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Todos los capítulos de He Wanted Our Daughter's Corneas: Capítulo 1 - Capítulo 8

8 Capítulos

Chapter 1

Colin Mathers finally arrived.I asked him, "Why did you stop Elsie's medication?"He frowned impatiently. "That illness of hers is a bottomless pit. Ariana's son is about to start elementary school. That's what actually matters."I stared at him, unable to say a single word. In his eyes, my daughter's desperate fight to live had never mattered at all.I held Elsie Mathers' memorial portrait against my chest. In the photo, she had her hair in two little pigtails and was beaming at the camera. It was her favorite picture of herself, because Colin had taken her to the amusement park that day, which almost never happened.He had only stayed for 20 minutes. As soon as Ariana Lisle called, he pushed Elsie into my arms and rushed off. Even so, Elsie was happy for a long time afterward. She told me her daddy had held her that day, and that he smelled like sunshine.Now that same father stood beside her body, and his eyes had not even turned red.The eye bank coordinator opened the fold

Chapter 2

After the viewing ended, I carried Elsie's memorial portrait home.When the elevator doors opened, there were several cardboard boxes piled outside my front door. Elsie's little dresses and picture books had all been carelessly stuffed inside. Half a sleeve of her favorite yellow raincoat hung out of one box, trailing on the floor and gathering dust.I stood at the door for a long time without moving.A child's laughter came from inside. "Mom, this room is so big! I want to sleep here!"I pushed the door open. Noah was jumping on Elsie's little bed. Ariana sat on the edge of it, holding Elsie's hair clip and looking flustered.The moment she saw me, she shot to her feet. "Laura, you're back."Colin walked in from the balcony with a new set of keys in his hand. "Ariana and Noah are staying here for a few days. It's easier for his follow-up appointments at the hospital. Pack up Elsie's things for now."I looked at him. "This is Elsie's room."Colin set the keys down on the table.

Chapter 3

As I stood downstairs, my phone lit up with a debit alert from our joint bank account. It was for 280,000 dollars, and the memo read: [Final down payment on home purchase.]I stared at the number as my fingertips slowly went stiff.I had sold the diamond necklace my mother left me and taken out a mortgage on the apartment I owned before the wedding. I had also put every cent I had saved from years of design work into that account, all of it meant to save Elsie's life.When Elsie was in the hospital, Colin had told me a husband and wife should never keep their guard up around each other. I had believed him.Clutching the portrait, I took a taxi to the real estate office.When I pushed open the glass door, Ariana was sitting on the couch signing papers. Colin stood behind her, bending slightly as he held her hand and guided her through writing her name. The way they leaned into each other was so intimate it stung to look at.The purchase agreement lay on the table with Ariana liste

Chapter 4

I went to the hospital.Elsie's attending physician was Dr. Gilbert Moss.At the medical records window, I handed over my ID, Elsie's birth certificate, her death certificate, and the paperwork proving I was her mother. The clerk checked everything for a long time before she finally let me fill out a request for copies of the records.When she saw Elsie's name on the death certificate, her voice softened. "She was so young."I gripped the pen and did not look up.Once I had signed, I took the receipt and went to find Dr. Moss.His expression changed visibly when he saw me. "Mrs. Mathers, I'm so sorry for your loss."I set the insurance cancellation form and the withdrawal record on his desk. "Dr. Moss, I need to know what really happened to Elsie in her last month."Dr. Moss was silent for a long time. "You're legally entitled to copies of her records, but some of the decisions... You'd be better off asking Mr. Mathers."I started recording. "My daughter is dead. I deserve to

Chapter 5

The color drained from Colin's face in an instant. He reached out to grab the papers, but I stepped back and held on tight. "Father?"My voice was so flat that it did not sound like my own. "Colin, how many other kids do you have?"Ariana was the first to cry. "Laura, it's not what you think."I turned to her. "Then what is it?"Ariana clutched Noah tighter as tears streamed down her cheeks. "Noah grew up without a father. I just wanted him to have a complete family on paper. Colin has a soft heart, so he filled in that relationship on the hospital forms for me."I let out a laugh. "He filled in as another child's father for you?"She bit her lip and avoided my eyes.Colin finally said, "Laura, I'll explain all this later. Let Noah have his surgery first."Even at a time like this, all he cared about was Noah's surgery.I crumpled the papers in my fist. "So you admit it?"Colin closed his eyes for a moment. "After Ariana and I broke up back then, she found out she was pregn

Chapter 6

The surgery was called off at the last minute.The hospital set up an investigation committee, and the records relating to the eye bank procedures and all signed documents were sealed for investigation.On the third day, the committee notified both sides to come in and go over the paperwork.The conference room was small. It held one long table and a few chairs, and the clock on the wall ticked loudly.I sat beside Alexis with Elsie's teddy bear in my arms. Colin sat across from us. When he saw the bear, something flickered in his eyes, but he quickly looked down.Ariana sat next to him with Noah in her lap, her eyes swollen from crying.The investigator slid the first document forward. "This is the donor family's refusal of consent. It was signed by Ms. Laura Mercer on the day of the viewing."I looked at my own signature. My hand had been shaking badly that day, yet my signature was firm and deeply pressed into the paper beneath the words "Donation Refused."A second document

Chapter 7

Colin looked up, his eyes bloodshot. "He's my son."Ariana's face went pale.Alexis slid another document across the table. "These are Noah's original enrollment records, which we obtained from his school. On the copy of his birth certificate, the father is listed as Shane Dorsey."Colin's head whipped toward Ariana. Every bit of color drained from her face."No, that's not how it is..."Alexis's voice was icy. "One child, two different fathers on record. Ms. Lisle, don't you think you owe us an explanation?"Ariana lunged for the document. "It's fake! It's all fake!"Alexis pulled it out of her reach. "The police have already obtained and verified the original. Forging documents, misappropriating funds, and leading Colin to provide a false guardian relationship will all be handled in a separate case."Ariana's legs gave out, and she dropped into her chair.Noah burst into frightened tears. "Mommy, don't go to jail."Colin did not seem to hear him crying. He only stared at th

Chapter 8

By the time the court handed down its verdict, winter had set in.Colin was held responsible for forging signed documents, illegally restricting my freedom, and improperly advancing the cornea donation process. The hospital staff involved were also suspended pending investigation.The house in the school district was recovered. Elsie's medical money, the insurance refund, and our marital assets were all reassessed and divided again. Ariana was charged as well, for forging documents and misappropriating funds.It rained heavily on the day she left with Noah. I did not go to see them off.When Alexis called me, I was sorting through Elsie's things. I had cleaned the teddy bear until it was spotless, but I still could not mend the tear in its ear. Some things, once broken, simply stayed broken.Colin had asked Alexis to pass a letter on to me. I did not open it.Alexis asked, "You're not going to read it?"I shook my head. "He had plenty of chances to say whatever he needed to say.

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