Three days before the wedding, I was hit by a car, and my spine was fractured. Lucas, my fiancé, put the driver behind bars. I lay in the hospital bed, refusing to wake, devastated by the news of my paralysis. In a haze, I overheard Lucas’s conversation with the doctor. “Mr. Stone, it’s still not too late for the surgery. A few more days, and Ms. Hayes will truly be paralyzed for life! You just want Lily to be your bride; why take on half a life’s burden?” “Disabled is disabled. I will take care of her for the rest of her life. If she recovers, she’ll definitely cause trouble at the wedding. I promised Lily I’d bring our child into the Stone family with all due pomp. Only when Clara is completely incapacitated will she treat my child as her own. Being disabled is fine; at least she won’t bully the child.” In an unnoticed corner, a single tear traced a path down my temple. So, the wedding I had so eagerly anticipated was nothing but a lie. The love I yearned for was also my death warrant. If that was the case, I would grant his wish. “Don’t say anything extra. Follow my plan. The hysterectomy must be thorough, leaving no trace for her to discover. Once she wakes, I’ll take her to the orphanage to pick up the child. Without the chance to have her own children, she’ll surely dote on Rose.” The doctor wiped sweat from his brow, his conscience pricked. “Mr. Stone, perhaps you should reconsider? Ms. Hayes is already paralyzed. Removing her uterus would be like taking her life! How will she face the elders of the Stone family afterward?” “Besides, your child with Ms. Evans is three years old now, and the girl looks remarkably like you. If Ms. Hayes ever found out, everything would be ruined!” Lucas reached out, skillfully wiping my cracked lips with a wet tissue again and again. His voice was filled with the regret of a love unfulfilled. “She won’t find out. As long as she’s disabled, she’ll be confined to the Stone family estate for life, unable to take a single step outside. I promised Lily I’d give her a grand wedding and watch our child grow up with my own eyes. Even if she’s married to someone else now, I will never let her have any worries.” The doctor beside him sighed, looking at my pale face on the hospital bed. “Clara is a good girl. You two grew up together, and you insist on clinging to that… never mind. I won’t say anything more. If you think it’s okay, then proceed.” “Go prepare for the surgery. Remember, make it clean, leave no traces. While Clara is still unconscious, I don’t want her to feel too much pain.” The doctor quickly left the room. Lucas took out his phone and sent a voice message to his assistant. “That driver didn’t spill the beans, did he? As agreed, pay his family two million and help them move out of this city. Don’t let Clara find out.” Tears fell uncontrollably, soaking into the pillow. Lucas meticulously wiped my body with warm water again and again. A chill, however, still ran through me. It turned out the wedding I had anticipated for five years was merely preparation for Lily. The car accident was no accident at all. It was just his way of clearing me, a stumbling block, for Lily. My imagined happiness and perfection were nothing but illusions. Lies and betrayal were the true nature of our relationship. I struggled to open my eyes. But soon, an anesthetic was injected into my body. Before being wheeled into the operating room, Lucas kissed my forehead with feigned tenderness. “Be good, it’ll be over soon, Clara. I’ll be waiting for you.” Cold instruments continuously churned inside me. My shattered heart grew even colder. When I opened my eyes again, I was already in the recovery room. I still had no sensation below my waist. Lucas sat by my bedside, his face etched with worry when he saw me awaken. He took my hand in his, gently pressing it against his cheek. “Clara? You’re awake? Is anything still bothering you?” “Tell me if you’re in pain, and I’ll have them change your medication.” His expression was as doting as ever, but I could no longer detect any warmth in his eyes. For someone to go to such lengths for another… I gently shook my head, my fingers tracing the stubble on his chin. “You haven’t slept all night, have you? I’m fine; you should rest a bit.” Lucas, unsuspecting, relaxed and quickly drifted off to sleep. I picked up his phone from the bedside table and unlocked it. The wallpaper was still our wedding photo, taken in advance. His social media app was open. The pinned contact was saved as Lily. Tapping into the chat, beyond cute cat emojis, were only photos of Lily holding a child. “Rose kept asking for Daddy again today. She’s so young and already knows Daddy is handsome. She’s definitely going to be obsessed with good looks later.” “Rose had a good appetite today; she ate the entire cake you sent all by herself.” “Rose is begging to go to the amusement park with Daddy. I can’t convince her otherwise. Come over if you have time.” Lucas hadn’t replied, but beneath each photo were video logs lasting up to two hours. Remembering he once said he didn’t like children, I now understood. He didn’t dislike children; he just disliked children born from my womb. He had created a separate album for Lily, the password being the child’s birthday. Five thousand photos documented the child’s three years of growth. Every important holiday, Lucas had been by their side. The second chat box in the app was a conversation with the wedding planner. From the moment he started planning the wedding a month ago, Lucas had given Lily’s name. The wedding dress was her size. The invitations were handwritten by both of them. From the very beginning, he had never intended for me to be at this wedding. I laughed at myself, a bitter sound, and stopped scrolling. I contacted my best friend, asking her to find another hospital for me abroad for surgery. I also applied to cancel all my identification documents in the country. My best friend, not thinking much of it, just assumed I had finally seen Lucas’s true colors. Her messages were filled with joy for me. Putting down my phone, I fell into a deep sleep. I woke again, startled by Lucas’s sobs. He clutched a hospital report in his