Mistake of a Lifetime: My Husband and My Sister's Child

I make my way to the orphanage after receiving my cancer diagnosis, hoping to bid farewell to the orphan, Lillian Lowe, whom I was sponsoring financially.

I unexpectedly find my husband, Henry Graham, who is meant to be on a business trip, and my sister, Felicity Sullivan, who is meant to be on a vacation. Their fingers are intertwined, while they use their free hands to playfully pinch Lillian's cheeks.

Lillian rushes into their embrace, weeping pitifully. "Can you get rid of that mean lady at home? I just want to go home with Mommy and Daddy."

I finally understand, at that moment, that Henry, whom I thought had loved me the most, is having an affair with Felicity. They even have a child together.

Mom and Dad urge me to divorce Henry and make way for his new family. Lillian, the girl I once held dearly in my heart, curses me to an early death. Henry, the one who betrayed me, insists on keeping our marriage.

It's too late, though. I'm already dying, just as they wished.

Lillian, who once cried so much at the orphanage, now lives in a mansion with a father, a mother, and a pair of doting grandparents. Their perfect little life seems like a never-ending fairy tale.

It is only when my lifeless body is before them that everyone suddenly loses their minds.

Chapter 1

I went to the orphanage to bid farewell to the child I had sponsored financially on the day I received my cancer diagnosis, only to find that the child, Lillian Lowe, was the illegitimate daughter that my husband, Henry Graham, had with my younger sister, Felicity Sullivan.

Mom and Dad had also urged me to divorce Henry so that Felicity could take my place. Lillian, the child I had supported financially and adored dearly, actually wished for my early death.

It was only after I was truly dead that everyone around me unraveled into madness.

I was told by the doctor that I had, at most, a week left to live. I held onto my diagnosis and spent all day trudging through the rain. I was consumed by thoughts of how I would tell my family and Henry, and what I would say to them as a final farewell.

Walking aimlessly, I eventually found myself at Serenity Orphanage. I had been financially supporting Lillian Lowe, a girl who lived there, for three years. Though we weren't related by blood, the years we shared made me long to see Lillian once more before my end.

I unexpectedly spotted Henry there as well.

I hurriedly shoved the diagnosis documents into my handbag and was about to call out to him, but then Felicity came over and hooked her arm through Henry's. In that instant, everything I wanted to say got stuck in my throat.

They held hands and looked lovingly at Lillian, the child I had been supporting for the past three years.

Lillian gripped Henry's finger and asked in a sweet, childlike voice, "When can I come back home with you, Daddy?"

I immediately froze in place; the word "Daddy" hit me with a jolt, making my head spin.

I didn't even have a moment to process what was happening before Felicity started weeping. She buried her face against Henry's chest, staining his clothes with her tears. "How can you allow Lillian to continue to suffer in the orphanage, Henry? Please divorce Whitney already. Lillian and I deserve a legitimate status in your life, Henry."

Henry's eyes fell on the tearful Felicity and Lillian, his eyes showing a mix of agony and conflict. He then let out a sigh and said, "I just need a bit more time."

I leaned against the wall, holding my hand over my mouth to muffle my sobs. I hadn't cried when I got the cancer diagnosis, but now my tears wouldn't stop falling. I couldn't understand how Henry, who had told me that he loved me the previous night, could cheat on me with Felicity.

I was still reeling from the revelation when they led Lillian to the car and got in.

I quickly hailed a cab and followed close behind. They pulled up to Mom and Dad's place, looking every bit the perfect family. I, on the other hand, looked like a mere stranger trailing in their wake.

Upon them stepping inside, Mom and Dad immediately set the cookware in their hands aside and rushed over to welcome them, bending down to affectionately stroke Lillian's head.

"Oh my precious, Lillian! Come and let Grandma and Grandpa give you a hug!"

"You've gotten so thin since I last saw you. What happened?"

Felicity and Henry glanced at each other and smiled, their eyes brimming with happiness as they watched the scene unfold.

I stood in the shadows of the entryway, silently watching everything.

There was still an empty seat at the large table, yet I felt like there was no place for me at all.

In the middle of the meal, Mom suddenly said, "You should stay here tonight, Henry. You three should spend some time together as a family."

Felicity blushed while Lillian jumped in place with joy. "Hooray! I'll sleep in the small room, Grandma. Mommy and Daddy are going to give me a baby brother!"

Lillian's comment caused everyone at the table to erupt in laughter.

Henry, on the other hand, kept his head lowered, lost in his thoughts.

Upon sensing his hesitation, Mom cut straight to the point, saying, "You can rest assured that Whitney won't be coming home tonight since she went to the hospital."

Henry immediately looked up and asked, "What do you mean she's at the hospital? What happened to Whitney?"

