“Are you serious? For her, you would sacrifice our own child?”

He avoided my gaze, his voice low yet cruel.

“I feel heartbroken, too, but there’s no other way. Be good, close your eyes… it’ll be over soon, and then you won’t be afraid anymore.”

His hand reached out to stroke my hair.

I stared at him for a few seconds and, in the end, obediently nodded.

“Okay.”

Relief and satisfaction immediately spread across his face. Everything was unfolding just as he wanted; it seemed I was still the same well-behaved, compliant woman.

The doctor beside us could no longer hold back and interjected.

“Mr. Bernard, a pregnant woman isn’t suitable for bone marrow donation. Why don’t we try looking for Zara’s family members instead?”

With the words “family members,” Zara broke down and started crying even harder. After all, her parents had long since passed away.

Tatum turned back to her with heartache, tightened his grip on my arm, and said firmly to the doctor, “Adeline is her family. She can do it. She will donate!”

The doctor looked helplessly at me. I met his eyes and nodded with calm resolve.

“Go ahead. I agree.”

The surgery was long and unbearably cold.

When I finally woke, Tatum was nowhere in sight. I knew, of course, he must have been with Zara.

I called softly for the doctor.

“Doctor, please… also, help me with the abortion while you’re at it. So I won’t… have to come again later.”

Afterward, I lay on the hospital bed, drained, unwilling to move.

Suddenly, my phone vibrated; it was his mother, Violeta Bernard, calling.

“Adeline! What’s wrong with you? You couldn’t even keep the child! Do you know how long we’ve been waiting for this?”

Her words were sharp with blame, without even pausing to ask why. I opened my mouth, but no words came.

At that moment, Tatum snatched the phone from my hand, his tone suddenly soft.

“Mom, don’t get worked up. Adeline just had surgery; her body is still weak. She needs rest. Don’t scare her.”

As he spoke, he strolled toward the balcony outside the ward, casually pulling the glass door shut behind him.

Through the faint barrier, fragments of words drifted in.

“…it wasn’t on purpose… maybe she was just too tired from the wedding preparations, didn’t rest enough… her body has always been weak… don’t blame her…”

He shifted all responsibility onto me, brushing himself clean of everything.

Just then, the wind pushed the glass door ajar, and Tatum’s voice mingled clearly with his mother’s.

“Son, I thought Adeline was virtuous and proper, but now this wedding has turned so extravagant. You really need to talk to her!”

“Mom, don’t say that. I was the one who set the high standards for the wedding. I have my reasons, you and Dad don’t need to worry.”

“As for Zara… she must be compensated somehow. I’ve decided that the ten percent of company shares I had prepared as Adeline’s dowry, I’ll give them to Zara instead. That’s what I owe her.”

Violeta paused for a moment.

“Those shares were promised to Adeline as her dowry. You already said it aloud. Are you certain you want to change it?”

Tatum’s tone was firm, without hesitation.

“Adeline marrying me is already the greatest blessing she could ever have. She shouldn’t be so greedy.”

“Zara is different. She has no one to depend on; I must think of her.”

Though my heart had long been numb, his words still stirred a dull ache in my chest.

I pressed down the surge of emotion and reminded myself.

It no longer mattered. The wedding had been a sham from the beginning. These hollow promises had never truly belonged to me.

When Tatum ended the call and returned, his face once more wore that practiced mask of gentleness.

“Mom and Dad are just too worried. I already spoke with them. You just rest and don’t overthink.”

I lowered my eyes, saying nothing.

Tatum went out to settle the remaining hospital fees. At that moment, the ward door creaked open.

Zara walked in with a bouquet of flowers, her lips curved in a delicate smile.

“Adeline, congratulations, you’re about to marry Tatum.”

Her words of blessing sounded hollow, sharp as a blade.

I couldn’t stand to watch her performance, so I closed my eyes, refusing to respond.

Suddenly, Zara let out a sharp “ah” and fell backward heavily, the bouquet scattering across the floor.

“Adeline, I only came to give you blessings. Why did you push me?”

Almost at once, Tatum rushed in from outside.

Zara’s eyes brimmed with tears, her voice trembling as she wept.

“Tatum, don’t blame Adeline. She must resent me… for implicating her and the child, so she only pushed me lightly…”

At her words, Tatum’s head snapped up, his glare searing me with reproach.

