What Was Lost

I was diagnosed with kidney disease.

My wife, Serene Warner, an heiress from high society, broke down in tears from worry. She did everything she could to find a donor for me.

However, just as the doctor handed her the consent form, she hesitated.

"Keith's treatment can't be delayed any longer. This donor kidney is compatible with him too. Can you find another matching kidney?" she asked.

With a troubled look on his face, the doctor replied, "Ms. Warner, that would be rather hard. Perhaps…"

Before he could finish, her daughter spoke up and decided my fate. "Of course, the kidney is going to Keith. Dad is old and a nag. He doesn't even look like me. I don't want it to go to him."

Serene gently smacked Tina on the back of her head, but what she said next was just as chilling.

"Joseph, Keith studied abroad. He'll contribute a lot to the Warners and this society…"

Without saying a word, I looked down at my wedding ring. My heart had grown numb long ago.

That was because I had already gone through this.

In my last life, this was when I shouted at her, despite having always been a gentle soul.

"What about all the sacrifices I made to take care of you two in the past eight years? I'm clearly ahead of him in the list. It should be mine! Why him?"

But without question, a poor teacher like me stood no chance against the rich and powerful.

In the end, out of guilt, Serene stayed by my side day and night. She reminisced with me about the past, but not even she realized that the memories she spoke of did not belong to us.

I slowly faded away.

This time, I would not fight her. I would not trouble her anymore.

"Alright."

Last Meal

As soon as I finished speaking, Serene started crying.

I did not look at her. Instead, I turned to look at the bright rays of sunlight outside the window.

"I wish to live in freedom in my last days."

She choked on her sobs and held my hand. "Alright. I'll do whatever you want. Let's go home."

I nodded in agreement.

However, the freedom I wanted meant going somewhere without her and her daughter.

Still, I had no desire to explain.

We returned to the mansion.

For eight years of our marriage, I had lived there. Yet I had never once felt that it was home.

It was way too cold.

Serene instructed the servants to buy all of her and Tina's favorite foods. Then, she handed me an apron.

"Joseph, I ordered your favorites," she said. "In the meantime, cook for us a few more times. I want to remember the taste."

I accepted the apron with a bitter smile.

In all these years, she had never once asked me what I truly liked. She always thought that I liked whatever she and Tina liked.

Forget it. I would cook them one more meal as a farewell.

I truly loved them, after all.

It took me almost two hours of dragging my exhausted and frail body around before I was done cooking.

By the end, I was practically on the verge of collapse.

"Let's eat."

As soon as we picked up our cutlery, Serene's phone rang. She glanced at it but did not answer it.

Tina scowled and grabbed it instead.

"Why aren't you answering Keith's call? He'll get mad. I'll do it if you won't!"

After answering the call, her voice instantly turned soft and sweet, filled with so much joy that even the man on the other end must have heard it.

"Did you miss me, Keith?"

While I knew this would happen, I still could not help but feel a bitter pang in my heart at the sight of her expression.

She used to smile at me that way too. I had raised her for eight whole years.

Keith Sawyer had only appeared six months ago, yet everything I once had no longer belonged to me.

Not long after, Serene accepted the phone with a smile.

I did not listen to what they were saying, but I already knew that would be the end of our dinner.