Julian authorized the release of the life-saving blood I had banked for seven years, giving it to his childhood best friend’s daughter. His colleagues tried desperately to talk him out of it. "What about Clara?" "She has a rare chimeric blood type. She's at high risk for catastrophic hemorrhaging for the rest of her life. If something happens and she doesn't have her own blood banked, it's a death sentence." Julian was silent for a long time before he answered softly. "Lily is Audrey’s daughter. She’s just a little girl. She needs this blood more than Clara does right now." Someone still couldn't bear it. "But Clara is five months pregnant! You, of all people, know the risks of her not having backup blood. If she hemorrhages, you'll lose both her and the baby!" Julian didn't hesitate. "Then we just won't have the baby right now. Clara has always listened to me." I looked down at the ultrasound report in my hands, my vision blurring. Years ago, Julian was the one who was terrified something would happen to me. He was the one who insisted I draw and bank my blood every single month. Now, for the sake of Audrey’s daughter, he was the one stealing my lifeline. The words Viable Twin Gestation printed on the black-and-white scan felt like a silent, cruel joke. I turned around, walked to the front desk, and scheduled a medical termination. Fine. I would do as Julian wished. I wouldn't have the babies. And I wouldn't have him, either. ... When I booked the procedure, the nurse’s tone was heavy with concern. "Are you absolutely sure about this?" "With your specific blood type and chronic anemia, a late-term termination is extremely risky. Does... does Dr. Vance know about this?" I nodded. "Yes. I'm sure." It didn't matter if Julian knew or not. The moment he took the blood I had banked for seven years, a guillotine had been suspended over my neck. Right before they administered the anesthesia, Julian called me. "Clara, one of the nurses said they saw you at the hospital. Did you come by to grab lunch with me?" Through the receiver, I could hear the hospital intercom in the background—and the sound of a woman's gentle, coaxing voice. Before I could answer, he kept talking. "I can't take my lunch break today. Lily isn't doing too well. Audrey is trying to calm her down, so I need to stay close by." I sat in the empty, sterile waiting area, staring at the surgical consent form in my lap. "Why exactly is her condition 'not doing too well'?" I asked. "What?" He clearly hadn't expected me to say something like that. My voice was dead calm. "I said, Julian, after draining every drop of the life-saving blood I banked for seven years, what right does she have to not be doing well?" Dead silence on the other end of the line. After a long pause, I heard footsteps, and then Julian’s hushed voice. "You found out." He took a deep breath. "Clara, Lily has the same dual-group hematopoietic cells that you do. Right now, your blood is the only match. She's just a child. I couldn't just let her die." "Couldn't you?" He must have caught my tone, because his voice dropped lower. "Don't overcomplicate this. Even if she wasn't Audrey's kid, I would still save her." He sounded so incredibly righteous. As if he had completely forgotten that it was my blood. Blood drawn from my veins, vial by vial, over the span of seven excruciating years. "And what about me?" I asked. Julian paused for two seconds. He sounded exhausted. "Clara, you are perfectly healthy right now." "And?" "So please," he sighed. "Stop making a scene, okay?" "Making a scene?" I repeated the words softly. "Julian, I paid the storage fees for that blood. It was banked for my personal medical use, not an anonymous donation. Without my consent, absolutely no one had the right to touch it." Julian’s voice spiked in irritation. "Well, the blood has already been transfused! I can't exactly suck it back out of her! What do you want to do, report me to the medical board?!" After a brief, tense silence, he rubbed his temples. I could hear the friction over the mic. "Clara, I don't have the energy to fight with you right now. We'll sit down and talk about this properly when I get home tonight, okay?" When I didn't respond, he sighed again, slipping back into his 'caring doctor' persona. "Your anemia gets worse in your second trimester. Make sure you take your iron supplements when you get home." He knew my anemia flared up terribly during pregnancy. He knew that for the past seven years, I had to endure drawing 200ml of blood every single month just to build that safety net. He knew exactly how impossibly rare my blood type was, and how hard it was to find a match. He