Her Vanishing Act, His Deep Regret

Elle's POV:

At the dining table, Kellan's phone buzzed. The screen flashed with the name "Azure." Across from me, my best friend Sarah exchanged a look with me, silently protesting. Everyone could see it: Kellan's concern for my sister far exceeded his care for me, his wife. I forced a smile, pretending that nothing was wrong.

Sarah leaned in and whispered, "When is he ever going to stop calling her?" Kellan was completely oblivious to this, totally absorbed in his screen, not even trying to hide it.

I gave a helpless shrug.

"She needs support right now," I repeated the excuse I had used countless times. Kellan always said he just had a soft spot, that Azure was young, fragile, and needed protection. He always said that, and I always forced myself to believe it.

A memory flashed back to our second wedding anniversary. Kellan canceled our dinner at the last minute because Azure had an "emergency"-her car had a flat tire twenty miles away.

He rushed over to change the tire and took her out for ice cream to "soothe her nerves," leaving me to eat cold pizza alone at home. Azure's trivial matters could always overshadow my important moments.

Kellan occasionally tried to balance the scales. Last month, he bought Azure a brand-new MacBook as a gift for her coding class. When he came home, he casually tossed a necklace on my pillow with a note: "For my good wife." The scales were never balanced-the computer was an absolute necessity for Azure's career dreams, while the necklace was just charity to pacify my silent dissatisfaction.

But I still wore it. Pretending not to care was always easier.

"Elle, why on earth do you put up with this?" Sarah pulled at a loose thread on her napkin, her tone sharp. Her bluntness hit the soft spot I refused to acknowledge.

I turned my head and stared at the flickering candlelight. How should I answer? Say that I just wanted a home, wanted to be loved? That sounded too pathetic, so I chose to remain silent.

This so-called "family dinner" officially began. Azure was late, as usual, and casually placed a brand-new designer handbag on the empty chair next to her.

"Kellan bought it for me, can you believe it?" She smiled brightly, looking at Kellan with gratitude. "He said I deserved a reward for getting my new job!"

Kellan looked full of pride, his eyes constantly lingering on her. He hadn't looked at me like that in a very long time.

I cleared my throat, trying to make my tone sound light. "My phone screen cracked last week, I can barely read the text now." This was a test I threw out there. I hadn't changed my phone in three years, while Kellan had bought Azure two phones in a single year.

Kellan frowned slightly. "Oh, right. I was meaning to handle that." He paused, then looked back at Azure. "But Azure was in a rush to get promoted and really needed that new computer."

A direct rejection. I looked down at my plate, silently swallowing food that tasted like cardboard. Arguing was pointless.

Our once sacred "date nights" had long gone sour. At first, it was just Azure joining us occasionally because she was "afraid of being lonely," but later it just became the norm. Kellan no longer asked for my opinion; he just issued notices. Even our last wedding anniversary was spent in a noisy restaurant with Azure and her new boyfriend. Kellan had even rented out the whole place. In this marriage, my voice was completely fading away.

A few weeks ago, I had tried to protest. "Kellan, sometimes I feel like you care more about Azure."

He responded with a long, impatient sigh. "Elle, stop saying such ridiculous things. You are my strong wife, and Azure is just a child who needs guidance. You don't need me hovering around you. Why do you always have to be jealous of her? It makes you look petty. Can't you just be happy for your sister?"

He turned it around and blamed me, making me feel like the bad guy, saying I should be more understanding.

He mentioned that Azure had a hard time growing up, conveniently forgetting that we had the same parents and the same terrible upbringing. He always promised he would make it up to me later. "We will have our special time, just the two of us, soon, I promise."

But that promise had long become an empty check. I looked at my plate, having lost my appetite entirely.

Kellan sliced the roast meat I had carefully prepared, but immediately handed the largest, most tender piece to Azure.

"You need to eat more, sweetie, keep your energy up for the challenges of the new job," he said, smiling brightly at her, before finally glancing at me. "Elle, you can have some too."

Throughout the entire dinner, Azure chattered endlessly about her "challenging" new job. Kellan listened intently, asked questions, and offered advice.

I just sat there quietly, like a bystander. Occasionally, he would casually ask me a question.

He would throw in a perfunctory "Are you okay," but his eyes never left Azure. I could only give a simple reply, "I'm fine."

After dinner, I went into the kitchen to brew the chamomile tea Kellan customarily drank before bed. From the living room, I could hear him talking on the phone in a hushed voice: "No, that unit is too small... Azure needs a large space with a balcony..."

He was helping Azure look for an apartment. My heart sank. We had agreed to start looking for our own new house next month.

I walked into the living room holding the teacup, and he quickly hung up the phone.

"Kellan, didn't we agree to look for a new house next month?"

