Chapter 1

My husband, Charlie, hid the truth from me and forced our daughter to donate blood, just to save the child of his true love.

My little girl lost too much blood and was rushed into the emergency room, fighting for her life.

Later, Anna's daughter recovered, and Charlie was so thrilled that he handed out candy to everyone in the hospital.

However, my daughter never woke up. Not once during her final moments did Charlie come to see her.

Something in me broke completely. I gathered the few things my daughter left behind and walked back home.

The rooms felt colder than ever. I sat down and quietly began to draft the divorce papers.

*****

I sat on the couch in the living room at two in the morning, holding Mia's photo, waiting for Charlie Reed to come home.

When he finally walked in, the surprise and annoyance in his eyes cut right through me.

"Why are you sitting here this late without saying anything? Are you trying to freak someone out?" he snapped, his voice full of blame and irritation.

I shot up from the couch, fixing my gaze on him, my voice trembling with grief and fury.

I said, "Charlie, who do you think I'm trying to scare? I've been waiting for you. I've been waiting for my 'wonderful husband' to explain himself."

He frowned, confused about why I was so worked up.

"Are you still upset about the blood donation?" he said.

Tears streamed down my face.

He came over to the couch and grabbed my arm, trying to calm me down.

He said, "Mia is older than Sadie's sister. Giving Sadie some blood isn't a big deal. You're a mom, and you should get that. Sadie needed it, and Mia was the only match.

"Donating blood is a good thing. We've always taught Mia to be a kind person. Sadie was in trouble, and as a doctor's kid, Mia did the right thing to step up and help."

"That was 4 pints," I shouted, my voice shaking with rage. "Charlie, you're a monster. There was so much blood available, and you still forced Mia to give 4 pints."

I glared at him, my body trembling with fury and despair.

I never imagined Charlie could be so heartless. He sacrificed his own daughter for another woman's child.

Charlie froze, his expression growing more and more annoyed, as if I was being unreasonable.

He said, "Irene, come on. Sadie was on the brink of death. As a doctor, I had to try my best to save her.

"It's not as dramatic as you're making it sound. It was just 4 pints. Mia just needs some rest, and she'll be fine."

Just 4 pints? Did he even know how much blood was in a human body?

Mia was just a child, and he still took 4 pints from her. And because of this, my precious girl spent a whole day fighting for her life in the emergency room.

Mia was so young, yet after being drained of her blood, she never opened her eyes again.

Even in her final moments, Mia kept asking me, "Dad said he'd come after I gave blood. Where is he? Did he leave me again?"

I looked at Mia, her face turning pale from blood loss, and my tears wouldn't stop falling.

All I could do was hold her tight, shower her with kisses, and whisper, trying to comfort her, "Dad is a doctor, and he's always busy, but Mom will always be here for you."

The truth was, Charlie never showed up, not even when Mia took her last breath.

And yet, Sadie lived. She survived by taking every last drop from my daughter.

I hated this hypocritical, selfish man with every fiber of my being. Just looking at him made me sick.

Thinking he'd lectured me enough, Charlie changed gears and started barking orders.

He said, "I'll give Anna all the money we have now. Sadie's condition is serious, and her family needs cash."

I shot him a cold look, not saying a word.

Charlie frowned, clearly annoyed by my indifference.

He stepped closer, anger flashing in his eyes. "Irene, are you seriously going to hold a grudge over something so minor?"

He sounded really mad.

I took a deep breath, lifted my head, and said with resolve, "Charlie, I want a divorce."

He froze, shock and suspicion flashing across his face.

"What?" he blurted out.

I bit my lips and repeated, "I said I want a divorce, Charlie."

I picked up the divorce papers I'd drafted from the table and handed them to him.

"Here are the divorce papers. I'm not asking for any of the assets. The courthouse opens at nine tomorrow. Make sure you have your documents ready," I said, my voice steady and resolute.

For a split second, the entire room went still.

Charlie's face darkened in an instant. "Can you just stop this?

"Sadie's condition is serious. It's only natural for Mia to give her some blood. What's the big deal? Irene, can you stop being so selfish?"

Selfish?

He sacrificed my daughter's life just so Anna Summers's daughter could live, and he dared to call me selfish.

I stood up, locking eyes with him.

"Charlie, I want a divorce," I repeated.

He looked at me, like something finally clicked, and let out a mocking laugh. "Do you think you can threaten me?"

He snatched up his coat, jaw clenched, and stormed toward the door.

He said, "Let me tell you something, Irene. Even if we really get divorced, I'm getting custody of Mia. You'll regret this."

He slammed the door behind him, leaving me alone in the living room.

I collapsed onto the floor, clutching Mia's photo so tight that it felt like I was holding onto the last piece of my soul, my heart aching.

Just a short while ago, he took 4 pints of blood from Mia, and when he came home, all he cared about was money. Not once did he ask if Mia was suffering from losing so much blood.

What was even more absurd was that he didn't notice the photo in my hands at all.

I stared at the closed door, tears streaming down my face. My heart felt like it was shattering into a million pieces.

Charlie, you weren't there when Mia took her last breath.

And you wouldn't get a chance to say goodbye to me, either.