Life Donation Stolen By His Affair

Liam Bennett took the transplant liver meant for our dying daughter and gave it to his mistress, Sutton.

My daughter died.

My mother had a stroke from the shock and passed away too.

In an instant, I lost everyone I loved.

Yet he showed no remorse. He brought his mistress to see me.

Sutton's condition was more critical. As for the child... Liam put his arm around his mistress's waist. "Sutton is pregnant. You'll adopt her child later."

Sutton rubbed her belly and said with fake sympathy, "The doctor says this pregnancy is stable. Liam is thrilled. You should be happy for him too, right? After all, the Bennett family will finally have a healthy child."

This was murder of the cruelest kind.

After they left, I sent a message to a mysterious email address.

"I agree to cooperate."

The response came quickly. "Good. My condition is that you marry me."

Celine POV

My daughter Lily had been waiting three years for a transplant liver. In the end, her father Liam Bennett gave it to his mistress, Sutton Moore.

When I arrived at the children's transplant center, the transplant confirmation had already been completed.

I chased to the surgical corridor and saw Sutton being wheeled toward the operating room.

Liam stood next to Director Mr. Davis, his hand pressing down on a modified transplant confirmation form.

"Change it back." I rushed over. "That's Lily's liver!"

Liam looked up at me, his voice heavy. "I'm Lily's father. I have the authority to sign."

Mr. Davis immediately lowered his head. "Mr. Bennett also confirmed on behalf of the investors. The hospital is executing according to the new signature."

I, the mother who had watched over Lily for three years, was blocked outside the corridor.

I reached out to grab that piece of paper but was stopped by security.

"Liam, she's only five years old! She's been waiting since she was two. She finally got her chance today!"

Liam avoided my eyes. "Sutton took a car crash for me years ago. Her liver damage is a complication from that accident. She can't wait for the next round."

I stared at him with red eyes. "And Lily can wait?"

Sutton lay on the gurney, tears streaming down from the corners of her eyes.

"Liam, forget it." Her voice was soft. "Don't make Celine hate you because of me."

She said to forget it, but her hand gripped Liam's fingers.

"I'm in so much pain." She gasped. "I'm afraid I won't make it."

Liam's jaw tightened.

The next second, he signed his name in the final column of the confirmation form.

The operating room doors closed behind Sutton. I was held back by security outside. I watched helplessly as the surgical light came on.

The pre-surgery corridor in Lily's room was quickly dismantled.

The doctor looked at the monitors and said quietly. "Her numbers are dropping too fast. Backup treatment can only buy a little time. It can't replace the transplant."

When Lily woke up, she could barely open her eyes.

"Mommy." She asked softly. "Am I not having surgery anymore?"

I held her hand, forcing a smile. "The doctors are still working on it."

Someone outside said the donor liver had been transferred.

Lily heard it.

She slowly turned her face. "Did Daddy give my liver to that woman?"

My throat felt blocked. I could only hold her tighter.

Lily's small hand touched the back of my hand, her strength as light as paper. "Don't blame me, Mommy. I didn't wait long enough."

The monitor suddenly shrieked.

Doctors rushed in. I was pushed to the side of the bed. The emergency light flashed on and off. Finally, the doctor removed his gloves and couldn't meet my eyes.

Lily never called me Mommy again.

On the other end, news of Sutton's successful surgery came quickly.

I stood at the end of the hallway holding the death certificate, hearing an assistant ask Liam. "Mr. Bennett, about Lily... should we go check on her?"

Liam was silent for a few seconds.

"Don't release the news yet." He said. "Don't let anyone else know."

I looked down at the name on the death certificate, tucked Lily's small hand back under the blanket, then called my lawyer.

"I want a divorce."

The lawyer paused.

I looked at Lily's pale little face and added. "I want to get back what I deserve."

After hanging up, I opened the email Luke Morrison had sent me three years ago.