He waved his hand. "That can wait. Azure's lease is up next week, and she desperately needs a place to live. Let's push our plans back a bit."

It was always being pushed back. I placed the cup on the coffee table and turned to leave, lacking even the energy to argue.

The next morning, that cup of chamomile tea still sat in the exact same spot, stone cold and untouched.

I stared at my reflection in the window, my hand subconsciously covering my lower abdomen. Hidden there was a secret only I knew.

The road ahead suddenly felt incredibly desolate.

Elle's POV:

I reached for my coffee mug, but my hand slipped. With a sharp crack, the mug shattered to pieces on the tiles. A shard flew up and cut my index finger, drawing blood, but I felt no pain-only the numbness of a dying heart.

On the bathroom vanity, Azure's expensive perfumes and skincare products were piled high, while my toiletry bag was shoved into a corner.

Lately, I rarely touched anything scented; it made me nauseous. I hadn't told Kellan about this, nor had I mentioned making a hospital appointment.

I was cleaning the wound when Azure suddenly burst in. She completely ignored my bleeding finger and just stared at the counter, screaming, "My new serum! Did you knock it over? Kellan just bought that!"

Hearing the noise, Kellan rushed in and went straight to put his arm around Azure's shoulders. "What happened?"

"Elle broke my serum!"

Kellan frowned. His gaze swept over the broken glass on the floor and my dripping finger without a single word of concern. He turned and coaxed softly, "Don't worry, Azure. I'll buy you a whole new set, pick whatever you want." With that, he pulled out his phone.

I stood frozen in place, letting the blood drip from my finger. My vision began to blur, and my mind grew heavy. This feeling had become all too familiar lately.

I wanted to scream, to cry, but I couldn't make a sound.

Later, I sent Kellan a text message.

"Can we talk tonight? Please."

He replied almost instantly. "Of course. I'll come home early."

A faint glimmer of hope ignited in my heart. Maybe, this time, it would be different.

However, that night, it was very late by the time Kellan and Azure came home. I heard their laughter in the hallway. Azure practically skipped inside.

"Look, Elle!" She excitedly held up a small, exquisite box. "Kellan bought me the new Chanel bag! The exact one I've been wanting!" She twirled around in excitement, striking poses for Kellan to take pictures.

"This is going on social media, right?" Kellan said with a smile. He snapped a photo of Azure, posted it, and specifically tagged her.

The dinner I had painstakingly prepared had long gone cold, and a wave of disappointment washed over me.

I had put a lot of thought into making his favorite dishes, hoping to create a warm atmosphere so we could have a proper talk, but it was just another futile effort.

When Azure went back to her room to try on the new bag, Kellan finally noticed me.

"Oh, honey," he said, walking into the kitchen. He glanced at the table. "You cooked. Looks good." Then, he opened the fridge. "But Azure and I already grabbed a bite while we were out. I'm not really hungry right now."

My heart felt like it was being squeezed.

"You said you would come home early so we could talk," I reminded him, my voice so low it was barely audible.

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"I know, I know. What did you want to talk about?" he asked, but his eyes were already drifting toward Azure's room, where faint music was playing.

Before I could even open my mouth, Azure's excited voice pierced the air.

"Kellan! Kellan, guess what? I got the promotion! The position I interviewed for! They just called to let me know!"

Kellan dashed out of the kitchen, completely tossing our agreement out the window. "That's amazing! Congratulations!" He rushed into her room, picked her up, and spun her around. Their laughter was deafening.

I was left all alone in the kitchen.

Later, I found an old photo album in a cabinet. Flipping it open, I saw pictures of Kellan and Azure.

Azure in Paris, with Kellan standing beside her smiling. Azure at a ski resort, with Kellan teaching her how to ski. Azure on the beach, with Kellan holding her hand as they strolled together. I had dreamed of going to these places with him; I had mentioned these wishes countless times.

But he always said we didn't have the time or the money. Yet, when it came to Azure, it was done effortlessly.

Kellan returned to the kitchen, still riding the high of the excitement, wrapped his arms around my waist from behind, and kissed me. "What were you saying earlier, honey?" He didn't even notice the album in my hands.

"I just saw this." I held up the photo of them in Paris. "I've always wanted to go to Paris."

He chuckled softly. "Oh, that. Azure wanted to go. You never really brought it up much before, and besides, don't you dislike crowds?"

He had forgotten everything. A sharp pain pierced my chest. Back when we were struggling and saving every penny, we lived frugally so we could travel. He had promised to take me everywhere I wanted to go.

"Do you remember what you said when you proposed?" I turned around and looked him straight in the eyes. "You said you would always put me first and give me a real home."

