Chapter 3

The next morning, Ava left the master bedroom door slightly open.

Passing by, I glimpsed her sitting on the bed having breakfast, with Liam feeding her.

Seeing me, she spoke in a mocking tone.

"Awake, sis-in-law? You sleep well. Do you always sleep till noon?"

"I'm so jealous. You have such a good life, unlike me, woken up by the baby early."

She even patted her flat belly.

Liam quickly tried to mediate, shoving a spoonful of porridge into Ava's mouth.

"Just eat your breakfast. Why so much talking?"

"Hurry up. I have to go to the office. No time to feed you."

Ava pretended to get upset, bantering with Liam.

"Brother favors sis-in-law! You were so patient feeding me earlier!"

"Why act serious when she wakes up!"

I had no energy to keep up with their act, finding it absurd.

Liam had a serious cleanliness obsession. I couldn't even bring coffee to drink in the bedroom,

"Food isn't allowed upstairs!"

I had to eat my vitamins downstairs before coming up.

Yet Ava was having breakfast in bed.

Downstairs, Mr. and Mrs. Johnson glanced at me and started.

"Finally up? In two hours, it's lunchtime. Why not sleep till then?"

Mrs. Johnson pretended to defend me mockingly.

"She has your son spoiling her! He even dries her hair!"

"Getting up late is fine. Not making your son carry her down is already good!"

I didn't let Liam carry me down, but someone else did.

On the stairs, Liam was carrying Ava, step by step.

"Sis-in-law, I'm pregnant with swollen feet. Bro carried me down. You don't mind, right?"

In the living room, the Johnsons barely glanced at me before launching into their comments.

"Oh, you’re up now? Lunch is in two hours. Why not just wait until then to wake up?"

Mrs. Johnson tried to defend me, but her tone was dripping with sarcasm.

"Oh, she's got your son wrapped around her finger! He even dries her hair for her!"

"So what if she's up late? At least she didn't ask your son to carry her downstairs!"

I hadn't asked Liam to carry me; that was someone else's doing.

On the stairs, Liam was carrying Ava carefully in his arms, descending step by step.

"Sister-in-law, I'm pregnant and my feet are swollen. I hope you don't mind my brother carrying me down?"

"Brother says I'm much heavier than you! It's because you have such a good figure. I've gained seven or eight pounds with this baby!"

Once he set her down on the sofa, Liam came over and kissed me on the cheek.

"Honey, I've reserved a private room at the Sky Restaurant tonight to make up for missing our anniversary last night."

"I'm off to the office now. See you tonight."

With that, Liam hurried out the door.

Not wanting to remain in this tense atmosphere, I went upstairs to the master bedroom to grab a change of clothes, intending to head out.

As I turned around, Ava followed me inside and closed the door.

"Sister-in-law, do you dislike me?"

"After all... I've taken so much of my brother's attention away from you."

I dismissed her words as childish provocation and didn't want to engage.

"No, as long as you're happy."

Ava wasn't ready to let it go. She walked over to the safe, watching me.

"Sister-in-law, is that really true?"

"As long as I'm happy, it's okay?"

I wasn't sure what she was planning, so I just watched her with a cold expression.

She opened the safe and took out the wedding ring that Liam and I shared, slipping mine onto her finger.

Because the wedding ring was so valuable, Liam and I only wore it on special occasions, opting for simple matching rings the rest of the time.

"Sister-in-law, do you know how I figured out the safe's combination?"

"Oh, let me just tell you, the code is my birthday. Surprised?"

She admired the diamond ring on her finger repeatedly, taunting me.

"Do you think if I ask my brother for this ring, he'd give it to me?"

I didn't expect to be provoked into anger. This ring held a special meaning for me.

Back when I was saved from the brink of death, Liam took out this ring and said to me, "Nora, I'll be responsible for you for the rest of my life."

"Marry me, and I won't let you be in danger again."

Seeing the ring on Ava's hand, I lost my senses and wanted to take it back.

Before I could act, Ava suddenly fell to the ground on her own.

"Oh no! Sister-in-law! Why did you push me? My stomach hurts!"

"I'm sorry! I'll move out right away! Please don't hate me!"

