Chapter 3

3

When I opened my eyes again, I was lying in a hospital bed. "You're awake?" A girl with a high ponytail caught my attention immediately.

She had a bright smile and two cute dimples, reminding me of how Joanne looked when she was younger and full of life. "I was coming home from a late shift and saw you collapsed on the sidewalk. So, I brought you here."

Her name was Daisy, and she lived in the same neighborhood. According to the doctor, the emotional shock had caused a spike in blood pressure, bursting small vessels in my nose. "By the way, why are you so severely anemic? The doctor said you need to take better care of yourself."

Daisy's words brought back a bitter memory. A while ago, Leo had been in an accident and ended up in the ICU. Joanne had sobbed by his bed, looking at me with pleading eyes.

"Evan, thank God you're here. The doctor says he needs blood, and since you're family…" I knew what she meant. I was his uncle by blood, but she had married me to make me his legal father.

Since Jace had disappeared years ago, I was the only match available. "Don't worry, I'll do it," I had said. During Leo's hospital stay, I donated blood four times. I was so lightheaded I could barely stand.

I cared for Leo day and night until he was discharged. By then, my own health was a wreck. But Joanne only cared about Leo. Then Jace returned, and she didn't even notice I was pale and trembling.

One day, I was so dizzy that I forgot to pick Leo up from school. Joanne slapped me across the face for it. "Evan, stop being so dramatic. It was just a little blood!" she had screamed.

"Our son almost died, and you're acting like a victim. It's a good thing he's Jace's son. If he took after you, he'd be a coward!" Her personality had shifted the moment she knew Jace was alive.

"Hey, you've been here for almost a day and a night. Hasn't any family called you?" Daisy asked, breaking my train of thought. With Jace there to play house, why would they ever think of me?

"I don't have any family," I replied. Daisy's expression softened into an apology. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to poke at a sore spot. I can't be your family, but we could be friends if you want!"

Her blunt kindness made me chuckle. Joanne had never given me that kind of warmth. For ten years, I had been the one giving, like a desperate simp.

I handled every chore, every bill, and every problem they had. I never neglected them, no matter how busy work got. Joanne and Leo only knew how to take; they never knew how to love.

"Thank you, Daisy." I realized then that I deserved to be treated like a person. I had been trapped in that cage for ten years, but never again.

I touched the divorce papers in my pocket and felt a sense of peace. Talking to Daisy for a day helped me find the self I had lost a long time ago.