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

Perhaps due to lingering effects of the medication, I drifted off into a heavy sleep as soon as I closed my eyes.


When I awoke again, there was no one beside me.


I got up, enduring the intense pain from the surgical incision in my abdomen, and went to search for my daughter's hospital room.


But the cheerful laughter from the adjacent room caught my attention. Through the haze, I saw Garrison affectionately embracing a young boy, while tenderly caressing the face of a woman lying in the hospital bed.


"Melody, it's all over now. You'll be better soon, and Jaxon and I will take care of you. Don't worry, I'll treat him like my own son."


"I've already flown in your favorite designer from Europe to create your wedding dress. The jewelry I risked my life to acquire in Africa. I want to give you the very best of everything."


"You mentioned wanting a beachfront villa, so I bought one to be a home for you and Jaxon. I'm taking Jaxon to the amusement park now, so don't worry. When we return, I'll bring you your favorite croissants..."


He lovingly detailed their future together, his words so gentle and intimate.


So he wasn't emotionally unavailable after all. For seven years, he was never home for our anniversaries and never bothered with gifts. But he remembers every little thing Melody and Jaxon like.I once cried and threw tantrums, but he just said that as an old married couple, we didn't need so many ceremonies. He even tried to avoid our wedding, the most important event in life. It turns out I was just not worthy.


He's not busy either, and would specially accompany the child to the amusement park. When Callie once begged him to play with her on her birthday, he said he wasn't interested. It turns out he was accompanying someone else.


The three of them cuddled intimately, dreaming of the future. They even sneaked kisses when the child wasn't looking, with Melody blushing and playfully scolding him.


Without lingering, I turned and called my master to help treat me and my child, and to inherit his mantle in acupuncture and alternative medicine.


My master was overjoyed, saying "good" several times, and began preparing to welcome me.


I also bought two plane tickets for the wedding day, as a final farewell.


While walking and calling, I finally found my child's hospital room.


Even though my vision was still blurry, I could see the girl lying quietly on the bed, wrapped in bandages.


Her breathing was weak, as if she might disappear at any moment.


At this moment, I gently held Callie's hand, and finally broke down in tears.A pair of hands appeared on my shoulders, gently embracing me from behind, wiping away my tears. The hands were trembling uncontrollably.


"Evelina, don't be so upset. Your eyes are already in bad shape, you shouldn't cry. It breaks my heart. Callie probably won't make it, so let's make her final moments happy, okay? Don't cry and make her sad."


"And you just had surgery. The doctor said your recovery isn't going well. You might have trouble having children in the future. But don't worry, I won't abandon you. We've adopted Jaxon, haven't we? We still have a child..."


"Let's think of it as Callie staying with us, keeping us company. I'm sure she'd be at peace knowing that..."


His voice started to quiver, and tears fell onto my neck, as if he was bearing an immense pain.


If I didn't know the truth behind all this, I would have thought he was empathizing with me and would have understood his good intentions.


But I knew all too well that everything was a lie crafted around me. It was me who was losing a kidney, going blind, and even facing death. It was me who was about to lose a child and be forced to accept my husband's lover's child. What did I do wrong to deserve such deceit?


Chapter 3