Love Hanging By A Thread

Tears welled up in my eyes, a torrent of emotions unleashed by Michael's icy indifference.

I felt even more sorry for Stella, whose life was a tapestry of misery. I was powerless to save her.

Realizing that Michael would not accompany me, I rushed to the hospital alone.

Tina's mocking voice reached into my ears, "I told you she was a liar, and she left when she saw that she couldn't deceive you."

"Leave her alone."

"Michael, look at our precious puppies. They are adorable. We are going to be grandparents!"

...

Arriving at the hospital, I found Stella's face ashen. She was frail and lifeless.

When she saw me, she attempted to lift her head, searching behind me for someone who wasn't there.

"I'm sorry, Stella."

I choked with guilt.

Tears traced paths down her cheeks as she responded, "Lilia, it's okay. I know you really care about me. It's my brother who is sorry for you."

I held her hand, sorrow mingling with her understanding and the hardships she had endured.

With a weak smile, she asked, "Lilia, I want to say something to my brother. Can you record it for me?"

With tears in my eyes, I pressed the recording button. "Stella, your brother is not here. If you have anything to say to him, I will definitely tell him."

She nodded at me. "Michael, when Bob died, I didn't want to live anymore. But I thought he died to save you, so I always felt I owed him. When he knew I was pregnant, he was so happy. I just wanted to keep his bloodline.

"You are my brother. I have never hated you. I just think I have a terrible fate. But why don't you save my child?

"Michael, after I die, don't touch me and my baby. Lilia should take care of my funeral. I don't want to see you again.

"You are blind and unworthy of Lilia. If you divorce, please don't bully her. You owe me two lives, so I ask you to return this favor to Lilia."

Her words trailed off when she asked me to turn off the recording.

Her eyes were fixed on the silent baby beside her.

With great effort, she took my hand and whispered, "Lilia, I'm sorry to trouble you again."

Then, her breath ceased.

I picked up the baby, whose tiny body was marred by bruises.

I placed her next to Stella.

As the doctors covered them with white cloth and wheeled them into the morgue, I wept uncontrollably.

The child was the daughter Bob and Stella had longed for and had been born weighing more than three kilograms.

If not for Michael's absence, Stella and her daughter could have lived healthy lives.

My chest felt constricted, a wet cotton ball of grief suffocating me.

I had given up on Michael, yet it was he who had first betrayed my trust.

I remembered our first meeting in the hospital.

At that time, my colleague, Jennifer Whitman, was pregnant.

But her boyfriend offered her two thousand dollars and abandoned her after knowing about her pregnancy.

Jennifer was my friend. Desperately, she had asked me to accompany her for an abortion.

It was Michael who had attended to us then.

He exuded an air of neatness, and his speech was refined and gentlemanly. Besides, his attentiveness to his work was impeccable.

My first impression of him was favorable.

When I witnessed him bowing reverently to the tiny embryo, I sensed an even deeper reverence for life within him.

Later, Jennifer wished to treat him to a meal to express her gratitude. His gaze softly landed on me.

Sensing my shyness, he smiled and said to me, "It's my honor."

Those words resonated deeply within me.

As I got to know him better, I found him to be even more exceptional than I had initially thought.

After he professed his feelings for me, our relationship progressed smoothly.

Yet, I had never dared to accept his proposal, feeling that he was perhaps a bit too rational in his dealings with me.

That perception shifted when I accidentally broke my leg.

Despite being a doctor, he wept like a child.

Whenever he noticed any discomfort in me, he would rush out, shouting, "Doctor! Doctor!"

This behavior led to many humorous moments.

His eyes would often redden secretly when I was in pain.

He blamed himself for not being able to protect me.

It was then that I was certain of his love, and we eventually married.

Post-marriage, he remained rational and composed, yet he also shared everything with me openly and trustingly.

The shift in our dynamic, I believe, began with Tina's return.

It was then that I realized he harbored feelings for his first love.

I watched as they grew closer and as he performed absurd acts for Tina.

He even left Stella, the person he cared about the most, to my care.

He was gradually moving away from me, step by step, leaving me utterly anxious.

In my desperation to regain his attention, I became hysterical, only to be met with increased disdain from him.

He was blind to Tina's manipulations and oblivious to my grievances.

His refrain became a constant echo. "Lilia, are you done? Lilia, have you had enough? Lilia, you really disappoint me."

Ultimately, I gave up and sought a divorce.

However, out of pity for Stella, I decided to wait until she had given birth.

I never anticipated that Stella would die.

After all, Michael was Stella's brother.

Although Stella had expressed much blame towards him before her death, this girl, with her tough exterior but soft heart, deserved better.

I decided to call Michael anyway.

Perhaps the puppies had been born, so Michael answered the phone swiftly this time. His first question was, "Did Stella give birth?"

I responded with a sneer, "Michael, let's get divorced."

Remembering Stella, I added, "Stella and the child are gone. If you still have a conscience, come to the hospital to see them for the last time."