He sighed, his tone soft, almost tender. “I know you hate me. But Daisy’s condition is dangerous. I had to save her. You’re strong, you recover fast. I’ll make it up to you this time. Whatever you want—even leaving this villa—I’ll consider it.”

I let out a cold laugh. “Consider it? Since when have you ever done anything I wanted?”

Brian’s expression froze for a moment, then smoothed back into calm.

“We’ll talk when you’re in a better mood,” he said quietly, tucking the blanket around me before turning to leave.

When the door closed, I could almost hear my own trembling breath.

Not long after, loud voices erupted outside the ward.

I was about to get up when the door was suddenly slammed open.

A few young men and women burst in, carrying champagne bottles and a portable speaker.

Their laughter was sharp and grating.

Leading them was Daisy, dressed in a pale pink dress that outlined her slightly swollen belly. A triumphant smile played on her lips.

“Sister, I heard you woke up?” Her voice dripped with syrupy sweetness. “I was in such a good mood today, I just had to come see you. After all, your blood is flowing inside me.”

I forced myself upright despite the dizziness, my voice hoarse. “This is a hospital. Get out.”

“Oh, don’t be so fierce.” Daisy stepped closer, amusement glinting in her eyes like the edge of a knife.

“I heard you’re pretty weak this time. The doctor said it’ll take half a year for you to recover? So tragic. Lost too much blood and still had to watch yourself save someone else’s life.”

I bit down on my lip, the taste of blood spreading across my tongue.

She kept talking, her tone light and mocking. “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure to cherish this life you gave me. After all, Brian said he’d never forgive himself if anything happened to me—even when you were almost dying.”

Laughter burst around us as the group raised their glasses.

“To Daisy—and to Aurora’s generous sacrifice!”

My whole body trembled, my chest rising and falling violently as my blood seemed to boil.

“Enough!” I screamed, my voice raw. “Get out!”

But Daisy only smiled wider.

“Why so angry? You can barely take care of yourself, and you still want to throw us out?”

She leaned closer, her tone turning sickeningly sweet.

“Did you know? Brian just came to see me. He even fed me soup himself. He said he owes me a life.”

I reached out to push her away, but she slapped me across the face.

The sound cracked through the air.

I almost fell, my vision going dark.

The next second, she grabbed my chin, leaned close, and whispered, “Now it’s fair, sister. Your blood saved me, but your man was always mine.”

Smiling, she turned to the others. “Tie her up. I don’t want her fainting again from excitement.”

They forced me down, strapping my wrists and ankles to the bed.

I heard Daisy’s voice by my ear, soft as a lullaby. “Don’t worry. I won’t kill you. Brian still needs you alive—to give more blood.”

I tried to scream, but no sound came out.

Then footsteps echoed from the hallway.

Brian was back.

Daisy instantly softened her face, adopting that fragile look she wore so well. She walked toward him.

“You’re back. Aurora’s exhausted. Let her rest. The doctor said she shouldn’t be upset. I’ll take care of her.”

“You’re such a good girl,” Brian said, gently stroking her hair.

Daisy smiled sweetly and leaned into his arms, her voice soft and coy. “You know, every time I get close to you, I can feel Aurora’s blood flowing inside me… it’s such a strange feeling.”

Brian said nothing. He only held her tighter.

“Brian, you monster…”

I clenched my jaw until it hurt, my fingers digging into the wooden cabinet. Splinters pierced my skin, and drops of blood slowly seeped out.

Tears finally spilled down my face, blurring my vision.

I could hear their laughter, their gasps, their whispered moans outside the cabinet—

those same tones that once comforted me, now dripping with tenderness for another woman.

So this was what I had been all along—a cover-up, a convenient disguise for his shame.

His so-called “compassion,” “guilt,” “kindness”—all an act, a performance for the world to see.

This way, he could hold her near the hospital bed without guilt,

finding “redemption” in the arms of the woman who lived because of my blood.

They laughed together, breathed together, right there beside me.

The curtains were half drawn, the room dim, and my breath turned cold to the bone.

I didn’t know how long it lasted, but at last, silence returned.

The sound of a door closing made the air itself freeze.

I struggled to push open the cabinet door.

Cold air hit my face as I crawled out, leaning against the bed, gasping for breath.

Marks still circled my wrists and ankles, my skin bruised and raw.

