Ashes of Our Vows

Tags: Refusing the wedding, Arson, Heartbreak and departure, The groveling ex-husband. After five years of legal marriage, on the ninety-ninth time I asked my husband for a wedding, he finally agreed. That very night, a fire broke out. The thick smoke nearly blinded me, multiple organs were damaged, and our daughter suffered severe burns, falling into a deep coma. My husband, Alexander Vance, rushed us to the hospital in absolute agony and sent the arsonist straight to prison. When I woke up, frantic about my daughter's condition, I accidentally overheard a conversation between the doctor and Alexander in the next room. "If we treat Mrs. Vance and your daughter right now, they still have a chance. Any later, and Mrs. Vance will be blind for life, and your daughter will probably die. That is your own flesh and blood. You don't need to take such a huge risk just to give Mia a wedding." "My daughter was never likable anyway. We can always have another child. If Chelsea goes blind, she won't have to see the wedding. It saves us a lot of trouble." "Mia saved my life once. I just want to fulfill her dying wish so her kid won't be called a bastard. If our daughter dies and Chelsea goes blind, Chelsea will have the time and energy to raise Mia's son." It turned out that the ceremony I had begged for all these years was something another woman could have with the snap of her fingers. All this time, the happy little home I thought I built was nothing more than a dark, damp cage. If that was the case, I would simply walk away. "Say no more. Schedule the kidney transplant as soon as possible. Mia can't wait that long. I don't want to watch her suffer through the pain anymore. Increase the anesthesia dosage. Don't let Chelsea wake up in the middle and find out." The doctor hesitated for a moment before cautiously speaking up. "We could still wait for another kidney donor. What if there's a way where everyone survives?" "Mia can't wait any longer. I can't bear watching her go through dialysis all the time. A girl who cares so much about her looks has lost all her hair." "The surgical scar will be seen sooner or later. And if your daughter really dies, how are you going to explain this to Mrs. Vance? She loves children so much..." "Then burn that patch of skin with fire. She'll think it was left behind from the blaze. As for our daughter, I'll just tell her medical technology has its limits, that the kid just wasn't meant to be with us. I'll adopt Mia's son to distract her." I pinched my thigh as hard as I could so my tears wouldn't blur my already failing vision. With trembling hands, I pulled out my phone and started recording. The doctor frowned slightly, his tone laced with pity. "Please reconsider, Mr. Vance. Mrs. Vance is already going blind; her life will be full of hardships. If the child dies, and she loses a kidney, not only will it be difficult for her to ever get pregnant again, but a simple infection could kill her." Alexander let out a sigh, sounding utterly resigned. "I'll hire the best medical team in the world to keep her alive for the rest of her days. We can always have more kids in the future. I can't just stand by and watch Mia die without fulfilling her final wish." "She saved my life back then. I owe her. Whatever she and her son want, I have to give it to them. Chelsea loves me so much. She will definitely support my decision." The doctor shook his head with regret. Before he walked away, I only heard him mutter, "As long as you don't regret this. Let's hope Mrs. Vance's love isn't completely drained dry." On the other side of the door, Alexander pulled out his phone and made a call, his voice cold and steady. "Give that nanny who started the fire some extra money. Once she gets out of prison, move her to another city, out of the country. I don't want a single whisper reaching Chelsea's ears." My body collapsed against the inside of the hospital room door. Even the intense physical agony couldn't distract me from the tearing pain in my chest as my tears broke like an open dam. The man who had shared my bed for years—whether blurred by my tears or ruined by the smoke—felt completely foreign to me now. Hearing the footsteps outside getting closer, I stumbled to my feet. I hid my phone, ignored the blood seeping from my torn scars, and crawled back onto the bed to lie down. The thought of my daughter, burned all over, lying in some unknown room between life and death, made my chest throb with unbearable agony. She was such a delicate, fragile little girl who was terrified of pain. How was she supposed to face a scarred and broken body all by herself? I clutched my chest, holding back the nausea rising in my throat, but I couldn't stop my tears from soaking into the bedsheets. So, that fire was orchestrated by the husband I had been so proud of. My daughter and I were merely sacrifices laid out on the altar to pave the way for his beloved woman. Mia's dying wish was the most important thing in the world to him, while the lives of his wife and child were entirely worthless. The seven years of our marriage were nothing more than a cruel joke.While I was still drowning in sorrow, a pair of warm, large hands gently wiped the tears from the corners of my eyes and pulled me into an embrace. "Don't be afraid. I'm right here. Are the wounds still hurting? I've already asked