knew everything. And he still gave my life away to someone else. He didn't even bother to ask for my permission. I didn't say another word. I just hung up. As the nurse prepared my IV, an Instagram notification popped up on my screen. It was a new post from Audrey. The photo showed her and Julian sitting by a little girl's hospital bed, a small cake placed in front of them. The caption read: [Three full transfusions later, my Lily has finally been given a second chance at life. Thank you to the most amazing doctor, Julian. I am so blessed to have you in my corner.] The comments were flooded with well-wishes from our mutual friends. Julian had commented on it himself: "Wishing our sweet Lily a lifetime of health and happiness." I placed a hand over the slight bump of my stomach. A bitter, suffocating taste flooded the back of my throat. ... When I came out of the operating room, I was bleeding far more heavily than a standard patient. They kept me in the recovery bay until late into the evening before I was finally cleared to go home. Severe anemia compounded with massive blood loss meant that by the time I unlocked my front door, I was on the verge of collapsing. I leaned heavily against the doorframe. I was just about to call out Julian’s name. But a delicate, sweet voice beat me to it. "Dr. Vance, when is dinner going to be ready?" The sound died in my throat. I caught my breath and forced myself to step fully into the house. Audrey was lounging on my living room sofa, wearing my house slippers. When she saw me, her relaxed demeanor vanished. She scrambled to her feet. "Clara! Please don't misunderstand. Lily woke up crying and was terrified of staying in the hospital. Julian couldn't bear to see her like that, so he brought us here. Don't worry, we won't touch any of your things." Julian walked out of the kitchen, carrying two plates of steaming food. "Why are you home so late?" His eyes swept over me, but he didn't notice a single thing wrong. I didn't answer. I just dragged my exhausted body toward the master bedroom. Audrey rushed over and grabbed my arm. "Clara, I'll pack up and leave with Lily right now. Please don't fight with Julian over this. He performed two surgeries today and has been running himself ragged for Lily. He's so tired." She made a show of walking toward her suitcase. After two steps, she stumbled, looking dizzy. Julian immediately caught her by the waist. "It's late. Where are you going to go?" Audrey lowered her eyes, her voice trembling. "I just... I don't want to make Clara upset." Julian looked at me, a flash of exasperation in his eyes. "Clara, Lily is traumatized by the hospital, but she still needs constant medical monitoring. Having her here makes it easier for me to keep an eye on her." "Once she's stable, Audrey will take her home." "How long?" I asked. I wasn't even angry anymore. I was just entirely numb. He thought about it. "Probably two or three months." Our wedding was supposed to be next month. Which meant, in his mind, even as newlyweds, I was expected to share my marital home with this woman and her child. I gave a weak, cynical smile, looking him dead in the eye. "Stealing the blood I banked for seven years wasn't enough. Now you're moving the thieves into my house for the long haul." "Julian, do you have any respect for me at all?" Julian's tone instantly hardened. "Clara, that is a disgusting way to speak." "They are just staying here for a little while. There's no need to be so dramatic and toxic about it." Toxic. I looked away. My chest felt so tight I could barely breathe. Thinking my silence meant surrender, Julian offered one last instruction. "When Lily comes out of her room, make sure you put on a friendly face. Don't scare her." I didn't respond. I just walked into my bedroom and shut the door. Through the wood, I could hear Audrey crying softly. "Julian, does Clara hate me?" "I know we shouldn't be intruding, but I'm raising Lily all on my own. I was just so scared I couldn't handle this by myself." Julian's voice was incredibly gentle. "She's just stressed from the pregnancy hormones. Don't take it personally." I leaned against the back of the door, my fingernails digging into my palms until they bled. I skipped dinner and fell into a deep, feverish sleep. When I finally woke up, I was burning up. I stumbled out to the living room to find some Tylenol. Audrey had just finished showering and was blow-drying her hair. She was wearing my pure silk bridal robe. The one I had bought specifically for Julian and me to wear on our honeymoon. Julian seemed to notice my gaze. He walked over, lowering his voice to explain. "It was the only brand-new