World Tour Tragedy: Wife's Getaway with Childhood Friend Ends in Madness

My son, Arthur, was critically ill, desperately needing a liver transplant. My wife, Vivian Hayes, was the only perfect match.

I pleaded with her for twenty days. Finally, she agreed to come back and donate.

I waited outside the operating room all day, but she never showed.

That same day, Vivian’s childhood best friend, Julian Thorne, posted photos on his Ins of their round-the-world trip.

“Sending love from day 20 of our global adventure! Dr. Hayes gave up her fellowship to help my son realize his dream of traveling the world.”

It was then I realized: the very first day I begged Vivian, she had already left for a trip with Julian and his son.

That evening, Vivian called me:

“Liam, Noah aced his finals, and his wish is for his mom and dad to travel the world with him.”

“You know, he doesn’t have a mom…”

“I couldn’t bear to see his wish go unfulfilled. We’ll be back in three days.”

“And then, I’ll donate my liver to our son.”

Three days later, when Vivian arrived at the hospital, all she saw was Arthur’s death certificate.

…

In the hospital morgue, I gazed at my son Arthur’s serene face, a crushing pain in my heart that stole my breath.

Arthur had always been such a good kid, never giving me much to worry about.

But I couldn’t even guarantee his health or his life.

My son had suffered sudden liver failure, requiring an urgent transplant. The only person in our entire family who was a match was my wife, Vivian Hayes.

But the day after the matching results came in, her company sent her abroad for a prestigious fellowship.

On her first day away, I begged Vivian to come back and donate her liver to Arthur. She said the overseas fellowship was a rare opportunity, and she didn’t want to give it up.

In the middle of her trip, I pleaded with her for another eighteen days. She still refused, cold and unfeeling.

On her nineteenth day abroad, the doctor said Arthur’s condition had worsened, and he needed a transplant as soon as possible. I begged her again to come back, to save our son first. But she claimed if she left mid-program, her entire career would be ruined.

She told me to transfer Arthur to a major medical center and find more people to match.

The specialist hospital was completely full; they refused to admit us.

Helpless, we had no choice but to return to the city hospital.

Arthur was ravaged by his illness, his face ghostly pale.

He looked at me with eyes full of hope: “Dad, why isn’t Mom back to see Arthur yet?”

“Is Arthur being bad? Did I make Mom angry?”

I didn’t know how to comfort him. I just thought maybe I hadn’t explained clearly enough, that Vivian might have misunderstood how serious Arthur’s condition was.

So, I reached out to Vivian again, bringing Arthur’s lead doctor with me, begging her to rush back and save our son.

With the doctor’s confirmation, Vivian finally relented. She agreed to take two days off to come back and donate her liver to Arthur.

But on the day of the surgery, I sat outside the operating room, waiting all day. What I got was the news that my son couldn’t be saved and had passed away. Vivian still hadn’t shown up.

I pulled out my phone, wanting to ask Vivian why she wasn’t there.

Instead, I saw a photo Julian Thorne had sent me.

In the picture, Vivian, holding Noah’s hand, was leaning into Julian’s embrace, smiling radiantly.

My hand trembled as I opened Julian’s Ins feed, and the glaring content hit me.

“Sending love from day 20 of our global adventure! Dr. Hayes gave up her fellowship to help my son realize his dream of traveling the world.”

If Julian hadn’t posted that on Ins, I wouldn’t have known that the wife my son and I desperately waited for was actually traveling the world with another man’s child.

I clutched my son’s already cold hand, my heart twisting into a knot, suffocating me.

Just then, Vivian called:

“Liam, Noah aced his finals, and his wish is for his mom and dad to travel the world with him.”

“You know, he doesn’t have a mom…”

“I couldn’t bear to see his wish go unfulfilled. We’ll be back in three days.”

“In three days, I’ll donate my liver to our son.”

My mind went blank.

Just one day ago, I would have jumped for joy.

But now, I couldn’t feel happy at all.

My son’s life, in her eyes, wasn’t as important as a stranger’s wish.

Vivian must have sensed something, because she asked anxiously, “Liam, why aren’t you saying anything?”

I snapped back to reality and asked what was on my mind: “Vivian Hayes, do you know how sick our son was?”

Vivian froze. It seemed only then she realized Arthur’s condition couldn’t be delayed any longer.

“Liam, don’t worry, I’ll buy a ticket and come back right away.”

From the other end of the phone, Noah’s innocent voice chimed in, “Mommy, for the last stop, Noah wants to go to romantic Paris. Will you take Noah?”

Vivian paused for a moment, then spoke to me:

“Liam, my friend at the major medical center said Arthur isn’t a critical case. Three days later for treatment is still fine. Just be the bigger person and wait for me to come back.”

I should have known this would be the outcome.

Ever since Julian Thorne got divorced and returned, Vivian’s entire world revolved around him and Noah.

She promised to celebrate Arthur’s birthday with us, but she stood us up because Noah had a cold.

She always said Noah didn’t have a mom and she had to take care of him, telling my son and I to be more understanding.

She gave Arthur’s birthday gift to Noah, telling us to be more understanding.

She canceled family gatherings to take Noah to the amusement park, telling us to be more understanding.

She knew Arthur and I would forgive her, that we’d wait for her, right where we were. That’s why she acted with impunity, ignoring us, hurting us.

But this time, I couldn’t be understanding.

Because my son had no future.

And my marriage with Vivian Hayes had reached its end.