A Father's Betrayal: The Marrow

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.

"Adrian, it's all thanks to you that Mia was able to find a suitable bone marrow match so quickly."

In the hospital room, Sophia slipped her arm through his, her voice trembling slightly.

"Ever since Mia was diagnosed, I haven't had a moment of peace. I've been on edge day and night, terrified she might leave me... just like her father did."

Adrian freed one hand and gently wiped her tears.

"That won't happen. No matter when, I'll be there for you."

Sophia nodded, casually brushing her hair aside, exposing the graceful curve of her neck.

"Mia, be good. Starting tonight, we'll be staying here, okay? Then you won't get nosebleeds anymore."

"But I'm scared... and I don't like how it smells here." The little girl burrowed deeper into Adrian's arms, whining softly. "Mr. Foster, can you stay with me tonight? I checked earlier, there are two rooms. You can stay with Mom."

"Mia," Sophia said, her cheeks flushing faintly, "only daddy and mommy share a room. You shouldn't say that to Mr. Foster again."

"Then Mr. Foster can just be my dad. Mr. Foster, my mom is so pretty. You must like her too."

Adrian's gaze lingered on Sophia's increasingly flushed face, the air between them turning unmistakably intimate.

"Kids say whatever comes to mind. Don't take it seriously." Sophia's eyes shimmered as she spoke softly, "And after I explained earlier, your wife still didn't seem very happy. Adrian, you should go home and talk to her. If she really misunderstands us, it could reflect badly on you."

"She knows better." Adrian spoke casually, ruffling Mia's hair before staying with them until late into the night, only leaving for home after that.

The moment he stepped inside, something felt off.

At this hour, I would usually be in the kitchen, preparing breakfast for him the next day.

But now, the kitchen stood empty.

"Is Nina asleep?"

I had just stepped out of the bathroom when I saw Adrian changing in the walk-in closet.

Since Nina was born, this was the first time he had ever asked about her on his own.

When I walked straight to the vanity without answering him, he finally realized I was actually angry.

He had always thought I was easy to appease-that a few soft words would be enough.

Thinking that, Adrian walked over and lightly patted my shoulder.

"Nora, I've known Sophia for years. Her husband was my classmate. Now she's raising a sick child on her own. You should be more understanding. And Mia is just a child, just like Nina. Kids don't know better. You shouldn't take it to heart."

"Do you even know how much Nina wanted you to go to the hospital with her?"

Thinking of the disappointment on Nina's face that morning, it felt a heavy, suffocating ache in my chest.

"And Nina..."

I was about to tell him about the lost bone marrow, but Adrian cut me off, clearly annoyed.

"That's enough. She's a child, what's your excuse? I trusted you, and this is how you act? And it's your job as her mother to teach her to be independent, not cling to others all the time. If she's like this, that's your failure."

I stood there, staring at him, his words sounding utterly absurd.

A four-year-old should depend on her parents.

And Nina had been diagnosed with leukemia since she was little. She never cried during treatments or checkups, and even learned to take her medicine on her own.

To me, she was already so mature and independent it broke my heart. I never imagined her own father would label her like this because of me.

A hollow sadness settled in me as I murmured, "You're right. A child only needs her mother."

Seeing me yield, Adrian's tone softened slightly.

"Good that you understand. I give you a million dollars every month. Isn't this exactly what you're supposed to do? It's not even hard. After all, you're not like Sophia. She's capable and driven. Right after graduation, she had more job offers than she could choose from. You, on the other hand, didn't get a single offer. Being a housewife suits you."

He said it as casually as if he were commenting on the weather, while my eyes burned red and my body trembled.

"Adrian, do you remember why I don't have a job?"

I once worked in an office tower too, chasing my dreams for a whole year.

Then Adrian suddenly wanted a child. I refused, and he fought with me, even threatening divorce.

Soon after, I got pregnant unexpectedly, and the severe morning sickness landed me in the hospital.

Adrian stepped in and quit my job for me.

We had a huge fight over it, and somehow, it all led us here.

And now, looking at Sophia and her daughter, I finally understood. The only reason Adrian had insisted on having a child back then... was because he was still trying to prove something to Sophia. I had never been anything more than a sacrifice.

