He Abandoned Our Daughter to Help His Lover’s Son

My daughter has rare "panda blood," and the blood bank was nearly dry. My husband, who shares the same rare type, urged me to donate. I donated until my face turned ghostly pale, and the nurse warned me I had hit the donation limit. Yet, Martin insisted that the son of his old flame should get the blood first. "Sandy, you can give Nina blood later. Doak needs it now." As Nina lay in her hospital bed on that dreary, rain-soaked day, her body swathed in bandages, her large eyes shimmered with unshed tears. "Mom, is Dad coming? I really want to hear him tell me a story." "Sweetheart, how about I tell you a story? You pick, and I'll weave it just for you." I gently caressed my daughter's small face, my heart aching. Nina turned her head, her eyes twinkling like distant stars. "Okay. Dad's busy. He told me I should be a good, understanding girl." My heart sank. I hadn't seen Martin all day. Even when Nina's condition turned critical, Martin's indifference was like a cold, unyielding wall. Martin, the big shot at Kansas' top pharmaceutical company, had been buddies with the hospital director for years. After Nina's accident, I chose this hospital without hesitation, thinking that with Martin's connections, Nina would surely receive prompt treatment. How naive I had been, thinking connections meant compassion. Martin's first love, Clevie's son, was also one of the injured in the pile-up. When Clevie, draped in a white dress, clung to Martin's sleeve, tears cascading down her cheeks, he seemed to forget Nina even existed. Aside from necessary meetings, Martin spent all his time with Clevie and her son. Every call I made, every tearful plea, became evidence of me disrupting Martin and Clevie's time together. "Clevie's fragile, and her only son is hanging by a thread. Can't you show a little compassion?" "Nina is hurt, but she's two years older than Doak, and she has you with her. Surely, she can hold on for a few days. But Doak? He only has Clevie by his side! Can't you stop being so cold-hearted?" "Doak was born when Nina was already two. Can you stop overthinking? I've told you, Clevie and I are just friends. Can't you stop being so petty?" Martin hung up, leaving me in a daze of sorrow. Nina's painful moans pulled me back to reality. "Mom, don't be sad. I'll be okay. Once I'm better, we can go see Dad." A seven-year-old, so understanding it broke my heart. I held her small hand, gently shaking it, but inside, a string was pulled taut. Last night, I donated blood while Nina slept, until I was dizzy and pale. It was only when the head nurse sternly told me I couldn't donate more that I returned to the ward. After coaxing Nina to sleep, I went to the nurse's station. The nurses avoided my gaze, not daring to meet my eyes. Inside, it felt like a thousand ants were gnawing at me. I urgently grabbed a young nurse. "Wasn't Nina supposed to receive blood this morning? What happened?" The young nurse looked at me, puzzled. "Huh? Wasn't it for Doak? We've already given the blood to that little boy." "My daughter is Nina! I donated blood for my daughter, so why was it given to someone else?" On the verge of breaking down, I cried and shouted, drawing a crowd. "Nina's mom, it's like this: close relatives can't donate blood to each other. Luckily, a little boy with the same rare blood type was here. We truly appreciate your selfless act." The head nurse emerged, bowing deeply to me, her eyes brimming with sympathy. "What about my daughter? She's only seven!" "I need to find them... I need to find them!" Like a storm unleashed, I charged towards Clevie's son's room. "Nina's mom, someone else will donate blood, don't worry!" I ignored the nurse's attempt to comfort me, my mind set on confronting them. That blood was meant to save my daughter's life! If they had told me earlier that close relatives couldn't donate, I would have found a solution. This was clearly a scheme by Clevie and Mr. Lucas to deceive me, putting my Nina in danger. Clevie was humming a tune by her son's bedside when I burst in, and she jumped to her feet. "Where's Mr. Lucas? Where are you hiding him? Get him out here! I need to ask him face-to-face if Nina is still his daughter!" "Get Mr. Lucas here! Did you all conspire to deceive me?" I jabbed a finger at Clevie, making her stumble back in fear. "Don't go crazy, you volunteered to donate blood. No one tricked you." I raised my hand and slapped her, sending her sprawling to the floor, clutching her face and glaring at me. "I can overlook your sordid affairs with Mr. Lucas, but if you dare use your tricks on my daughter, you've made a grave mistake!" Ignoring Clevie's sobs on the floor, I kept dialing Mr. Lucas's number. The call went unanswered, and my heart sank deeper into despair. A crowd gathered