Mom scoffed and asked, "What could possibly happen to her? She's probably at the hospital again for that worthless womb of hers."

"You shouldn't say that about Whitney, Mom. She's done her best!" Felicity had a triumphant smile on her face, as though she was speaking up for me.

Henry remained silent; instead, he simply placed some food on Felicity's plate, which seemed to be his way of rewarding her.

I could feel the biting wind brush me through the door that was left slightly ajar, though the chill in my body was nothing compared to the one in my heart.

I had actually suspected something was going on between Henry and Felicity for a long time. Henry, for instance, would often visit Mom and Dad's place, always bringing a huge pile of gifts. He would even bring Felicity dresses and health supplements, as if he knew her preferences better than I did.

Henry's clothes would always carry the scent of the perfume Felicity wore. He always dismissed my questions by saying that it was a coincidence. Yet in hindsight, Felicity often changed her perfumes, and somehow he always wore the matching scent.

I had complained to Mom and Dad about these things, but they rebuked me, saying I was overthinking. They even told me that I was being ungrateful since a good man like Henry was truly a rare find.

It turned out I hadn't been overthinking it at all, and Henry wasn't the good man everyone thought he was.

Mom and Dad, the ones I loved the most, had even conspired to lie to me.

I found myself wondering when their affair began as I watched them look so lovingly at one another. I had been married to Henry for five years, and Lillian was already four years old. I couldn't help but wonder if it started on our wedding dayor even before he asked me to marry him.

I felt a wave of nausea rising within me at that thought. I then felt my grief morph into rage, and I had the urge to barge in there and demand answers from them. I was frozen in place, though, unable to take a single step. I merely stood there and looked at the blissful family before me, my vision blurring as tears filled my eyes.

Chapter 2

I was just about to walk away when a loud thud echoed through the house, pulling my attention back instantly.

Dad suddenly put down his cutlery and said, "You should just divorce Whitney and settle down with Felicity, Henry."

I stopped in my tracks and looked at Henry, who was still eating with his head lowered. His movement faltered for a moment, but his expression remained completely impassive.

Upon noticing Henry's hesitation, Mom chimed in, saying, "Joseph's got a point. Whitney has never been able to conceive, and Lillian is getting older. It makes no sense to keep her at the orphanage any longer, Henry.

"I understand your hesitation, but Whitney has always been very understanding. Joseph and I will come up with an excuse to help you out when the time comes."

Henry's expression grew increasingly impatient, causing Felicity's expression to shift instantly. "That's enough, Mom and Dad. You guys shouldn't make things difficult for Henry. I'm already grateful enough that he has allowed me to keep Lillian."

Upon hearing her tearful voice, Henry's expression softened slightly. "I'm not planning on divorcing Whitney right now. Lillian was an unexpected surprise, and I'm the one to blame, so I have no right to just walk away from her. You can rest assured that I'll take care of Felicity and Lillian."

At those words, everyone's expressions soured, but they managed to put on forced smiles and said, "You're right. Whitney is truly blessed to have landed such a good husband like you, Henry."

Having lost his appetite, Henry was about to get up from his seat when he suddenly spotted me by the doorway. His face blanched as he frantically rushed over, asking, "How long have you been here, Whitney? Why didn't you say anything when you came in?"

It was then that everyone stood up and rushed out.

I noticed the flicker of hostility in Felicity's gaze as she said, "You sure picked the wrong moment to come home. You see, you came back just as dinner was nearly over. I could still heat up some leftovers for you if you'd like, Whitney."

I could tell from her biting remark that her patience had finally run out. I leveled a cold gaze at her and said softly, "That won't be necessary."

Having said that, I simply walked past Henry and approached the dining table.

Henry paused, staring at his empty hand in surprise. He then hurried to my side and tenderly touched my damp hair, whispering, "You're not a child anymore, Whitney. How could you go out without an umbrella? I'd be so worried if you caught a cold."

Henry was so close that I could smell Felicity's perfume on him again.

It was a rather familiar scent. Only a few days had passed since Henry had nuzzled into my neck and whispered, "You smell so lovely. What perfume is this, Whitney?"

Then, the following day, Felicity was wearing the same perfume.

I pushed him away right after that thought struck me, my brow furrowing tightly. "You don't have to concern yourself with me."

Henry stared at me in disbelief. I had never once shown him such treatment; indifference was rare, let alone outright dismissal. His expression then hardened as he asked, "What is this all about, Whitney?"

"What is this all about, huh?" I asked with a sneer before turning to face Lillian, who was glaring at me from the dining table.

Henry's expression stiffened as he followed my line of sight. He then quickly explained, "It's Christmas soon. I was thinking of bringing Lillian home to celebrate with us. You've always doted on her the most, haven't you?"