Seeing my expression darken, something long buried in Adrian's memory slowly resurfaced.

Back then, he had deliberately tampered with the condom. That was how Nina came to be.

He had known exactly how soft-hearted I was. Once there was a life, I would never walk away from it.

"You're this upset because of Nina, aren't you? Before, when there was no match, you were anxious all the time. Now that there is one, you're probably worried about whether the surgery will go smoothly."

His tone softened. He tapped on his phone, then held it out to me.

"I've already told my assistant. Once Nina's surgery date is confirmed, just inform her. She'll arrange my schedule. I'll go to the hospital with her. I'll personally walk her into the operating room. I won't leave during the surgery. I'll stay until she comes out."

I let out a bitter laugh. After taking a few steadying breaths, just as I was about to speak, a sharp ringtone cut through the air.

The screen lit up with the name-Sophia.

Adrian picked up immediately. After only a few words, he hurried to change his clothes.

"Mia has a sudden high fever. I need to go to the hospital. We're done talking about Nina. If anything urgent comes up, contact my assistant."

Watching his car disappear into the night, I realized just how wrong I had been.

If Adrian didn't love me, why would he ever care about my daughter?

All it took was one sentence-"Nina's bone marrow match was given to someone else"-and after an entire day, he still didn't know.

The cold wind on the balcony cut straight through me, clearing my mind completely.

I had once been afraid that divorcing Adrian would hurt Nina. But now I understood-no matter how much I endured in this marriage, she would only suffer more.

If that was the case, then this marriage had lost even its last shred of meaning.

I sat back down at the vanity and took out the jewelry I had hidden at the very bottom of my box.

The gemstones burned with brilliance, dazzling and bold-just like I used to be.

I opened my email and found the invitation again, accepting it without hesitation.

It was from the president of one of the top jewelry design companies in the industry.

I had hesitated when I first saw it yesterday. Now, there was no doubt left.

At the hospital, Sophia leaned against Adrian's shoulder, wiping her tears.

"I'm sorry, Adrian. I know I shouldn't have called you so late... but I didn't have anyone reliable by my side. I was just so scared."

Adrian pulled her into his arms, gently stroking her back.

"Don't apologize to me. The doctor said it's just a reaction to the medication. Nothing serious. I'll stay here with you tonight. Don't worry."

Sophia lifted her head, agreeing softly.

Her breath brushed against his throat, warm and teasing.

Adrian lowered his head. Her lips were right there-one step closer, and he could kiss her.

The air between them thickened, heating rapidly. Just as Sophia was about to lean in, Mia woke up.

"Mr. Foster, you came to stay with me!" Mia's voice was weak from the fever, yet still carried a soft, coaxing sweetness. "I knew it! You like me the most-and you like Mom too!"

Adrian let go of Sophia, a strange feeling creeping in.

For a split second just now, when he looked at her, Nora's face had flashed through his mind.

He shook the thought away, pushing aside the impulse, and walked over to tuck Mia in.

"You clever little thing. You're absolutely right."

Behind him, Sophia watched the scene, the brief flicker of regret from earlier already gone.

Back then, Adrian had hidden his status too well. That was why she had married someone else.

But now, he clearly cared most about her and her daughter. Being with him was only a matter of time.

At the Foster Estate.

By the time I finished packing everything, the first light of dawn had begun to break.

Once Nina woke up and I packed the rest of her things, we could finally leave this cage I had lived in for five years.

At the thought of this, my emotions tangled together. I sat there in silence, unmoving, until sunlight flooded the balcony.

"Mom, where are we going?"

Seeing me stuffing all her favorite toys into the suitcase, Nina looked confused.

"Where's Dad? I waited so long last night, but he never came back. Why isn't he here this morning either? Mom... are you and Dad unhappy because of me?"

Her string of questions left me so overwhelmed with sorrow that I didn't know how to answer.

"Nina, if from now on you live with me, and can only see your dad once in a while... would you be okay with that?"

"Mom... hasn't it always been like that? Mom, I like being with you."

She put down the toy in her hands and threw herself into my arms. My tears fell instantly.

I took her hand, pulled the suitcase along, and sent Adrian a message to inform him.

"Let's get a divorce."