Suddenly, Leanna grabbed the fruit knife from the table and slashed at her wrist.

Franco panicked, lunging to snatch it away. In his haste, the blade slashed a deep gash into my thigh.

Blood gushed out instantly, but he didn’t even notice.

He was too busy cradling the now-fainting Leanna in his arms, whispering words of comfort, completely unaware of the wound he had just inflicted on me.

In the chaos, the black medical case beside the bed was knocked over. It popped open slightly—just enough for a splash of bloodied water to spill out.

Leanna shrieked and buried herself deeper into Franco’s embrace. He, in turn, kicked the box away in disgust.

But that box held the bodies of the twins—our babies—who had died before they could even open their eyes and see the world.

Tears poured down my cheeks. Ignoring the pain in my leg, I crawled toward the box and tried to protect it with my arms.

But my desperate attempt only infuriated Franco.

He kicked the box further away and coldly called for hospital staff to dispose of it.

“No! Don’t! Please!”

I sobbed so hard it felt like my insides were being torn apart. I clutched the box tightly to my chest, trembling all over.

Franco paused, then muttered with a frown, "Mara... are you having postpartum depression or something?"

He didn’t wait for an answer. He turned and left, holding Leanna close as he walked away, leaving behind nothing but the echo of my cries in the cold hospital room.

—

It was a long time before he returned.

This time, he brought a postpartum meal and awkwardly cleared his throat.

“I overreacted earlier,” he said. “But you shouldn’t have lied to me while I was operating on Maple.”

He sighed, as if the whole thing had been a minor misunderstanding. “Leanna only developed depression because she fell in love with me. I feel responsible for her. But I only see her as a sister. All those things I said—just to comfort her. You understand, right? You’re always the understanding one.”

It had always been this way.

If Leanna was unhappy, he would mess with me or Alec just to make her laugh. Then he’d bring us a small treat, a hollow apology, thinking it would make everything right.

I looked at the lipstick stain on the hem of his shirt and gave him a small, numb smile.

It was over. I felt nothing but bitter emptiness.

However, he seemed to take that as forgiveness.

He changed the subject, his tone light. “So? What about the babies? Were they both boys? Or two girls? Maybe one of each?”

He waved over a nurse, beaming. “Bring them in. I want to see my kids.”

The nurse hesitated. She glanced at me, then at him. “Dr. Davidson... your children, they..."

Just then, his phone rang.

Of course, it was Leanna.

He answered immediately.

“Franco...” she cooed. “Maple just spit up some milk... is she going to die?”

“Don’t be scared, Leanna. I’m coming right now.”

He hung up and rushed out of the room, so fast he forgot his coat.

The nurse called after him indignantly, “Dr. Davidson! Your wife just had a C-section!”

But Franco had already vanished down the hallway.

I grabbed the nurse’s arm before she could follow.

“I don’t need his pity,” I said quietly. “Can you... take me to see my son?”

Alec was waiting. On the eighteenth floor—in the morgue.

I held my abdomen where the fresh wound throbbed with each breath and staggered toward the cold farewell room.

There, beneath the sterile lights, lay my son.

Alec looked so peaceful.

Tears splashed onto my hands as I pulled his tiny body into my arms.

“My sweet, silly Alec... did it hurt? I’m sorry, Mommy didn’t protect you.”

“I miss you so much. You were always so obedient, so kind. How could you bear to leave me behind?”

“Why didn’t you take me with you? Are you scared, all alone out there?”

“It should’ve been me. I chose the wrong father for you. It’s all my fault.”

I sobbed until I couldn’t breathe. But Alec would never smile at me again. He would never hug me, never wipe away my tears with his little hands.

The warm, radiant little sun in my life had turned into a cold, pale moon.

I didn’t know how long I sat there crying—until my tears ran dry. That’s when a notification lit up my phone screen.

It was a public post from Leanna.

The photo showed two people kissing tenderly, their fingers interlocked.

The caption read. [Congratulations, Dr. D, for passing my final test! I’ve always been your first choice, again and again. Even without a title, I’m willing to grow old with you.]

My gaze fell on the wedding ring in the photo—one I knew all too well. It stabbed into my chest like a blade.

But none of it mattered anymore.

The children I loved most were gone forever.

'Franco... I don’t want you anymore.'

—

When I woke the next morning, a bowl of hot porridge sat on my nightstand.

A string of messages from Franco lit up my phone.

[Mara, something urgent came up. I’m going on a short business trip. I left you breakfast and hired a top-tier maternity nurse and a care worker to look after you.]

[By the way, the maternity ward is really short on beds. Since you had a natural birth, don’t take up the hospital bed any longer. As my family member, you should understand—it reflects badly on me. Please check yourself out.]

[Be good. I’ll bring back gifts for you and the babies.]

I stared at the high-end maternity nurse standing in the doorway and felt a bitter laugh rise in my throat.

Sure enough, the next thing I saw on my phone was another show-off post from Leanna.

[Feel better soon, my little pups! Daddy even took two whole days off to care for you~ You’re so lucky to have a daddy who loves you this much!]

The photo was of Franco, crouching patiently as he bottle-fed a puppy.

My nails dug deep into my palms. My heart grew heavy.

I dismissed the nurse.

Despite the doctor strongly advising I stay hospitalized for at least a month, I refused.

I had a funeral to prepare—for three children.

—

Three days later, I dragged my weakened body to the funeral home.

When I came out, I was holding three still-warm urns—the last warmth they would ever give me.

“Let’s go home, my babies.”

Back at the house, I placed the three white porcelain urns neatly on the coffee table. Beside them lay a divorce agreement.

The house was eerily silent. I glanced at the photo wall in a daze.

