My shattered heart turned cold.
When I opened my eyes again, I was already back in the ward.
There was still no feeling below my lower back.
Virginia sat by my bedside, her face filled with worry as she saw me wake up. She took my hand, pressing it gently against her cheek.
"Bryan? You're awake. Are you feeling any pain?"
"If you're uncomfortable, let me know. I’ll ask them to change your dressing."
Her voice carried the same tenderness as before, but her eyes held no warmth.
It's incredible what one person can do for another—how easily they can pretend.
I shook my head and lightly touched her weary brows.
"You didn’t sleep all night, did you? I’m fine. Get some rest."
Virginia didn’t think much of it, visibly relieved, and soon drifted off into sleep.
I reached for her phone on the bedside table and unlocked it.
The wallpaper was still our pre-wedding photo.
A social media app was left open in the background.
The top contact name: Hugh.
I tapped into the chat. Aside from a few playful cat emojis, the messages were all the same—photos of Hugh holding a child.
"Cassie called for her mommy again today. Even at her age, she already knows how beautiful her mother is. She’s going to be a heartbreaker when she grows up."
"Cassie had a great appetite today. She finished the cake you sent."
"Cassie won’t stop begging to go to the amusement park with you. No matter how I tried to reason with her, she wouldn’t listen. Come see her when you have time."
Virginia hadn’t responded.
But beneath every photo, there was a two-hour video call log.
I remembered how she once told me she didn’t like children.
Now, I understand.
It wasn’t that she disliked kids—she just didn’t like the child she had with me.
She had an entire photo album dedicated to Hugh.
The password was the child’s birthday.
Five thousand pictures recorded the past three years of the child’s life.
Virginia had been with them for every important holiday.
The second chat in her app was her conversation with the wedding planner.
From the moment she started preparing for the wedding a month ago, she had written Hugh’s name in every detail.
The suit measurements were his.
The invitations had both of their names.
From the beginning, she had never planned for me to be at this wedding.
I let out a bitter laugh and stopped scrolling.
I called my brother and asked him to find a hospital abroad for my surgery.
I also filed to cancel all my records in America.
He didn’t ask much—he simply assumed I had finally seen Virginia’s true colors.
Every word he spoke was filled with relief for me.
I put the phone down and closed my eyes.
When I woke up again, it was to the sound of Virginia crying.
She clutched a hospital report in her trembling hands, her shoulders shaking violently.
"Bryan... The doctor said they found a congenital defect during their tests. You were never able to have children."
"But don’t worry, I won’t leave you. No matter what happens, you’re my husband."
"Once you’re discharged, let’s adopt a child, okay? Having a child around you will help you heal."
I was the one who had supposedly lost my ability to have children.
Yet, she looked more devastated than I did.
Her performance was flawless, but I was too tired to expose her.
After a long silence, I glanced at the report in her hands and nodded seriously.
Virginia was overwhelmed with emotion, tears streaming down her face as she hugged me tightly.
"I’ll take care of you. Don’t be afraid. No matter what people say, I’ll always stand by you."
"After we’re married, I’ll transfer all my assets to your name. Take it as my promise to you."
Our bodies were pressed closely together.
But our heartbeats were miles apart.