“Adeline! How could you push her? Don’t you know her condition? How could you become so petty, so vicious? Apologize to Zara at once!”

Watching such a clumsy act, I only felt a wave of ridicule rise within me.

I raised my hand, pointing at the surveillance camera in the corner.

“I never touched her. Do you want to head to the security office and check the footage right now?”

Then I shifted my gaze to Zara, my tone sharp as glass.

“Zara, if you want to act, at least choose a place without cameras. I’m busy, I don’t have time for these childish games.”

Her face changed instantly. She lifted her head toward the camera, panic flashing in her eyes, teeth sinking into her lip, words stuck in her throat.

But Tatum ignored it all, his fury only deepening as he jabbed his finger at me.

“Whether you pushed her or not, your attitude is unacceptable! Apologize! Otherwise, I’ll cancel….”

I sneered coldly, cutting him off without the slightest hesitation. “Cancel the wedding? Fine.”

I looked at him calmly, my gaze steady.

“I can tell Zara doesn’t want us to marry. Since you’re so torn, and she’s suffering so much, why don’t we just forget it…”

Tatum froze, a flicker of panic flashing across his face as he shook his head without thinking.

“Y-you… what nonsense are you saying? Our wedding is already set, and the invitations have gone out. How can you be so self-centered, saying cancel as if it’s nothing?”

I cast a glance at Zara. Her face had turned ashen; she stomped her foot in anger before storming out.

Tatum instinctively moved to chase her, but just as he reached the door, he forced himself to stop. He turned back to me, his eyes filled with confusion.

“You… what’s wrong with you today? How could you even mention canceling the wedding? Haven’t you always wanted to marry me?”

I smiled faintly.

“I can see that Zara’s ‘illness’ has only been worsening. At a time like this, if we still insist on marrying, wouldn’t that be far too inconsiderate of her feelings?”

At my words, Tatum exhaled in visible relief, as though he had finally found a reasonable excuse for my so-called ‘abnormality.’ His tone softened, touched with tenderness.

“You’re just too kind, always thinking of others. Silly girl, you’ll be my wife sooner or later. Isn’t it better to settle things sooner rather than later?”

The smile on my lips didn’t waver, and my voice remained light. “Of course I want that. But… what about Zara? She leans on you so much.”

I paused before continuing, my tone almost casual. “How about I help her find someone and introduce her to Conrad? That way she’ll have someone to care for her, and you can be at ease too, right?”

Tatum’s expression darkened in an instant, his face clouded with displeasure. He cut me off stiffly.

“My business doesn’t need you meddling! And Zara’s matters are none of your concern! All you need to do is be the bride!”

I curved my lips in a faint smile, nodding as though slipping back into that compliant self I once was.

“Alright.”

Finally, the day came.

The wedding scene unfolded with unmatched grandeur, countless media cameras aimed at the stage, recording every detail of this so-called wedding of the century.

In the audience, Zara sat in a flowing white dress, her makeup impeccable, without a veil; she resembled the bride herself.

At the front of the stage, Tatum stood with a confident, victorious smile tugging at his lips.

“Adeline, are you happy? Everything I prepared is for you. I believe this day will stay with you forever.”

I looked straight at him, my tone light yet sharp. “What a coincidence, Tatum. I, too, have prepared… a surprise for you.”

Tatum froze for a brief moment before sneering, his dismissal sharp. “Oh? Then I’ll look forward to your surprise. But of course, nothing you could prepare would ever match the ‘grandeur’ of mine.”

His tone dripped with arrogance, superiority practically spilling from every word.

I said nothing more, only kept the faint curve lingering at the corner of my lips.

The solemn melody of the wedding march filled the hall. Leaning on my father’s arm, I stepped forward, each stride calm and steady, carrying me closer to the stage.

Finally, we reached the priest.

He opened the Bible with solemn care, his voice deep and formal as he asked, “Mr. Bernard, do you take Miss Buckley as your wife? Whether in joy or sorrow, wealth or poverty, health or sickness, will you love her faithfully, with no reservation, for all your days?”

With pride in his voice, Tatum declared, “I do!”

His impatient gaze swept toward the audience, locking briefly with Zara’s eyes, as if waiting for the next act in his carefully staged play.

The priest nodded and turned to me, his voice solemn and deliberate. “Miss Buckley, do you…”

I cut in calmly, my voice firm and ringing through the hall.

“I do not.”