Chapter 5

On the day of Catherine's birthday party, Cillian arrived early in Tania's ward to help her wash up and change. Gently and meticulously, he dressed her in a custom couture gown he'd specially prepared, and he also adorned her with luxurious jewelry flown in from Harboria. Then, he personally trimmed her hair that had previously been unevenly shaved. His fingers moved deftly. In just a matter of minutes, Tania's waist-length hair had become a short, layered bob. "You look great with short hair too," he said with a smile, pressing a kiss on her forehead. Anyone who saw this scene would think he cherished her deeply. But Tania had seen Catherine's social media posts. Her gown and jewelry were ten times more expensive than hers. In the photos, Catherine flaunted her newly styled long hair, looking bold and confident. The caption read, "Cillian said he'd make me the most beautiful princess in the world, and no one's allowed to outshine me!" A bitter smile tugged at Tania's lips. Cillian's tenderness had always come with a condition—she could never surpass Catherine in anything. Tania closed her eyes. Her chest felt hollowed out, and the pain was so numbing that she could no longer feel anything. Just then, Cillian brought over a wheelchair and leaned down, trying to lift her into his arms. But Tania backed away. Catherine's birthday party was a trap. She'd been protesting all morning because she didn't want to go, but Cillian simply wouldn't give in. Tania touched her wedding ring and tried one last time. "Cillian, I don't want to go. If you don't agree, then I don't want this ring anymore." Slowly, she removed the ring and held it over the sink drain. This was the first time she had taken it off since their wedding day. Cillian's eyes widened. "No! That's the proof of our marriage. How can you just throw it away?" "Then let me skip the birthday party, and promise me you won't let Catherine appear in front of me—just for these two weeks. Please, I'm begging you!" Her bare finger made her chest throb, but she held back her emotions and pleaded with him. Cillian's expression darkened the moment she mentioned Catherine's name. "That's enough!" he barked. "You've been causing trouble every day, and Cathy's been very upset. "You're her sister-in-law. If you skip her birthday party, what will people think of her? You can't just do as you please, and I won't let you embarrass her today." With that, he scooped Tania into his arms and placed her in the wheelchair. Amidst her struggles, the ring slipped from her hand and rolled into the drain. The soft clinks it made while falling down the drain struck Tania like a sledgehammer. Tears streamed down her cheeks, but Cillian didn't even turn around. "We've got to hurry. Cathy must be waiting." So even the symbol of their marriage mattered less than Catherine. He couldn't even make his sister wait for a few seconds. Bitterness surged through Tania. This time, she really couldn't take it anymore. … Soon, they arrived at the venue. There were a few steps at the entrance that were too high for Tania's wheelchair, but just as Cillian was about to carry her up, Catherine's voice sounded. "Cillian, I'm the star today. How could you carry another woman?" she whined. "These steps are tiny. She can just crawl up here, can't she?" The guests nearby turned to them in shock. "What's going on? Isn't the woman in the wheelchair Mrs. Gessner? Why is she talking to her like she's the mistress?" "Yeah, that's the Gessner family's daughter-in-law. It's only been a few weeks since I last saw her, but she looks terrible. She's a sad sight compared to Catherine." "I heard the Gessners never liked her. Their original choice was Catherine." Whispers rippled through the crowd as everyone anticipated Cillian's response. But he didn't hesitate for even a second. He nodded and smiled, saying, "Cathy, it's your birthday today. I'll do as you say." Then, he walked up the steps and stood beside Catherine, looking down at Tania along with the rest of the crowd. Dozens of eyes—full of surprise, mockery, or disdain—fell on her. Tania trembled, her face flushing red. "Hurry up! Everyone's waiting for you," Catherine impatiently snapped. "You can't possibly expect me to come down and welcome you, can you?" Sensing the threat in her tone, Tania had no choice but to get off the wheelchair and climb the steps one by one, using her arms to support herself. Gasps and snickers rose around her. "Is she actually crawling up the stairs?" "That's humiliating! Doesn't she have any self-respect?" Tania gritted her teeth and stayed silent. After all, she had endured such humiliation before at their engagement party four years ago, and again at their wedding three years ago. She'd also pulled through some of the toughest phases of her illness. When she finally dragged herself up the last step, she lifted her head and instinctively looked for Cillian. "My wheelchair…" But Cillian was nowhere to be seen. He had already been dragged away by Catherine to open her birthday gifts. This realization made Tania deflate like a balloon. The man who had once saved her countless times had completely abandoned her. In an unnoticed corner, Tania wept, her tears soaking into the carpet beneath her.