Chapter 1

After years of marriage, Adrian Foster still only spoke to me in bed.

The moment he got out of it, the warmth vanished, replaced by cold indifference.

I, Nora Bennett, had endured it all in silence, hoping that if I stayed obedient, he might show our daughter, Nina Foster, a little more care.

Yet in his eyes, Sophia Graham was his one and only-the woman he put on a pedestal, shielding and indulging her at every turn.

For her child, he had even taken my daughter's bone marrow.

In that moment, I finally understood. I was nothing more than a pawn in his battle with the woman he truly loved.

So I stopped holding on. I took my daughter and left without hesitation.

......

The rain outside didn't stop until dawn. Only then did Adrian finally pull away from me, satisfied.

I forced my weak body to move, cleaned him up first, then took care of myself.

"Adrian, Nina has a follow-up at the hospital tomorrow morning. The doctor will also discuss the bone marrow transplant."

"Tomorrow? I have an important client to meet." He got up and headed for the bathroom, then paused. "Next time, tell me in advance. Don't wait until the last minute."

"But I reminded you a week ago..." Seeing the frown on his face, I lowered my voice, almost pleading. "Adrian, you promised Nina you'd come this time. She needs you."

"There's so much going on at the company. How am I supposed to remember everything you say?" His tone turned sharp. "You only have one job every day, taking care of Nina. And you can't even manage that? Then what are you even doing as Mrs. Foster?"

I froze where I stood. Just as I was about to press further, his phone rang.

He glanced at the caller ID, grabbed the phone, and walked into the bathroom with a smile.

The next day, at the hospital.

"She's been relatively stable lately," the doctor said.

"Then when can we schedule the bone marrow transplant-"

Before I could finish in excitement, the doctor cut me off, his expression uneasy.

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Foster. The hospital has admitted another patient. Based on urgency, the bone marrow originally assigned to Nina has to be given up."

Disappointment washed over me, and tears slipped down before I could stop them.

"Mom, don't cry. I can wait a little longer. I'll stay with you the whole time."

She stood on tiptoe, reaching up to wipe my tears.

I quickly hid my grief, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't force a smile for her.

That single transplant meant another two years of waiting. I was terrified she might not have that long.

After paying the bill in the lobby, I called Adrian, desperate for him to find another solution.

Call after call went unanswered. The last one was cut off.

Suddenly, Nina slipped out of my hand and ran toward the distance.

"Dad?"

The lobby was crowded. I hurried after her, only to see Adrian holding a little girl about Nina's age in his arms, smiling gently.

"Dad! Why didn't you come with me to the hospital? You promised you would. Who is she? I want you to hold me too."

Nina's eyes instantly filled with tears, her face crumpling with hurt.

Only then did Adrian notice us. His brows drew together slightly.

"Mr. Foster is going to be my dad! You're not allowed to take him from me!"

The girl in his arms clung tightly to his neck, glaring at Nina as if staking her claim.

Nina burst into tears. I quickly pulled her into my arms, holding her close as a dull ache spread through my chest.

"Adrian, didn't you say you had a client meeting? Why are you at the hospital?"

Before he could answer, a soft, intimate voice drifted over. "Adrian, it's Mia's turn."

Sophia walked over and took the medical papers from Adrian with effortless familiarity, as if they were already a family of three.

A sharp pain pierced through my chest.

So the child in his arms was hers.

When I first met Adrian, I was still in college.

He and Sophia were a year ahead of me, and he had always admired her.

They were often brought together by events and activities. He was handsome, she was beautiful, and everyone thought they would end up together.

But right after graduation, Sophia married someone else. Not long after, Adrian rushed into a marriage with me.

I knew he was trying to make her care. Still, I had loved him for so long, foolishly believing that time would eventually make a place for me in his heart.

It turned out, I had only been fooling myself.

Adrian finally spared me a glance.

"Nora, take Nina home first."

"But Adrian, the doctor said-"

"Can't you see I'm busy? I'm not going to repeat myself."

His words cut me off cold, a chill running from head to toe.

Seeing this, Sophia stepped forward with a gentle smile and took my hand.

"So you're Adrian's wife. I'm really sorry, this is my fault. Mia has leukemia, and her father..." A trace of sorrow flickered in her eyes. "Let's not talk about the past. I called Adrian last night and asked him to help. I just couldn't manage everything on my own. Please don't misunderstand anything, and don't be upset with Adrian. I'd feel terrible if you were."

"She won't," Adrian said flatly. "Sophia, you don't need to explain. You did nothing wrong."

With that, Adrian took Sophia's hand and walked beside her toward the consultation room.

Mia Mercer rested against his shoulder and even stuck her tongue out at Nina.

Just as Nina had calmed down, she broke into tears again.

"Mom... is Dad upset because I'm sick and always coming to the hospital?"

"Of course not. Dad loves you very much. He's been trying to find a way to make you better."

I crouched down to comfort her, my heart twisting like it was being cut open.

Only after she stopped crying did I lift her into my arms, grab the heavy bag of test reports and medication, and turn to leave.