After My Groom Adopted Her Child, I Vanished

In a previous life, Kolton Long and I submitted our marriage papers, yet his demeanor toward me became increasingly distant. I thought that was just his nature and didn’t give it much thought. Little did I know, as my final days approached, that Bailee Diaz had always been the unreachable dream beside him. She remained unmarried throughout her life for his sake.

At last, when Kolton was forty, he was moved by Bailee’s devotion, and they adopted a little girl together. Even my son, Cayden, was touched by the sincerity of their relationship. He secretly kept in touch with them, and it wasn’t until my deathbed that he accidentally revealed that his dad and Aunt Bailee had finally come together. Until then, I had been oblivious.

That's when I realized my entire life had been a mockery. Kolton’s aloofness and every job transfer—everything had a reason. It was all because of Bailee. His every assignment took him far away from me. Despite being his lawful wife for six decades, the days we actually spent together probably added up to less than a year.

When I went into labor and nearly lost my life, he wasn’t there. When Cayden fell ill in the middle of the night, I carried him in the pouring rain for three hours before finding a doctor. Even when our parents became sick and passed away, he remained absent. In contrast, Bailee was always by his side.

Bailee started as an ordinary nurse and then became his personal doctor. He felt he owed her for her silent dedication and companionship. So, he agreed to adopt a child with her, allowing Bailee’s child to call him "Dad." Even my son seemed to wish for my early passing to fulfill this tragic love story.

Bailee would brew coffee in the mornings, the rich aroma filling the room, while I clung to memories of once-treasured tea rituals. The Thanksgiving table, meant for family unity, echoed with their laughter, the kind I never heard. Instead of dumplings, ravioli was served—a comfort I never truly embraced.

While I wore Victorian-style dresses, feeling out of place in their elegance, they celebrated each moment with an authenticity that always eluded me. Every mountain retreat they took in the Alps was another reminder of my solitude, places I once longed to visit but never did.

As the years passed, technology intertwined us in a world where gifts were seldom exchanged face-to-face, and WhatsApp messages carried more meaning than any personal touch. Yet, that was how Cayden maintained his bond with them, sending messages that shared warmth I hadn’t experienced in years.