Chapter 3

The "life-saving debt" Clara kept talking about happened over ten years ago.

She was still in college back then.

One night, she was cornered in an alley by thugs who wanted to rob and assault her.

Julian stepped in to save her, losing the use of his left arm in the process.

Because of that, Clara stayed with him for five years.

The only reason she married me was because her family went bankrupt shortly after.

Her father developed a severe heart condition and needed an expensive surgery immediately.

She couldn't borrow the money anywhere. Eventually, she came to me, her childhood friend.

She knew I loved her. She told me that if I paid for her father's surgery, she would marry me.

I didn't want to take advantage of her situation. I refused her proposal but planned to anonymously transfer the money to her anyway.

But she misunderstood my refusal. That night, she set me up. She got me drunk, made it look like we slept together, and used the guilt to pressure me into marriage.

And so, we got married.

Though her father’s surgery was successful, he didn't survive long. He passed away three years into our marriage.

I didn't care about her past. I had married the woman of my dreams, and I pampered her, giving in to her every whim.

But after her father died, her heart began to wander.

Somehow, she reconnected with Julian.

By then, Julian was divorced and raising a daughter on his own.

Clara treated Julian’s daughter like her own, keeping her by her side constantly.

Lily loved Clara so much. She constantly starved for her mother's affection. To keep Lily from being sad, I turned a blind eye to a lot of things.

I tolerated it all, just so Lily could occasionally hear a kind word from her "Mommy."

But it was all just my delusion. Clara didn't care about Lily at all.

After reconnecting with Julian, she grew to despise me more each day, constantly sighing about her "horrible fate" and how she was stuck in an unhappy marriage with me.

Now that Lily was gone, I had no reason to stay. I was going to end this marriage once and for all.

Beside me, Clara was carefully checking Chloe’s vitals with a worried frown.

Anyone watching would think Chloe was her biological child.

"Chloe, sweetie, you look a little pale. I'm worried. Let's go down to the clinic and get you checked out."

Without looking back, she carried Chloe out the door.

I watched her go, realizing she was completely beyond saving.

When Lily’s heart was failing, she had told her mother she felt sick.

Clara had dismissed it, calling Lily a liar who was just trying to steal attention from Chloe.

Yet now, just because Chloe looked a little pale, Clara rushed her to the clinic without a second thought.

Did she even have a heart?

No. She just didn't love the child she had with me.

I called my parents and told them the news of Lily’s passing.

They packed their bags immediately and drove through the night, arriving exhausted and pale.

When my mother walked through the door and saw the empty house, she couldn't accept it. "Where... where is my little Lily?"

I stood there in silence, nodding slowly, unable to voice the words.

My father’s eyes turned red instantly. "How? We had the donor heart secured! We had the money ready! The surgery could have happened anytime! How is she gone?!"

I calmly told them the truth.

It was Clara. She had transferred Lily’s heart to Julian's daughter three days before the scheduled surgery.

My father trembled with pure rage, cursing Clara’s name.

I quickly helped them sit down, worried their high blood pressure would act up.

I told them I was divorcing Clara and begged them not to ruin their own health over her.

My parents wept, scolding me for my stubbornness in marrying her in the first place, saying this tragedy would have never happened if I hadn't been blinded by love.

I nodded, admitting my mistake. I was wrong from the very beginning.

After a long time, my parents managed to calm down. My father looked around the empty living room, recalling the sweet moments he had shared with Lily.

"Let's bring Lily home," my father said quietly, his voice cracking. "It’s cold in the morgue."

Just then, Clara walked back in.

She overheard my father's words. A look of complete confusion crossed her face, followed by irritation as she glared at me.

"Arthur, what is wrong with you? What are you trying to pull now? Why did you drag your parents all the way here?"

"I was only gone for two days to take care of Chloe. Was this really necessary?"

"And Lily... she is always so difficult. Always throwing tantrums and acting out. If she weren't so exhausting, maybe I would actually like her."

Lily was already dead, and here she was, still spitting venom.

The rage inside me boiled over. I roared at her.

"Lily is dead! Do you understand me?!"

"You killed her! You gave her heart to Chloe and killed your own daughter!"

Clara’s face twisted into utter contempt. She clearly didn't believe a word.

"You are completely insane. You'll say anything at this point. Chloe was sick too. I helped her because I'm a doctor, not just because of Julian! Get that through your head!"

"There is nothing going on between Julian and me!"

"You don't need to scream at me and make up sick lies about Lily being dead just to guilt-trip me. I know finding that heart wasn't easy, but like I said, Lily had ten years. Chloe didn't! Was I supposed to just watch Chloe die?"

I didn't want to waste another breath arguing with this wretched woman.

Marrying her was the single greatest mistake of my life.

I looked at her coldly.

"You think I'm exaggerating? You think I'm lying? Fine. Come with me. Let's go bring Lily home together."