In the Name of Love

I nodded numbly, grabbed a cloth, and kneeled on the ground to wipe up the spilled wine.

Byron tapped his temple with his fingers, saying, "Dana, your ability to seduce people hasn't diminished over the years."

His gaze was both angry and satisfied, radiating the arrogance of someone in power.

Around me, people watched with amusement, and Rosa looked on too, her eyes filled with disdain and smug satisfaction.

I lifted my eyes to Byron, wanting to explain, but when I opened my mouth, no words came out.

At seven years old, I had entered the Estrada family home. Byron, faced with the sudden addition of a little sister, was unusually happy about it.

In the beginning, I was plagued by nightmares, drowning in an endless sea of water, suffocating.

Byron would give me his favorite Doraemon doll to keep me company at night, draping his beloved Doraemon blanket over me.

"Doraemon can do anything. It'll protect you. And I'll protect you too. You won't need to be scared anymore."

The childhood bond between us grew into something deeper over the years.

I knew Byron loved me. His teenage affections were wild and carefree, and as the son of the Estradas, he was a bright star wherever he went.

I liked him too, but my feelings were wrapped in insecurity and sensitivity. I was always cautious and afraid of losing my family and the warmth of the life I had.

But Miriam and Osbert Estrada—my adoptive parents—didn't care about any of that; they tacitly accepted our feelings for each other.

"Dana is beautiful and accomplished, the perfect daughter-in-law. We couldn't ask for a better match for Byron!"

Miriam would hug me, her eyes full of warmth.

We were childhood sweethearts, and loving him had become ingrained in my life.

We were the perfect couple in school, two years apart. When Byron was about to graduate, he promised me that he would marry me in the grandest wedding.

And he kept his word. In my sophomore year, we got engaged.

Byron and I became the most romantic fairy tale in Dystenia, and the media couldn't get enough of us.

"Mr. Estrada, we hear Ms. Frost is your adoptive sister. Were your parents against your relationship?"

"We hear Ms. Frost's family and the Estradas have a long history—was your relationship based on that family connection?"

Byron's arm was around my shoulders, his hand warm and firm.

"First of all, Dana and I are together because we love each other deeply. Secondly, if you only have stupid questions like that, you might as well shut up."

At that time, we were truly in love, never imagining that one day we'd be hurting each other like we were now.

The phone rang, interrupting my thoughts—it was the hospital.

A bad feeling gripped me, and I pressed the answer button.

"Dr. Frost, Bibi's condition has worsened. We're trying to stabilize her—please hurry!"

The nurse's voice was frantic.

My mind went blank. I rushed up from the floor and bolted for the door, but the noise behind me faded into a distant buzz in my ears.

I stumbled into the hospital room, and the sight of doctors crowding around the bed made my heart race.

"Bibi! Bibi!"

I rushed to her side, panic rising. Bibi's eyes were shut, her long lashes resting on her eyelids, making her look as if she were peacefully asleep.

I had always called her the most beautiful little princess...

But my little princess no longer responded to my calls.

"Dr. Frost, you know how lethal leukemia is in children. You've seen this before. I'm really sorry."

One of my colleagues placed a hand on my shoulder to comfort me.

I touched Bibi's soft face, remembering how she'd never cried during her treatments. Even when her eyes were red from pain, she would tell me, "Mom, don't be sad. It doesn't hurt."

When her leukemia kept coming back, Bibi once said to me, "Mom, if I die, you can have another baby and forget about me. Don't be sad."

Was it then that Bibi knew? Did she feel death coming? Did she suffer when she passed? Was she scared without me by her side?

My hand brushed against my bag, and I felt something sticky. The strawberry ice cream had melted. My Bibi would never come back.

I collapsed over her bed, crying, my heart breaking.

A vast wave of sorrow engulfed me, and everything around me spun before I lost consciousness.