Chapter 1

After eight years of marriage, I finally accepted the fact that my husband's heart only had room for pure love Serenity, not for me or our daughter.

Just as I had made up my mind to divorce him and was on my way to the airport to leave home, my daughter Melody and I were involved in a serious car accident.

The accident killed the driver instantly, Melody lost one of her kidneys, and I lost my own heart, replaced with an artificial one.

When we woke up, my husband was kneeling by our hospital beds, crying and begging for our forgiveness, saying he truly couldn't lose us.

Melody and I decided together to give him one last chance, limited to the thirty-day cooling-off period before the divorce.

But on the evening before the cooling-off period ended, I accidentally overheard a conversation between him and his secretary.

"Mr. Shaw, you took your wife's heart and gave it to Miss Yates, and then took Melody's kidney and gave it to Lily. Melody is your own darling children. Is what you're doing really worth it?"

My husband gently caressed a wooden box on his desk, his eyes filled with tenderness.

"Who told her to insist on divorcing me? If she hadn't been so determined to leave, how would the car accident have happened?Serenity's heart condition couldn't wait any longer, and Lily had just been diagnosed with kidney failure. Lily was Serenity's whole world. Everything I did was just so Serenity could be happy and safe."

"As for them, I'll be the best husband and father for the rest of their lives. That should be enough......"

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1

I tightly covered my mouth, afraid of alerting anyone in the study.

Dashiell's voice continued to ring out.

"I've given Lavender the best artificial heart available, there won't be any issues. As for Melody, one can live with just one kidney, it'll be fine. I'll take good care of them for the rest of their lives, that should make up for everything."

The secretary's voice sounded hesitant.

"The artificial heart technology isn't fully developed yet, rejection is common. Besides, Miss Melody is so young, and with only one kidney, she's already having urinary problems..."

Dashiell impatiently cut off his secretary.

"So you're saying I should just watch Serenity and her child die? Right now, all four of them are alive and well. This is already the best possible outcome..."

I couldn't bear to listen anymore and stumbled back to my room.

Once back in my room, I couldn't hold it together any longer. My legs gave out and I collapsed to the floor.

So, this whole month, Dashiell's kindness towards us mothers and daughters wasn't because he had fallen in love with us at all. It was just out of guilt.It turns out that losing my heart and Melody losing her kidney weren't because of the car accident, but because Dashiell needed to save Serenity and her daughter.

What I thought was redemption turned out to be another abyss.

A month ago, on the way to the airport with Melody, our vehicle was involved in a serious accident. The driver died on the spot, and Melody and I were also severely injured.

When I woke up, I was so guilt-ridden I wanted to die. I blamed myself for insisting on divorce, for leaving Dashiell, for ruining Melody's future by causing her to permanently lose a kidney.

At that time, Dashiell knelt before me, holding me tightly as I broke down emotionally.

"It's all my fault. I didn't care enough for you and our daughter. I didn't take good care of you both."

"Lavender, don't worry. I promise I'll take good care of you and our daughter from now on. Please don't harm yourself. I really can't bear to lose you both again."

Seven-year-old Melody also gently wiped away the tears on my face.

"Mom, Melody doesn't hurt. Don't blame Dad."

"If giving up one of my kidneys could make Mom and Dad happy, Melody thinks it's worth it."It was on that very day that our family of three made a pact. We agreed to use the one-month divorce cooling-off period as a chance to nurture our family and give each other one more opportunity.

Over the past month, Dashiell lived up to his word. He prioritized Melody and me in everything, striving to be the perfect husband and father.

But Dashiell's conversation with his secretary just now revealed that it was all a facade.

I gazed at Melody, peacefully asleep in her crib, as tears streamed down my face in heavy drops.

As I sat there, lost and bewildered, Dashiell walked into the room and found me slumped on the floor.

"What's wrong, Lavender? The floor's cold, why are you sitting there? And you're crying? Are you feeling unwell somewhere?"