed me aside, took Yelena’s hand, and told her how deeply Ethan loved her. “Ethan truly loved you and didn’t want to trouble you. Now that the misunderstanding is cleared up, you should get back together.” But the truth was, they all knew Ethan had despised Yelena’s blindness and refused to marry a blind woman. That’s why he’d resorted to threatening suicide to force her into breaking off their engagement before running off abroad. My parents didn’t want to sever the long-standing relationship between the Lambert and Sullivan families, so they hoped I would marry Yelena. Now that Yelena’s sight had returned, Ethan was eager to come back and elope with her. Thankfully, Yelena saw through his lies. After all, during her darkest days of self-harm and psychosis, he’d never visited once. Instead, he’d even rubbed salt in her wounds, cruelly saying he had never loved her. During the five years of Yelena’s blindness, I had been by her side, taking care of her day and night. I told her stories, guided her steps, and became her eyes. I’d felt so certain, but the next moment, I saw Yelena, tears in her eyes, take Ethan’s hand and choke with sobs. “I knew there was a reason.” Watching them hold hands tightly, I was stunned and could only smile bitterly. How naive I’d been! Ethan was her great love, the man she’d nearly died for. How could a substitute like me ever replace him? Seeing them reconcile, Maria breathed a sigh of relief. But the moment she turned and noticed me still standing there, her patience vanished. She shot me an irritated look and snapped, “Why are you still here? You’ve had ten years of living Ethan’s life. Are you still trying to steal his wife now?” My parents, who had been so gentle with me in my childhood memories, now looked at me with hatred. They pushed me away and shoved me out the door, scolding me, and I couldn’t help but feel heartbroken. Back then, when Ethan went missing, they were devastated, so they adopted me because I looked like him. For those ten years, I had parents who doted on me endlessly and a childhood sweetheart, Yelena, who was as close to me as anyone could be. It was the happiest time of my life. But Ethan’s return shattered my illusion. My parents felt I had stolen the love meant for Ethan, and they despised me. Even Yelena, who’d vowed to marry me, chose him. Under the weight of their hostile stares, I lowered my head, feeling utterly alone. Still, they had raised me, and I didn’t even have the right to protest. As I nodded and turned to leave, Yelena finally noticed my lonely figure. She raised an eyebrow at my parents and said, “Mr. Harrison Lambert, Mrs. Maria Lambert, there’s no need to be so harsh. What do you mean by ‘steal’? He’s my husband, and no one can replace him.” Watching Yelena slowly approach me, a touch of gratitude rose in my heart. She still favored me, just like when we were children. Yelena took my hand and whispered, “Zach, I was just putting on an act with him. We’ll go skiing soon, just like you’ve always wanted.” Ethan, who had followed Yelena over, sneered when he heard this. I could only smile bitterly in silence. We had grown up together, but how could she forget that I suffered a concussion from a skiing accident as a child? Since then, I developed a phobia of the sport and dreaded it. Skiing was Ethan’s passion, not mine. So, I was still Ethan’s substitute, and that had never changed. Ethan clapped my shoulder with a smile. “Alright. We’ll make it a trio.” My parents pulled Yelena aside and said, “Don’t let this outsider ruin your marriage.” Yelena wrenched her hands free and leaned in, whispering softly in my ear, “Don’t overthink it. It’s been five years since he dumped me, and I’m not about to let it go. I just need these five days to make him pay. “Once everything’s settled, we’ll get married and live happily ever after.” I nodded, watching them depart. Just then, a message from my boss popped up on my phone: [Zachary, the headquarters in Mercado is impressed with you. They want you to work there. If you’re okay with it, you’ll leave in five days.] I looked up at the stage where Yelena posed with Ethan’s family, radiant and whole. They were the real family, and I’d always been an outsider. Swallowing my pain, I replied: [No problem. On my way to finalize.]
Seeing how quickly I replied, my boss asked curiously: [Aren’t you getting married today? Take time to discuss with your wife and come back tomorrow if needed.] Following a devastating car accident that left her completely blind, Yelena was abandoned by Ethan at her lowest point, spiraling into a crippling mental breakdown. When I first met Yelena, I was covered in scratches from her every day. Over time, Yelena grew accustomed to my presence, and she could only fall asleep at night while holding my hand. If I’d been transferred earlier, I would’ve thrown away my entire future to stay with Yelena, because her fragile mind was all I could think about. Now, seeing Yelena beside Ethan with a beaming smile and sound mind, I knew her true love had returned, and my role was over. I typed: [I’m not getting married.] As Ethan slid the ring onto her finger amidst cheers, I slipped away. Upon handing over my work at the office, I walked out of the building. Yelena was nowhere to be found at the wedding. However, I never expected to find her waiting for me downstairs at the office building. She had roses in hand, was leaning against a sleek convertible, and waved me over. My colleagues gave me teasing looks before dispersing. Curious but composed, I walked over to her. “Zach, why did you leave so suddenly? You missed dinner, right? Let me take you…” Before Yelena could finish, Ethan stepped out of the driver’s seat and interrupted impatiently, “Lena, why are you wasting time talking to him? “Zachary, you’ve been wearing the heirloom meant for me for five years in my place. Time to hand it over.” Yelena pushed Ethan, telling him to be polite, and whispered to me, “Don’t listen to him. You’re the only one I consider my husband. “But Ethan needs to wear the emerald ring at today’s family banquet. Can you lend it to him? He’ll return it tomorrow, okay?” I took off the emerald ring, its green gem still warm from my body heat. Yelena had no idea that my life in her family was just a deal. Her parents had never seen me as her husband. With my unknown origins, they considered me an illegitimate child, unworthy of living with the Sullivan family. They paid me a monthly salary to take care of Yelena. The day Yelena no longer needed me would be the day I was cast aside. They had never intended to give me the emerald ring. Yelena had gone against her parents’ wishes, insisting on giving me the ring and placing it on my finger herself. I’ll never forget how she gently told me, “Zachary, you’re my husband now. You deserve everything that comes with it.” Now, she was taking back the ring meant for her husband, along with the favor she had once shown me… Without hesitation, I removed the emerald ring and handed it to Ethan. “Keep it. No need to return it to me.”