The Johnsons heard the commotion and burst in, seeing Ava on the floor and me standing to the side.

They immediately assumed a fierce fight had occurred.

Mr. Johnson quickly helped Ava up while Mrs. Johnson pointed at me and shouted.

"You vile woman! You can't stand seeing Ava pregnant, so you pushed her down!"

"If I knew you were this vicious, I wouldn't have let my son marry you!"

Suddenly, Mr. Johnson shouted.

Looking towards the sound, I saw blood all over Ava's lower body!

Outside the hospital room, Liam rushed over.

Ava lay on the hospital bed, breathing steadily.

The doctor hurried over to us with a report, asking, "Who is Ava's family?"

Liam was the first to respond, nervously asking the doctor.

"I-I'm the father. Is there something wrong with the baby?"

The doctor adjusted his glasses and said seriously.

"The baby is currently fine, but the patient's body has defects. If it continues, it might affect the child's development."

Ava had a genetic defect since childhood, something we all knew.

At twelve, she suddenly had an episode, fainting and convulsing at school. It was only after being sent to the hospital that her immunodeficiency and genetic defects were discovered.

Presumably, her biological parents abandoned her at the orphanage after seeing she carried so many underlying conditions. She was adopted by the Johnson Family at eight.

At twelve, when she was on the brink of death, she needed a healthy and matching bone marrow to survive.

No one in the Johnson Family was a match, so Liam found me, begging on his knees for me to get tested, to save his sister.

I went to the hospital with a try-it-and-see attitude, but surprisingly, I was a match!

Back then, I was only sixteen and needed my parents' consent to donate bone marrow.

"Little girl, are you sure? Donating bone marrow isn't as easy as you think."

"The most obvious is your health will decline, and it will take a decade to slowly recover, with countless other side effects."

"You're not related to the patient. As a doctor, I want to save her, but I must tell you the risks."

Despite my family's objections, I saw Liam's pleading face and gritted my teeth to donate bone marrow to Ava.

Already frail, I fell into a coma after the donation, and only after resuscitation was I pulled back from death's door.

Then Liam, at my bedside, took out that ring and made his promise.

But I was left with a lifelong consequence of being unable to conceive.

I didn't expect that ten years later, Ava would relapse.

Liam's eyes suddenly lit up after hearing the doctor, gripping my hand tightly, saying to the doctor.

"She can donate bone marrow! She's a match for Ava!"

I tried to pull my hand back, refusing Liam's request.

Unexpectedly, he turned and looked me in the eyes with anger, saying,

"You did this to Ava! You owe it to her, even if it costs your life!"

I ultimately didn't resist and obediently followed the doctor into the operating room.

After basic checks, the doctor found my health was also poor, and went out to tell Liam.

"Mr. Johnson, are you sure? Miss James's health is already bad. If we extract a large amount of bone marrow, I can't guarantee her survival."

"Maybe we can check the national bone marrow registry for other matching volunteers?"

Liam, almost hysterical, grabbed the doctor and shouted,

"Now! Immediately! Perform the bone marrow transplant!"

"If Ava gets hurt, I'll hold the hospital responsible!"

The doctor sighed and went into the room, piercing needles into my veins.

I instantly felt dizzy, as if my soul was being drained, and my whole body began to convulse.

The doctor stopped immediately,

"Miss James, are you alright? Can you still handle it?"

I gritted my teeth and nodded, urging the doctor to hurry so I could finally leave him behind.

After it was over, I lay paralyzed on the hospital bed, unable to move, feeling numb all over.

I even felt like I was floating, this near-death feeling was something I'd experienced ten years ago.

Suddenly, a familiar figure rushed in, picking me up.

"Nora James, you promised me you'd take care of yourself. You broke your word."

As he carried me out of the hospital, I heard Liam's angry shouts echoing from the building.

"Where's Nora James!"

"Even if you have to level the hospital, find her for me!"

5

When I opened my eyes again, I found myself in a strange but cozy room.

Sitting beside me was an old friend I hadn't seen in six years—Jasper.

He was holding a bowl of ginger and brown sugar tea, gently blowing on it to cool it down.