outside, pointing and whispering about the spectacle. "What's going on? Why all the commotion?" "Who knows? Maybe she's gone mad because her own child can't be treated and is blaming others." "People these days can't stand to see others doing well." I stubbornly kept calling, tears streaming down my face. Why? Why should my precious daughter, my flesh and blood, suffer because of them? Why should my blood save a homewrecker's child? Her son was healthy, while my daughter was fighting for her life. What kind of justice was this? But Mr. Lucas showed up, rushing from his meeting as soon as he saw Clevie's message. He was decked out in a designer suit, thin-framed glasses perched on his nose, and a perfectly knotted tie, making it hard to associate him with a heartless man. His face darkened when he saw me, brows knitting into a tight knot, his voice dripping with irritation. "Why are you here? Why aren't you with Nina? Is she alright?" "Sandy's just worried, after all, it's our Doak's good fortune to receive the blood. So many unfortunate souls are still lying in hospital beds. Sandy probably just loves her child too much, Mr. Lucas, don't be mad at her." Clevie quickly positioned herself behind Mr. Lucas, making sure he saw her swollen face. Mr. Lucas's expression softened as he gently caressed her pale cheek, then turned to scold me harshly. "Did you hit her? I never realized you could be so vicious!" Clevie's tears fell like large pearls as she feigned innocence, clinging to Mr. Lucas's sleeve. "If hitting me can calm Sandy down, I wouldn't mind." Watching Clevie's melodramatic act filled me with disgust, and my emotions finally erupted. I shouted at Clevie, "Then why don't you go get hit by a car yourself! Experience massive blood loss, broken bones, and lying helpless in a hospital bed! Go on, try it! Take your little brat and die together!" "Are you crazy? Why can't you let others be happy? Is Clevie's kid not a child too? Is your daughter the only one who counts?" Kanda stepped forward to shield Clevie, shoving me so hard I stumbled. "I'm crazy? I can't stand others doing well? It was Clevie who hit Nina with her car, causing the pile-up! Her kid should pay for what happened! Why should he live because he got my blood? Why?" "I'm sorry, I didn't know close relatives couldn't donate blood, so I..." "You're lying again! Who are you, Kanda? You're the manager of a pharmaceutical company, and you don't know this basic fact? You did it on purpose! You want to trade my daughter's life for her son's!" Kanda looked at my hysterical state with disdain. "Enough, there will be others to donate blood. Why are you making such a scene? You're disturbing Doak's rest." "I'm making a scene? Her son's life is a life, but my daughter's isn't? How can you be so heartless? Why doesn't karma catch up with you for being so heartless?" I was crying and shouting at the man I had loved with all my heart, but he just looked at me coldly. "I told you, Nina will be fine. She's two years older than Doak, stop worrying unnecessarily." "Nina's mom, it's bad! Nina went into shock after the transfusion!" A young nurse rushed towards me, and upon hearing the news, my vision blurred, and my legs almost gave out. I forced myself to Nina's bedside, clutching her cold hand as tears streamed down my face. Thankfully, the blood packs from elsewhere arrived, and after the transfusion, she seemed a bit better. I stayed by her side, watching her frail figure lying pale on the hospital bed. Doctors and nurses surrounded her, and it felt like a thousand needles were stabbing my heart. I glanced at Kanda standing in the corner, and a wave of anger surged within me. He seemed guilty, avoiding my gaze, and turned to leave the room. I rushed to him, grabbing his sleeve fiercely. "If anything happens to Nina, you'll pay for it!" Kanda stepped back, shaking off my hand forcefully. "She'll be fine, stop being unreasonable. Don't I have a reputation to keep?" "You and Clevie knew all along that close relatives can't donate blood! Saving that brat wasn't enough; you almost killed my daughter with O-type blood! Isn't Nina your child too?" I cried out, tears streaming down, but Kanda just walked away. Watching his retreating figure, my heart felt like it was breaking into pieces. I stayed by Nina's side until, two hours later, she opened her eyes. "Mom, will I be okay?" I held her small hand, forcing back my tears. "Sweetheart, it's just a scratch. Once you're better, we'll go see the ocean." "Will Dad come too? I miss him." I stayed silent, unable to stop the tears from falling. I knew if she didn't get more blood soon, she would leave me forever. But the blood packs wouldn't last long, and there was no response to the public appeal. "Mom, will I get better? I asked the nurses, but they wouldn't tell me." "Am