I Set You Free

Chapter 3

When I woke up again, the sound of Lily crying pulled me out of my haze.

She was holding a hospital report, her shoulders shaking with every sob.

"Jack... The doctor said they found you have a congenital condition. You can't have children."

She paused, her voice trembling with emotion.

"Don't worry... I won't look down on you. No matter what happens, you'll always be my husband."

"When you're discharged, we'll adopt a child, okay? Having a little one around will help you heal. You'll feel better in no time."

I was the one who'd lost the ability to have children, yet Lily seemed more crushed than I was.

Her act was so convincing that I couldn't bring myself to call her out on it.

After a long, heavy silence, I glanced at the report in her hand and nodded slowly, playing along.

Lily's eyes filled with tears, and she pulled me into a tight hug.

"I'll take care of you, don't worry. No matter what anyone says, I'll always stand by you."

"Once we're married, I'll transfer all my assets to your name. Consider it my way of making sure you're set."

Our chests pressed together, but it felt like our hearts were miles apart.

After a while, Lily hesitated, and I could tell she was holding something back.

"But... the wedding's already been planned, and with you still recovering, maybe we need to..."

"Find someone to stand in for me," I finished her sentence. "Don't let the Parkers lose face."

I knew exactly where she was going with this.

I figured if I couldn't stop her, at least I could take charge of the situation in my own way.

Lily's eyes widened, clearly surprised by my attitude, but once she got what she wanted, she didn't push it further.

Her phone buzzed, and when she looked at the screen, her face went pale.

"Jack... what documents did you cancel?"

I quickly swiped the notification away, shrugging it off.

"Nothing important, just some outdated stuff. I'll renew it online."

She didn't press the issue, pulling me closer, her voice full of concern.

"You're not in the best condition. If you need anything, just tell me. I'll handle it."

"Lily, I want to be discharged."

She stiffened, her eyes narrowing.

"No. You haven't recovered enough. I won't allow it."

I gently cupped her cheek and smiled softly, trying my best to sound weak.

"Didn't you say you wanted to adopt a child with me? We've got a caretaker at home, nothing will happen. I just want to visit the orphanage, take a look. Is that okay?"

For the first time in five years, I let myself act a little vulnerable with her.

Lily hesitated but finally gave in, agreeing with a reluctant nod.

On the way, she pulled out a bunch of cakes from the car, placing them in front of me one by one, claiming she bought them just for me.

But the "suitable for infants" label on the packaging burned my eyes.

I closed the bag, tossing it into the back seat.

"I'm not feeling well," I said, leaning back and closing my eyes, pretending I wasn't bothered.

This five-year-long deception was finally coming to an end.