You Chose Him And Let Our Daughter Die
Vivian, with her childhood sweetheart, had already left for the States to give birth, and she didn't even attend Fionas funeral.
Years passed, marked by a sinking silence. I encountered her again at the cemetery.
I was holding a small cake, wanting to spend a quiet moment with my daughter.
Instead, I saw Vivian placing a limited-edition doll in front of the headstone.
Beside her, a small girl burrowed into her mother's arms:
Mommy, do you think my sister will like the gift I picked out?
1
The autumn cemetery was shrouded in a desolate chill.
Vivian bent down, carefully zipping up the little girls coata gesture of extreme patience and tenderness.
It was the motherly love my Fiona had never known.
The girl spotted the doll on top of my cake and asked curiously:
Mister, is today my sisters birthday? Are you here to celebrate too?
I turned my head, pretending not to hear.
I used a wipe to clean the photo on the headstone and inserted the candle into the cake.
My Fiona, her life frozen at the age of five.
The little girl looked at the cake, then up at Vivian, and finally back at me.
Silently, she took out her own doll and placed it next to the headstone.
I felt a sudden lurch.
The girl had deep eyes and was tall for her age, sharing a distinct resemblance to the maternal side of her lineage. Five parts Fiona.
If I hadn't known whose genetic continuation she was, I might have impulsively pulled her into my arms, seeking comfort from the waves of grief that crashed over me countless times since losing my own daughter.
The cold wind sliced in from all directions. I tried to light the candle several times.
Perhaps my hands were trembling too much, because I kept failing.
Vivian naturally reached for the lighter in my hand. For a fleeting instant, our skin touched.
Once, her scent, her warmthI was addicted to them.
Now, all I felt was a gut-deep nausea.
I snatched the lighter back, my movement violent, shoving her a few steps back.
The little girl yelled at me, instinctively protective:
Pushing is wrong! You need to apologize to my mommy!
2
Nora, that is enough.
Vivians voice was low and heavy, utterly devoid of the recent gentle warmth.
The little girl's eyes filled with a wounded look that was strikingly like her fathers.
Proud and stubbornly defiant.
It made me instantly recall Liams arrogance when Vivian was first pregnant, as he gloated in front of me:
Sloane, if fate hadn't intervened, Vivian would have met me first. She would never have needed to marry an aimless rich boy like you.
Vivian knelt, touching Noras puffy cheek.
You love your older sister the most, dont you? This is her father. If you speak too loudly, she will be upset.
I clenched my jaw.
How dare Vivian?
She let Liams daughter call my Fiona her sister, even sharing the subtle resonance of the nameNora/Fiona.
I had no intention of lingering.
I was back in the country to move Fionas grave. I was heading to find the grounds manager to discuss the arrangements.
Vivian, holding Nora, followed closely behind me.
When she heard my request, her voice was terribly raw.
Sloane, you haven't visited Fiona in five years. And the moment you return, you want to take her away?
She is my daughter. I forbid it.
I let my gaze sweep over Vivian with chilling indifference.
Her hair was silken black, her makeup flawless
Five years after losing Fiona, Vivian was still living a charmed life.
Unlike me, where the first strands of gray were starting to appear at my temples.
If Fiona were still here, she would hurt for me, wouldnt she?
But she wasn't.
I tilted my head back slightly, a cold smile curling my lip:
Im not consulting you. You didn't even attend Fionas funeral. You have no right to discuss this with me.
3
Vivian looked like she was trying to swallow something difficult. Just as she was about to speak, her phone screen lit up.
The little girl, thin and pale-faced, said in a childish lisp:
Daddys calling! He must be worried about Mommy and the new baby.
Vivian turned her back to take the call.
Nora, ignoring my cold expression, leaned toward me and whispered conspiratorially:
Im going to be a big sister, just like my big sister! Daddy is really excited about the new baby. Im going to share all my toys.
My hand, turning the pages of the cemetery paperwork, froze.
Vivian and Liam. A truly devoted couple, it seemed.
Mutually successful in business, and married life producing a second child in five years.
Their daughter looked incredibly well-protected.
My expression darkened, but Nora didn't seem afraid.