Back then, Luke had invited me to work on a pediatric transplant ethics project. I had stayed for Lily.

Now, I replied to that email.

"I agree to cooperate. Please preserve the transplant confirmation form and the surgical corridor surveillance footage."

Luke's reply came fast.

"I'll send someone to get you. Just don't die at their hands first."

I put my phone down beside Lily's hospital bed. Outside, Liam's footsteps stopped.

Celine POV

When Liam pushed the door open, I was still sitting by Lily's bed.

He didn't look at the death certificate first, nor at Lily. He just placed a document on the bedside table.

"The hospital will review everything again." He said. "I'll add more money to Lily's fund."

I looked up. "Lily is dead."

His hand paused.

"If Sutton had missed this chance, she would have died too." His voice lowered. "I had to save the person in more critical danger first."

"She waited three years." I stared at him. "You gave away the chance she waited three years for to someone else?"

Liam didn't answer. He just pushed the document forward again.

The paper read "Lily Medical Fund," with a line showing the new amount below. It was a lot of money, enough to save many children's lives.

I looked at that string of numbers and suddenly remembered the night Lily was born.

Liam had waited outside the delivery room until dawn.

After Lily was diagnosed, he had also kept watch in the hospital room, asking the doctors over and over if they could find a donor.

Back then, every time Lily asked when Daddy was coming, I would say he was busy.

Now, with the same hand, he had given away the donor liver Lily had been waiting for to someone else.

The sound of a wheelchair came from the doorway.

Sutton was pushed to the doorway by a nurse. Her face was as white as paper, still connected to post-surgical equipment. As soon as she saw me, tears fell.

"Celine, I'm so sorry. I really didn't think Lily would..."

Before she could finish, she covered her wound and gasped lightly.

Liam immediately walked over. "Who told you to come here?"

Sutton shook her head, tears hanging on her face. "People online are already cursing me, saying I stole a child's liver. I can take the abuse, but I don't want you to be affected too."

Liam's expression darkened immediately.

Mr. Davis followed behind, saying quietly. "Mr. Bennett, the media is already asking questions. We must give them an explanation."

Sutton grabbed Liam's sleeve. "Don't force Celine. I can take responsibility myself."

Liam turned to look at me.

"Tomorrow at the press conference, you'll come forward to clarify." He said. "Say that transferring the donor organ was a decision discussed among family members. Sutton didn't steal anything. Lily's condition deteriorated."

I looked at him. "You even want to cover up how Lily died?"

Liam's voice turned cold. "If you make a scene now, Lily's death certificate will be held up at the hospital."

Mr. Davis immediately added. "The body is still at the hospital. If the paperwork gets stuck, the child can't leave. Your mother is also elderly. The media attention will affect her."

I looked sharply at Liam. "You're threatening me?"

Liam looked at me. "I'm reminding you not to let Lily be gossiped about even after death."

Sutton said softly. "Liam, forget it. Celine just lost her child. It's normal for her to hate me..."

She urged him to drop it, but her hand never let go.

My phone rang at that moment.

The caregiver's voice trembled with panic. "Miss Ashford, your mother found out about Lily. Her blood pressure spiked. The doctor says she can't take any more shocks!"

I gripped my phone, looking at the small body on the hospital bed, then at the people outside waiting for my agreement.

I finally spoke. "I'll cooperate."

Liam visibly relaxed and reached out to support me.

I moved away.

He didn't take offense. He just told his assistant. "Give her access to the fund, and transfer some hospital shares from my name to hers."

The assistant nodded and immediately called the legal department.

I looked up. "Get everything done today."

Liam thought I was finally willing to accept compensation and agreed.

The lawyer arrived at the hospital quickly.

Liam sat at the signing table. Legal staff handed documents to his side. I didn't explain. I just had the lawyer place the divorce page behind the compensation documents.

Sutton sat nearby, reminding him quietly. "Liam, will the Bennett Corporation have an opinion about this?"

