Goodbye Expired Love

Everyone said I was lucky to marry Ryder, who was gentle and kind.

But I knew he was cold and didn't like to talk to people.

Marrying him was my selfish decision.

However, I had my advantages.

Because in this world, there was no one else who looked exactly like Leticia, my older sister.

And just when I thought life would continue like this forever...

Leticia, who had been lying in bed for three years, woke up.

——

Today was the third anniversary of our marriage.

Ryder was a doctor and usually had many surgeries, so he didn't have much time to rest.

I begged him for several days, and he finally agreed to take this day off for me.

I changed into the new dress I bought and dressed up nicely.

Thinking that he didn't like eating at restaurants, I bought groceries and cooked at home.

After cooking, I went to the study to find him as usual.

Ryder leaned back in his chair, took off his glasses, and rubbed his temples.

He stood up and hugged me, kissing my forehead.

"Happy third anniversary."

I smiled and responded to him, ignoring the pile of research papers on the vegetative state that I just saw on the table with my peripheral vision.

Just as we sat down at the dining table, his phone suddenly rang.

Within five seconds of answering the call, Ryder stood up abruptly and even bumped into the dining table.

The hot fish soup splashed onto my arm, causing me to cry out in pain.

And Ryder stood there, looking stunned and unbelieving.

"Macie, Leticia is awake..."

This was the third year that I had spent with him as a substitute for Leticia.

It seemed to be the last year as well.

Four years ago, Leticia was hit by a car going in the wrong direction when she drove to find her husband, who went to drink in the middle of the night in a fit of pique.

She suffered a severe cerebral hemorrhage and was eventually diagnosed as a vegetable.

The whole family almost collapsed, and overnight, my father's hair turned gray and my mother cried her heart out.

I looked at Leticia, who was lying motionless on the sick bed, and shed tears as well.

To a vegetable, recovering consciousness was a rare event.

But everyone insisted and hoped that she would wake up one day.

Among them was her attending physician, Ryder.

He was also the person I had liked for eight years.

I had seen Ryder sitting quietly by Leticia's bedside looking at her many times.

There was tenderness and worry in his eyes.

Sometimes, when his eyes got dry, he went to the hospital's corridor to smoke.

It was not too bad if the time was short, but if it was long, everyone felt a bit discouraged.

What if she never woke up in her lifetime?

I had heard my parents arguing.

Mom blames Dad for taking away Leticia but not taking good care of her.

Dad blames Mom for insisting on giving birth to me.

And I stood still, confused about why I should be blamed for this.

Ryder's condition was getting worse, and his desk was piled with materials.

His frequency of smoking had increased, and sometimes, he would take a day off because of drinking.

So, when he sat in the corridor, smoking again...

I snatched his cigarette and asked him with a smile, "Can I pursue you?"

By that time, my hair had grown long.

The way I smiled was exactly the same as Leticia.

Time passed quickly.

With my company, his sadness became less frequent.

I went to the hospital frequently, brought him food, and told him some interesting stories to make him happy.

Our relationship became closer and closer, until one day...

It was a snowy day, and I thought he didn't bring an umbrella, so I hurriedly took an umbrella and a scarf to pick him up.

He stood in the corridor, and I tiptoed to put the scarf on him.

He asked why I didn't wear it myself, and then, I realized that my neck was empty.

Suddenly, he hugged me, buried his face in my neck, and gently brushed my neck with his lips.

He said, "Let's get married."

I was excited and at a loss, holding him and asking why.

He paused for a moment, rubbed the place he had just touched with his hand, and looked gentle.

"Because in this world, I can't find anyone else who looks so much like Leticia."

I suddenly remembered that I had a mole in the same place as Leticia on my neck.

We received blessings from many people for our wedding.

The nurses looked at me with envy.

But in Ryder's eyes, he was just looking at someone else through me.

The one who he wanted to give happiness had always been Leticia.

But I had been watching for too many years, so I was willing to be someone else's substitute.

And now, I didn't even have the qualification to be a substitute.