Only If His Heart Still Echoed Mine

But Everest didn't seem to remember any of the vows he had once made.

Fighting back my tears and disappointment, I said, "Alright."

Everest froze, like he couldn't believe I had agreed so easily. Just as he turned to head back to grab the pendant, I stopped him and handed him the medical bill folder from the hospital, with the divorce papers I had prepared tucked between the pages.

"These are the hospital bills. Take a look and sign if everything's fine."

"Sure!"

Without even glancing at the documents, he grabbed a pen and hurriedly scrawled his name.

My heart felt cold as I watched him leave. I couldn't believe Dad and my older brother, Archer Lane, had sacrificed their lives to save a man like him.

Seven years ago, during an overseas operation, Dad took a bullet meant for Everest and died in the mud just to get him out of an enemy encirclement. To cover Everest's retreat, Archer was captured and hung from a city tower, exposed to the scorching sun for three days and nights.

They even threatened him with Dad's body to make him talk, but he chose to bite off his tongue and die rather than give up Everest's location.

As for my younger sister, Seraphina Lane, she was kidnapped as revenge against Everest and died on her 15th birthday.

When they found her, her body was stripped bare, and there wasn't a single unbroken patch of skin. Every bone in her hands and feet was crushed.

When I received the news, I lost all will to lie and nearly took my life. It was Everest who knelt before me and begged me to stay alive. Under the Unit's arrangements, he gave me a grand wedding and promised to treat me well for the rest of my life.

But I never imagined that seven years of love and devotion wouldn't stand a chance against two months of Selene. The difference between love and apathy was as clear as day.

As the thought crossed my mind, I forced down the metallic taste rising in my throat and pulled out the divorce papers under the recommendation letter Everest had just left.

All he had to do was flip just one page further, and he would have seen our divorce papers. The ink was still fresh with his signature.

I recalled what the nurse had hesitantly said in the hospital.

"Ms. Lane, your body is aggressively rejecting the transplanted heart. If we don't intervene immediately, you likely won't make it past the next three days."

I ran my fingers over the paper and let out a self-deprecating laugh.

"What a relief, Everest. I'll finally be free of you in just three days."

…

Before leaving, I distributed all the vegetables I had grown in my yard to my neighbors. Then, I carried my basket to the local shop.

My eyes swept past the window and landed on a red coat displayed, and I paused.

In seven years of marriage, I had never been able to justify spending that much money on myself.

Before I could speak, the shop assistant, Monica Rhodes, teased me warmly, "Colonel Quentin bought a coat and perfume here just a couple of days ago, and now he's asked me to set aside the latest arrival. You're really lucky, Ms. Lane."

My hands holding the basket froze.

I had always been frugal, and Everest had never bought me such an expensive gift.

The scent of that perfume was familiar, which was the same scent I had smelled on his coat. I realized then that he had bought those for Selene.

As his wife, I had spent seven years painstakingly caring for all his needs, yet I hadn't earned so much as a bottle of perfume or a new coat. Selene did nothing, yet she got everything so easily.

I wasn't sure if I felt more heartbroken or disappointed. When I looked up and met Monica's envious eyes, I said, "Give me a bottle of perfume and the red coat. I'm buying them for myself."

Now that I was at the end of my life, I wanted to be kinder to myself.

When I got home, Everest was nowhere to be found. Instead, I saw a photo of my parents on the table, and my heart gave a sharp, uncontrollable throb.

I was a sickly child, and Mom had always brewed chicken soup for me.

"You're the most precious girl in the world, deserving of love, Aurora," she used to say. "You have to stay healthy so you can grow up strong!"