He took a step back, impatiently cutting me off. "Elle, I'm tired. It's the middle of the night, what exactly do you want? Can't you just be happy for Azure? Why do you have to make everything about yourself? Can't you be a little considerate like her?"

With that, he casually flicked off the kitchen lights and walked away. Darkness instantly swallowed me, completely isolating us from each other.

This time, I didn't shed any more tears. I knew what I had to do. In the darkness, I pulled out my phone with the cracked screen, opened the search bar, and calmly typed in "hospital test appointment."

Elle's POV:

The hospital waiting room smelled strongly of harsh disinfectant. For weeks, headaches, dizziness, and blurred vision had been tormenting me. At first, I thought it was just the stress, Kellan's coldness, and the physical reaction to my unspoken secret.

Dr. Chen walked in holding the scan results, her expression grave. Without a hint of a comforting smile, she looked directly at me. "Elle, the results are in."

I subconsciously touched my lower abdomen and took a deep breath. "Is... is something wrong with the baby?" This was the secret I had guarded for weeks, originally intending to surprise Kellan, even foolishly hoping it might repair our marriage.

Dr. Chen slowly shook her head, her gaze resolute. "No, Elle. You have a ruptured aneurysm in your brain. The situation is extremely critical. You need surgery immediately."

A ruptured aneurysm. I felt the entire room start to spin before my eyes.

My mind was a mess. Immediate surgery? Who should I call? My parents? In their eyes, I was merely a stepping stone for Azure's "expensive dreams." After forcing me to drop out of school to pay for my sister's education, we had cut ties. As for my brother, Hamilton, who was also a surgeon, he had long cut contact with me because he mistakenly believed I was an accomplice in our parents' abuse toward him.

There was only Kellan. The husband who had promised to cherish me was now my only family. He would definitely come.

With trembling hands, I dialed his number. After three rings, the call connected, but his voice sounded distant and annoyed.

"Kellan, it's me." Fear made my throat tight. I wanted so badly to break down crying in front of him, to beg him to come hold me, but the words that came out were a trembling cry for help. "I... I'm at the hospital. I need you to come here."

There was silence on the other end, with faint music and laughter in the background-he was at Azure's promotion party. Then, he let out a heavy sigh. "Elle, is it this again? What is it this time? Will you only be satisfied when you've ruined Azure's good day?"

It felt like a bucket of ice water had been poured over my head. "I'm serious, Kellan. I'm in the ER. A ruptured aneurysm. I need surgery right now." Panic made my words tumble out incoherently.

Another stretch of silence. Then, he let out a cold laugh. "An aneurysm? What kind of script are you making up now? Azure said you've been acting weird lately, just to ruin her success and steal her spotlight. To get attention, you'd even make up a terminal illness?"

My breathing stopped. So Azure had been whispering poison in his ear all along.

"You know what? You're just jealous!" he accused mercilessly. "Azure only dared to announce her promotion a few days ago because she was trying to spare your feelings. And you? Is this how you repay her? Trying to destroy her happiness again?"

He would rather believe Azure's lies than believe his wife, who was fighting a battle against death.

My heart shattered completely, the oppression making it impossible to breathe.

"Elle, if you insist on putting on this act," Kellan's voice was as cold as ice, "then don't bother coming home."

The call disconnected.

I stared at the phone as the screen went dark. I tried calling back, but no one answered. My hands were shaking so badly I could barely hold the phone.

He hung up on me, and he abandoned me.

Dr. Chen walked in, holding a consent form.

"We need your signature, Elle. Do you have a family member who can sign on your behalf?"

I looked at the form. Looking at the blank space for next of kin, Kellan's words echoed in my ears: "Don't bother coming home."

No one. There never was anyone.

"Can I sign it myself?" I asked, my voice hoarse, leaning against the wall to steady myself.

Dr. Chen looked at me, a trace of pity in her eyes.

"We usually recommend having a family member sign, so you feel more at ease. Is there really no one you can contact?"

"No," I said firmly, my voice gaining strength. "No one. I'll sign it."

I took the pen and wrote down my name, every stroke feeling like I was tearing away my past life.

"Don't contact anyone else," I told a nurse who was holding a list of phone numbers. "There is no one to contact."

As they wheeled me into the operating room, my phone buzzed. It was an Instagram update from Azure.

A photo of her and Kellan, smiling brightly, looking incredibly close. "Celebrating my promotion with the best brother-in-law!" the caption read. In the comments, Kellan replied: "So proud of you, little sister!"

A wave of icy despair crashed against my heart. He chose her.

He had promised to love me, cherish me, and build a home with me. Now it seemed it was all a lie.

The anesthesia began to take effect. My eyelids grew heavy.

The last thing I saw was the bright, blinding surgical lights in the operating room.

Then, darkness.