I did dote on her and treated her like my own daughter, even though she was never kind to me. I once flew to another country just to get her a limited-edition doll, only for her to throw it in the trash can right in front of my face.

There were other children at the orphanage who referred to their benefactor as "Mom," yet Lillian would only refer to me as "that woman."

I had continued my sponsorship merely because her features reminded me so much of Henry. I recalled the day when we were looking for a child to sponsor, I pointed at Lillian's photo and teased Henry, "You know, someone would actually think she's your daughter, with how much she looks like you."

Henry averted his gaze then, a flicker of discomfort passing over his features.

In hindsight, I was nothing more than a clown, manipulated by them at every turn.

I stared at Lillian, whose eyes were filled with nothing but hatred, and found the whole situation rather ridiculousalmost comical.

It seemed like my stare had terrified her, as Lillian immediately burst out crying.

Felicity immediately shoved me aside, pulled Lillian into her embrace, and murmured, "It's alright, Lillian. Mommy's right here."

Upon hearing the word "Mommy," everyone present fell silent immediately.

"Mommy?"

Chapter 3

I knew Felicity had done it on purpose. I turned to her with an indifferent smile on my face and asked, "When did Lillian become your daughter, Felicity?"

Henry grabbed my arm before Felicity could respond, his voice becoming grave as he said, "You don't have to be so harsh, Whitney. Lillian likes Felicity, so it's only natural for her to call her 'Mommy.'"

Mom and Dad echoed Henry's sentiment, saying, "That's right, Whitney. Why are you getting jealous of Felicity? If you hadn't been so unkind to Lillian all this time, she would have called you 'Mommy,' too."

I had been unkind toward Lillian, huh? I stared at their impassive expressions and couldn't help but find the whole situation utterly absurd.

It was then that a plate suddenly came flying through the air. Henry quickly moved to block it with his arm. His elbow took the brunt of the impact, but some of the shards still hit me, cutting my forehead.

My eyes widened in surprise, and before I could even register what had happened, I heard Lillian yelling angrily, "You're a bad person! Get lost! You're not welcome here! Get out!"

I touched the blood on my forehead and smiled wryly. I then looked at the people before me with my bloodshot eyes and murmured, "It's fine if she doesn't think of me as her mother. I mean, I'm not her biological mother anyway, right?"

I stared at Felicity and made sure to put emphasis on the words "biological mother."

Having said that, I ran out of the house crying as everyone watched in stunned silence. I barely made it to the doorway before I collapsed onto my knees, clutching my stomach in agony. It was now riddled with tumors, but it was once home to a life.

Henry cried tears of joy when I told him I was pregnant. He had even picked out the name "Lillian" for the baby before she was even born. Unfortunately, on the way to one of my prenatal checkups, I got into a terrible accident from a faulty brake line. I used what little strength I had left to call Henry, yet he never answered.

That day, I survived against all odds, but the baby didn't make it.

Henry comforted me afterward, telling me that what mattered most was that I was still alive.

He, however, couldn't have known that the crash was the catalyst for my cancer. I had my uterus removed as a result of the accident, which completely threw my endocrine system into chaos. That, along with my subsequent depression, caused my immune system to fail, which led to my cancer.

I couldn't help but think that the years I lived afterward were borrowed time, stolen from what should have been my end.

I was sobbing uncontrollably when I was suddenly pulled into a warm embrace.

Henry tenderly wiped my tears away before taking out a first-aid kit to patch up my forehead. "There, there, Whitney. Please don't be upset. There's no point getting so worked up over what Lillian said."

His voice was so gentle, a perfect echo of the man who once loved me so deeply. His following sentence, however, immediately shattered the illusion. "If you can't get along with Lillian, then maybe we should just let Felicity adopt her."

I immediately slapped his hand away and stormed off, not sparing him a glance.

I could hear Henry's footsteps echoing behind me before he started yelling, "Why are you making such a big fuss over nothing, Whitney? It's no wonder Lillian doesn't like you!"

I stopped in my tracks, my chest heaving in fury, before I whipped around and snapped, "You'd better not call that girl Lillian anymore! You ought to know that our Lillian is already dead!"

Henry stopped dead in his tracks, a look of unease flashing across his face. It could have been because of guilt or heartache, but none of that mattered to me anymore.

I quickly wiped my tears and walked out of the house, a place that had become no less than hell to me. I was in such a rush that I failed to notice the searing glare of hatred directed at me.

Felicity stood by the window, watching as Henry watched me leave, her fingers clenching so tightly that her nails tore into her own skin.

Chapter 4

I didn't return home that night. I went to the place where the car crash happened insteadthe place where my unborn child died. She was so tragically small that no one was able to collect any remainsnot even a handful of ash.