A new picture had been added just a month ago: a family portrait taken on Alec’s seventh birthday. The three of us were smiling, frozen in time.

Now, my tears splashed heavily onto the urns.

I sent Franco a text. [Let’s get a divorce.]

It took him a while to reply.

[Don’t be dramatic. I’m away on business. We’ll talk when I’m back.]

Then he sent a photo—three tiny gold lock pendants.

[Mara, look! Aren’t these cute? I picked them for the kids. I got one for you too. It’ll be a surprise!]

The kids?

Coming from his mouth, that word was pure mockery.

All three of our children were dead—because of him.

And now he had the nerve to act like some doting father?

I stared closer at the gold pendants, and rage surged through me like a tidal wave.

Those exact pendants had been on the necks of Leanna’s puppies just yesterday.

Eight puppies. One gold lock each.

So even this shallow gesture of “love for the children” had been repurposed—from her dogs?

Tears blurred my vision.

I took one last look around the house that had held ten years of my marriage. Then I picked up the urns, turned my back, and closed the door behind me without hesitation.

Half an hour later, I parked outside Leanna’s apartment complex.

There they were—Franco and Leanna—pushing a stroller, walking their dogs, basking in the sunshine like the perfect couple.

A security guard chuckled as they passed.

“Wow, you two really spoil your pets. That bottle you’re using to feed the dogs—I didn’t even buy one that expensive for my daughter. Costs more than a month’s salary!”

I recognized that bottle immediately.

Leanna had flaunted it in her social media post. Franco had gone out of his way to have eight of them shipped overseas just for her puppies.

I looked at the affectionate pair in front of me and let out a bitter, mocking laugh.

So this... was the man I had shared a bed with for ten years.

My eyes, still red with tears, locked onto theirs. Franco happened to glance up at that moment, meeting my gaze.

His expression froze, and after a few seconds of stunned silence, he abruptly pushed Leanna out of his arms.

I stepped out of the car, walking toward them slowly but steadily.

Leanna stumbled from the shove, looking dazed. When she saw it was me, a flicker of realization crossed her face—followed by a pitiful glare full of resentment.

“Mara, it’s not what you think,” he began to explain. “ I just got back from a business trip—”

Lie. Go on, keep lying.

A nearby security guard chuckled casually, unintentionally delivering the final blow.

“Didn’t you take time off just to care for the pups? I’ve seen you around for days now—treating those dogs like your own kids.”

That one offhand comment shattered the last sliver of hope I had in Franco.

I took out the divorce papers and a pen, handed them to him, and said coldly, “Franco, I’m here to divorce you.”

His eyes widened in disbelief. It was as if he’d never imagined I would actually go through with it.

Leanna clutched a puppy to her chest and stepped forward like she was trying to mediate.

“Mara, please don’t blame Franco. My puppy was sick and he only came to help because he’s a doctor...”

I let out a dry, scornful laugh. “A doctor? He’s a doctor for people, not a vet. He abandoned his own child to save your dog. Don’t you dare make him out to be some selfless hero.”

“But my puppy was really suffering... Mara, don’t be angry. Look how cute it is...”

She brought the warm, furry thing close to me. The moment its fur brushed my skin, a wave of nausea surged up. I instinctively went to push her away.

“Don’t touch me!”

Just as I raised my hand, I saw the glint of triumph in her eyes.

And then—she suddenly threw the puppy—hard.

A sharp, pitiful yelp pierced the air.

“My puppy!”

Leanna rushed over, cradling the tiny, lifeless body in her arms. It had landed with a sickening thud, and now blood was trickling from its nose and mouth.

She sobbed uncontrollably, her voice trembling.

“Mara... if you hate me, come at me! Why kill an innocent puppy? It just came into this world—it was life too...”

I opened my mouth to explain, but a loud smack cut me off.

Franco had slapped me across the face.

“Mara! I told you already—it’s not what you think between me and Leanna. But that was a life! How could you be so cruel?”

My cheek burned red and swollen. I stood there, speechless, stunned.

Leanna suddenly broke free and ran toward the overpass railing.

“My puppy is dead... I don’t want to live either! Franco, take care of the others for me! I’ll repay your kindness in my next life!”

Franco dashed after her, pulling her into his arms just before she could leap.

He turned and looked at me with blazing fury.

“Mara! You know Leanna has depression! And you still provoked her like this? I’m done with you!”

I stared blankly as the crowd around us began to grow, their voices rising with judgment and blame.

“I didn’t...” I whispered, shaking my head. “I didn’t do anything...”

Someone pulled out their phone and started recording.

Franco snatched the divorce papers from my hands and, without hesitation, signed his name at the bottom.

“Fine, let's divorce just like you wanted!”

“But I want custody of Alec. The twins are breastfeeding, I know I won’t get them now. But I’ll fight for Alec in court if I have to!”

I stood there, hair disheveled, lips curling into a twisted smile like a madwoman.

“Franco...” I said slowly. “You won’t get a single one of them.”

“Why should I let you have him? With how cold and ruthless you are, I’d never feel safe letting Alec grow up around you!” Franco roared.

My voice cracked, sharp with pain. “Because they're dead!”

“You—” he choked, furious. “Just to stop me from getting custody, you’re actually cursing your own children to die? You’re heartless!”

I bent down, picked up the divorce agreement from the ground, and didn’t spare him another glance.

Let the onlookers film me, let them post their videos, spread rumors, curse me online—I didn’t care anymore.

All I wanted was to bring my babies home, to lay them to rest beside my mother’s grave.

The next morning, Leanna sent me a voice message.

Lustful moans and heavy breathing echoed in my ears, mixed with soft murmurs of promises.

I calmly closed the audio, removed my SIM card, and tossed it out the car window.

“Driver, take me to the airport.”