My daughter was kidnapped in a painting class and Leo used all his force to finally find her in an abandoned warehouse. After waking up from danger, my daughter found that she was blind. As a child prodigy in painting, Josephine couldn't bear the blow. While I let my guard down for just a moment, she ran to the rooftop and jumped.

I lunged to save her, but I was too late. I ended up crashing onto the safety air cushion, unconscious. Leo rushed me to the operating room, crying as he pleaded beside me. "Evelyn, you can't die! Our daughter is already gone, I can't lose you too!"

When I woke up after the surgery, I received an anonymous email. With trembling hands, I opened the attached audio file. I heard Leo talking to his assistant. "Mr. Laughlin, there were other cornea donors available. Why did it have to be Miss Josephine's? She loved painting so much. Losing her sight was like a death sentence to her."

"So, what if she died? The only reason I let her be born in the first place was to save Henry. I raised her for years, asking for a pair of corneas in return isn't too much, is it? Besides, the doctor said a blood relative's corneas have the lowest chance of rejection. Henry is the apple of my and Evie's eye. I can't bear to let him suffer anymore!"

My heart clenched so hard it felt like it would stop. The man who once swore he couldn't live without me was the very person who killed my daughter. Meanwhile, my marriage, which I had always been so proud of, was nothing but a cruel joke.

——

Footsteps echoed outside my hospital room. I quickly put my phone back, shut my eyes and pretended to still be unconscious. Leo brushed my bangs aside and asked coldly, "Didn't they say her vitals were stable? Why isn't she waking up?"

The doctor hesitated before sighing. "Mr. Laughlin, she fell from a great height. She already had a severe concussion and on top of that, she just had a major mastectomy. The blood loss during surgery was extreme. It's normal for her to take a while to wake up."

Leo paused, then asked tentatively, "When she wakes up, you know what to say, right?"

The doctor nodded reluctantly but couldn't hide his unease. "Mr. Laughlin, she just lost her daughter. And now you've taken away her bosom for Ms. Evangeline's breast implants. Isn't that too cruel? What if she tries to hurt herself too?"

"Shut up!" Leo snapped. "You know human tissue implants are much safer and more natural than silicone. I promised Evie I'd fulfill all her wishes!"

Leo interrupted impatiently. "Don't worry, Evelyn is strong. She loves me too much to die. Oh and Evie hates pain. Give her plenty of painkillers, don't let her suffer."

Just then, his assistant, William, rushed in, whispering urgently in his ear. "Mr. Laughlin, Ms. Shaw has been crying nonstop. She says she's scared. Should we … "

Before he could finish, Leo grabbed the doctor and rushed out of the room, leaving without a backward glance. I was alone again, the steady beeping of the machines mocking my fragile sanity. Despite all my efforts, tears streamed down my face.

It turned out that my daughter's kidnapping and her blindness weren't an accident. It was all planned by my own husband just so his illegitimate son could see again. And while I lay broken and bleeding, he stole the most precious part of my bosom to please his mistress. My poor daughter. She was only five. A little girl who loved pretty things was driven to destroy herself.

The pain meds were wearing off now. A deep, searing agony spread through my chest. I glanced down and saw my torso tightly wrapped in layers of bandages. But even with them, I could still make out the two deep hollows where my chest used to be.

I squeezed my eyes shut, letting the pain swallow me whole until I lost consciousness. When I opened them again, the first thing I saw was Leo's worried face as he gently cupped my cheek. "Evelyn! Thank God, you're finally awake! It's all my fault. I couldn't protect you and our daughter. I already lost Josephine, I can't lose you too."

I glanced down at my bandaged chest, the fresh dressing already stained with blood. Leo abruptly pulled me into a tight embrace, his hand covering my eyes. "Evelyn, sweetie ... don't look … "

"What happened to me?" I asked, feigning ignorance. Leo struggled to speak, but the words wouldn't come. The doctor finally explained, "Mrs. Laughlin, when you fell from the rooftop, you landed on your chest. The tissue was completely destroyed. So, to save your life, we had no choice but to remove everything."

I turned pale. Leo immediately tried to comfort me. "Evelyn, don't be scared. Medical technology is so advanced now. I swear, I'll make sure you recover completely."

I stared at him blankly. "Where's Josephine? I just want to see her … one last time."

Leo hesitated before saying, "You were unconscious for too long and Josephine has already been buried. I'm sorry, Evelyn. This is all my fault. I wasn't strong enough. I gave those criminals a chance to strike, but don't worry, we caught the mastermind behind it. They were just desperate criminals after money, but Josephine struggled too hard ... so they didn't hold back. The police said they'll get at least a life sentence."

I bit down on my lip hard. Ten years of marriage and I never realized how easily Leo could lie. I locked eyes with him and he quickly looked away. He reached for a takeout box from the bedside table and handed it to me. "Evelyn, I went out of my way to get you some crab roe soup. You should eat."

I looked at the now-cold soup, a wave of irony washing over me. "No, thank you. I can't eat anything greasy after surgery."