sleepwear we had in the house. I had to give it to her. Don't overthink it." I pulled my eyes away. An indescribable wave of exhaustion washed over me. It wasn't until I opened the medicine cabinet that he realized something was wrong. He reached out, pressing the back of his hand to my forehead. His brows furrowed. "Why are you running a fever?" He poured me a glass of warm water and watched me take the pills. Then he went to the kitchen to heat up some soup and brought out an ice pack, gently pressing it to my forehead. "Be a good girl. Once the fever breaks, you'll feel much better." He took care of me so naturally. He coaxed me so perfectly. As if the massive, gaping wound he inflicted on me today didn't exist. As if our relationship was completely flawless. But a weak little voice from the hallway shattered that illusion into a million pieces. "Daddy, what are you doing?" Daddy. What a sick joke. Julian's hand froze against the ice pack. I followed his gaze. Audrey’s daughter was standing in the doorway of the nursery, clutching a stuffed bunny. I looked past her silhouette into the room, and my eyes suddenly burned with tears. Julian panicked. His voice was rushed, but he deliberately kept it low so Audrey wouldn't hear. "Clara, it's just a word. Lily grew up without a father. She's attached to me and craves a father figure, that's all. Please don't read into it." The tears fell, slipping down my cheeks and landing on the back of my hand. I looked at him, my voice raw and broken. "Why is she sleeping in the nursery?" "Julian... we have a perfectly good guest room. Why did you put her in the nursery I spent months decorating with my own hands?" Julian didn't answer right away. He pulled his hand back, hurried over, and scooped the pouting Lily into his arms, comforting her. Then, he turned to soothe Audrey, who had teared up at the sight. I sat alone on the sofa. Like an intruder who didn't belong. Like a wicked witch bullying their perfect, happy little family of three. Once he finished comforting them and closed the bedroom door, cutting off the noise, Julian finally spoke. "Lily liked the fairy-tale decorations in there, so I let her have it." "Clara, it's just a room, and they won't even be here that long. Why are you overreacting like this?" He sounded exhausted. And accusatory. I let out a hollow laugh. Why am I overreacting? Because I designed that room with an overflowing amount of love. Because everything in that room belonged to the babies I was supposed to have. This was no longer my home. Yet he had the audacity to ask me why. I reached into my bag, pulled out the post-op paperwork from the termination, and placed it gently on the coffee table. "Julian—" Before I could finish, the door clicked open again, and Lily walked out. She trotted over to Julian, grabbed his pant leg, and asked timidly. "Daddy, can I really stay here?" "Of course you can." "Mommy said this is my home now. She said I get to be with Daddy every single day. Is that true too?" Audrey stiffened. Julian instinctively looked at me. I looked right back at him. Waiting to see how he would answer. Two seconds later, he broke eye contact with me. He reached down and affectionately ruffled the little girl’s hair. "Yeah, kiddo. This is Lily's home now. Daddy will be with you every day, and all those pretty stuffed animals in your room will be with you too." I stared at him blankly for a moment. Then, I stood up. I reached for the termination paperwork on the table, but Julian grabbed my wrist. He looked at me sternly. "Clara. Be mature about this." Mature. When that word dropped from his lips, the very last shred of warmth in my chest died. I wrenched my hand out of his grip and walked into the master bedroom. I pulled my suitcase from the closet and started packing my clothes. Julian followed me in and shut the door. "Clara, stop throwing a tantrum." "Lily is just a sick kid. She's still recovering. The things Audrey and I say to her—" "I know," I interrupted, finishing his sentence for him. "You only say those things to comfort her." "If you know that, then why are you giving me attitude? Why are you picking a fight with a child?" The moment the words left his mouth, the room fell dead silent. Julian seemed to realize he had crossed a line. He took a deep breath and stepped forward to hug me. "Just be a good girl, okay? You're pregnant and running a fever. Stop being stubborn. I promise I'll pay more attention to your feelings from now on." I dodged his embrace. His arms hung awkwardly in the air. At that moment, Audrey knocked softly on the bedroom door. "Julian? Lily says she wants you to tuck her in. Do you