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In the third year of my marriage, my mother was diagnosed with acute leukemia. She urgently needed a bone marrow transplant, so I searched far and wide for a compatible donor. But when I finally found one, the doctor broke the news: the marrow was already reserved for Louise Carter, a family friend of my husband, Adam. Louise‘ s family history of leukemia made her a priority.
Desperation flooded me. I knelt on the ground, pleading with Adam, my husband of three years. “Please, Adam,” I begged, tears staining my face. “She’s all I have. My mother needs this marrow to survive.”
Adam frowned, crossing his arms as if my pleas annoyed him. “Three years ago, you told me your mother was dying and look, she’s still here, isn’t she?” he replied. coldly.
“But Louise? She‘ s fragile, Claire and you
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know that. Now, you‘ re asking me to take her one chance of survival for your own mother? Where’s your humanity?”
The day my mother passed was also our wedding anniversary. I remembered standing there, the weight of my grief crushing my chest and wondering where Adam could be. I hadn‘ t heard from him. in hours. After finalizing my mother‘ s arrangements, I saw something that shattered me even further.
Adam and Louise had posted photos together on social media. She‘ d captioned it, “So grateful to be with the best man ever.” They were laughing, carefree.
I returned home in a daze, carrying my mother’s last belongings, only to find a pair of women’s high heels by the door. My stomach twisted as Louise herself waltzed in, her feet in my mother’s hand- knitted slippers.
“Oh, Claire!” she exclaimed, covering her mouth in exaggerated surprise. “If I‘ d
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known you were coming back tonight, I’d have told Adam to pick you up.”
Her smile was sweet, but something about her tone made my blood run cold. The image of my mother’s lifeless face flashed in my mind and I couldn’t contain the rage boiling within me.
“These are my mother’s slippers!” I shouted, rushing forward and shoving her back. “You have no right to wear them!”
She stumbled back, feigning shock and clutched onto Adam as he entered the room. “Adam!” she gasped, voice trembling. “I didn’t know… I’m so sorry. I only wore them because you said it was okay.”
Adam‘ s expression darkened as he glared at me. “Claire, what’s gotten into you? Are you really this desperate? They’re just slippers!”
He picked up the slippers and hurled them at my feet. “Take them and stop acting
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like this.”
The slippers hit my face and I felt my nose start to bleed. Louise shrieked, acting panicked. “Adam, don‘ t blame her. I’ll be fine. Please, just check on Claire… I don’t want to cause any problems between you two.”
“Forget her,” he growled, pulling Louise close. “She’s been playing the poor, innocent act for years. Remember how she kept telling you her mom had leukemia? What other lies has she spun?”
The tears I had tried so hard to hold back finally spilled over. “Adam!” I screamed, unable to believe his cruelty. “I showed you the diagnosis. I showed you the truth!”
But he just looked at me with scorn.
“Claire, Louise’s family has a history of leukemia. I don’t buy this
‘coincidence‘ with your mom. You‘ d say anything for sympathy.”
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With every word, my heart shattered a little
more. I turned away from him, feeling the coldness that had crept into our home. I decided then and there: this wasn‘ t love. This wasn’t the man I’d thought he was.
