1 At our New Year's Eve dinner, the mood was heavy, the faces around the table grim. Confused, I shot a questioning look at my husband, Michael, who sat beside me. He looked like he wanted to say something but just shook his head. I shrugged it off and placed a piece of fish, my daughter's favorite, onto her plate. Just then, a line of text materialized in the air before me. “The supporting character’s mother is so good to her. Too bad her father is about to make her donate bone marrow to the female lead.” Supporting character? Female lead? What on earth is this? I paid it no mind and continued eating. But my husband’s next words made me realize those floating sentences were something I couldn't ignore. … "Honey, there's something I need to talk to you about," Michael said, his voice suddenly grave. I was busy cracking open a crab claw. "What is it? Go on." Before he could speak, my sister-in-law, Clara, burst into tears. I quickly put down my crab and rushed to comfort her. "Clara, don't be so upset. Isn't Bella's condition improving?" "The doctor said she could be discharged in a few days. Then…" My words were cut short by my husband's sharp command. "That's enough, Amelia!" His shout stunned me. I had no idea what I’d said wrong. Our daughter, Daisy, flinched, her chopsticks hovering mid-air. I soothed her, encouraging her to keep eating, before turning to glare at Michael. "What is wrong with you? It's New Year's Eve!" "What's wrong with me?" he shot back, his face a thundercloud. My mother-in-law stepped in to smooth things over. "Alright, alright, let's just eat." I ignored my husband's bizarre behavior and returned to my meal. I sympathized with Clara—her daughter was sick, after all. I'd let her spend the entire day at the hospital while I single-handedly prepared this feast. I wasn't about to let my hard work go to waste. "Stop eating. I need to talk to you," Michael said again, trying to stop me. I didn't put down my chopsticks, just nodded. "I'm listening." "Bella's condition has worsened. She needs a bone marrow transplant." His words hit me like a physical blow. The text from before flashed in my mind. Was this a coincidence? Before I could process it, more words appeared. “Here we go. The scumbag is bringing it up now!” “Shameless. Forcing his own daughter to donate marrow to his niece. He doesn't care about his daughter at all.” “Yeah, even though the female lead, Bella, gets saved and becomes super successful, I still feel so bad for the supporting character, Daisy. She gets sick from the donation and dies young.” Reading the lines, the situation began to click into place. The "female lead" was my niece, Bella. The "supporting character" was my daughter, Daisy. My daughter would die because she donated bone marrow to Bella, who would then go on to live a life of success and glory. I forced myself to remain calm, looking from Michael to the still-sobbing Clara. I sighed. "Clara, they'll find a volunteer to save Bella. Don't be so heartbroken." At my words, Clara's crying abruptly stopped. She glanced at Michael. My mother-in-law shot him a look, a clear signal. As if emboldened, Michael declared, "Amelia, I want Daisy to donate her bone marrow to Bella." "Absolutely not!" I refused without a moment's hesitation. I stood up and swept the dishes off the table. If I cooked this meal, then no one else was going to eat it. “The supporting character's mom is a badass!” “If it were me, I wouldn't let my daughter donate either!” “Exactly! Donating bone marrow is so damaging. I can't believe this father cares more about his sister's child than his own.” The dinner ended in chaos. Michael disappeared, and I didn't bother asking where he went. He could do whatever he wanted, as long as he stayed away from my daughter. I was on high alert now, constantly watching him, terrified he would do something to Daisy. On New Year's Day, as I was getting Daisy ready to visit my parents, Michael called. "Amelia, Bella is fading fast. She needs the transplant now." I moved away from Daisy, hissing into the phone, "What does Bella's transplant have to do with my daughter?!" The familiar text appeared again. “The supporting character's mom has no idea her husband already took their daughter for a compatibility test.” “Yeah, so tragic. So many people were tested, but only she was a perfect match.” “Well, what can you do? The supporting character only exists to save the female lead.” A chill went down my spine. "Michael," I growled, my voice trembling with rage, "when did you take Daisy for a compatibility test?" "I went and got tested myself! I gave my blood! Why would you drag a ten-year-old child into this?" The line went silent. He was clearly shocked that I knew. Before he could answer, I cut him off. "If you want to take my daughter's bone marrow, you'll have to do it over my dead body!" 2 I slammed the phone down and immediately started packing Daisy's clothes. I was terrified Michael would try to take her, so I decided we would stay at my parents' house for a while. Daisy watched me silently, her sweet face devoid of questions. The roads were empty due to the holiday, and a two-hour drive took only ninety minutes. The moment we pulled up to my parents' villa, they rushed out to greet us. "Daisy's here! Come see what Grandma got you for New Year's!" my mother exclaimed, whisking Daisy inside. My father took my bag. "Amelia, why didn't Michael come with you?" His question sent a pang of sadness through me, but I didn't want them to worry. I lied. "He had a last-minute thing at work. He'll probably come in a few days." With my parents doting on Daisy, the knot of tension in my shoulders finally began to loosen. After lunch, I went to take a nap. I woke up at dusk, groggy and disoriented. The first thing I saw was the familiar, shimmering text. “The supporting character's dad is so cruel. He actually took her to the hospital to force the donation.” “Yeah, poor girl. Her own father doesn't love her at all.” “Even though I’m a fan of the female lead, Bella, I can't help but feel sorry for the supporting character…” I shot upright, instantly awake, and ran out to find Daisy. Only my parents were in the living room, watching a replay of the New Year's Gala. "Amelia, you're awake," my dad said with a smile. "Michael came by this afternoon. He took Daisy to the