Chapter 2

Elena briefly looked stunned at my calm face, but the expression lasted only a second before morphing into understanding.

"You should have acted like this sooner, Aaron." She breathed a sigh of relief and placed a hand on my shoulder, as if rewarding my obedience. "Do you know how much pressure I’ve been under these past few days? The company is going through a merger, and at home, there's the whole situation with Liam... You finally look like a proper husband and older brother."

We walked into the living room. The usually empty sofa was now full of people.

My father and mother, Richard and Margaret, sat there like a jury waiting to sentence a criminal.

Liam was leaning against my mother's embrace, looking pale, his usually gentle eyes gazing at me guiltily.

"How long are you going to throw a tantrum?" Margaret opened her mouth, her voice laden with disappointment. "Elena said you ran away from home over a few pots of flowers? Aaron, we brought you back into this family years ago; why haven't you shed a single ounce of that slum-bred selfishness?"

Richard took off his glasses and wiped them, his voice low but even more grating. "Do you not know the state of your brother's health? Sincere, kind... if you could just learn a tiny fraction of Liam's wonderful qualities, this house wouldn't be so deprived of peace."

If it were the old me, I would have already started defending myself.

I would have said that those flowers were my blood, sweat, and tears. I would have said that I was exhausted too. I would have asked why my feelings were always put last.

But now, these words failed to stir any desire to argue within me.

"I'm sorry," I said flatly.

That one apology dropped the living room into a brief, deathly silence.

Their prepared lectures had landed softly on cotton.

"Since you realize you're wrong," my father cleared his throat, steering the conversation to their true objective, "then you should have also come around regarding the bone marrow donation."

"The doctor said you are currently the only 100% HLA match," my mother quickly added. "It's just a little bone marrow; it grows back. It won't harm your body at all. Stop using the excuse that you’re preparing your body for a second child, Aaron. It is God’s will that you save your brother first."

Liam chimed in weakly, "Brother, if you were sick, I would definitely..."

My mother cut him off, staring at me coldly. "A living, breathing human life versus a child that doesn't even exist yet. Do you really not know which is more important?"

I looked at Elena.

If it had been before, my eyes would have been pleading with her for help.

But she merely avoided my gaze, looked down, and smoothed her skirt, remaining silent.

"Let's vote!"

Lily, who had been playing her Switch on the side, suddenly jumped off the sofa and stood in the middle of the coffee table like a little judge administering justice. "My teacher said that when there's a hard decision to make, we should vote. It’s called democracy!"

"I think that's a wonderful idea." My father actually nodded in approval. "It’s the most fair method."

A sense of absurdity washed over me like a tide, but I didn't feel suffocated. I just felt like I was watching a slapstick comedy.

"Those who agree that Daddy should donate his bone marrow to save Uncle Liam, raise your hand!" Lily was the first to thrust her hand high into the air, looking at me provocatively.

Then my father.

Then my mother.

Liam bit his lip, large tears rolling down his face, crying, "I don't want my brother to suffer," while tremblingly raising his right hand.

Four votes.

Everyone's eyes finally fell on Elena.

That was the woman I had once loved so deeply. At this moment, she looked at the room full of expectant eyes, and then at my expressionless face.

Her brow furrowed slightly. Finally, the hand wearing our wedding ring went up, slowly but firmly.

Passed unanimously.

This was my family. They were working together, using a civilized, democratic, and 'warm' method, to push me onto the operating table.

"Alright," I heard myself say.

The air in the living room instantly relaxed.

My mother revealed a comforting smile: "See? I told you Aaron was sensible."

Elena walked over and tried to hug me, her voice so gentle it was almost sickeningly sweet: "That's right, Aaron. We'll live a good life from now on. I will make it up to you."

That warm touch made my stomach turn, but I didn't dodge.

Just then, Lily's iPad on the coffee table rang.

It was a video call request.

"Oh, it's my homeroom teacher!" Lily exclaimed. Elena absentmindedly answered the call.

A middle-aged female teacher appeared on the screen, the background a bit noisy.

"Sorry to bother you so late; my car broke down on the road, so I have to do this home visit via video," the teacher pushed up her glasses, her gaze sweeping over the people in front of the screen, finally locking onto Elena, Lily, and Liam, who was sitting right next to them.

"Mrs. Ward, and Mr. Ward." The teacher smiled and nodded at Liam. "Your teamwork at the parent-child sports day this time was simply perfect. I heard other parents talking about the three-legged race. They said it's rare to see parents and children with such a great bond. Lily is so lucky to have parents like you two."

The air froze again.

Liam's face instantly flushed red, and he panicked, trying to explain, "No, Teacher, I'm not—"

"You don't need to apologize!" Lily suddenly yelled, cutting Liam off. In that moment, she erupted with a terrifying protectiveness, turning around to glare at me fiercely. "I was the one who asked Uncle Liam to go! I didn't want Daddy at my sports day anyway!"

I stood in the shadows where the camera couldn't reach, watching this unfold.

Elena's facial expression changed.

She subconsciously looked at me, a flash of panic in her eyes.

Normally, I would have rushed over, grabbed the iPad, and questioned the teacher, or I would have turned red with anger and scolded Lily.

Elena probably assumed that since I had agreed to donate the bone marrow, she’d have to coddle my feelings this time. She likely already had her lines prepared in her head: "Aaron, the child is just being immature, don't argue with her. Throwing a temper tantrum now will just make us a joke to outsiders."

Once I was done venting, she would make me apologize to Lily, and that would be the end of it—her "gift" of mercy to me for agreeing to the transplant.

Lily held her head high, neck stiff, like a warrior waiting to charge, determined not to back down even if she was scolded.

One second, two seconds.

I didn't rush over.

I simply walked up slowly and picked up the iPad.

The teacher on the screen froze, seemingly confused as to who the man stepping out of the corner was.

I handed the iPad to Liam.

"You guys chat, then," I yawned, my tone as flat as if discussing tomorrow's weather. "Since the teacher likes your teamwork so much, don't disappoint her. I'm a bit tired, so I'm going to take a shower and go to bed."

With that, without looking at anyone, I turned and walked toward the bedroom.

Behind me was a deathly silence.

I could feel Elena's gaze glued to my back, carrying a deep, unprecedented panic.