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.
