You Were My Only Once

After fuming all night, I spent the early morning scrolling through my phone, with no message from Amanda.

When the sun was fully up, I shook off the lingering heaviness in my head and gave a wry smile.

I must not matter much to Amanda. If I had died in this accident, she might have felt relieved, free to pursue a relationship with Russell without any baggage.

I had been staring blankly at the sunlight streaming through the window when the nurse entered the room.

"Michael—has your family not arrived yet?"

I managed a strained smile. "If there's something you need to tell me, just go ahead. I can take it."

Aside from Amanda, I had no other family. I was born in an orphanage and was adopted by the Pierce family when I was ten. They were wonderful people, but fate was unkind to them; they died in a plane crash. Once again, I found myself alone.

I had hoped that marrying Amanda would give me a new family, but now it seemed that this family was unraveling, too.

The nurse's face showed pity as she handed me a report. "We found a tumor in your brain. The situation isn't great. You have two options: surgery or conservative treatment. The success rate for surgery is only thirty percent. I suggest you discuss this with your family."

I was taken aback, gripping the report tightly. My expression must have looked awful. The nurse, sensing my distress, tried to offer some comfort. "If you can get a renowned specialist, the success rate for the surgery could improve. Don't lose hope."

I thanked her, said I'd think it over, and proceeded with my discharge paperwork.

Standing outside the hospital, I was momentarily at a loss about where to go.

After much deliberation, I decided to return home. My anxiety about the future made me crave some comfort from family—even a simple word of concern could give me immense courage.

When I got home and opened the door, I was greeted by a sight that nearly stopped me in my tracks.

Russell was emerging from the bathroom, wearing my clothes and drying his hair.

He seemed surprised to see me but quickly put on a smug grin. "You're back. I thought you'd be staying at the hospital a bit longer."

"Who's here?" Amanda's voice called from the kitchen, accompanied by the aroma of cooking.

Amanda, who hadn't shown any concern for me while I was in the hospital, was now cooking for Russell.

In the years we'd been married, Amanda had never cooked for herself. She'd always relied on me, playfully demanding that I prepare the meals.

She once joked that she'd starve without my cooking. I even enrolled in a cooking course to learn various cuisines for her.

Now, she was in the kitchen, preparing food for someone else.

The realization hit me like a punch to the gut, leaving me feeling dizzy and unsteady.