“Brian… Daisy…”

My voice was hoarse, shaking. “I’ll make you both pay for this—every single debt.”

In the days before I was discharged, no one came to see me.

The doctor said my recovery was slow and I should stay a few more days, but the room was as silent as a tomb.

Brian never appeared again—not even a single word of concern.

I signed the discharge papers myself, my right hand swollen and bruised from too many IVs.

At the end of the corridor, the sunset cast a golden glow through the window.

Just then, I overheard two nurses whispering nearby.

“Look! Mr. Hudson posted new photos again—so romantic!”

“A hot-air-balloon proposal! Daisy’s so lucky!”

I lowered my head. On my phone screen, a notification flashed.

A collage of nine photos filled the feed.

Under the golden light, Brian was gently cupping Daisy’s face,

kissing her deeply on a hot-air balloon high above the city.

They were smiling so brightly, as if the whole world blessed their love.

The caption read:

“Forever my angel, forever my home.”

My fingers hovered over the comment box for a long moment before I typed one line.

【Wishing you a lifetime of love, and a healthy, safe child.】

Ten minutes later, my phone rang.

Brian’s familiar number flashed on the screen.

I stared at it, then swiped it away.

Half an hour later, I finished the discharge process.

Carrying my luggage, I walked alone toward the lobby.

As I passed the maternity ward, my steps faltered.

From the corner ahead, a familiar figure appeared—Brian.

He was holding Daisy, one hand around her waist and the other carrying her test results.

The young nurse at the reception desk smiled brightly. “Mrs. Hudson, your husband is so sweet. He comes with you every time and even warms the ultrasound gel so you won’t feel cold during the exam.”

The other pregnant women around her all looked on with envy.

My breath caught.

Instinctively, I touched my arm—the place where the needle had pierced, where eight hundred milliliters of blood had been taken from me.

That blood, once part of me, now flowed through her veins.

I turned to leave, but Brian looked up.

The moment our eyes met, his expression was as cold and blank as glass.

He strode toward me, his tone clipped with authority. “Why are you here?”

“I… I just got discharged,” I said quietly. “I didn’t mean to run into you. I’m sorry.”

“Wait.”

His brows drew together, voice dropping low.

Daisy immediately tightened her hold on his arm, smiling sweetly. “Mrs. Aurora, thank you for your donation. Without you, my baby and I might not have survived. You’re truly our savior.”

Then she turned to Brian with feigned innocence. “Darling, why don’t we give Mrs. Aurora a ride home? She needs to rest too.”

Brian lowered his eyes, a gentle smile curving his lips. “Whatever you say, my angel.”

I didn’t refuse.

Because I knew—this car ride would be the last time we ever shared the same road.

Inside the black sedan, the silence was suffocating.

Daisy leaned against Brian’s shoulder, softly laughing while scrolling through her phone.

I turned toward the window, hiding my expression.

Suddenly, she gasped. “Oh my God, what’s this?”

She pulled out a damp lace undergarment from between the seats.

The air froze instantly.

Her eyes widened in disbelief. “Brian… didn’t you say you got rid of everything?”

“I… must have forgotten,” he muttered, voice low, patting her back to soothe her.

I didn’t react. My face remained expressionless, eyes fixed straight ahead.

He noticed my calmness, his brow furrowing slightly.

“You’ve been staring at your phone since you got in the car,” Brian said, his tone turning cold. “Who are you texting? Grant?”

I locked my screen and replied evenly, “I was just reading the news.”

He suddenly reached over and snatched my phone.

“Password.”

“Our wedding anniversary,” I said flatly.

He tried several times. Each attempt failed.

The screen flashed: 【Locked for five minutes】.

The car fell into absolute silence.

Only Daisy’s soft sigh broke the stillness as she nestled closer into his arms.

And I, staring down at my pale fingertips, felt a strange, unfamiliar chill rising from within.

When I returned to the estate that day, the first thing I did was erase every trace of Brian.

Seven years of photos, ninety-nine love letters, and the journals we once filled together.

The yellowed pages still bore his handwriting, full of hollow promises.

I tossed them into the fireplace, one by one.

The flames devoured the memories, the ashes drifting upward like fragments of a torn wedding gown.

The scent of burning paper filled the room, thick and stifling.

When I threw the last journal into the fire, I heard the sound of the front door opening.