Chapter 3

Through my blurry vision, I saw Alexander tenderly holding a young boy while his other hand gently caressed the cheek of the woman lying on the bed.

"Mia, it's all in the past now. You're going to get better very soon. Leo and I will protect you. Don't worry, I will treat him like my own flesh and blood."

"That designer you love so much? I already flew him in from Paris just to design your wedding gown. And the jewelry—I personally took risks in Africa to source the best gems for you. I'm going to give you the very best of everything I have."

"You said you love villas by the ocean, so I bought one to be the home for you and Leo. In a little while, I'll take Leo to the amusement park. Don't worry, I'll bring back your favorite pastries when we return..."

He went over every single detail of their future together, his voice so gentle, so full of longing.

He was never an emotionally unavailable, clueless man. Over the past seven years, he was never home on our anniversaries and never prepared a single gift, but he remembered every single preference of Mia and Leo.

I had cried and begged before, only for him to say that old married couples didn't need ceremonies. He had even made up countless excuses to delay the wedding, the most important milestone of my life. It turned out I simply wasn't worthy.

He wasn't busy either. He had time to take a child to the amusement park. Yet when Chloe begged him to take her there for her birthday, he claimed he had no interest. He was just saving that time for someone else.

The three of them held each other, dreaming of their bright future. When the child wasn't looking, they even stole a kiss, making Mia blush with a coy, spoiled smile.

Every single scene pierced straight into my heart.

Without lingering a second longer, I turned around and dialed my mentor's number, asking him to save my daughter and me, and agreeing to inherit his legacy in acupuncture and holistic medicine.

My mentor was overjoyed. He said "wonderful" several times in a row and immediately began making arrangements to welcome me.

I also booked two plane tickets for the day of the wedding—my final farewell.

Leaning against the wall as I walked, I finally found my daughter's room.

Even though my vision was still terribly blurry, I could see the little girl lying quietly on the bed, wrapped in bandages from head to toe.

Her breathing was so faint, as if she might vanish into thin air at any moment.

I gently took Chloe's little hand, finally breaking down into quiet, gut-wrenching sobs.

Suddenly, a pair of hands rested on my shoulders, gently wrapping around me from behind to wipe my tears away. His hands were trembling uncontrollably.

"Chelsea, don't be so heartbroken. Your eyes are hurt; you shouldn't cry like this. It breaks my heart. Chloe... she probably won't make it. Let's make her final moments peaceful and happy, okay? Don't cry and make her sad."

"Besides, you just had surgery. The doctor said your recovery isn't looking good, and you might have a hard time having children in the future. Don't worry, I won't abandon you. We adopted Leo, remember? We still have a child..."

"Just think of him as someone staying by our side in Chloe's place. If she knew, she would be at peace too..."

His voice began to crack as he spoke, and warm tears fell onto the back of my neck, making him seem like a man enduring unimaginable agony.

If I hadn't known the truth, I would have thought he truly shared my grief. I would have appreciated his thoughtful care.

Yet I knew that every single word was a lie woven just for me. I was the one missing a kidney, going blind, and hovering on the brink of death. I was the one about to lose her child and being forced to accept my husband's mistress and her son. What did I ever do wrong to deserve such calculated deceit?