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693words2026-01-26 09:08

A car accident left me without my right arm and one kidney.
During the darkest,most soul-crushing months,my CEO wife,Emily Watson,left her company to stay by my side day and night,neglecting her own well-being.
But in the fifth year of our marriage, I accidentally overheard a conversation between Emily and her doctor friend.

“Back then,you deliberately hired someone to hit your husband with a car.Transplanting a kidney to Nathan Brooks was one thing,but ruining a painter’s hand—aren’t you afraid he’ll find out and lose it?”
“Losing an arm won’t prevent him from eating.Nathan would’ve died without the surgery.”
“As a form of compensation,I’ve sacrificed my own happiness for James Miller. Being a kept man for the rest of his life is his lucky break.”
Emily’s cold voice left me reeling,as if struck by lightning.
The months after the accident,her hospital vigil wasn’t for me.
It was for her true love,Nathan.

I don’t want this so-called “fortune.” And I don’t want you either.
Standing outside her office, listening to Emily and her doctor friend, I could barely keep my balance.
“You plotted to save Nathan by hurting your husband—I won’t dwell on that.But a perfectly good man losing his arm?That’s just tragic.”
Emily fell silent for a moment before saying she’d instructed the driver to hit at a precise angle.

Who could have predicted he’d be so reckless?
“Is Nathan really worth all that?If this gets out,you plotted against your own husband—you’ll be ruined and jailed!”
“As long as Nathan is healthy and happy,my life doesn’t matter.If my kidney had matched,I wouldn’t have gone through all this—I’d have donated it willingly.”
Her friend’s tone softened with pity.
“But your husband loves you and painting so much.Aren’t you afraid he’ll find out and can’t take it?”
That day,I was on my way to an art contest with my paintings.
The accident destroyed not only my work but also my hand.
The excruciating pain and despair surged back.
But Emily’s tone remained eerily calm, sending shivers down my spine.
“My heart belongs to Nathan,but I’ve given James my lifelong happiness.”
“He’s always wanted a kid,hasn’t he?Fine,I’ll have one this year for him to raise at home.He’ll be thrilled.”
Her voice finally faltered,tinged with a hint of concern.
“Enough.Don’t bring this up again.How’s Nathan’s checkup today?”
I couldn’t listen to the doctor’s reply.
Numb,I stumbled away.
I’d come because I wasn’t feeling well,intending to see Emily’s friend without bothering her,since she said she was busy.
Little did I know that she’d be with Nathan for his checkup.
At home,I unearthed my pre-amputation paintings,tears soaking my face.
My phone buzzed with Emily’s message,but I ignored it.
After crying for hours, I was in a daze when Emily returned, carrying an elaborate box.
“I was at a client dinner with Mr.Thompson tonight and had the chef make extra lobster bisque.They teased me for being a doting wife.”
In the past,her small gestures touched me.
Today, all I could see was deceit and lies.
Nathan had posted a nightscape of red wine an hour ago,tagged at the same hotel rooftop Emily mentioned.
When I didn’t eagerly reach for the soup or pull her close,Emily tiptoed and kissed my lips.
The commanding,aloof CEO was suddenly tender and loving with me.
It used to make my heart skip a beat.
But this time,as I tasted the faint hint of red wine on her lips, my heart twisted in pain, and nausea welled up inside me.
I pushed her away.She noticed the old portrait I’d painted of her in my arms.
Her face stiffened for a moment before returning to normal.
“Why’d you dig these out?I told you not to look at them—you’ll get upset and sick.It hurts me to see you like this.”
Before,when I missed painting,she’d say this.
I thought she cared about my health,so I locked away all art-related items.
Now, looking back, it seemed utterly ridiculous.
The woman I loved,my childhood sweetheart,was the mastermind behind shattering my body and dreams.
“James,don’t you want a child?I’m ready to make that happen.”
Emily,tipsy,her eyes hazy,wrapped her arms around me,planting kisses along my jaw.
I shoved her away and stumbled towards the bathroom.