Not like my Fiona.
Before she was three, her mother was too busy conquering new territories to spend time with her.
After she turned three, Vivian fell in love with Liam.
She resented me, and therefore, she resented my child.
She wouldnt come home for Fionas birthday or Childrens Day.
The last time, on a rainy night, Fiona insisted on waiting for her mother.
She said her mother had promised to bring her a doll from back East.
In that one heartbreaking lapse, my Fiona slipped into the street and was hit by a car.
4
Vivian finished her call, and I was preparing to sign the contract with the cemetery.
She grabbed my wrist, visibly straining to control her emotions.
I told you, you are not taking Fiona.
I remained motionless, my face expressionless:
You can go tell that to my daughter yourself.
Vivians grip tightened, the pressure sharp and painful.
Once, this woman would have burst into tears if I simply scraped my knee.
But Vivian broke her vow.
Barely a thousand days into our marriage, she was already sleeping with Liam in the companys executive office.
I had fought, I had screamed, I had made scenes.
All I earned was Liams calculated encroachment on my life.
With Vivians passive permission, I was eventually locked out of my own company.
5
The contract was ripped into shreds, and Vivians jaw was fiercely set.
She instructed her driver, Mrs. Davis, to take Nora to the car.
Seeing my face, Mrs. Daviss expression flickered with panic.
M-Mister Sloane!
Years ago, when Vivian was a struggling socialite, Mrs. Davis worked for my family, the Sus.
She had witnessed me arguing with my step-sister, Cara, on Vivians behalf.
And she was the one who hid the evidence of Liams presence in my car.
Truly, the money flowed out of the rich family, but the reliable driver was a constant.
Vivian's eyes were dark, like an unfathomable well.
The sheer authority of a powerful executive radiated from her.
She turned and threatened the cemetery director:
If my daughters rest is disturbed in any way, I will make sure you understand what the true cost of that will be.
The director shot me an apologetic, helpless look and hurried away.
I couldnt hold it in any longer. I lifted my hand, intending to strike Vivian.
But the blow didn't land.
My hand was fiercely restrained by hers.
Vivians voice was a low snarl of concentrated bitterness:
Sloane, you want to cut every tie between us, including Fiona.
You hate me, dont you?
She pressed forward, pinning me against the pale gray wall, dusting the air with small, gritty particles.
I took a deep breath:
Hate you for what? Must I dedicate my life to thinking about a dog that bit my family, just because I couldnt kill it?
With Vivians current wealth and standing, my family, even in its peak, couldn't match her.
Id done too much eggshell-breaking against concrete.
Id lost too much.
She was willing to ruthlessly attack me and my family for Liam.
I had learned to accept lifes random cruelty and helplessness.
I just wanted to take my Fiona and leave.
6
Each layer of autumn rain brings a new layer of cold.
It was clear the paperwork wouldn't be finished today. I prepared to leave.
Vivian glanced at my thin jacket, then instinctively slipped off her expensive overcoat, moving to drape it over my shoulders.
Where are you going? Ill take you.
I slapped the six-figure Kiton coat onto the wet ground.
The top Neapolitan women's brand, famous for its impeccable tailoring.
The luxurious fabric instantly soaked up the damp dirt.
I used to be obsessed with buying Vivian clothes, dressing the woman I loved in the way I loved to see her.
Vivian gave a low, self-mocking laugh:
When I first met you, you were still the arrogant, spoiled heir of a powerful family.
I once desperately hoped you would always maintain that high-and-mighty stance.
But you were the one who destroyed me, werent you?
I
A barely perceptible tremor of panic laced her otherwise calm voice.
Dark clouds pressed in, and the sky turned gloomy.
My ride-share arrived.
Ignoring Vivians arm suspended in the air, I slid into the back seat.
But less than two minutes down the road, the driver, a friendly older guy, looked into the rear-view mirror and whistled:
Is that lady trying to film an American action movie? She looks like shes about to force us off the road.
I looked back. The large black SUV was advancing aggressively, fearlessly.
It quickly pulled up right alongside the back seat of my car.
Vivian rolled down her window, her lips moving to say something.