Liam frowned. "She lost Lily. She deserves these things."

I took back the signed documents and handed them to the lawyer.

The lawyer said quietly. "The first step is complete."

Liam heard this and briefly looked at me.

I had already turned around to tuck in the blanket corner for Lily.

That evening, the hospital sent over the press conference script.

One sentence stood out most sharply.

"Ms. Celine Ashford approves this donor adjustment."

I crossed it out with my pen.

Mr. Davis stood beside me and reminded me. "The media will be there tomorrow, and other families will be present too. Miss Ashford, don't cause us trouble."

I didn't answer him. I just took a photo of the signed document and sent it to Luke.

Luke replied quickly.

"Leave the hospital first."

The nurse knocked on the door at that moment and delivered the seating chart for tomorrow's press conference.

Celine POV

When the hospital press conference began, I sat in the center of the main platform.

I used to accompany Lily to patient meetings and always sat in the audience, listening to doctors say she still had hope.

Now Lily was dead, yet I was pushed in front of the cameras to personally cover up the truth about Lily's death.

Mr. Davis placed the script in front of me, his fingertip pointing to that one sentence.

"Read it as written."

I looked at the words "jointly assessed by family members" on the paper, feeling like my throat was clogged with blood.

The cameras were already rolling.

When I spoke, my voice was terribly hoarse. "The donor transfer was a decision made after... joint assessment by the family."

Someone in the audience immediately cursed.

"Are you even the child's mother?"

"Your child is gone, how much money did you take?"

A reporter pressed. "Did the Bennett Corporation use its position as an investor to interfere with transplant priority?"

Mr. Davis immediately grabbed the microphone. "The family has already explained this matter."

All the questions were pushed back to me.

I sat under the lights, my fingers digging into my palms. I couldn't refute them.

Lily was still at the hospital, and my mom was still at home. If I revealed the truth, the media would swarm my family.

My phone kept buzzing under the table.

The caregiver sent a message. "Miss Ashford, your mother saw the livestream and is on her way to the hospital!"

I stood up abruptly.

Mr. Davis's expression changed. "The press conference isn't over!"

Security moved to block me. I pushed away the microphone and ran out. Reporters immediately chased after me.

In the hospital lobby, my mom was holding Lily's little jacket, surrounded by people.

Her face was frightfully pale, saying over and over. "My daughter would never give up on Lily. She wouldn't..."

A reporter shoved a microphone in her face. "Do you know that Celine agreed to give the donor liver to Sutton?"

My mom shook her head, her voice trembling. "I need to find Liam. I need answers!"

She walked toward the surgical area. Security reached out to stop her.

"Family members can't go in."

"Where's my granddaughter? I need to see Lily!"

During the struggle, my mom missed a step and fell down from the edge of the platform.

I saw the little jacket fall to the ground. My mom clutched her chest, her face pale.

"Mom!"

The emergency room doors quickly closed.

Mr. Davis was still beside me, lowering his voice. "Miss Ashford, it's very chaotic outside right now. You should go out and calm them down, or this will be very difficult to handle."

When Liam arrived, his first question was to his assistant. "Was what just happened in the lobby caught on camera?"

I looked up at him.

"Lily just died. My mom is lying in there right now." My voice shook. "And you're asking if it was caught on camera?"

Liam stiffened for a moment, then told his assistant. "Control the media first. Seal the surveillance footage. Wait for the emergency results before saying anything."

I understood.

He still wanted to cover it up first.

The emergency lasted over an hour. When the doctor came out, he didn't dare look at me.

"The patient was brought in too late."

I was still clutching Lily's little jacket. Liam reached out to support me. I stepped back.

"Don't touch me. Don't touch their things either."

Liam's expression darkened. "Your mother's accident wasn't something I wanted to see."

I didn't listen to the rest. I turned to the lawyer. "I'm requesting the hospital lobby surveillance and security orders."

The lawyer reminded me quietly. "He just had someone seal the scene records."