amusement park." "He even went to your room to tell you, but you were sleeping so soundly you didn't even stir." “She wasn't just sleeping. The supporting character's dad injected her with a sedative.” “I can't believe how heartless he is.” Reading the text, I quickly pushed up my sleeve. Sure enough, there was a tiny puncture mark on my arm. My blood ran cold. Michael had gone this far. When I reached the hospital, Daisy was already lying in a hospital bed. "Daisy!" I screamed, rushing to her side and checking her from head to toe. The nurse who had been watching her saw me and scurried out of the room. The moment Daisy saw me, she burst into tears. "Mommy, I'm scared!" "It's okay, sweetie, it's okay. Mommy's here. No one is going to hurt you." I pulled the IV needle from her arm, thanking my lucky stars for the nursing courses I’d taken years ago. Just as I finished changing her out of the hospital gown and was about to leave, Michael and Clara rushed in. "What do you think you're doing?!" Michael roared. "Amelia, please, have a heart. Save my daughter," Clara begged, dropping to her knees in front of me. "Bella can't wait any longer. Please, I'm begging you. She's already prepped for surgery, just waiting for the donation." The commotion drew other families from the hallway. Seeing Clara weeping at my feet, they began to murmur their disapproval. "My God, how can that woman be so cruel? Someone's life is on the line." "It's a child's life! And a relative, no less. She's so cold-blooded." I fought to control my emotions and looked at Michael. "Go get the head physician." Thinking I had given in, Michael eagerly fetched the doctor. "Doctor," I asked, my voice tight with restraint, "is Daisy really a match?" The doctor's face lit up. He nodded enthusiastically. "Yes! Bella is a very lucky girl. Once the transplant is done, her condition can be brought under control." Michael saw me nod and rushed forward. "The doctor has explained everything. Stop making a scene!" "The surgery is already scheduled. Don't cause any more delays." I looked at this frantic, desperate man and felt like I was staring at a stranger. "I've already called the police." The onlookers fell silent, their faces filled with confusion. Only the doctor and Michael's family looked terrified. Just as I spoke, the police arrived. "I'm the one who called," I said, pointing at the doctor. "I'm reporting this man for accepting a bribe and attempting to forcibly extract bone marrow from a ten-year-old child!" 3 A wave of shock went through the crowd. The judgmental glares turned to expressions of sympathy. "So it's not her donating, it's the little girl." "What kind of family is this? Making a ten-year-old donate bone marrow? That's a death sentence!" "Is that man the girl's father? How could he do this to his own child?" Michael's face darkened under the weight of their accusations. He looked at me with pure venom in his eyes. “What’s happening? The supporting character didn't donate?” “What about my Bella? Her illness is so serious!” I read the text, my heart turning to ice. So only the female lead's life matters? My daughter's life is worthless? After leaving the police station, I couldn't hold back any longer. I walked up to Michael and slapped him across the face. "Divorce," I said, the word hanging in the cold air. Then I took Daisy's hand and walked away. In the car, Daisy’s small, sad voice piped up. "Mommy, why doesn't Daddy love me?" My heart ached for her. When she was five or six, she'd asked me the same thing, wondering why her father always seemed to prefer Bella. She had asked if she wasn't his real daughter. Back then, I had held her tight and made a thousand excuses for Michael. Not this time. At a red light, I turned to look at my daughter in the back seat. "Daisy, sweetie, Bella is sick, so Daddy is giving her more attention." "But this time, we're going to leave him, okay?" Daisy nodded. "Daddy doesn't love Daisy, so Daisy doesn't love Daddy anymore." When we got home, my parents were heartbroken to see the tear stains on Daisy's face. "Mom, Dad. I'm divorcing Michael." To my surprise, my father immediately objected. "No!" "Your life is so good right now. You haven't been fighting. Why the sudden divorce?" "Michael just got a promotion last year. Things are only going to get better for you two." I cut him off before he could continue and told them everything Michael had done. Their faces changed instantly. "That monster! How could he hurt our Daisy like that?" "Divorce him! Immediately! A man like that doesn't deserve to be our Daisy's father!" But then, the familiar text floated before my eyes again. “The supporting character’s dad won't agree to a divorce. He needs all their money to treat the female lead.” “I wish I had an uncle who loved me that much.” “Yeah, even the female lead's own father gave up on her, but her uncle is still trying so hard to save her. It's so touching!” I felt nothing reading those words. Michael could use his money to save whomever he wanted after the divorce. But I found it strange. Why had Bella's own father given up on treating her? I realized I hadn't seen him at all recently, not even at the New Year's Eve dinner. Normally, he and Clara would have eaten at my mother-in-law's before going home. What had changed this year? Despite my confusion, I contacted a lawyer and had the divorce papers sent to Michael. It wasn't long before he called. "Amelia, I never knew you could be so vicious!" he roared. "Bella is critically ill, and not only do you refuse to let Daisy help, but you want to divorce me?!" I feigned ignorance. "I'm divorcing you because I don't want Daisy to have a father who doesn't care if she lives or dies." I heard him take a deep breath on the other end. "No matter what, I will not agree to a divorce!" he shouted. I calmly tried to reason with him. "Michael, your career is taking off. Divorcing me is actually a good thing for you." There had always been a huge income disparity between us, a fact he frequently resented me for. If the text was wrong, then divorcing me now would be a blessing for him. But Michael refused to sign the papers. And then I got a call from a real estate agent. She said my husband had listed our house for sale and a buyer wanted to see it. Was I available?
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