I remembered the day I said yes to him, trusting them both. Our friendship from high school, our wedding day, the smiles, the promises, the home we built, the child I thought was mine… all built on deception.
I couldn’t stay another second. I ran to the guest room, grabbed my phone, and called the one person I had vowed never to contact—my mother.
“Vivienne?” Her voice was wary, cautious.
“I need you,” I said, tears streaming. “Adrian… everything he told me… it was all lies. Please… come get me.”
Tears streamed down my face without end. My chest ached with a heaviness that made it nearly impossible to draw a full breath. I sat on the edge of the bed, clutching the blanket like it was the only lifeline holding me together, like if I let go, I would completely fall apart.
The door creaked open. Adrian stepped in, his movements careful, his face pale and drawn as if the gravity of the world rested on him. “Vivienne,” he said softly, stepping closer, “I just came from the hospital. They said Elias’s condition is… not good. But we’ll find a donor, okay? I promise. He’ll be fine.”