Chapter 3

"You always turn small problems into big ones, Eleanor."

Sebastian's voice broke the silence in the hospital room. He stood beside the bed with Claudia casually clinging to his arm. The two had finally flown back to London after being frightened by Alessia's threats and the news that Eleanor was in critical condition.

Eleanor slowly turned her head. Her face was deathly pale, and she stared at her husband without expression.

"I hadn't even finished taking care of my business in Italy, and you've already turned everything into a mess," Sebastian continued with a long sigh, looking exhausted and irritated. "Alessia called me and yelled at me as if I were some irresponsible, villainous husband."

"I never asked Alessia to yell at you, Sebastian," Eleanor replied softly but firmly.

"But you told her all sorts of nonsense, didn't you?" Sebastian accused, his voice rising. "You made me look bad just because I was accompanying Claudia!"

"I didn't tell her anything!" Eleanor shot back, her chest rising and falling as she struggled to contain her anger. "Alessia came here and saw for herself that I was alone! She saw me lying here on the verge of death while my own husband was unreachable!"

"Eleanor, please don't yell at Sebastian," Claudia interjected, wearing an artificially sympathetic expression. "This is all my fault. Please don't fight because of me."

"Be quiet, Claudia!" Eleanor snapped. "This is between me and my husband!"

"Don't yell at Claudia, Eleanor!" Sebastian barked, immediately stepping forward to shield Claudia. "She's only trying to calm you down! Why have you become so irritable and selfish?"

Before Eleanor could respond, the hospital room door opened. Dr. Bernard entered with a nurse, carrying a thick folder of medical records. The room fell silent at once.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Sebastian. I'm glad you've returned," Dr. Bernard said firmly, cutting through the tension between them. "Your wife's condition only just stabilized after she went through a critical episode last night. Her liver function has deteriorated sharply, and the damage has reached the terminal stage."

Sebastian froze for a moment, his expression changing slightly. "What do you mean, Doctor?"

"Mrs. Eleanor needs a liver transplant as soon as possible to survive," Dr. Bernard explained matter-of-factly. "Based on the preliminary laboratory tests we have, you and Mrs. Eleanor share the same blood type. In an urgent medical case like this, a spouse or biological family member is often the best donor candidate, with a higher chance of success."

Dr. Bernard fixed Sebastian with an emphatic look. "If you're willing, we can perform tissue compatibility tests today to prepare for the donation procedure."

The doctor's explanation hung in the air.

Eleanor didn't scream or beg. She simply lay motionless, staring straight at her husband with tear-filled eyes—a look of lingering hope from a wife standing on the brink of death.

Yet instead of stepping closer, Sebastian took half a step backward. His face turned pale, and his eyes widened in panic.

"M-me? Donate an organ?" Sebastian stammered. He moistened his suddenly dry lips. "Doctor, this isn't a minor operation. Removing part of an organ is dangerous! What if I suffer complications?"

"Living-donor liver transplants are well-established procedures and are relatively safe for healthy donors, Mr. Sebastian," Dr. Bernard explained calmly.

"But I'm the head of the family!" Sebastian interrupted defensively, his voice rising as panic took hold. "I have major responsibilities at the company, my mother to think about, and my daughter, Valentina! If anything happens to my health, what will become of them?!"

At those words, Eleanor felt as though a massive stone had crushed her chest. The tears she had been holding back finally spilled down her sunken cheeks.

"Then what about me, Sebastian...?" Eleanor whispered, her voice hoarse and trembling violently. "What happens to me if I die...?"

Sebastian avoided her gaze. "You... you can wait for another donor through the hospital, Eleanor! Why does it have to be my body?!"

"Because the patient has no time left, Mr. Sebastian!" Dr. Bernard interjected, his voice filled with concern and disappointment at the husband's attitude. "Finding an unrelated donor could take a considerable amount of time, while Mrs. Eleanor is racing against time."

Before Sebastian could respond, the door was suddenly shoved open from the outside. Stella Tores entered with her husband, Marco.

"No one is allowed to donate an organ!" Stella shouted shrilly.

She strode forward and pulled Sebastian away from Dr. Bernard and Eleanor's bedside. "You must not give your organ to this woman, Sebastian! Mommy absolutely forbids it!"

"Mommy..." Sebastian murmured, looking hesitant yet relieved to have an excuse to back out.

"You heard what his mother said, Doctor, didn't you?" Stella remarked coldly, glaring at Eleanor with undisguised hatred. "Stop being such a selfish wife, Eleanor! You want to sacrifice your own husband's health just to prolong your life? What if Sebastian becomes disabled or dies?!"

"Mrs. Tores, Eleanor's life is clearly in danger right now!" Alessia, who had just returned from outside, stepped into the room and immediately positioned herself protectively in front of Eleanor.

"This is a Tores family matter! You're an outsider, so stay out of it!" Stella snapped. She turned to Sebastian again, her gaze sharp as she delivered her final threat. "Sebastian, if you dare give your organ to Eleanor, don't ever call me Mommy again, and get out of the Tores family home!"

The room fell into a tense, suffocating silence. Dr. Bernard shook his head at the family drama, while Alessia struggled to contain her barely controlled fury.

On the hospital bed, Eleanor stared at Sebastian. Her breathing quickened, and her chest tightened so painfully that her fingers began to tremble.

"Sebastian..." Eleanor whispered, looking straight into her husband's eyes one last time. "Choose me, the wife who's dying here... or Mommy?"

Sebastian stood frozen. He looked at his mother, who had issued an absolute ultimatum, then at Claudia, who clung to his arm as if seeking his protection, and finally at Eleanor, lying on the hospital bed with tears streaming down her face.

After an agonizing silence, Sebastian slowly lowered his head. He broke eye contact with Eleanor and took a step backward.

"I'm sorry, Eleanor..." Sebastian whispered coldly, hiding his guilt behind an impassive expression. "I can't act recklessly. I have to listen to Mommy."

Eleanor slowly closed her eyes. A bitter smile faintly curved her pale lips. Her shattered heart had finally gone numb.

In that cold room, Eleanor finally understood... the man she had once loved with all her soul had never truly been there for her.

Their marriage was officially over.