Chapter 2 · The Match That Made His Affair Beg for Mercy

A young nurse in a pink uniform caught up to me, looking around nervously. "Are you Lily's mom?" she asked.

"Yes," I replied.

She lowered her voice. "Wait for me outside. My shift ends at 11:30."

I waited at the coffee shop outside the hospital for an hour.

At 11:40, she arrived, carrying her bag and already changed into her street clothes. "I'm Mila. I was on duty last month when your daughter had her bone marrow aspiration.

"She was crying so hard that day. I knew something was off. Usually, a five-year-old only gets a bone marrow aspiration if they're sick, but all her tests came back normal."

"Then why did they do it?" I asked.

"David said it was for a donor match for someone else. I asked who it was for, but he didn't answer. A woman was standing nearby."

I gripped my cup tighter. "What did she look like?"

"She looked to be in her early thirties, had long hair, was slender, and wore a beige coat. She stayed close by the whole time. While your daughter was crying, that woman handed her a piece of candy."

"Didn't the chief think it was odd?"

Mila lowered her head. "Dr. Reed is your husband's friend. He signed off on the special procedure, saying that as long as the guardian gave consent, it was fine."

"But legally, for a minor to donate bone marrow, both guardians need to consent, right?"

"Normally, yes. But Dr. Reed said your husband acted as the sole guardian."

I was silent for a moment. "Did the match come through?"

Mila glanced at me. "Matched on all six loci. It was a perfect match."

"What's next?"

"The next step is to take bone marrow from your daughter and transplant it to Sophie."

"When is the surgery scheduled?"

"They haven't set a date yet, but Dr. Reed told David it needs to happen as soon as possible. Sophie can't wait much longer."

I stood up and set my unfinished coffee down. "Thank you for telling me."

Mila stopped me. "Hey, please don't mention my name. Dr. Reed holds grudges."

"I won't."

I stepped out of the coffee shop and stood by the curb for a moment.

Then I pulled out my phone and dialed a number. It rang three times before someone picked up.

"It's me. I need you to look into someone. Sophie, about four or five years old, is a leukemia patient in Central City Hospital's Hematology Department. I need to know who her parents are," I said.

The person on the other end said, "Okay," and hung up.

I put my phone back in my pocket and drove to pick up Lily from school.

That night, David didn't get home until after ten. When he walked in, there was a strange perfume on him, a scent I'd never smelled before.

It definitely wasn't my perfume.

Thinking I was asleep, he crept into the bedroom. I didn't open my eyes. He stood in the dark for a moment, then went to the study.

Through the wall, I could still hear his voice, quiet but clear enough.

"Yeah, I'll take care of the surgery. Don't worry, Sophie will be fine." He paused. "She won't find out. When Sophie recovers, I'll tell her everything."

He paused again, his voice taking on a tenderness I'd never heard from him before. "Charlotte, you've been through so much."

I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling.

Charlotte.

I'd only heard that name once, seven years ago.

Before we got married, David got drunk one night and held me close. "Emma, there's someone I've wronged in this life."

I asked him who it was.

He said a name called Charlotte. Then he passed out.

The next day, he didn't mention it, and I didn't ask.

Seven years went by. I completely put it out of my mind.

Turns out, he was the one who never forgot.

The next morning, I made breakfast for David as usual.

Fried egg, toast, and a cup of black coffee.

As he ate, I sat across from him and asked, "Have you been busy at work lately?"

"Not too bad. I've got a project wrapping up next month, and then things should calm down," he replied.

"Lily said you took her for a shot last time."

He paused, his fork hovering over the egg. "Just a routine check-up. The insurance company required it."

"Did the insurance company ask for a bone marrow aspiration report?"

His fork clinked against the plate.

He looked up at me and gave a small smile. "Where did you hear that? Kids can't tell the difference between shots. It was only a blood test, nothing more."

"Oh." I didn't say anything else.

Chapter 2

A young nurse in a pink uniform caught up to me, looking around nervously. "Are you Lily's mom?" she asked.

"Yes," I replied.

She lowered her voice. "Wait for me outside. My shift ends at 11:30."

I waited at the coffee shop outside the hospital for an hour.

At 11:40, she arrived, carrying her bag and already changed into her street clothes. "I'm Mila. I was on duty last month when your daughter had her bone marrow aspiration.

"She was crying so hard that day. I knew something was off. Usually, a five-year-old only gets a bone marrow aspiration if they're sick, but all her tests came back normal."

"Then why did they do it?" I asked.

"David said it was for a donor match for someone else. I asked who it was for, but he didn't answer. A woman was standing nearby."

I gripped my cup tighter. "What did she look like?"

"Didn't the chief think it was odd?"

Mila lowered her head. "Dr. Reed is your husband's friend. He signed off on the special procedure, saying that as long as the guardian gave consent, it was fine."

"But legally, for a minor to donate bone marrow, both guardians need to consent, right?"

"Normally, yes. But Dr. Reed said your husband acted as the sole guardian."

I was silent for a moment. "Did the match come through?"

Mila glanced at me. "Matched on all six loci. It was a perfect match."

"What's next?"

"The next step is to take bone marrow from your daughter and transplant it to Sophie."

"When is the surgery scheduled?"

"They haven't set a date yet, but Dr. Reed told David it needs to happen as soon as possible. Sophie can't wait much longer."

I stood up and set my unfinished coffee down. "Thank you for telling me."

Mila stopped me. "Hey, please don't mention my name. Dr. Reed holds grudges."

"I won't."

I stepped out of the coffee shop and stood by the curb for a moment.

Then I pulled out my phone and dialed a number. It rang three times before someone picked up.

"It's me. I need you to look into someone. Sophie, about four or five years old, is a leukemia patient in Central City Hospital's Hematology Department. I need to know who her parents are," I said.

The person on the other end said, "Okay," and hung up.

I put my phone back in my pocket and drove to pick up Lily from school.

That night, David didn't get home until after ten. When he walked in, there was a strange perfume on him, a scent I'd never smelled before.

It definitely wasn't my perfume.

Thinking I was asleep, he crept into the bedroom. I didn't open my eyes. He stood in the dark for a moment, then went to the study.

Through the wall, I could still hear his voice, quiet but clear enough.

"Yeah, I'll take care of the surgery. Don't worry, Sophie will be fine." He paused. "She won't find out. When Sophie recovers, I'll tell her everything."

He paused again, his voice taking on a tenderness I'd never heard from him before. "Charlotte, you've been through so much."

I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling.

Charlotte.

I'd only heard that name once, seven years ago.

Before we got married, David got drunk one night and held me close. "Emma, there's someone I've wronged in this life."

I asked him who it was.

He said a name called Charlotte. Then he passed out.

The next day, he didn't mention it, and I didn't ask.

Seven years went by. I completely put it out of my mind.

Turns out, he was the one who never forgot.

The next morning, I made breakfast for David as usual.

Fried egg, toast, and a cup of black coffee.

As he ate, I sat across from him and asked, "Have you been busy at work lately?"

"Not too bad. I've got a project wrapping up next month, and then things should calm down," he replied.

"Lily said you took her for a shot last time."

He paused, his fork hovering over the egg. "Just a routine check-up. The insurance company required it."

"Did the insurance company ask for a bone marrow aspiration report?"

His fork clinked against the plate.

He looked up at me and gave a small smile. "Where did you hear that? Kids can't tell the difference between shots. It was only a blood test, nothing more."

"Oh." I didn't say anything else.