A Final Farewell: Love Ignored

My father lies on a hospital bed, barely breathing as he asks to see my husband once more. However, my husband's phone is turned off that day.

I hurry to his company to look for him, but his secretary stops me and tells me there's a company policy that says they don't allow me and dogs to enter.

I kneel before the building and beg for help, but someone records me and twists the truth. Later, I watch the video and see Eugene Fort carrying his true love, who's cut her finger, into the car.

My father ultimately dies without seeing Eugene. I stay up all night to handle the wake and funeral. The following day, I finally receive a call from Eugene.

He sounds impatient as he says, "Come to the hospital. Ivy needs help."

I was negotiating a huge business deal with a prospective client when I received the hospital's call. If I could score this deal, Castor Group would stand a better chance of turning the tables.

However, from the conversation, the client made his attitude clear to me—if not for the fact that I was Eugene Fort's wife, he wouldn't have given me the time of day.

That wasn't the most pressing matter, though. I panicked when I heard what the doctor told me over the phone and hurried off, not even remembering to apologize to the client before leaving.

I crouched by Dad's bedside, my face covered in tears as I watched him speak with difficulty. "I won't ask for anything else. All I hope is that you and Eugene are happy together…"

He looked behind me. "Where is he?"

I pulled out my phone with trembling hands. "He's busy at work. I'll call him right now."

The call connected but was rejected almost immediately. I tried again several times, but nothing changed.

Eugene and I had a business marriage alliance, but everyone knew I'd liked him since childhood. He, however, only had eyes for Ivy Green. Just as I thought my blatant crush on him would ultimately fail, he'd come to me and told me Ivy had leukemia. Coincidentally, my bone marrow was a match for hers.

So, we'd come to an agreement. He would give me the title of his wife and allow me to enjoy the perks that came with it, which I had for the past three years. In exchange, I would become a walking bone marrow donor and be on standby to save Ivy's life.

Over the years, Eugene and I had always pretended to be a loving couple before Dad. I didn't expect everything to come crashing down at this moment. I met Dad's gaze and lied through my teeth. "Eugene's having a meeting, Dad. I'll bring him to you."

Dad looked hesitant as he stared listlessly at the ceiling. Ultimately, he nodded. "Okay…"

…

When I hurried to Eugene's company, his secretary, Michael Lowry, barred me from entering. Michael raised an eyebrow before signaling behind him. Then, he