Chapter 1

After my father died, I signed a bone marrow donation registry.

In the sixth year, Percival Harding told me someone needed my marrow to survive.

The recipient was willing to give me half a million as compensation, on the one condition that their identity stayed hidden.

I didn't think twice. I rushed to the hospital without stopping, and there I overheard him talking with his apprentice.

"Dr. Harding, why can't we tell her the person who needs the marrow is Miss Winfield?"

Percival's voice came back, calm and even:

"Gwendolen's illness runs in her family. Six years ago I gave the marrow Carla Swanson's father had been waiting three years for to Mr. Winfield, who needed it urgently."

"Mr. Winfield survived. But Carla's father took a sudden turn and died."

"Now Gwendolen has the same illness, and as it happens Carla's marrow is a match. If she found out it was Gwendolen, she'd make a scene. That's why."

My hand froze halfway to the door. Then I heard Percival give a bitter little laugh, as if he had no other choice:

"I already married Carla. She's only donating a bit of marrow for Gwendolen. What's the big deal?"

So my father had come within reach of being saved. So Percival had never cared for me at all. He'd married me only to keep a supply ready for Gwendolen's hereditary illness.

The thought pushed the door open under my hand, and my voice shook:

"If it's no big deal, then why not just tell me straight that the one who needs the marrow is Gwendolen Winfield?"

……

The room went dead silent in an instant.

Both of them turned to look at me.

Percival's face stayed more or less composed. His young apprentice, sensing which way the wind was blowing, made an excuse and slipped out at once.

"You were eavesdropping on us?"

Once it was only the two of us left in the office, Percival's expression darkened:

"Didn't I say the recipient's identity had to be kept confidential? Why did you come and listen in? Breaking the rules like this."

Hearing the blame layered under every word, I couldn't help a soft laugh:

"You, follow the rules? If you follow the rules, then why did you take the marrow my father had waited three years for and hand it to Gwendolen Winfield out of turn?"

"That was marrow my father finally waited long enough for, a match he'd finally gotten, and you just gave it to Gwendolen like that. And now you want to keep it from me too, take my marrow to save Gwendolen's life? You even meant to hide it from me!"

Six years have passed, and I still can't forget my father gripping my hand before he died:

"Dad still wants to live. Dad still wants to see you married, see you have children, wants a little more time with you……"

"If Dad's gone, who's left in this world to look after you……"

But the moment he finished saying it, his hand fell away.

Back then I always believed my father simply had bad luck, that something had gone wrong with the donor, and that was why he missed his treatment window.

After that I signed the bone marrow donation registry, hoping to give someone with the same illness as my father a sliver of a chance to live.

Only now do I know there was nothing wrong with the donor at all. It was Percival, my father's attending physician, who took that life-saving chance and gave it to Gwendolen Winfield's father.

And Percival, after my father died, was all warmth and concern, pursuing me again and again. I always thought of him as the bit of luck my father had left behind for me.

I never imagined he was the beginning of everything that went wrong for me, that even marrying me was only to make me a walking marrow bank for Gwendolen.

Thinking of all this, I raised my head and looked at the silent Percival:

"Percival, since Gwendolen is the one you really want to protect."

"Then let's divorce. I'll give you back to her."

At that I turned to leave, but Percival suddenly seized my wrist:

"We can't divorce. If you walk out like this, what happens to Gwendolen's illness?"