the doctor to prepare special painkillers for you." "I found a world-class specialist who can perform skin graft surgery. I promise you'll get your beautiful body back. Just take a short nap, and everything will be back to the way it was." I felt the warmth of his chest, just like every time he used to comfort me whenever I was sad. Yet all I could feel now was an icy chill. The man holding me was a total stranger. I took a deep breath and looked up at him with pleading eyes. "Alexander, can I really go back to how I was? Will I ever see again? And where is Chloe? I..." I still wanted to test our worth in his heart, begging for a shred of conscience to save my daughter and me. I was wrong. The next second, his entire body stiffened. His tone turned sharp as he cut me off. "Enough! You're a mother now, and we've been married for so long. Do you still not trust me? Do you think you're still a young girl who needs to obsess over looks? Don't teach Chloe to be so vain." Seeing how pale my face was, he finally realized his tone was harsh. He softened slightly, stroking my hair. "Be good. I'm here, so there's nothing to fear. I will never abandon you. Just sleep, and it will all be over. Let's be brave and set a good example for Chloe, okay?" Could a single nap really erase everything that happened? Of course not. Waking up would only bring deeper grief and more deceit. I closed my eyes, only feeling Alexander press a kiss against my forehead. Then, a needle pierced into my skin from somewhere unseen, and my consciousness began to slip away into a haze. Blinding surgical lights bore down on my body, dazzling my already blurred eyes. In that moment, I could only feel the life draining from my veins, cold metal instruments digging inside me, and the distinct smell of burning flesh rushing into my nose. Next to me, there seemed to be another person undergoing surgery. But that person radiated pure warmth and joy. I knew she was the next owner of my kidney—Mia. Tears silently streamed down my face once more. The surgery went smoothly. Heavy layers of bandages were wrapped around my waist and abdomen, standing between my body like the endless barriers between our feelings. "Chelsea, you were so brave. Whatever you need, just tell me and I'll do it for you. Be careful not to let the wound get infected." "If our Chloe knew, she would be so proud of her mother. Oh, right, I also adopted a little boy named Leo. He's a brave little man. Don't worry, we'll always protect you. We won't leave you alone in the dark. We'll give you strength." He couldn't even wait to introduce Leo to me. The radiant happiness around him was probably because his real family was finally reunited. In the past, I would have thought he was a dependable husband, cherishing the warmth of our family. But now, I could clearly hear the wavering hesitation in his voice and the cold indifference beneath it. Love and the lack of it were so obvious. Not only was I going blind, but my heart had been blind, completely ignoring all the lies. Perhaps the anesthesia hadn't fully worn off. The moment I closed my eyes, I sank back into a heavy sleep. When I woke up again, the room was empty. I sat up, gritting my teeth against the searing agony tearing across my abdomen, and set out to search for my daughter's room. The sound of laughter from the room next door immediately caught my attention.Through my blurry vision, I saw Alexander tenderly holding a young boy while his other hand gently caressed the cheek of the woman lying on the bed. "Mia, it's all in the past now. You're going to get better very soon. Leo and I will protect you. Don't worry, I will treat him like my own flesh and blood." "That designer you love so much? I already flew him in from Paris just to design your wedding gown. And the jewelry—I personally took risks in Africa to source the best gems for you. I'm going to give you the very best of everything I have." "You said you love villas by the ocean, so I bought one to be the home for you and Leo. In a little while, I'll take Leo to the amusement park. Don't worry, I'll bring back your favorite pastries when we return..." He went over every single detail of their future together, his voice so gentle, so full of longing. He was never an emotionally unavailable, clueless man. Over the past seven years, he was never home on our anniversaries and never prepared a single gift, but he remembered every single preference of Mia and Leo. I had cried and begged before, only for him to say that old married couples didn't need ceremonies. He had even made up countless excuses to delay the wedding, the most important milestone of my life. It turned out I simply wasn't worthy. He wasn't busy either. He had time to take a child to the amusement park. Yet when Chloe begged him to take her there for her birthday, he claimed he had no interest. He was just saving that time for someone else. The three of them held each other, dreaming of their bright future. When the child wasn't looking, they even stole a kiss, making Mia blush with a coy, spoiled smile. Every single scene pierced straight into my heart. Without lingering a second longer, I turned around and dialed my mentor's number, asking him to save my daughter and me, and agreeing to inherit his legacy in acupuncture and holistic medicine. My mentor was overjoyed. He said "wonderful" several