I dying? I feel so tired, so much pain... Will I become a fairy after I die? I want to stay with Mom and Dad forever." Outside, the wind howled, followed by a torrential downpour, echoing the storm raging inside me. "My sweet Nina, you're so brave, you'll get better for sure." Nina shook her head. "The nurse said a little boy got better after he got blood, but no one's giving me any. Does that mean I won't get better?" "Oh, sweetheart, don't worry your little head about it. Someone will give you blood, we just have to wait a little. Mommy will figure something out, don't be afraid." Out of nowhere, Nina mustered some strength, sat up, and wrapped her frail arms around my neck, leaving a soft kiss on my cheek. "Mommy, please don't cry. I'll always be here with you." "When Daddy has time, can he tell me a story again? I really, really want to hear one so much." "Mommy..." Nina's tears fell like shimmering pearls. "I want some candy. Can you go get me one?" "Alright, Nina, wait for Mommy to come back." "Okay." When I returned with the candy, Nina was lying on the hospital bed, her face ashen, one hand hanging limply. Her eyes were open, but they had lost focus. "Please, save my daughter! Somebody, help us!" "Is there anyone who can save her? Where are the nurses? Someone, please!" I screamed with all my might, frantically pressing the emergency button. A swarm of doctors and nurses rushed into my view, but I couldn't hold on any longer and collapsed. When I opened my eyes again, I was lying on a hospital bed, the room filled with the smell of disinfectant. Martin sat nearby, looking at his phone, wearing his thin-framed glasses, his eyelashes lowered, his features as delicate as ever. Back then, it was this very image of him that had captivated me, leading me to defy my parents and chase love from the capital to the county. I had once been the most cherished daughter of a scholarly family, but now, why was my daughter left so alone and helpless? "Where's Nina? How is she?" Martin rubbed his hands nervously, avoiding my gaze. "I'm asking you, where is Nina?" "I'm sorry for your loss. Her ashes are here. We should find a peaceful place to lay her to rest." "Sorry for my loss? You have the nerve to say that to me? Can you honestly say her death had nothing to do with you? You and they plotted against us! I'm Nina's mother, and you have the heart to not even let me see her one last time!" Martin feigned a few tears, as if mourning Nina's passing. "But you're pregnant again, nearly four months along. Try not to be too upset." "I wish I could tear off your skin to see if you're the devil himself! With a man like you, even if I had ten more children, it would only be to suffer!" "I'm sorry, but at the time, Doak really needed the blood, and I couldn't bear to watch a young life slip away. Besides, Nina couldn't use your blood anyway." In a fury, I swung my legs off the bed, the needle ripping through my skin, blood splattering across the white tiles. Smack! A loud slap echoed, and Martin looked at me in disbelief. "Has Clevie taken your heart? Am I not even worth an apology? Your heart must be made of iron, defending someone else's son while your own daughter is dead." After Nina's accident, Martin stayed by Clevie and her son's side. I called Martin a dozen times before he finally picked up. "I'm very busy. Can you stop bothering me? Doak is hurt too, and Clevie can't handle it alone. Can you stop making a fuss?" "Nina is old enough. It's normal to face some hardships. No one grows up without a hitch. Stop being so dramatic, she'll be fine." "Daddy, I want you to tell me a story." "Okay, Daddy's on his way." Martin's voice, which had been as cold as a winter's chill, suddenly turned soft and tender. He hung up without a second thought, leaving me stranded in despair, watching over my gravely injured daughter. It hit me like a ton of bricks—he wasn't devoid of love for children; he just didn't love me. And by extension, he held nothing but disdain for my poor daughter. The sharp staccato of high heels on the floor jolted me back to harsh reality. Clevie appeared, dressed in a white casual outfit, her dark hair pulled back into a low bun, looking as fragile as a porcelain doll about to c***k. "Martin, what are we going to do? Doak's crying out in pain again," she said, her voice quivering with anxiety. "I'll be there in a heartbeat. Tell Doak not to worry, Dad... Uncle is on his way," Martin replied, his voice oozing with concern. He then turned to me, his face clouded with mild irritation. "Clevie has it tough too. Try to be a bit more understanding and sensible, will you? I could use some peace of mind." As he turned to leave, I snatched the IV stand beside me and flung it at them with all my might. "You rotten pair! Karma's gonna catch up with you one day!"