ManyWriters

After 5 years of marriage, my husband finally agreed when I proposed a wedding ceremony for the 99th time.
That night, however, a fire broke out. I was nearly blinded by the smoke, suffered multiple organ damage, and our daughter was severely burned and fell into a coma.
Heartbroken, Garrison rushed us to the hospital and had the arsonist sent to prison.
When I regained consciousness, I frantically inquired about our daughter's condition, but unexpectedly overheard a conversation between the doctor and Garrison in the next room.
"If we treat Miss Winters and the child now, there's still hope. Any later and Miss Winters will be blind for life, and your daughter might die. That's your own flesh and blood. Is it really worth taking such a big risk just to give Melody a wedding?"
"The girl was never likable anyway, and we can always have more kids. If she goes blind, she won't have to see the wedding ceremony. It'll save us the trouble."
"I owe Melody a debt. I just want to fulfill her dying wish and prevent her child from being called a bastard. With our daughter dead and Evelina blind, she can focus on caring for Melody's son."
It turns out the ceremony I've been longing for all these years is something others can have at the drop of a hat.All these years, I've deluded myself into thinking my little family was blissful and perfect. In reality, it was nothing more than a dank, gloomy prison.
If that's how it is, then I might as well leave.

99 Failed Wedding Attempts

After a prolonged silence, with tears long since dried up, Garrison carefully chose his words: "Evelina, you won't be able to attend this wedding either. We'll have plenty of opportunities in the future anyway. Would you mind if Melody takes your place at the wedding?"


"She won't interfere with our relationship. Her health is poor, and we don't know how long she has left. She just wants a wedding to give the child legitimacy. Can we fulfill this wish for her?"


He squeezed my hand tightly, revealing his current nervousness.


Now that he had made the request, how could I refuse? After all, he had already turned me down 99 times before. What's one more broken promise?


I nodded with a smile, indicating my agreement: "She's done you favors, so you should repay her. We can discuss our wedding later. Right now, I just want to wait for Callie to wake up."


Garrison seemed about to try to persuade me further, not expecting me to agree so readily. He froze for a moment, then squeezed my hand and quickly expressed his approval, his joy evident in his expression.


Just as he finished speaking, his phone buzzed with a notification.


"Why did you buy a plane ticket for two days from now? Your eyes haven't recovered yet. Can you even see? Is there an emergency? If so, I could go with you. Why didn't you say anything?"When he first fell in love with me, he linked my information to an app, saying he wanted to know I was safe. But we never used that app - I always let him know where I was going to give him peace of mind.


I never imagined the first time we'd use that app would be in this situation. My heart filled with sorrow.


Without even looking up, I denied it flatly: "I was thinking we could use it for our honeymoon after the wedding. No point now. I haven't had a chance to get a refund yet. We'll deal with it later."


Hearing my words, he sounded a bit regretful as he kissed my forehead to comfort me: "We'll have plenty of time to travel as a family of three in the future. Just focus on getting better for now, no need to rush."


I instinctively squeezed my daughter's hand, then let go, pushing down the surge of pain in my heart.


We'd barely exchanged a few words when he got a call and hurried out of the hospital room. I knew it was Melody feeling unwell again.


I didn't try to make him stay. His heart wasn't with me anymore - no point in asking for more heartache.


Just then, the soft little hand stirred. Her voice raspy from smoke inhalation, she said: "Mommy, were you crying? Let Callie kiss it better. All the ouches will fly away."


"Where's Daddy? I miss him so much. Mommy, can you go find Daddy for me?"I squeeze the soft flesh inside my cheek, controlling the tremor in my voice so my daughter won't notice. Gently, I say, "Callie, you're so brave. Does it still hurt? I'll go find Daddy right now, okay? Don't move around or it might not look as nice."


My daughter nods obediently, eagerly anticipating her father's arrival.


I muster up courage once again to go look for Garrison.


No matter how cold-hearted I've become, no matter what else I can let go of, I still can't deprive my child of her longing for a father's love. I'll let her see him one last time, just so she can finally let go.


Chapter 4