Nora, strapped into a child safety seat, had a small, frightened expression.
I ignored them both.
The driver, however, was suddenly righteous:
Thats your wife and daughter, right? You still let her bully you in front of your own family? That's not right, man. Your deceased relative won't rest easy!
Dont worry. I used to race cars. Ill make sure we lose this tail.
He gripped the steering wheel, floored the gas pedal, and sped past the SUV.
Almost simultaneously, I received two messages.
Give me another chance. Lets talk properly.
Sloane, Dr. Elena Reid, the neurology expert, arrives in the city this weekend. There might be hope for your sister.
7
The first message was undoubtedly from Vivian.
Five years ago, I had blocked her number, changed mine, and vanished completely.
She was clearly resourceful to get my new contact information so quickly.
The second was from Caras close friend, Joanna.
She was a doctor, trained overseas, specializing in neurology.
My sister, Cara, suffered severe brain damage in the car accident, leaving her memory and cognitive function significantly impaired.
I had spent the last several years supporting her grueling physical and cognitive therapy abroad.
The results had been minimal.
Joanna saying there was hope was likely just an effort to soothe me.
Arriving at the hospital, I tipped the driver a hefty two hundred dollars. He left happily, wishing me well.
The lives of ordinary people seemed so much bettersimple and predictable, their worries small.
Born into the Su family, I tasted life on a silver platter.
A pair of small leather shoes for a school dance cost eighteen thousand dollars.
But how can flowers bloom for a hundred days?
When my mother died, my sister, Cara, took over the family business. It took a merciless, iron-fisted approach to manage the pack of wolvesour extended familycircling her.
Yet, she couldnt resist my pleas when it came to Vivians investment.
Vivian, the then-heiress, was facing complete bankruptcy, her life having hit rock bottom.
I found her in a bar, being forced to drink by her old rivals.
The moon in the sky, dragged through the mud.
I couldn't stand seeing my moon fall.
I hounded Cara, demanding she pay off Vivian's colossal debt.
When Cara initially refused, I leveraged the emotional debt she owed my mother for taking her in from the orphanage.
Finally, she relented:
Sloane, the Su legacy is yours. You call the shots.
The tragedy of my life began when I poured everything into love, without looking back.
Vivian accepted my help and swore an oath at my parents grave that she would never betray me.
But the truth proved that once a person becomes the embodiment of power, they subconsciously rewrite their own origin story, recasting the debt of gratitude that once supported them as a flaw that needed to be overcome.
8
In the VIP room, I helped Cara practice a simple tea ceremony, breaking down the steps one by one.
Her intellect had regressed to that of a five- or six-year-old.
She had suffered from aphasia for a time, and her emotions were easily agitated.
Dr. Chan entered the room and looked at me awkwardly:
Dr. Reid was brought in by Mr. Liam. He said his father has a severe migraine and needed the most authoritative specialist.
This wasnt the first time Liam had pulled a stunt like this.
That year, snow fell heavily, and Fiona developed a high fever.
I called Vivian, but Liam answered, saying my wife was at his place, taking a shower.
I accused him of seducing a married woman.
Liam used his influence to make Vivian turn off her phone, and she didn't come home that night.
I drove slowly through the snow, Fiona sleeping in the back, nearly flung to the floor several times when I slammed the brakes.
Yet, she still managed to mumble a warning:
Daddy, the road is slippery, be careful. Ill be so sad if you get hurt.
Now, Liam, emboldened by his success, was only getting worse.
My anger flared, and I stormed over to the adjacent VIP room.
9
Liams lips were slightly curled, his expression one of pure arrogance.
He looked just as he had beforethe proud, untouchable swan.
But his frame was overly thin, making his head look disproportionately large. A strange, imbalanced look.
I had heard Liams name before I saw him.
Vivian had mentioned him a few times at home.
Back then, the Jiang familys debt crisis was over, and things had stabilized.
Vivian decided to pivot the family business toward technology.
She had rarely met such a skilled new talent in computer sciencereturned from an overseas Ivy League school, perfectly aligned with her vision.
A subconscious sense of danger made me jealous.