times in a row and immediately began making arrangements to welcome me. I also booked two plane tickets for the day of the wedding—my final farewell. Leaning against the wall as I walked, I finally found my daughter's room. Even though my vision was still terribly blurry, I could see the little girl lying quietly on the bed, wrapped in bandages from head to toe. Her breathing was so faint, as if she might vanish into thin air at any moment. I gently took Chloe's little hand, finally breaking down into quiet, gut-wrenching sobs. Suddenly, a pair of hands rested on my shoulders, gently wrapping around me from behind to wipe my tears away. His hands were trembling uncontrollably. "Chelsea, don't be so heartbroken. Your eyes are hurt; you shouldn't cry like this. It breaks my heart. Chloe... she probably won't make it. Let's make her final moments peaceful and happy, okay? Don't cry and make her sad." "Besides, you just had surgery. The doctor said your recovery isn't looking good, and you might have a hard time having children in the future. Don't worry, I won't abandon you. We adopted Leo, remember? We still have a child..." "Just think of him as someone staying by our side in Chloe's place. If she knew, she would be at peace too..." His voice began to crack as he spoke, and warm tears fell onto the back of my neck, making him seem like a man enduring unimaginable agony. If I hadn't known the truth, I would have thought he truly shared my grief. I would have appreciated his thoughtful care. Yet I knew that every single word was a lie woven just for me. I was the one missing a kidney, going blind, and hovering on the brink of death. I was the one about to lose her child and being forced to accept my husband's mistress and her son. What did I ever do wrong to deserve such calculated deceit?After a long silence, my tears completely dried up. Alexander hesitated before carefully breaking the quiet. "Chelsea, you won't be able to attend the wedding this time anyway. We have plenty of chances in the future. How about we let Mia take your place at the ceremony?" "She won't come between our relationship. Her health is terrible, and we don't know how long she has left. All she wants is a ceremony to give her boy a legitimate name. Let's just grant her this one wish, okay?" He squeezed my hand tightly, giving away his inner tension. He had already made up his mind; how could I refuse? After all, he had turned me down ninety-nine times before. What did one more broken promise matter? I smiled and nodded, agreeing. "She saved your life. You should repay her. We can talk about our wedding later. Right now, I just want to wait for Chloe to wake up." Alexander seemed ready to keep persuading me, clearly surprised by how easily I agreed. He froze for a second, then held my hand tightly, grinning from ear to ear with undisguised joy. Just as he finished, his phone buzzed with an alert. "Why did you buy two plane tickets for two days from now? Your eyes haven't healed yet. Can you even see? Is there an emergency? Why didn't you tell me? I could come with you." Back when we were dating, he linked my account to his, claiming he just wanted to ensure my safety. But he had never actually checked that app before. Whenever I went anywhere, I always updated him voluntarily, giving him all the security he needed. I never imagined the first time he'd use that tracker would be under these circumstances. A wave of bitter chill washed over me. Without even looking up, I lied flatly, "I bought them thinking we could go on our honeymoon after the wedding. Now that it's off, they're useless. I haven't had time to cancel them yet. We'll talk about it later." Hearing this, he sighed with mild regret and kissed my forehead in reassurance. "We'll have plenty of time to travel as a family of three in the future. Just focus on recovering. There's no rush." Instinctively, I squeezed my daughter's hand, then slowly let go, suppressing the surging agony inside me. Before we could say another word, his phone rang again. He answered it and rushed out of the room in a hurry. I knew Mia must be feeling uncomfortable again. I didn't try to hold him back. His heart had left me long ago; there was no point in humiliating myself further. Just then, the soft little hand moved. A raspy voice, damaged from the smoke, whispered weakly, "Mommy... are you crying? Chloe will blow on it. The pain will fly away." "Where is Daddy? I miss him so much... Mommy, can you go find Daddy for me?" I bit down hard on the inside of my cheek, desperately fighting back the tremble in my voice so my daughter wouldn't notice. I whispered softly, "Chloe is the bravest girl in the world. Does your body still hurt? I'll go get Daddy right now, okay? Don't move around, or you won't look pretty." My daughter nodded obediently, her eyes full of longing for her father. I gathered my courage once more to look for Alexander. No matter how hardened my heart had become, no matter how ready I was to let go of everything, I couldn't rob my child of her last hope for a father's love. I would let her see him one last time, even if it was just to let her give up on him completely. I pushed myself up from my crouch. The bandages around my waist had already soaked through with blood, leaving faint red stains on the floor. Ignoring the pain, I made my way to the door of Mia's room.