I was just standing there, looking at the road, when a pair of headlights suddenly flashed from a distance. It was then that the car screeched to a stop before me, and Felicity stepped out, leading Lillian by the hand. She then raised her head arrogantly and asked, "You must have already figured it all out, haven't you, Whitney?"

I merely gave her a cold, fleeting glance and then turned away, remaining silent.

Felicity scoffed and said, "I was right, then. You should do yourself a favor and divorce Henry now before he leaves you for good. It's going to be so much uglier if he's the one to do it, Whitney."

Lillian chimed in, exclaiming, "You should just drop dead, Whitney! You're getting in the way of me being with Mommy and Daddy!"

I looked coldly at the furious mother-daughter duo before bursting out in laughter. "You think I'll be dumped, huh? I believe Henry just said that he'd never abandon me, Felicity. You two wouldn't have chased after me if you were so sure of yourselves, right?"

"Why, you!" Felicity's face flushed, her expression betraying the agitation of someone whose weakness had just been exposed.

I didn't want to deal with her anymore, so I got up to leave. It was then that I heard the sound of the car suddenly roaring to life behind me. I instinctively stepped aside just in time to see the vehicle barrel crazily toward me and then swerve, crashing violently into a massive concrete obstruction on the curb.

In a blinding flash of fire and a thunderous explosion, Felicityher face covered in bloodsobbed into her phone as she called Henry. "P-Please come save me and Lillian, Henry! I-It's Whitney! S-She's trying to kill Lillian!"

Felicity wept as she spoke, her eyes flashing with defiance toward me, utterly disregarding Lillian, who was barely breathing at this point.

I couldn't believe what I was seeing. I had never imagined that she was capable of such a thing just to have Henry for herself.

Felicity let out a shriek before hanging up the phone, her eyes gleaming with malice. "If you refuse to leave of your own accord, then I'll just have to force Henry's hand."

I paid her no mind, rushing to pull Lillian out of the wreckage. "What the hell is wrong with you? You're endangering your daughter's life!"

Felicity burst into laughter instead of rage. "What of it? It's not as if she's the first child I've ever gotten rid of."

I froze for a moment, then lunged forward and grabbed her collar, my voice trembling with a mix of fury and disbelief. "What did you just say?"

Felicity offered no response to my question, merely letting out a laugh that grew into a hysterical cackle.

I barked, "You'd better answer me right now, Felicity! What do you mean by that? What do you mean, Lillian's not the first?"

I nearly lunged to choke the woman before me, my eyes turning bloodshot from rage. I didn't even have the chance to act on it, though, as Henry suddenly rushed forward and shoved me to the ground, exclaiming, "Have you lost your mind, Whitney? Felicity is your sister, for goodness' sake!"

I landed heavily on the ground, and through the flickering lights of the ambulance, I saw Henry tenderly pull Felicity into his embrace, comforting her. "It's alright, sweetheart. I'm here now."

They flaunted their love openly, not bothering to hide it when faced with death. That day, when the accident happened, I had pictured Henry coming to me like a knight in shining armor, rescuing me and our unborn child. Yet, all I got was nothing but a string of calls that went unanswered.

I closed my eyes in despair, and with what little strength I had left, I turned and walked away.

I heard Henry's low, menacing roar coming from behind me. "If anything happens to Felicity and Lillian, we're getting a divorce, Whitney!"

I kept moving forward, merely choking out a single word of acknowledgment to Henry's threat. I felt like our marriage didn't matter to me anymore. I was dying soon, and I was going to reunite with my unborn child, which was truly a relief.

Felicity's plan worked out perfectly; both she and Lillian were in stable condition. Henry never once called me as the days went by. He was too busy tending to Felicity and Lillian in the hospital, after all.

I was completely indifferent to it, though. I simply wandered around the city like a ghost, walking through the familiar streets and places where I had once lived. I also met up with my friends and former classmates to bid them farewell, while deliberately leaving out my family and Henry.

It was seven days later when Felicity and Lillian were discharged from the hospital.

It was coincidentally Christmas, and the snow was falling heavily. They were all sitting together by the fire with Mom and Dad, cheerfully talking about their plans for the new year.

I wasn't even mentioned once, as if they had all tacitly agreed to erase me from their lives.

Henry, on the other hand, kept looking out the window, as if he were waiting for someone.

It was then that a police officer suddenly knocked on the door. "Are you perhaps Henry Graham?"

Henry replied, "Yes, I am. What's going on here?"

Then, the police officer held out his hand, revealing a diamond ring with Henry's name engraved on the inside.

Henry stared at the ring, a terrible feeling settling in his chest. "What's the meaning of this?"

It was then that the police officer sighed heavily and replied, "You see, approximately three hours ago, we recovered the body of your wife beneath a bridge."