Vivian had gently pinched my nose:
High-level talent isn't sorted by gender. If youre worried, Ill file a report from the office every day.
And she did.
The next day, she had a real-time monitor installed in the conference room so I could check her movements whenever I wanted.
Until one time, when core technology was leaked, and the company took a hit.
Liam suggested the monitor might have been compromised, his tone carrying the conceit of a genius, subtly implying I was interfering too much.
Vivian had immediately lost her temper with him, flatly stating that I was the company's owner and would never betray the firm.
I didn't want to be involved in the dispute.
And with Fionas birth, all my love poured into my child, making me less inclined to take unnecessary action.
Liam quietly seized the opportunity, using the excuse of "expanding territory" to travel everywhere with Vivian.
Proximity breeds indiscretion.
Especially between two brilliant, similarly aged people who shared a vision for their career, their proximity rapidly ignited a consuming fire.
I, the stay-at-home father, became irritable and anxious, constantly demanding updates on Vivians whereabouts.
She started avoiding home, finding less and less time for our sweet, soft Fiona.
I filed for divorce several times.
Vivian firmly refused, claiming she couldnt live without me. I, too, didn't want our daughter to grow up in a broken home, and she promised to keep her distance from Liam.
In the end, I lost everything. Utterly wiped out.
10
I walked up to Dr. Reid. She was speaking English and gesturing to Liam's father, who appeared perfectly fine.
Liam was just doing this to needle me.
Five years ago, hed used the exact same tactic to steal Fionas pediatrician and take him abroad.
I introduced myself to Dr. Reid.
She smiled warmly, thanking me for funding her students lab a year prior.
Just as she was about to leave with me, Liam caught his fathers eye.
Liam Senior immediately blocked the doorway:
She was hired by my son. You have no right to take her.
I didn't spare him a glance, violently shaking off his hand, which clung to me like a vulture's claw.
Seeing his father pushed aside, Liam looked like hed found the perfect excuse to act. He raised his hand to slap me.
But the years of physical therapy with Cara had made me strong. I countered, pinning both his arms and slamming him against the wall.
Sloane, how dare you touch me? Vivian wont forgive you for this.
I leaned close to his ear, enunciating every word clearly:
I havent come for you yet, but youre coming to provoke me? Are you not afraid that the truth about the car accident five years ago will come out and you and your father will go to prison?
Liams face instantly went white.
After Fionas funeral, I was a ghost.
I planned to drive to the cemetery, but Cara saw my state and insisted on taking the offerings and a toy car for me.
On the way, she was broadsided by a large truck.
The official report blamed the driver for drunk driving, and he was jailed.
The successive blows of loss nearly destroyed me.
I quickly divorced Vivian.
At the time, she was newly pregnant.
She didn't want the child she conceived with her beloved to be labeled illegitimate, so she readily agreed.
I took Cara abroad for treatment, desperate to utilize the critical first six months of post-injury functional recovery.
When I later tried to investigate the truck driver's background, I found a suspicious wire transfer in his bank account, and all other evidence had been professionally sanitized.
The cover-up was meticulous. It took me a year to finally trace it back to Liam Senior.
He saw that Fionas death hadn't made Vivian leave me.
He contacted a distant relative in a rural area, who found a truck-driving cousin.
A convoluted scheme.
The goal was to remove me so his son could take my place.
Vivian might not have known initially, but that didn't stop her from covering for her lover, burying the truth in the deepest chasm.
11
Moments later, Liam regained his composure:
You dont have proof. Otherwise, youd have acted already.
Poor Cara. She loved you all these years, only to end up utterly lacking in dignity.
I heard she cant even control her bladder, and needs to be taught everything from scratch. Tragic.
I remembered him mocking me years ago.
Mr. Sloane, youre pathetic. You cant even hold onto your own wifes heart.
He had sent me a photo of Vivian lying next to him in bed.
I raised my arm again, wanting to strike his loathsome face.
Again, it didnt land.
Vivian had arrived, grasping my wrist with bloodshot eyes.
Nora cried out in her childish voice: Daddy, did this bad man bully you? She made a move to kick me, but Vivian sharply stopped her:
Nora, what did I tell you?
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