01. It All Started With A HeartBreak!

~Lily

"Are you sure you want us to continue with this operation, Mr. Frost? It’s too dangerous for the donor to give 600cc at once. If we proceed, she might die!”

I heard a voice flicker in my head.

At that moment, I was so weak, it was hard to even process where I was. My body felt heavy, and everything around me was blurry. Then I heard another voice which was cold, commanding, and painfully familiar.

“Does it look like I care?”

“I don’t care if it’s too dangerous for her or if she dies. My priority is Gia. If anything happens to her, do you think I’ll forgive myself?”

Gia?

The moment I heard that name, I knew something was wrong. Something worse than I’d imagined. I forced my heavy eyelids open and tried to make sense of the world around me. 

The lights were too bright at first, but then, as my vision slowly adjusted, I could see two figures standing nearby.

One was a doctor. The other… was my husband, Adrien Frost.

The man I had been married to for five years. 

Adrien Frost, CEO of Froston Empire. Tall, cold, and untouchable. The man whose love I had been silently begging for, all these years.

“You have my order, doctor. Withdraw the pint of blood. Now. I don’t want anything to happen to Gia.”

And just like that, he turned and left the room.

I watched him go with tears welling up in my eyes. My heart shattered into pieces. I wasn’t even in a good condition to be donating blood, yet he didn’t care. All he cared about was Gia—his first love.

Tears finally broke free and rolled down my cheeks. I’d lost count of how many times I’d donated blood to Gia just to please Adrien. Just to earn a place in his heart. But nothing had changed. Gia was still in a coma, and I was still invisible.

The doctor came closer, his tone soft and gentle.

“Don’t worry, Mrs. Frost. I’ll make sure this operation goes smoothly and that you’re not harmed.”

I barely heard him. I was still stuck on Adrien’s words. He didn’t care. He didn’t care if I lived or died—as long as Gia was safe.

*

After the operation, I gathered what strength I had left, picked up my bag, and drove back to the mansion. I dropped everything on the couch and slumped beside it, too weak to move.

Then my phone buzzed.

It was a text from Adrien.

“I’ll be spending the night at the hospital with Gia. Don’t bother calling me. I won’t be home tonight.”

I sniffled and typed a quick reply “Okay.”

I scrolled through our past conversations, and it was always the same.

His chats and my consistent reply.

 “I’ll be spending the weekend at the hospital. Don’t bother to call me.”

 “Okay.”

“Don’t wait up. Gia needs me.”

“Okay.”

It has become a routine– one which always weighs me down.

I blamed myself. I blamed myself for loving a man like Adrien. Because no matter what I did, no matter how much of myself I gave away, it was never enough.

All of this started five years ago.

Adrien was the dream of every girl. Handsome, powerful, and completely devoted to Gia—the beautiful daughter of a billionaire. Their wedding had been planned down to the last detail. The guests had already arrived. The media was buzzing.

But then, Gia got into an accident.

She slipped into a coma just days before the wedding.

Canceling the wedding wasn’t an option. Billionaires, politicians, powerful families were all present at the event and the Frost Family couldn’t risk the scandal. They couldn’t afford to lose face so they had to 

find a substitute.

 And my family being on their list, they chose ME.

They asked me to take Gia’s place and marry Adrien. In return, my family would receive a contract with Froston Empire. A contract we had desperately chased for years.

I couldn’t say no.

Not when I had loved Adrien since high school. The moment the offer came, I didn't even think twice before saying YES.

But on our wedding night, Adrien looked me straight in the eyes and said: “Don’t expect anything from this marriage, Lily. This is strictly business. You’re only a substitute.”

And I accepted it. I accepted the heartbreak and the rejection, just to be close to him.

But Later, when Adrien found out I had the same blood group as Gia, he said something that still rings in my ears to this day.

 “If you want to be useful, donate blood to her at least twice a month. Maybe then, I’ll consider you useful.”

Useful?

I scoffed!

That’s what I had become. A living blood bank. Five years of giving, of sacrificing, of hoping… and still nothing. I kept clinging to the faint hope that maybe—just maybe, he would see me. That maybe he would love me. Even if it'll be Just a little.

Tears burned in my eyes again, but I blinked them back. I got up and went to my room, trying to push everything aside.

*

Morning came too soon.

I woke up early and prepared Adrien's meal.

As I was setting the table, the front door slammed open.

I looked up quickly and saw Adrien.

“You’re here, Adrien!” I said, my voice bright. “You must be hungry, so I made breakfast. Come, let’s eat.”.

He said nothing at first. Just stood there,  his eyes dark, jaw clenched.

Then he finally spoke. “Are all these really necessary?”

My smile faded as my hands dropped to my sides.

“I thought you might be…”

 “There’s no need to think, Lily!” he snapped. “How many times do I have to tell you not to bother with all this? You are not useful to me. Stop stressing yourself over something that will never happen.”

He dropped his blue suit on the couch and continued, his voice colder than ever.

“The doctor said Gia’s condition is improving. I’ll be at the hospital with her all week. Don’t text me asking when I’ll return. And don’t show up at the hospital pretending to visit me.”

He paused and then delivered the final blow.

“I’ll call you if Gia needs more blood.”

Adrien turned and left, leaving my heart shallow and broken. 

As I sat there, tearful, my phone beeped. It was a text from Mother:

“Hi, Lily! Meet me now. I have something important to discuss. Don’t be late.”

“Okay.” I replied and left for her house.

The servants bowed as I entered. Yes, we were rich but not like the Frosts. That’s why I was arranged to replace Gia.

Mother appeared, graceful at fifty-two.

“You’re here. Good.” She sat opposite me.

“What’s going on?” I asked.

“I want a grandson,” she said. “It’s been five years of this marriage and still no child. It's high time you gave Aiden a child to secure your place in his heart and to tighten this bond!”

“A child? For Aiden?” I scoffed.

“Adrien hasn’t touched me for five good years of this marriage. How do you expect a child?”

“Do you know what?”I halted, my eyes fixed on Mother. ‘“I want a Divorce! I can't continue to stay in a marriage where my happiness doesn't matter!”

Mother stood to her feet angrily, yelling. “You will do NO such thing, Lily!” She frowned. “You begged for this marriage! And now you talk of love? You must get pregnant. Our company needs this bond. Besides, your brother is the next inheritor. How will he even inherit the business if you don't strengthen the bond we share with Frost empire?”

“And what about my happiness?” I asked.

“Get pregnant first. Then talk divorce,” she snapped, walking away.

Fuming, I called Adrien.

“Mother wants a child. Can we make that happen?”

He laughed coldly.

“I’d rather die a thousand times than have a child with you, Lily!.”