Chapter 1

In the late stages of pregnancy, I was bringing lunch to my face-blind husband Dashiell when a frenzied grizzly bear attacked, tearing open my abdomen. I was left clinging to life.

My husband, an animal behavior specialist, trembled as he rushed me to the hospital. He donated blood for three straight days to keep me out of danger.

I was in a coma for two weeks, but my mind remained clear. That's when I fully discovered my husband's true nature.

"Dashiell, as instructed the boy has been switched. Should we send him to the orphanage? Do we really have to..."

"Stick to the original plan. Under cover of darkness, dump him in the wild animal area. A little snack for Grizzly."

"Calm Ember down. Say it's my fault for not being careful, which caused her premature labor..."

"Also, increase the dosage of my darling's medication. We can't risk her regaining her memories..."

Motionless in my coma, silent tears streamed down my face as my heart shattered.

The marriage I thought was blissful turned out to be nothing but agonizing pain and cold calculation.

I will carry this hatred, expose the lies, and flee far away.

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1

When I opened my eyes again, I forced myself to walk out of the hospital room, enduring the pain from my incision.

Back in the room, Dashiell rushed out and anxiously took my hand.

"Darling, where did you go?"

He looked up guiltily, then noticed I wasn't wearing my hearing aid and breathed a sigh of relief.

He led me to sit on the hospital bed and took out a new hearing aid from his pocket, placing it on my ear.

"Darling, I'm sorry I couldn't protect you better."

I pushed down the pain in my heart and managed a slight smile.

After I lay down, he immediately came over and removed the hearing aid.

I felt nervous inside but my eyelids felt sealed shut with cement, unable to open.

Footsteps approached from outside and the doctor spoke with hesitation.

"Dashiell, are you really sure about this?"

"You switched the boy, but if it's discovered later..."

"Since Ember was premature and the girl died, she gets to keep her own daughter. We only switched the son - we've already let her keep one, what more does she want?"

"The medication is taking effect. Let's harvest her skin now to graft onto Ember's incision."

Something clattered to the floor.

The doctor's voice was incredulous.

"You made her suffer by switching babies, and now you want to take her skin? Besides, the incision on Miss Bennett's abdomen isn't an issue."The heart-wrenching conversation left me shattered, but what followed froze my blood.

"Ember is my soulmate. Aria chased after me for seven years. I'm doing her a favor by marrying her. It's her fault I can't give Ember the security of marriage. She owes us this."

"Take the skin graft from her face. It's more delicate. She's loved me for seven years; marrying her was already a kindness."

The doctor hesitated: "Skin from the thigh would suffice. Taking it from her face would disfigure her. You've been together for seven years..."

Dashiell was silent for a moment before speaking: "Just say her face was disfigured by the mauling and can't be restored."

"She can spend the rest of her life taking care of the kid, staying at home. I can provide for her."

As the doctor left, Dashiell picked up the phone: "Dashiell, Grizzly's finished eating the baby. Only the skull wasn't swallowed. I had someone crush it for him."

As the anesthesia coursed through my body, I couldn't keep my eyes open, but my tears had long since run dry.

So, being gutted by the grizzly wasn't an accident. It was because his lover went into premature labor. Afraid of ruining the plan, they forced my child to be born early. According to the original plan, neither child would have survived.

What I thought was the fruit of our love turned out to be nothing more than a backup plan.Thinking about the poor child who was abused to death, and as a mother being powerless to help, my body developed resistance to the anesthesia. I endured the excruciating pain of having my face peeled off, atoning for my child's sins.

As the drug wore off, I opened my eyes to complete darkness.

Dashiell's hands trembled as he placed the hearing aid on me, his voice hoarse.

"Darling, your face is infected, and the skin has deteriorated. I've wrapped it in gauze for temporary protection. I promise I'll find a specialist to repair it for you later."