Hearing this, Yelena frowned. “You’re just lending it to him, but why are you saying that? You still want to marry me, don’t you?” Ethan sneered. “Why do you think? He’s just playing the victim again, trying to win your sympathy. “When we were kids, he threw a tantrum and refused to ride in the car, choosing to walk home barefoot in the freezing winter instead. It was as if my family had mistreated him, the adopted son.” Upon hearing Ethan’s words, Yelena seemed to remember something. Her expression darkened, a flicker of displeasure crossing her face. But that wasn’t how it had happened. When Ethan was found and brought back, he never stopped complaining about the hardships he’d endured. “I rose before dawn to work the fields, walked barefoot in the winter to chop firewood in the mountains, and only ate one meal a day, with no delicacies…” My parents resented that their biological son had suffered while I, an outsider, had lived comfortably. So, they made me experience everything Ethan had gone through. From then on, I was woken up at the crack of dawn to pull weeds and had to walk home barefoot in the winter. While my family enjoyed lavish meals, I was given scraps, and even the maids ate better than I did. Whenever I begged them for mercy, they would say it was nothing compared to what Ethan had endured. Yet Ethan’s suffering wasn’t my fault. I was just an abandoned child they had taken in. Word of my mistreatment spread soon. To protect the Lambert family’s reputation, they blamed me, saying I had deliberately caused the trouble out of jealousy for Ethan’s return and embarrassed them. From then on, I became an annoying troublemaker, ostracized by everyone. Even Yelena, who had once been close to me, turned against me and soon started dating Ethan. Back then, I was terrified Yelena would grow to hate me, so I told her the truth. However, no matter how hard I tried to explain or how much evidence I presented, Yelena didn’t trust me the way she once did. In fact, she only seemed to dislike me even more. Right then, as I saw the doubt flicker in her eyes, I didn’t explain, simply shaking my head. Anyway, I was leaving. It no longer mattered if she misunderstood me. As I turned to leave, Yelena grabbed my hand and sighed, as if compromising. “You have to come to the family dinner tonight, so please get in the car.” I nodded. This would be my last meal with them before I left. I sat in the back seat. Throughout the ride, Yelena chatted animatedly with Ethan in the front seat, reminiscing their unforgettable memories together. I didn’t say a word. Arriving at Sullivan Villa, I walked into the living room and found my parents there. When they slid a kidney donation consent form in front of me, I finally understood why they had invited me to the family dinner. It turned out Ethan had been diagnosed with kidney failure and needed a transplant. It all made sense now why my family had pushed for that medical checkup just a few days ago. They had discovered my kidney was a match for Ethan’s and were forcing me to save him. Yelena’s mother, Grace Sullivan, served Ethan food while telling me, “Zachary, your parents raised you all these years, so you should be grateful and do the right thing.” My father, Harrison Lambert, snorted. “If you don’t want to donate your kidney, we can pay you.” Ethan put on a fake act and said, “It’s my fault for hurting Lena before. You don’t have to save me. Let me die, and it’s the least I can do to make up for what I’ve done.” Seeing this, Yelena’s eyes showed a flicker of worry. She held my arm and pleaded, “You’ve always been kind, Zach. You wouldn’t let your brother die, would you? “It’s just one kidney. You’ll recover after the surgery, and it’s no big deal.” I hadn’t even sat down before they started pressuring me. I couldn’t help but laugh bitterly at myself. “When is the surgery?” Everyone seemed shocked that I agreed so quickly. Harrison said in a low voice, “Tonight. The sooner, the better.” I turned to look at Yelena. Yelena, who would’ve defended me in the past, now stayed silent, as if she were afraid I might refuse. It was a lie when Yelena said she was just putting on an act. She loved Ethan so much that she was terrified his condition would get worse, so she hurriedly tricked me into coming back for the family dinner. I didn’t refuse. “Alright, but I have one condition.” Upon hearing that I still had a request, Maria instantly looked indifferent. “Sure enough, you’re still greedy for money. I raised you for nothing all these years!” Yelena also thought it was inappropriate for me to ask for money and raised an eyebrow, saying, “Zach, you should repay your parents for raising you. How could you ask them for money?” I hadn’t even said anything, yet they were already labeling me as an ungrateful guy. I shook my head and told my parents, “I don’t want money. I want to cut ties with you. From now on, I owe you nothing.” My parents were stunned. They hadn’t expected this, but they agreed quickly. Without eating anything, I was rushed to the hospital and wheeled into the operating room. As I woke up from the anesthesia, I was back in my hospital room. Ethan was sitting by my bed, peeling an apple. We had both undergone surgeries, but why did he look so different? Just as I was wondering, Ethan answered with a smile, “You’re surprised, aren’t you? “Zachary, I was never sick. I just wanted to make it clear to you that our parents and Yelena have never been on your side. “To save me, your miserable life could be thrown away at any moment!” Chapter 4
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