Crab roe soup was Evangeline's favorite. Even though she married someone else, Leo still remembered. After all these years of marriage, he'd gotten used to buying them for me, even convinced himself they were my favorite. Leo paused, then gave a bitter chuckle and rubbed his forehead. "Right, my mistake. I'll go get some food!" He rushed out of the room.

My phone vibrated with a new notification, another anonymous email. This time, it wasn't just an audio clip. It was a video of Leo and Evangeline in bed together. Even with the pixelation, I could easily recognize them. Leo buried his face in Evangeline's chest, his voice thick with desire. "Evangeline, you're so beautiful!"

"Thanks to your wife," Evangeline purred. "Who knew the stupid woman had such a great body..."

"She's ruined now, so she definitely won't have the face to pester me for intimacy anymore. Evie, from now on, I will remain chaste for you."

My chest tightened. I slammed my phone screen off. Our daughter had just died and he was already in bed with Evangeline. He didn't deserve to be a father. When we first got married, I had trouble conceiving. It was only after a long struggle that we had Josephine. I used to think it was fate, but after hearing that audio clip, I knew the truth. He already had a son with Evangeline.

He'd secretly replaced my folic acid with birth control pills, making me infertile for years. I'd felt so guilty towards him. Five years ago, Henry Laughlin was diagnosed with acute leukemia. He needed a bone marrow transplant, but there were no suitable matches. That's when Leo allowed me to have Josephine.

Three months ago, Henry got into a fight and injured his eyes. That's why Leo orchestrated a kidnapping, stealing Josephine's corneas and killing her. The precious child I cherished was nothing more than a source of organs for Henry in Leo's eyes.

Evangeline stole my husband, caused my daughter's death and even took my breasts. Now, she dared to send me an email just to show off. Fine! If that's how she wanted to play, I'd make sure she and Leo pay for what they've done.

The day I was discharged from the hospital, Leo lifted me out of the wheelchair and carried me from the ward to the hospital entrance. The envious glances and praises of "what a good husband" along the way brought a slight smile to his lips. I used to be grateful to have married such a gentle and caring man. But now I know it was all a facade he put on for others.

Just as we were about to reach the car, a sweet, delicate voice called out to Leo. The moment he heard it, his whole body went stiff. "What a coincidence, Leo!" Evangeline approached us with a bright smile. Leo immediately let go of me so fast that I lost my balance and crashed into the car door. A sharp pain shot through my chest and my wounds were still healing. I swallowed back my tears.

"Leo, after all these years, you're still so clumsy. Poor Evelyn, you must've hurt her," Evangeline joked proudly and Leo seemed to find that his reaction was too suspicious. He quickly supported me, lowering his head to show concern.

I looked at Evangeline. She was dressed in an elegant fitted skirt, her figure curvy and refined. Around her neck was a dazzling blue sapphire necklace, the gemstone so large it practically glowed against her pale skin. I recognized it instantly. It was the highlight of an auction six months ago, a rare piece that sold for three hundred million dollars.

I remembered how Leo had insisted on attending the auction that night despite having a high fever. He said he wanted to win that necklace as a birthday gift for me. But when he returned home, he looked disappointed and told me that a mysterious buyer had outbid him. Now I see the truth. There was no mysterious buyer. He had spent all that money just to make Evangeline happy. If this had been in the past, I would've pestered him for an explanation. But now? I just smiled and said calmly, "The necklace is beautiful."

Leo's brows furrowed slightly before he quickly changed the subject. "Evie, what brings you here? Why are you at the hospital?"

Evangeline's smile deepened as she pulled out an invitation and handed it to Leo. "Tomorrow is Henry's tenth birthday. I went by your house to invite you both, but the butler told me Evelyn was in the hospital. Leo, you'll come, right? Henry has been looking forward to it."

My heart sank. Tomorrow was the seventh day after Josephine's death. Evangeline was deliberately stabbing my heart. I looked up at Leo, waiting for his answer. After a moment's hesitation, Leo accepted the invitation. "A tenth birthday is a big deal. I'll definitely be there!"

After saying that, he avoided my eyes, quickly saying goodbye to Evangeline and helping me into the car. Behind us, Evangeline's eyes darted and she suddenly clutched her chest, staggering a few steps. Leo immediately dropped me and rushed to support her, his face filled with worry. Then, he apologized to me. "Evie's old problem flared up again. I'll take her to see a doctor. Evelyn, I'll have the driver take you home first!"

Without another word, he scooped Evangeline up. He carried her back into the hospital, not even sparing me a second glance. I let out a bitter chuckle. He called her "Evie" so affectionately but referred to me by my full name, showing clearly where his loyalty lay. When we first got married, I asked him to call me "Evie," but he always said it was too mushy and he wasn't used to it. Now, it was clear he never really cared for me.

When I got home, everything that belonged to Josephine had been cleared out. Leo said it was because he didn't want me to be upset by the memories. I knew it was because he had a guilty conscience and was in a hurry to erase any trace of his wrongdoing. Leo always found excuses to miss Josephine's birthdays. Now, I realized he must have been spending them with Evangeline and her son.