I looked at Liam.

My phone lit up at that moment.

A preview notification for Sutton's recovery livestream pushed to my screen. In the main image, Sutton wore a hospital gown, smiling at the camera. Next to her was the Lily Medical Fund logo.

The headline read: "Passing on the hope that a child didn't get to wait for to more people."

Liam saw it too. His expression changed. "Remove the foundation."

Before the assistant could make the call, Sutton's call came through first.

Her voice was weak. "Liam, I just wanted to do something for Lily. Why does everyone have to misunderstand me?"

I didn't keep listening. I took my mother's death certificate and a screenshot of the livestream and turned toward the lawyer.

Celine POV

I didn't leave the hospital all night.

Lily and my mom were both still in the hospital's custody.

The death certificates weren't processed, and the bodies hadn't been transferred out.

The lawyer found that the lobby surveillance had been sealed ahead of time, and security orders couldn't be accessed either.

I was about to go to the body storage area when a nurse came to notify me. "Miss Ashford, Lily's original recovery room needs to be cleared out by the family."

That room had been personally arranged by Liam.

When Lily was waiting for the donor liver, she kept asking if she could stay there after surgery. She said she wanted to put her stuffed animals by the bed and sit by the window in the sun.

I went over with a small box. The door plate had already been changed.

Sutton Post-Surgery Recovery Room.

The room was filled with livestream equipment. The Lily Medical Fund logo hung by the bed. The children's bed that had been prepared for Lily was removed. Posters about Sutton's recovery livestream schedule were on the walls.

Sutton sat on the bed, holding Lily's stuffed animal in her arms.

I walked over and grabbed the stuffed animal back.

Sutton's eyes immediately reddened. "Celine, I didn't mean to. The foundation said this way everyone would know Lily left behind kindness..."

"She didn't leave this for you."

I held the stuffed animal tightly, my voice cold and hard. "Remove her name. Remove her foundation logo."

Sutton bit her lip and looked toward the doorway.

Liam had just walked in.

She said quietly. "Liam, it's okay. I don't have to do the livestream. Everyone outside is cursing me for stealing a child's donor liver anyway. I can bear it."

Liam's expression immediately darkened.

"Celine, Sutton just had surgery. She can't take any more stress."

I looked at him. "Lily just died, and you're giving Sutton the hospital room Lily never got to use?"

Liam kept his voice down. "The fund was always meant to save people. The livestream now can reduce some of the criticism and continue to save other children."

"Did Lily agree to this?"

Liam's patience finally ran out.

"Your mother's case is still under investigation at the hospital, and Lily's paperwork hasn't been completed." He stared at me. "Making a scene here now will only make things more complicated later."

My hand tightened around the stuffed animal bit by bit.

Sutton spoke softly at that moment. "Celine, if you really hate me this much, I can apologize to you on camera."

The staff all looked over.

Liam followed her lead. "You owe her an apology too. She's being cursed like this now, and it's not entirely her fault."

I looked at him and almost laughed.

"She took Lily's donor liver. Now she's sitting in Lily's hospital room holding Lily's stuffed animal, and you want me to apologize?"

Liam said coldly. "This stuffed animal will be used tomorrow. It can represent Lily's kindness."

I turned to leave immediately.

But security blocked the doorway.

Liam looked at me. "Livestream props can't be taken away."

Props.

He called the last thing Lily held a prop.

Staff took the stuffed animal from my arms and put it back by Sutton's bed. The Lily Medical Fund logo was hung in the most prominent position behind Sutton.

I was taken to a rest room.

Guards were posted at the door. An assistant brought tomorrow's livestream schedule. The paper stated that I was to appear as Lily's mother and personally hand the stuffed animal to Sutton.

After reading it, I sent a message to the lawyer.

"I need to request body transfer immediately and preserve the surveillance footage."

