Chapter 1

The lights above the ER suddenly went dark, and my heart sank right along with them into complete darkness.

The doctor looked at me with regret written all over his face, shaking his head with a heavy sigh. "Without Dr. Hughes' signature, there's nothing we can do."

The doctors all wore the same pitying expressions. They knew exactly where Martin Hughes, the only person who could authorize the bone marrow transplant, was.

He was off keeping Waverly Tucker company.

On the hospital bed, Claire Rogers lay pale and still, her brow furrowed in pain. However, I knew she was no longer hurting.

My whole body trembled as I wiped away my tears and picked up my phone to call Martin again. Yet, all I got was that endless busy signal,

As I stared at Claire, the woman who had raised me since I was a child, I could not hold back the sobs that tore through me. A sharp cramp twisted through my stomach, and I doubled over in agony on the floor.

Through my blurred vision, I spotted the dark green antique locket clutched in Claire's hand.

It had been the family heirloom given to me when I married into their family, and it had always been her favorite piece of jewelry.

Two days had passed by the time I finished arranging Claire's funeral, and now I held her small urn in my arms. The cold surface carried none of her warmth, and it hurt more than I could bear.

The moment I got home, Martin finally called.

"Stella Sterne, what the hell have you been doing these past few days? Are you seriously giving me the silent treatment just because I didn't answer your calls?"

I ran my fingers over the antique locket, my lips so dry and cracked that I could not form a single word. The verbal abuse from the other end of the line went on and on, and only after he had vented all his anger did his tone turn cold.

"Waverly's been sick these past few days, so I've been taking care of her. I'll head back soon. Just keep an eye on Mom for now, okay?"

But Claire was already gone.

My heart felt like it was being stabbed with, yet my phone kept lighting up with taunting messages from Waverly. News of Martin saving Waverly's life in a critical moment was trending at the top of every social media platform, with people praising him endlessly for sacrificing his personal life for the greater good.

The photos of him and Waverly together had the internet going wild.

One comment read: [You two look perfect together! Have you considered making it official?]

[Did you see how they kept sneaking glances at each other during the interview? They're such a perfect match!]

The fact that Martin had liked these comments made my numb heart ache all over again. Everyone thought Martin and Waverly were the perfect match, while I was just some distant relative who happened to live with the Hughes family.

In truth, I was his wife; I was the one Claire had raised since I was a child.

Just then, a gust of wind blew through the room and lifted the edge of an envelope among Claire's belongings.

[Dearest Stella, I raised you from the time you were little, and our family has failed you. My final wish is that you find true happiness.]

I clutched the antique locket tightly as tears streamed down my face once more. Even in her final moments, Claire had been worried about me.

With that thought, I sent Martin a direct message.[Martin, I want a divorce.]

I contacted a lawyer immediately to draft the divorce papers, then started throwing away everything from our past together. Looking at that small urn, I broke down crying all over again.

Claire, who had raised me from childhood, had taught me the heaviest lesson of all with her own life.

My body could not take any more, and I collapsed onto the couch, falling into a deep sleep.

In my dreams, I saw scenes from when Martin and I were children. Back then, we had been inseparable, and he used to say constantly that he could not wait to grow up so he could marry me.

Claire watched us play with warm pride, her happiness shining through her smile. I held her tightly, tears falling without end. Even though it was just a dream, I wanted to see her a little longer.

Suddenly, her hair turned white, and her expression twisted in agony. The happy moment vanished, replaced by the sharp smell of disinfectant from the morgue.

"Mom!" I jolted awake from the nightmare, my face already covered in tears.

Outside the door, I heard footsteps approaching.

"Oh, you're too good to me. I'm really not that sick, yet you're actually bringing me here so you can personally take care of me. But you haven't told Stella yet... What if she finds out I'm staying here and gets upset?"

"Don't worry about it, silly girl. I'll handle her. You can stay in my mom's bedroom for now. You're still recovering from your illness, so she won't make a fuss about it."