The day my wife went to the airport to pick up her first love Damien Sterling—freshly returned from overseas—two children fell down at the same time. I helped our son Ryan first. I didn't immediately rush to help Damien's son, Adrian. She turned on her heel and had me and Ryan shipped off to a desolate monastery in the Alaskan wilderness. Said we needed to learn some compassion and humility. Life at Frostpeak Monastery was brutal—starvation, freezing temperatures, isolation. Three years later, Ryan was frozen to death. The day we buried him, my wife Victoria arrived at the monastery with Damien by her side. She said she needed Ryan's bone marrow to see if it would match Adrian's. The boy had leukemia. I told her Ryan was dead. She sneered. "Three years, and you haven't changed one bit. Just because you don't want to save Adrian, you'd actually curse your own son? You'd lie about something like this?" Her eyes flashed with contempt. "Let me tell you something, Ethan. I don't care if Ryan's alive or dead. Even if he really is gone, I'll dig up his coffin myself and see if his bone marrow is still viable." --- I was forced to stand at the monastery gates, waiting for our "honored guests." What I didn't expect was that the guest would be Victoria herself—the woman who'd callously sent me and our son to suffer in this godforsaken place. Three years. Three whole years without seeing her. The first words out of her mouth? "So. Have you reflected on what you did wrong?" I stared at those cold, beautiful eyes. For a moment, I'd almost forgotten why we were here in the first place. Then it all came rushing back. Two kids had fallen. I'd helped Ryan up first. Victoria had just returned from the airport with Damien. She saw me helping our son while Damien rushed to comfort little Adrian. She'd frowned, furious. Told me I was petty. Small-minded. "Adrian's only staying with us temporarily. Now that Damien's back, he'll take him home soon. I didn't think you'd be this jealous. Can't you be the bigger person for just a few days?" She'd looked so disappointed in me. "Take your son. Go to Frostpeak Monastery. Stay there until you've learned to be better. When you've changed, you can come home." And just like that, Ryan and I were sent to this remote, freezing hellhole. We barely had enough to eat. The cold was unforgiving. Occasionally, wild animals would prowl too close. Victoria never visited. Not once. I pulled myself back to the present and gave her a flat "Yeah." Her expression softened slightly. Then she got to the point. "Adrian has leukemia. I need Ryan to do a bone marrow compatibility test. Since it's for Adrian, I'm being generous enough to come get you both myself." I swallowed the bitter taste rising in my throat. "You can't take him," I said quietly. "As for me..." I let out a hollow laugh. "I'm staying here. With my son." Victoria's face darkened instantly. "What's that supposed to mean? Adrian is dying, and you've become this selfish, petty shell of a man? This is a child's LIFE we're talking about!" She didn't know it, but every word she spoke felt like a knife twisting deeper into my chest. Damien stepped forward, his voice dripping with false humility. "Ethan, I know you resent me and Adrian. I know Victoria sent you and Ryan here three years ago because of us. I'm sorry." He lowered his head, the picture of contrition. "If you let Ryan do the compatibility test, I'll do anything—anything—to make it up to you." Victoria grabbed his hand, her voice soft and soothing. "Don't apologize to him. He's the one who was in the wrong! Ryan is MY son. I carried him for nine months, I gave birth to him. Ethan has no right to keep him from me." She glared at me, eyes burning. I stared back, silent. She took a deep breath. Then she barked orders at her security team. "Search every inch of this place. Tear it apart if you have to. Find Ryan. NOW." Her tone left no room for argument. The monks nearby exchanged uneasy glances. Father Thomas, the head of the monastery, stepped forward. "Ma'am, it's not that Mr. Cross doesn't want to help. It's just... the boy—" "Just WHAT?" Victoria cut him off with a cold laugh. Father Thomas sighed heavily. "Young Ryan... passed away seven days ago. He froze to death." Victoria froze for a split second. Then her face twisted with fury. "Ryan is dead?" Her voice was ice. "Is that what you're telling me, Ethan?" I said nothing. My silence was answer enough. She swept her arm across the table, shattering a glass tumbler. "Three YEARS, Ethan! Three years, and you haven't grown AT ALL! You're so determined not to save Adrian that you'd actually curse your own son! You'd LIE about his death!" She leaned in close, her voice venomous. "Let me be clear. I don't care if Ryan's dead or alive. If he really is gone, I'll dig up his coffin myself and check if his bone marrow is still usable!"
Victoria's eyes burned with a determination that would accept no refusal. She couldn't understand it. How had Ethan—gentle, kind Ethan—turned into this unrecognizable stranger? On the drive up to Frostpeak, she'd still been daydreaming about their future together. She'd planned to tell him the truth. Three years ago, sending him and Ryan away had been a desperate move. The Sterling Corporation was in chaos back then. To stabilize things, she'd had to pretend to be married to Damien. She couldn't risk anyone finding out about Ethan and Ryan, so she'd made up an excuse and sent them somewhere "safe." Remote, yes. But safe. She'd always planned to bring them back. But work got overwhelming. The company needed her. One day turned into another, and she kept putting it off. She'd convinced herself it was fine. Ethan was so sweet-natured, so forgiving. She'd just charm him a little, apologize, and he'd forgive her. He always forgave her. As for Ryan—sure, she'd been annoyed when he was born and started stealing Ethan's attention away from her. But he was their son. Their flesh and blood. She'd make it up to him. She'd already commissioned a private playground to be built just for him. There was no way the kid could resist that. He'd forgive her for some toys and treats. She would make up for everything they'd suffered these past three years. But then Adrian got sick. Leukemia. When the doctors said Ryan's bone marrow might be a match, she'd been overjoyed. Couldn't sleep for days. Finally, she had the perfect excuse to bring them home. Except Ethan had changed. He was lying to her. Saying Ryan was dead. Frozen to death. What a joke. She'd sent supplies every single month for three years. Made sure they had everything they needed. That's what made his ridiculous lie so infuriating. The rage boiled over. She grabbed Ethan's wrist, gripping it hard. Staring into his eyes. “Give me back my gentle Ethan,” she thought.” He's not supposed to be like this.” After a moment, her eyes reddened. She loosened her grip slightly, afraid of hurting him. “Just apologize,” she thought desperately.” Say you're sorry and I'll let this all go.” She watched him intently, her lips trembling. Ethan opened his mouth. And said: "Victoria, our son is really dead. You killed him." "If you hadn't sent us to this hellhole without a second thought, he'd still be alive." Each word was a dagger to her heart. He wasn't just lying—he was trying to blame HER. This man wasn't the Ethan she knew anymore. She let go of his wrist and stepped back, defeated. When she looked up again, her eyes were cold and resolved. But before she could speak, one of her men came running over. "Mrs. Sterling! We found the boy!"
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