Chapter 1
“She just moved next door without a fuss? Wouldn’t she be heartbroken, listening in at night?”
“What? You want to help? Didn’t you see how much he dotes on Miss Adeline? She’s just a nobody now; you don’t know whom to flatter.”
“Indeed, Mr. Lachlan and Miss Adeline are a better match.” I held my child, pushing boxes from our home, moving things next door trip by trip. I looked around for help, but no one responded.
On the fifth day after my terminal diagnosis, my husband wanted to share our new home with his romanticized past love. The maids removed our photos, the bedding, and replaced them with red lovebird sheets, Adeline’s personal items, and their wedding photos. Lachlan glanced coldly over everything, not sparing me a look. He knelt by the sofa, feeding Adeline strawberries, full of indulgence:
“I promised you everything a bride should have, you won’t lack anything, don’t let yourself suffer, be good, open your mouth…”
My daughter sensed something wrong and whimpered, but Lachlan pretended not to hear. His heart and mind focused only on his first love, leaving me and our daughter to be ridiculed. I gently rocked my child, feeling a bitter ache in my heart. I had no choice; I was dying.
After dealing with everything, I didn’t want to talk and planned to return to my room. But as I passed the living room, Adeline wouldn’t let me leave. Lachlan coaxed her for a long time before she shyly spoke:
“I don’t have many days left and can’t have kids. I just want to borrow the baby for a few days to see what it’s like to be a mom, but I’m afraid of offending you, sister…” Instantly, everyone’s eyes were on me. I stared firmly at Lachlan. He let his mistress enter the house, making me the maids’ joke. Would he really take my child away, not letting me see her one last time before I die? Seeing Adeline’s face full of melancholy, Lachlan felt pity and looked at me earnestly:
“Nora, since you can let go of our home, you won’t mind letting Addie take care of the baby, will you?”
I almost forgot; Adeline was the one he vowed to marry when he was young. If Lachlan hadn’t loved her so much, willing to break up rather than hinder her future, they would have been married long ago, and I wouldn’t have picked up the pieces. I only became his wife because I was suitable. Besides responsibility, he had nothing left for me. I forcibly held back the dull pain in my head and asked him:
“What if I mind? She’s our daughter, only a month old.” Lachlan paused his fruit-cutting, turned back coldly:
“I said, just borrowing the child for three days. Addie’s dying and has never been a mom, what’s wrong with that?”
“Anyway, you can live so long, you have plenty of time to see her.”
“She’s my daughter! Without my consent, no one can take her.” My voice was resolute. I bled heavily for a whole day to barely give birth to her. And I only have three days left. If I don’t see her more now, I never will.
“Nora, I didn’t think you’d be so selfish, can’t you wait just three days?” Lachlan frowned, his tone somber.
“I really can’t…” But before I finished, he ordered the maids to restrain me and snatched my daughter, handing her to Adeline. I bit my lip, red-eyed, glaring at him, my heart feeling slashed and bleeding. Yet Adeline smiled triumphantly, her gaze full of pride. The pain in my body couldn’t compare to the pain in my heart. I broke free from the maids, pouncing to grab my daughter back. As I grasped the edge of the swaddle, I felt joy, but then saw Adeline’s sinister smile. I was puzzled when she suddenly fell back, loosening her grip. Seeing my daughter about to fall, I quickly reached out, holding her tight. I fell to the floor from inertia, my elbow throbbing with pain. Gasps surrounded me. But Lachlan caught Adeline, and she nestled in his arms, frightened and wronged:
“Sister, if you didn’t want to lend me the child, just say so. No need to use her as a shield to push and bully me…”
A maid also stepped up to defend her:
“Ma’am, you overreacted. Little Miss is so small. If she hit her head on the ground, she couldn’t be saved!”
Lachlan was initially moved by my willingness to protect our child, but after hearing this, his eyes filled with disappointment and anger:
“Nora, I can’t believe you’re so cruel to use our child as leverage to bully Addie. You don’t deserve to be a mom!” He said, snatching my daughter from the floor.
“For these few days, go stay in the maids’ quarters and serve Addie well.” After speaking, Lachlan saw my tears, curled on the ground, hesitating, a hint of concern in his eyes:
“Are you unwell?”
To the side, Adeline shrugged:
“Sister, you didn’t hit your head. Why act like you have a concussion, trying to gain Lachlan’s sympathy?”
“The child isn’t crying, but you, an adult, are. That’s not right.” Lachlan’s concern vanished, replaced by disgust:
“Don’t act like you’re dying. Your bright sixty-year lifespan is clear. You can’t fool me.” My heart ached with countless pains. He’d been lying to me all along. Thinking of the time after our whirlwind wedding, the close moments with Lachlan, felt like a dream. In the later stages of my pregnancy, he pushed away work, cooked for me daily, and applied oil to prevent stretch marks. He didn’t mind my swollen, unattractive appearance, still hugging and kissing me… But in just five days after Adeline’s return, everything changed. Lachlan protected Adeline, even the maids sided with her. I was isolated, with no support.
When the pain subsided, I sat up from the floor, finding the living room empty. Lachlan ordered I shouldn’t see my daughter for these days, even throwing my luggage from the guest room into the maids’ quarters. With my body unwell, I planned to return to my room but was stopped by Adeline.
“Sister, I plan to let my Bichon Frise stay here. Maybe you can make do in the basement for a few days.” I gritted my teeth, glaring at Lachlan behind her. Lachlan pursed his lips, finally stopping her from moving me again:
“Alright, the guest room next door is for your dog. The maids’ quarters suit her.” Hearing this, Adeline cheerfully ran upstairs to arrange the doghouse, and Lachlan comforted me:
“Nora, I just want to make up for her dying regrets. I promise to stay with Addie for three days.”
“After three days, we can spend sixty years together. She’s just passing through, you’re still my legal wife, nothing will change.” Lachlan touched my head.
“Be good, be generous, and I promise you won’t be wronged again.” He said and walked away. But he didn’t know I had no time to be generous. We had no future.