The lawyer quickly replied. "The hospital just submitted a family authorization involving Lily's subsequent use for medical research. The signatory may be Liam."

I stared at the screen, my fingertips cold.

Outside, staff were shouting in the hallway. "The people for the livestream rehearsal are here. Set the family representative's position first."

Celine POV

When the recovery livestream began, I was seated next to Sutton.

The camera pointed directly at the hospital bed. The Lily Medical Fund logo hung behind Sutton.

Lily's toy was placed at the head of the bed, as if this child truly wanted to leave her last possession to her.

Mr. Davis stood outside the camera frame, reminding me in a low voice.

"Don't mention that Lily's liver was given to someone else. Don't mention the original surgery order. And don't mention that your mother died at the hospital."

I looked at the cue cards without speaking.

The host first congratulated Sutton on her successful post-surgery recovery, then guided the conversation to the Lily Medical Fund.

Sutton's eyes reddened. Facing the camera, she said softly. "That I can live is because Celine and Lily gave me the opportunity to continue saving people."

She didn't say "steal."

She said the donor liver was something I voluntarily gave up.

The camera immediately turned to me. The host asked with a smile. "Miss Ashford, as Lily's mother, what would you like to say to everyone now?"

Mr. Davis's gaze bore down on me.

Liam stood outside the camera frame, also watching me.

I was silent for a few seconds before speaking. "Every dollar in the fund needs to be accounted for clearly. Lily's name cannot be misused."

Sutton's expression changed for a moment.

She reached for the stuffed animal at the head of the bed, wanting to hold it in front of the camera. I grabbed the stuffed animal first.

"That belongs to Lily."

Sutton's tears immediately fell. "I just wanted to keep something in memory of the child. She didn't get to wait for surgery. I wanted everyone to know that her death had value."

The livestream comments started flooding in.

Some cursed me for being cold-blooded.

Some said I was persecuting someone who just had surgery.

Liam approached, his voice very low. "Let go. Don't make a scene during the livestream."

I looked up at him. "This stuffed animal is what Lily brought to the hospital before surgery. Do you remember?"

Liam froze briefly.

The next second, he still said. "Cooperate with the livestream first."

The donation segment began. The host announced that the Lily Medical Fund would open a new recovery program, and Sutton would be the public welfare spokesperson.

I interrupted directly. "The fund was originally for children waiting for transplants. Who changed the fund's purpose?"

Mr. Davis immediately had staff cut the camera.

Sutton covered her wound, her face pale. "Celine, I can step down. Don't hate me just because Lily is gone."

Liam supported her and ordered me. "Get out."

I didn't move. I picked up the authorization statement on the table and saw that it had already changed the Lily Medical Fund into supporting funds for Sutton's recovery public welfare project.

I slammed the page on the table.

"When she was alive, you stole her donor liver. Now that she's dead, you're taking her money to give to Sutton?"

Liam's expression was ugly. "This is for PR purposes. I'll make up the money to you later."

"I don't want your money." I stared at him. "Remove Sutton's name."

Sutton said quietly. "Liam, if we remove it now, the public will confirm that I really did steal the child's liver."

Liam was silent for a few seconds, then handed the document to his assistant. "Proceed as originally planned."

After the livestream ended, I immediately rushed to the morgue.

Staff stopped me. "Lily cannot be cremated for now."

My voice turned cold. "Why?"

They handed me a research authorization form.

The signatory was Liam.

The authorization stated that Lily's pathological materials would be used for pediatric liver failure research, continuing the child's unfinished wishes.

I took the document to find Liam.

Sutton was still resting in the hospital room. Liam looked at the document and only frowned. "The research can help more children."

I looked at him. "When Lily was alive, you decided for her who would get the donor liver. Now that Lily is dead, you're still deciding for her how her body is used?"

Liam's face paled at that.

Sutton said softly from the bed. "If we withdraw now, the public will think Celine won't even show that last bit of decency."

Liam held the document but didn't withdraw the signature.