I Gave My All, She Gave Me Away

I suffered critical injuries that left me in a persistent vegetative state when I tried to rescue my wife, Regina Livingston, from her abductors.

Regina spares no expense, spending millions of dollars to bring in the best medical experts in the country to treat me. She watches over me every single night, never weary of caring for me.

Four years into my coma, I overhear a conversation between Richard Sutherland—a man I don't know—and Regina.

"You've done all you can, Regina," he says. "You don't owe him anything anymore."

Regina remains silent.

Then, a young boy, Franklin Sutherland, suddenly asks, "Mommy, why do you always visit this man? Who is he?"

I'm instantly shocked. Regina and I don't have a child together. I'm completely bewildered, and just as I try to figure it out, I suddenly wake up from my coma.

I opened my eyes, feeling as though I had just woken up from a long, drawn-out dream. I tried to move my fingers, which were completely numb, and made an effort to sit up.

It was then that a nurse walked in to check on my vitals. As soon as she saw that I was awake, she turned on her heel and dashed out.

It wasn't long before my loved ones came rushing into the ward.

Regina Livingston gently wrapped her arms around me, her voice trembling with emotion as she exclaimed, "Oh, thank goodness! You're finally awake, Matthew!"

Mom and Dad were standing silently to the side, tears streaming down their faces.

Lydia Smith, my mother-in-law, held my hand, her face etched with worry as she said, "It's truly a miracle. The doctors were even certain that you'd never come out of it."

I was barely able to process the sudden warmth when the door to the hospital room flew open. It was then that a young boy—around four to five years old—ran in, with a fistful of pebbles in his hand. He hurled them at me, yelling, "You phony! Stay away from Mommy—"

He didn't even get to finish his sentence, as a man suddenly burst into the hospital room and clamped his hand over the boy's mouth.

I noticed that the boy was the spitting image of Regina. I then got a good look at that man's face, and I was stunned to see that his features were very similar to mine.

I was completely dumbfounded, my mind momentarily going blank. I couldn't help but wonder who those two people were while a sudden wave of dread washed over me.

I cautiously loosened my grip on Regina and looked at her nervously, hoping for some kind of explanation.

She wouldn't look at me, though. She furrowed her brow and yelled at the man instead, "Richard Sutherland! Get Franklin out of here right now!"

What were the odds that the man actually bore the same last name as me?

Mom and Dad remained silent, while Lydia shot a disapproving look at Regina. "What's with the attitude?"

I