3 Years by His Hospital Bed, He Chose Her

Chapter 2

My parents somehow got wind of what had happened and rushed to the hospital.

I intercepted them and used sign language to ask them to explain things for me.

They could understand a bit of basic sign language.

Mom nodded slightly, while Dad just shoved me aside and pulled Mom into the room.

After a few moments of pleasantries, Mom hesitated and spoke up, "Rachel, she, "

Olivia, sensing what Mom was about to say, cut her off. "Mom, my sister just likes Ethan too much. Don't blame her."

My eyes widened in disbelief. I grabbed Olivia and desperately signed, [You're lying! You're lying!]

She rubbed her wrist, snuggling into Ethan's arms, looking pitiful. "I'm sorry, sister. Don't be angry. I won't say anything more."

Tears blurred my vision as I frantically signed to Mom, [Tell him it's not like that!]

But Mom avoided my gaze.

A deep sense of helplessness washed over me. In the three years I had cared for Ethan alone, I had never felt more desperate than I did in this moment.

Dad's face darkened. "Wasn't it you who forced your sister to take your place? You even said Ethan wouldn't know the difference."

If I hadn't heard it with my own ears, I never would have believed my own father could twist the truth so horribly. His words were like needles piercing my heart.

Originally, it was Olivia who couldn't bear the thought of marrying a man in a vegetative state. That's why my parents had asked me to marry Ethan instead.

Ethan let out a cold laugh. "Rachel, it's a good thing I woke up. Otherwise, I would've died with my eyes closed."

I bit down on my lip so hard I tasted blood. So this was how he saw me.

Mom gently pulled me out of the room, her face full of guilt. "Don't blame your father. We owe Olivia this much."

Olivia's parents had died saving my parents, and in gratitude, my parents had taken Olivia in and treated her like their own. They felt indebted to her, so I was always expected to give in to her.

Whenever I resisted, Olivia would cry, saying, "If only my parents were still here…"

When I developed mutism, at a time when I needed her most, Olivia convinced my parents to take her traveling abroad.

Three years ago, I could still hear Olivia's mocking words echo in my mind: "A mute and a vegetable are a perfect match!"

Mom continued, "Now that Ethan's awake, he'll divorce you sooner or later. Leaving a good impression now will only help elevate your sister's status, won't it?"

Tears fell as I pounded my chest, trying to relieve the pain gnawing at my heart.

But it wasn't me who owed Olivia's parents, it was my parents. Why did I have to be the one to pay the price?

Ethan moved quickly. He decided on the divorce in the morning, and by the afternoon, the divorce papers were already drawn up.

Fearing I might make a scene, he had several bodyguards watch me while I signed my name.

I smiled bitterly, my hand trembling as I slowly wrote my name.

Ethan had saved my life, and I had cared for him for three years. From now on, we owed each other nothing.