Chapter 2

I had no idea how much time had passed when I came to. My attending physician, Dr. Wilson, looked at me and warned solemnly, "Don't let anger or distress get the better of you. Even though your surgery was a success, you need to remain calm after the operation. Such intense emotional swings can cause you to cough up blood and pass out, like today. In worst-case scenarios, it'll put your life in imminent danger."

I stared at the ceiling, fighting to keep my feelings under lock and key. When the distinctive chime of a message from Wade rang out, I didn't even have the strength to read it. Hence, I asked our housekeeper, Martha Evans, to read it for me.

Martha cleared her throat and cautiously read them out loud, "Cecilia's doing a little better today. The doctor said I'm her medicine. As long as I stay by her side, she'll recover in no time.

"Oh, you have no idea how happy I am to see her condition improve! Cecilia loves pear blossoms, and she's been absolutely thrilled with the snow these past few days."

Right after that, as if she was afraid I would get upset, she immediately tried to defend Wade. "Mrs. Cox, there's one more sentence here from Mr. Cox. He said the strawberry cake from that patisserie on the west side of town is delicious and that he'll buy one for you later. Mr. Cox still cares about you!"

Not a single message he sent me was without mentioning Cecilia. Squeezing my eyes shut, I allowed the tears to track down my cheeks.

I was allergic to strawberries. For a heart transplant patient, a severe allergic reaction could even be fatal.

I had never even touched a strawberry in my life. The one who actually loved them wasn't me, but Cecilia. My brows knitted together, and I bit down hard on my bottom lip in distress.

Dr. Wilson added a new medication to my IV drip. "You look like you're in a lot of pain, so I'll give you a little more painkiller. Remember, don't let your emotions get the best of you."

Once the medicine took effect, my rationality returned, and I nodded in agreement with Dr. Wilson. "Don't worry. I won't."

I sent my lawyer a message. "Help me draft a divorce agreement. I want to divorce Wade."

He was tainted now, and I didn't want him anymore. Naturally, I would never let him mess with my head again.

…

For ten consecutive days, I gave Wade the silent treatment. Without him around to bother me, my body recovered rapidly. Soon, the doctor told me I was fit for discharge.

I moved into the studio that once housed my therapy clinic, and from there, I sent Wade the divorce agreement. In an instant, his calls flooded in, but I declined them, over and over again.

Half an hour later, Wade knocked on the door to my studio. Martha had been staying with me to take care of me, so I wasn't the least bit surprised by how fast he had tracked me down. Consequently, I answered the door.

This was the first time Wade and I had seen each other since the transplant. He stiffened on the threshold, his anxious expression instantly turning rigid with heartache. "W-Why have you lost so much weight? Did Martha not take good care of you?"

"I simply didn't feel like eating. I had no appetite," I responded.

"What are you doing here? Aren't you worried Cecilia might get triggered and commit suicide?" I mockingly added.

Wade parted his lips, but he couldn't utter a single word.

I spun on my heel and walked back to sit on the couch. The mere act of answering the door and uttering those words seemed to have depleted my entire reservoir of strength. I could barely stay on my feet.

Wade extended his hand to cup my cheek, but I dodged him. "I don't want to get a divorce," he stated firmly.

Lying down, I responded weakly, "Suit yourself. Either way, once we've been separated for a certain period of time, I can file a lawsuit."

Wade sank onto one knee in front of me, seizing my hand. "Cecilia and I are childhood sweethearts, Stella. I won't deny that I was in love with her, but now, I only see her as my younger sister. Cecilia went to Stormhold to work as a Doctor Without Borders.

"We had agreed to get married when her two-year term was up, but then she vanished without a trace. I searched for her for three years. I often wonder, if I had just kept searching, would she have been able to come home sooner and avoid being abused to the point of losing her sanity...?"

He paused before choking out, "I failed her, but that's all I feel toward her. I can't just stand by and watch her be this broken, unstable version of herself. I have to save her. I'm her medicine. Do you understand me, Stella?"

My heart, which hadn't hurt for such a long time, began to ache mercilessly all over again at his words. I felt myself slipping toward the brink of another blackout.

Holding me tightly, he insisted, "I refuse to get a divorce."

His crushing embrace made it increasingly difficult for me to breathe until, ultimately, unable to support my own weight, I curled up into a ball.

Wade panicked. "Stella! What's wrong?"