hand, his shoulders shaking uncontrollably. “Clara… the doctor said they found during the examination that you were born without a uterus, you’re infertile.” “Don’t worry, I won’t look down on you. No matter what you become, you are my wife. How about we adopt a child after you’re discharged? With a child by your side, you’ll slowly get better.” I was the one who had lost the ability to conceive, yet he seemed more heartbroken than I was. His acting was convincing, and I couldn’t be bothered to expose him. After a long silence, looking at the report in his hand, I nodded slowly. Lucas, moved, shed tears and pulled me into his embrace. “I will take good care of you. Don’t be afraid. No matter what anyone says, I will stand by you.” “After we get married, I’ll transfer all my assets to your name, as your security.” Our chests pressed tightly together. Yet our heartbeats were on different rhythms. After a while, Lucas struggled to speak. “The wedding is already prepared, but now your body hasn’t recovered, so it might have to…” “Find someone to go in my place. Don’t let the Stone family lose face.” I knew what he wanted to say. Rather than being passive, it was better to be proactive. At least I could maintain some dignity. Lucas was surprised by my change in attitude. But with his wish fulfilled, he didn’t want to pry. His phone rang. He glanced at it, surprised. “Clara, what documents did you cancel?” I quickly swiped away the message, calmly explaining, “Nothing, my documents expired. I’ll just replace them online.” He didn’t think much of it, hugging me tighter, his voice full of tenderness. “Now that you’re not well, just tell me anything you need, and I’ll handle it for you.” “Lucas, I want to leave the hospital.” His emotions suddenly tensed. “No, your body hasn’t recovered. I don’t agree.” I tugged on his arm, shaking it, a smile playing on my lips. “Didn’t you say you wanted to take me to adopt a child? We have nannies at home; nothing will happen. I want to visit the orphanage, okay?” In our five years together, this was the first time I’d ever acted so sweetly with him. Lucas couldn’t refuse me and softly agreed. On the way, he took out the cakes he had prepared in the car and arranged them in front of me, saying he had specially bought them for me. But the “suitable for toddlers” label on the packaging still stung my eyes. I closed the bag, tossing the cakes to the back, and feigned discomfort, closing my eyes. This five-year-long deception, it was time for it to end. As soon as we entered the orphanage, I was in my wheelchair. A little girl familiarly rushed up and hugged Lucas’s leg, incessantly calling him “Daddy.” Lucas’s face changed, and fearing my suspicion, he quickly explained, “Don’t misunderstand, I sponsor this orphanage. I’ve visited a few times before. This child is an orphan, and she’s always called me that.” I nodded, smiling as I stroked the child’s face. “She looks a lot like you. If you hadn’t said anything, I would have thought she was your child.” “What’s her name?” “Rose, she’s the one I’m planning to adopt.” Before he could explain further, Rose cried, calling for “Mommy.” Lucas’s face instantly went pale. He frowned deeply, looking at me. “I’m fine. Go comfort her. This child is beautiful; I like her too.” My words visibly eased his tension. Lucas didn’t think further, picking up the child and heading into the office. I excused myself to the restroom to escape. But from the doorway, I kept hearing the staff discussing. “Why is Mr. Stone making his own child pretend to be an orphan? Those clothes are high-end; they cost more than my life. Who would believe she’s an orphan?” “What do you know? Mr. Stone has it all planned. This is the only way for the child to legitimately enter the Stone family. Be smart when you go out later; don’t let anything slip in front of Ms. Hayes.” “Indeed, the one closest to Mr. Stone’s heart is still Ms. Evans. They both loved volunteering here during college. I noticed it back then, and now it’s come true! A man and a woman alone in the same room; now they might even be…” Amused laughter reached my ears, pressing down on my chest until I could barely breathe. I moved my wheelchair to the door. Inside, I heard a familiar voice. “Is he still good to you?” “He’s quite good. It’s just that he’s often abroad, so there are some things he can’t manage. This is good too; he won’t discover Rose’s secret, and he’s even nagging me to have another child with him.” Lucas smiled, but his eyes were filled with bitterness. “Once Rose is settled in the Stone family, you won’t have to worry anymore. If you need anything, just message me.” “Oh, and this is a bracelet I just bought. Consider it my wedding gift to you.” Lily took the gift box, winking playfully. “Why are you giving me gifts again? How many wedding gifts have you given me in our year of marriage? My closet is overflowing. Clara would definitely be unhappy if she knew.” Though she said this, she didn’t stop accepting the gift. Beside them, Rose smiled, clinging to her, continuously calling her “Mommy.” The director, eager to process the paperwork, rushed to me and pushed open the door. A flicker of panic crossed Lucas’s eyes. “Clara, what are you doing here?” “Don’t misunderstand. Lily is a volunteer here at the orphanage. She just happened to be visiting today to discuss my adoption of Rose…” Lily stood up, holding Rose in her arms, and waved to me. “Clara, long time no see.” I sat in my wheelchair, smiling and nodding, swallowing my hurt. “It’s fine; I’m just looking around. Since you’re busy, I won’t bother you. I’ll wait in the car.” With that, I turned to leave. Lucas thought I was angry and followed me, explaining for a long time. “Don’t misunderstand. She often comes here to volunteer. All the children in the orphanage call her Mommy. I’ll explain everything to Rose once the adoption paperwork is done.” Watching him fret over me, I suddenly felt like laughing. To legitimately bring his child into the family, he didn’t hesitate to stage a car accident to paralyze me. Now that he had gotten his wish, who was he playing the victim for?
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