Chapter 3

3

"Carter, do you even care about this family at all?"

"If you gave even a single damn about us, Aria wouldn't have…"

"Lily is the little sister I never had," Carter brutally cut me off.

He fell silent for a long time.

Then, very slowly, he began to tell the story of him and that girl.

"She was the one taking care of me this whole past year. She did way too much for me."

As he recalled their past, Carter's expression softened into something incredibly tender.

He said Lily was a foolishly brave girl.

Even knowing he had a wife, she still threw herself at him like a moth to a flame.

He said she loved watching superhero movies, had a hero complex, and loved acting tough.

She had supposedly put herself in grave danger several times just to save his life.

He said she was carefree, loved wearing mini skirts, and constantly accidentally exposed herself.

She would even playfully complain that he was too bossy for covering her up.

He talked about the countless freezing nights they huddled together for warmth.

They held hands, their legs pressed together, feeling each other's warm breath on their faces.

The girl would babble on about her petty little problems, like not having enough college credits or her roommates being annoying.

Listening to her, he felt like he had shed ten years off his age, returning to his carefree youth.

Finally, he sighed. "I know our relationship crossed the line of just being siblings."

"Just give me some time. I will forget her and live a good life with you." Carter closed his eyes, looking intensely tortured.

"She's still young and naive, but I know better."

"I've already wasted a year of her life. I can't keep stringing her along."

I could barely breathe.

Did Carter even hear the words coming out of his own mouth?

He was literally recounting his epic romance with another woman right to his wife's face.

He made it sound like I was the wicked other woman, maliciously ruining his true love with Lily.

He acted like I was forcing him to abandon his soulmate just to fulfill his boring family duties.

Carter remembered every little thing she sacrificed for him, but what about me?

Were my seven years of devotion and protecting this household just a pathetic joke?

It took a long time for me to find my voice. "I'll just give you your freedom."

Gripping my suitcase, I violently shoved past him and headed downstairs.

Carter grabbed my wrist and met my gaze, a hint of pleading in his eyes.

"Mia, I swear, today was the absolute last time I will ever see her."

"I still love you. I want to give Aria a complete family…"

"Don't you dare say Aria's name!" I completely lost it, slamming my heavy purse right into his chest.

The sharp metal hardware on my bag sliced across Carter's face and neck, drawing fresh blood.

He froze in shock, and I marched away without a backward glance.

I rented a tiny studio apartment near my office.

Between contacting divorce lawyers and unpacking, I was also arranging my daughter's funeral.

Right in the middle of this nightmare, the hospital called.

"Mrs. Sullivan, your mother-in-law is coding. Please get here immediately…"

My chest tightened in panic. I grabbed my keys and sprinted out the door.

His mother had late-stage cancer.

Ever since I married Carter, I willingly took on the absolute burden of caring for her.

I managed her daily needs, sorted her medications, and cooked her special diets.

Aside from physically taking on her pain, I did everything humanly possible for her.

Over these seven years, rain or shine, I practically lived at the hospital at least four days a week.

But the past two days, my mind was so shattered over my daughter's death that I completely forgot about my dying mother-in-law.

I rushed to her room in a blind panic.

But when I pushed the door open, I saw Lily.

She was flashing a radiant smile as she gently fed my mother-in-law soup.

She wasn't wearing the provocative mini skirts Carter mentioned.

Instead, she wore modest jeans and a long-sleeved sweater, looking clean and perfectly decent.

She looked exactly like the sweet girl next door that anyone would instantly adore.

My mother-in-law was chatting happily with her.

They looked as intimate as a real mother and daughter.

"……Mom," I called out, my voice ragged.

My mother-in-law quickly waved me over, introducing her with a warm smile.

"Mia, this is Carter's coworker's little sister. Did he ever mention her to you?"

Seeing me, Lily couldn't hide her panic and awkwardly jumped up from her chair.

She stammered, "W-We've met…"

When I didn't say a word, Lily's eyes started turning red.

Looking like a terrified bunny, she lowered her head and jogged toward the door.

She ended up crashing right into Carter's chest as he walked in.

Instantly, it was as if she had found her savior.

She let out a huge breath, gripped Carter's sleeve, and hid behind him, peeking at me timidly.

Carter held a stack of medical charts in his hand.

Frowning deeply, he snapped, "Mia, if you have an issue with me, fine. But my mother has never wronged you."

"Is this how you take care of her for me?!"

He viciously slammed the charts against my chest.

The words 'Critical Condition' and 'Organ Failure' instantly caught my eye.

Before I could defend myself, his mother raised her voice. "You shut your mouth!"

"If it weren't for Mia, I would have died in this hospital completely alone!"

"You're the son, yet you barely show your face twice a year. What right do you have to yell at Mia!"