When the earthquake struck on what should have been our fourth wedding anniversary, my supposedly devoted and family-oriented husband, Lionel Brooks, abandoned me and our children, who were trapped under the rubble.

Despite our children's pleas for help, Lionel left without a second thought, carrying his former flame, Fiona Smith, and her daughter to safety. While Fiona and her daughter escaped with minor injuries, my precious children had their chests pierced by steel beams, leaving this world forever.

It was such a twisted fate. What was meant to be a day of celebration turned into an annual day of mourning for my beautiful children.

A week later, during my children's funeral, Lionel had the audacity to call and ask which hospital the kids were in. It was laughable—after ensuring Fiona and her child were comfortable and safe, he finally found time to check on his flesh and blood.

I could only say, "You finally remembered your children after a whole week? Lionel, I hope you rot in hell."

I dragged myself forward with my broken leg while gathering the children's belongings, speaking softly to them.

"Nate, make sure you look after Cece when you're up there. Have fun with all the superhero figures and teddy bears over there."

That day, Lionel Brooks was about to leave with Fiona Smith and her child. In the rubble, my son, Nate Brooks, lay with a steel beam piercing his small chest, blood dripping.

He looked at me and asked, "Mommy, will Daddy come back soon?"

Cece Brooks chimed in confidently, "Of course, he will! He's our daddy after all."

It was heartbreaking to hear them say that. I yelled, "Lionel, are you blind? Fiona and her kid only have scratches while our children are…"

Before I could finish, Lionel turned to me with reddened eyes and snapped. "Aster, don't be ridiculous! I'm the manager of this museum, and during this earthquake, I have to treat everyone equally. I can't prioritize Nate and Cece just because they're my children, and I certainly can't abandon Fiona because of your jealousy! Get your priorities straight! Besides, the rescue team is almost here. Would it kill them to wait a bit? Stop being so dramatic!"

Lionel carried Fiona's child with one arm while supporting her with the other as they headed toward the exit. As she passed by me, Fiona turned and flashed a smug smile.

I knew this was not the time for arguments—I just wanted to save my children. Hearing their painful cries, I forced myself to stay strong.

"Nate, Cece, hang in there just a little longer. I'm going to get you out…" I struggled with my broken leg, desperately trying to lift the concrete slab that was crushing my children.

My fingernails broke, my hands bloodied, but that cement did not budge. I knelt and begged anyone around with lesser injuries to help me. After four endless hours of effort from the rescue team and volunteers, both children were finally transported to the hospital.

Before being rushed into emergency surgery, Nate tried to comfort me, saying, "Don't cry, Mommy. I'm not in pain." But then, he coughed up large amounts of blood.

The doctor rushed out, asking urgently, "The children have Rh-negative blood. Which parent has this blood type?"

"Their father," I replied.

The doctor insisted, "Call him immediately for a blood transfusion. We might be able to save at least one of them!"

My whole body trembled as I called Lionel repeatedly. After more than a dozen attempts, he finally answered with immediate anger.

"Aster, why do you keep calling me? Fiona just got Eva to sleep, and your calls woke her up! Do you have any idea how hard it is to calm a traumatized child?"

I did not want to argue about him and Fiona. I just needed him to donate blood for our children. I pleaded, "Lionel, the kids need a blood transfusion urgently. Please come quickly! I'm begging you."

"Blood transfusion?" Before he could continue, I heard Fiona let out a sharp scream in the background.

"Fiona, are you okay?" Lionel asked with concern.

Fiona's voice came through weakly. "Lionel, I'm feeling dizzy, but I'll be fine after some rest. You should check on Aster and the kids. I don't want her to misunderstand."

Lionel's irritated voice crackled through the phone. "What era are we living in? What hospital doesn't have blood in its blood bank? Aster, how have I never noticed how petty you are? You're just trying to drag me away from Fiona because you saw me bring her to the hospital. You're being completely unreasonable!"

He hung up, and when I tried calling back, an automated message informed me the number was disconnected—he had turned on his "Do Not Disturb" mode.

I laughed bitterly, thinking about this man I was married to for four years, the father my children adored so much. However, he had never bothered to learn or care about our children's blood type in all those years.

Rh-negative blood was rare, and the hospital was helpless without it. Eventually, due to their severe injuries and the lack of timely blood transfusion, both my children passed away.

When the nurse wheeled my children's bodies out of the ward, I broke down sobbing, feeling as if my heart had been ripped out. While I was crying like a madwoman in the hallway with everyone staring, just one wall away, Lionel was covering Eva's ears.

"What's all that noise outside?" Fiona asked.

Lionel replied casually, "It's a hospital, and people die here all the time. It's normal! Don't be scared. I'm here for you and Eva."

After passing out countless times from crying outside the morgue, I checked my phone. Fiona had posted a new photo on social media showing Lionel sitting by her hospital bed, embracing her and Eva Haywood like a happy family.

The caption read, [We survived. We're one loving family.]

I could not help but laugh out loud. It hit me that my four-year marriage was one big joke. I had always thought Lionel was just a careless man who was too busy with work to pay attention to details.

Yet, it turned out he was not incapable of caring—he just did not care about us.

The children's funeral was scheduled for the following week. For five days and nights, I sat silently in Nate and Cece's room, clutching their photos and refusing to cry or speak.

I could almost feel their warmth lingering in the room, and I swore I could still hear them sweetly calling me Mommy. The memories felt so fresh… so real.

My childhood friend, Luke Armstrong, rushed back from overseas, dropping a major business deal. The moment he walked in and saw my state, he embraced me tightly.

"Let it out, Aster… Keeping it all inside is only going to hurt you," he whispered.

I looked at him and asked, "Nate and Cece… are never coming back, are they? Do you think they regret having me as their mother? Why was I so useless?"

Before my parents passed away, I married Lionel. Back then, Lionel wanted to be my father's graduate student, and despite the college having their preferred candidate, Dad fought to give Lionel a spot because he saw him as a hardworking man from a struggling family.

After graduating, Lionel pursued me relentlessly. I married him because I thought he was honest and dependable. We married, and Dad paid for our house, car, and even for Nate and Cece's essentials—all so Lionel would be good to me for a lifetime.

When we got our marriage registered, Lionel set the wedding date for July 26 and I agreed. Only later did I find out that it was the day Fiona and her wealthy husband were leaving the country.

The spite was obvious, but I kept telling myself it was just a coincidence. On the day of my wedding, Luke asked if I was sure. I told him it was hard to find someone as honest as Lionel, so I settled for Lionel.

Yet, how did it end up like this?

Lost in thought, I headed out to buy funeral items for the kids. Suddenly, Fiona and Eva approached me, both carrying shopping bags. Fiona looked fresh and radiant, flaunting a new diamond necklace and ring.

"Aster? It's only been a few days, and you look… awful." Then, she noticed the white lilies in my hands, and her eyes lit up as she continued, "Funeral flowers? Did someone in your family die? Lionel hasn't mentioned anything."

Rage overtook me, and I slapped her across the face. Lionel, who had just parked the car, saw what happened and ran over to shove me away roughly. Due to my injured leg, I lost my balance and fell to the ground.

Lionel screamed at me, "Aster, are you crazy? How dare you hit someone! Don't you know Fiona just got out of the hospital?"

Fighting through the sharp pain in my leg, I slowly stood up and slapped Lionel hard across the face. "Let's get a divorce, Lionel."