have a minute?" Lily’s voice echoed from the hallway. "Daddy, I want to be like the other kids! I want Mommy and Daddy to sleep with me. Please come sleep with Lily!" Julian frowned. A few seconds later, he dropped his arms. "Get some rest. I'll come back as soon as she falls asleep." Look at that. That was him 'paying more attention to my feelings.' He walked to the door, then suddenly remembered something. "What was that piece of paper you had in your hand?" I crumpled the termination paperwork in my fist, then relaxed my grip. I ripped it into pieces right in front of his face and tossed it into the trash can. "Nothing important." Julian gave me a weird look, then walked out. My vision swam. I slid down the side of the bed, collapsing onto the floor. At this point, even being disappointed felt like a waste of energy. Halfway through packing, the fever won, and I passed out on the rug. When I finally woke up, I had already missed my shift at work. I walked out of the bedroom to find Julian coaxing Lily to eat her breakfast. When he saw me, he stood up to get me a bowl of oatmeal from the kitchen. "You were sleeping so soundly, I didn't want to wake you." Lily looked at me, slowly put down her spoon, and whispered to Julian. "Daddy, I'm done eating. You and Mommy need to take me to go shoot your wedding photos now." It felt like a needle piercing my heart, but it didn't hurt as much as it used to. Julian froze. Audrey jumped up in a panic, rushing to explain. "Clara, I was reading her a bedtime story last night, and it had a picture of a couple taking wedding photos. She thought Julian and I... Her body is still weak, so we just pretended we were going to take photos so she wouldn't get upset..." Hearing this, Lily burst into tears. "Why are we pretending?! Aren't Mommy and Daddy in love?! You promised last night that you would stay with me forever..." She cried her heart out. Julian was silent for a moment, then finally crouched down to comfort her. His voice was incredibly soft. "Mommy was just joking. Of course we love each other. And we love you most of all." "Be a good girl and stop crying. You're going to be our little flower girl today. If your eyes are puffy, the photos won't look pretty." I stood in my own living room, completely superfluous. Before he walked out the door, Julian finally looked at me. "Clara, just rest at home today. We'll have a long talk when I get back." As if sensing something was wrong, he paused at the door and looked back. "I know you feel wronged. After our wedding next month, I promise I'll take you to the Maldives for our honeymoon." I didn't say a word. I just grabbed the door handle and shut it in his face. Through the door, I could hear Audrey's anxious voice. "Julian, you've done so much for me and Lily. Is this going to ruin things between you and Clara? She looks like she wants me dead." "Don't overthink it. She's just throwing a little fit." "But she was packing her bags last night! What if she actually leaves you?" Julian was quiet for a second before his deep voice drifted through the wood. "She won't." Audrey paused. "You're that sure?" "Clara loves me. She always compromises for me. We've been together for seven years. She won't be able to let that go." My endless compromises had given Julian the confidence to hurt me without a second thought. Seven years of love. It was just leverage to him. A guarantee that I would never walk away. In that exact moment, the very last lingering trace of reluctance in my heart shattered into dust. I dragged my packed suitcase to the entryway. I called a demolition crew and paid them to come smash everything in the nursery. Then, I walked out the door and locked it behind me. Just as I reached the lobby of my apartment building, my phone rang. It was Julian. He sounded frantic. "Clara, Lily fainted." "She's in the ER triage right now. I'm not sure if she needs another transfusion yet, but I need you to come to the hospital right—" I cut him off. "Julian. We're done. Let's break up." Julian's voice hitched. "What did you just say?" Audrey's sobbing voice bled through the receiver. "Clara, this is all my fault! Please don't threaten Julian with a breakup, he's so stressed—" I thought about the "family" wedding photo she had posted to her Instagram story barely thirty minutes ago. It was so hilariously pathetic. Julian was about to yell something when a rushed, frantic voice interrupted him in the background. "Dr. Vance! You asked me to pull Clara's chart to see if she was cleared for a blood draw." "The system says she underwent a late-term medical termination yesterday morning! She had massive post-op hemorrhaging!"