chapter 1

Sean roughly grabbed the woman's arm and dragged her away from the hospital room. Sarah's shorter strides made her stumble slightly as she struggled to keep up with him. She tried to free herself, but she was no match for Sean's strength.

Every now and then, Sarah glanced back toward the room where a young boy lay helplessly in bed. Her face was filled with worry. She wanted to return, but Sean gave her no chance.

Once they reached a quieter hallway, Sean finally stopped. He turned around and glared at Sarah, his eyes burning with anger.

"Did you come looking for me just for this? What now? Is there someone else who's more important to you than me, besides Hans?"

There were so many things he wanted to ask, especially about the child lying sick in that room. According to the doctor, the boy could only be saved through a blood transfusion using an extremely rare blood type. As it happened, Sean's blood was a match.

However, what made Sean even angrier was the fact that Sarah seemed to be hiding something from him.

The woman merely lowered her head. Her lips moved slightly, but no sound came out. She raised both hands, trying to communicate through sign language.

Unfortunately, Sean was in no mood to understand anything.

"Tell me... who is that child, and what is your relationship with him?"

Instead, Sean grabbed Sarah's arm again, forcing her to lift her face. His gaze was sharp, as though he wanted to uncover every secret his former wife had kept hidden all this time.

"Tell me!"

Sarah winced. She tried to pull her arm away, but Sean's grip only tightened.

To Sean, Sarah's silence felt like another act of betrayal.

How could that woman have a child without him ever knowing? Especially when they had once spent a night together in a hotel room, exactly one day before their divorce became official.

"If you keep hiding this from me, don't expect me to help him—"

"Engh!"

Sarah grabbed Sean's arm, making him turn toward her. She gathered the courage to move her hands and fingers, using the sign language that only Sean understood.

Please, I don't know who else to turn to. His blood type is extremely rare, and you're the only one who can help him. I'll get down on my knees before you if I have to, as long as you're willing to donate your blood to him.

"Stop it! Why do you keep begging me for other people? You know I hate that more than anything, Sarah!"

Sean roughly slapped her hands away.

Sarah was no stranger to him. She was someone he had once loved deeply, even when the whole world seemed to mock his decision to marry a mute woman. Her disability had never been a problem for him. In fact, that was precisely why Sean had always tried to become someone who could understand everything his wife was unable to express in words.

However, that love had slowly turned into disappointment.

It had all started with Hans, Sarah's cousin, who suffered from a serious illness. Sean felt that Sarah devoted far too much attention to the man, repeatedly neglecting her own husband's feelings just to fulfill Hans's wishes.

"I loved you like crazy, Sarah... but you ignored me for Hans back then. Wasn't that enough?"

Sean knew something was wrong. He was convinced that Hans was deliberately using his poor health to gain Sarah's attention. Unfortunately, the woman had never been willing to believe his suspicions.

Until, eventually, their marriage came to an end.

And now, after being apart for so long, Sean found himself facing Sarah once again, confronted with a truth that was far more difficult to accept.

There was a child who needed his blood to survive.

Meanwhile, Sarah, the former wife he had once loved so dearly, stood before him with a terrified expression and countless secrets yet to be revealed.

"If you can't be honest with me, then forget it... I'm going home—"

Sarah quickly ran forward and blocked Sean's path. Without the slightest hesitation, she dropped to her knees before him because her son desperately needed help. His life was in danger.

"What are you doing?"

Sarah looked up at him, rubbing her palms together as she pleaded. But she couldn't speak.

"Not only are you mute, but are you deaf too?" Sean asked. "Get out of my way..."

Sarah shook her head.

Please help me... Please help me. He's my only child. Sean... I don't want to lose my son.

Seeing the movements of Sarah's fingers, Sean froze. Had he really seen that correctly? Had he misunderstood her sign language? Sarah had said that the boy lying inside was her son. Yet Sean had never heard of the woman getting married again.

"Your son? He's your son?" Sean asked.

Sarah reached for Sean's hand again. It seemed she wouldn't give up until she got what she wanted.

Before Sean could ask another question, the sound of approaching footsteps interrupted them. A nurse hurried out of the hospital room, carrying several sheets of documents.

"Well? Have you talked things through? The patient's condition is getting worse."

Her expression was quite serious as she informed them that Rain's condition was deteriorating. The massive blood loss had made the boy's condition increasingly critical. The doctor needed a blood donor as soon as possible, before it was too late.

Upon hearing the news, Sarah's body immediately weakened. Tears streamed down her face once again. She turned toward the nurse before looking back at Sean with pleading eyes.

Sean, please. I'll do anything to make it up to you!

Her hands moved rapidly, begging him to agree to help. Sarah even dropped to her knees again when Sean tried to pull his leg away from her. She no longer cared about her pride. The only thing on her mind was Rain's safety.

"Your behavior is disgusting, Sarah."

Sean let out a harsh breath. His jaw tightened as he watched the woman continue pleading with him. An unfamiliar feeling slowly stirred in his chest, especially when he saw Sarah crying like that.

In the end, Sean gave in. He told the nurse to take him for an examination immediately before proceeding with the blood donation.

Some time later, the blood donation was finally completed.

Sean stepped out of the room, his pace slightly slower than before. A piece of cotton and a bandage had been placed over the needle mark on his left arm. He looked exhausted, but that wasn't what occupied his mind.

He made his way back to where Sarah was waiting.

From a distance, Sean could see the woman sitting alone in a row of chairs along the hospital hallway. Her hands were clasped tightly together on her lap, while her eyes remained fixed on the operating room door directly in front of her.

Sarah didn't even notice his arrival.

Her face was swollen from crying too much. Every now and then, she lifted her head whenever she heard footsteps or a door opening, hoping someone would come out with good news about her son.

But each time that hope failed to materialize, her head would lower again.

Sean stopped a few steps away from her. He silently observed the woman's back. Something felt strange about seeing Sarah so devastated over a child she had called her only son.

That thought made Sean ponder deeply.

He glanced at the operating room door once more before shifting his gaze back to Sarah. The woman was still sitting silently, completely unaware that Sean was now standing right behind her.

And for the first time, Sean began to consider a possibility that had never once crossed his mind before.