Fireworks For Another Woman, While I Died Alone

The day I collapsed from heart failure, I lay alone in our large house during a power outage.

My husband and son were outside, setting off fireworks across the city for another woman.

After what felt like an endless night, my son finally came home. He kicked my emergency medication, which lay by my foot, with disgust.

"Mom, can you please stop faking illnesses for sympathy? Bella is so upset because of you, she can't even eat!"

My husband, Daniel, shielded our son, his voice laced with annoyance.

"Eleanor, have you made enough of a scene? Bella just got back from overseas, and she's emotionally fragile. As the lady of the house, can't you be more generous and accommodating?"

I looked up at the man whose face once swore to protect me from any grievance.

I didn't argue.

I just quietly signed the "Organ Donation Consent Form" I'd hidden at the bottom of a drawer.

Eight years ago, Daniel had written on a greeting card:

"My heart beats only for Eleanor."

Our eight-year-old son had awkwardly drawn a heart on it, adding:

"I'll protect Mommy forever too."

They seemed to have forgotten.

It's fine.

They'll remember the day my heart stops beating for good.

The pen scratched across the paper, and the moment my name was signed, a dull, heavy ache pulsed in my chest again.

I pressed my hand to my left side, cold sweat tracing paths down my cheeks.

It took a while for the pain to subside slightly. I folded the organ donation consent form and tucked it into the deepest part of the drawer.

The lock clicked as I turned the key, just as the front door downstairs swung open.

"Watch your step, don't twist your ankle."

That was Daniel's voice, hushed and unusually gentle and patient -- a tone he rarely used with me.

I held onto the banister as I walked downstairs. Daniel was carefully escorting a woman inside.

It was Bella Rivera, his college sweetheart, the woman who once made him smoke an entire pack of cigarettes alone late at night. Now, she was brazenly walking into my home.

Bella scanned the living room after entering, her gaze finally landing on me.

A smile played on her lips, but her body subtly snuggled closer to Daniel.

"Eleanor, I'm so sorry. I just got back to the country and haven't found a place yet. I'll have to bother you for a few days. You don't mind, do you?"

I gripped the banister tightly, my failing heart pounding even harder in my chest.

What good would minding do?

Last night, Daniel hadn't even discussed it with me; he'd simply informed me she was moving in.

Before I could answer, eight-year-old Leo, clutching a new pair of slippers, ran up to Bella.

"Bella, wear these. They're super soft."

My vision blurred as I looked down. Those were the slippers I'd trekked to three different stores under the scorching sun to buy just two days ago.

When I first brought them home, Leo had clung to my leg, playfully begging, saying I would look the prettiest wearing them.

Now, he didn't hesitate to give them away to impress another woman.

Bella smiled and ruffled Leo's hair as she put on the slippers. They were a bit too big, and she frowned prettily.

Seeing this, Daniel immediately glared at me, his brows furrowed in displeasure.

"Eleanor, you're usually just idling around at home. Why can't you even manage basic preparations for a guest? Bella has small feet. Giving her such big slippers, are you deliberately trying to embarrass her?"

My stomach churned with acid. I took a deep, nauseous breath. They were bought for me, of course they wouldn't fit her.

I didn't argue. I just turned and walked towards the sofa. My body swayed as I moved too quickly, and I had to grab the back of the sofa to steady myself.

Daniel didn't notice anything amiss. He pulled Bella to sit opposite me.

"You've been busy all morning, Bella must be hungry. Go to the kitchen now and prepare something light. Bella has a sensitive stomach and can't eat greasy food."

He leaned back on the sofa, issuing orders. In the past, I would have rushed into the kitchen, eager to earn a word of praise.

But today, I was simply too exhausted. The sharp pain in my chest had drained all my strength, let alone the energy to cater to his first love.

I took off my apron and draped it over the back of the sofa.

"I'm a bit tired. I don't feel like cooking. You guys can order takeout or go out."

Daniel froze, apparently not expecting his usually obedient wife to dare to refuse him in front of an outsider.

A cold, angry sneer quickly appeared on his face.

"Eleanor, you've grown a temper, have you? Bella just arrived today, and you're already putting on airs as the lady of the house, even haggling over a single meal? This little game you're playing, it just makes me sick."

Even my refusal to serve them was seen as a tactic to gain his attention.

Before I could speak, Leo pouted and pointed at me.

"Mom is so selfish. She never does anything around the house, and she won't even cook something for us. Bella just got back and worked so hard, you don't even care about her. Bella is much gentler than you."

Each word from my eight-year-old son pierced my heart. This was the home I'd sacrificed my career to care for, for eight years.

This was also the consequence of the heart condition I developed after risking my life to give birth to him. In the end, I couldn't even compare to a stranger.

My heart began to beat erratically, and my vision blurred again. I knew I couldn't stay.

I calmly turned, dragging my heavy steps towards the guest room on the first floor, leaving the master bedroom and living room to the three of them.

"Stop right there. Who are you putting on this 'poor me' act for?" Daniel demanded from behind me, his voice simmering with rage. I didn't pause until I reached the guest room and closed the door behind me.

Soon, Bella's soft, comforting voice could be heard outside.

"Daniel, don't blame Eleanor. She's probably upset that I'm here. Let's just go out to eat."

Leo chimed in, eager to take her out for a fancy meal, and then the front door slammed shut.

The house fell silent instantly, leaving only my labored breathing.

I slid down the door to the floor, fumbled for my emergency medication, and dry-swallowed a few pills.

Once my breathing steadied, I pulled out my phone and dialed a number.

"Dr. Miller, it's Eleanor Vance. I've already signed the organ donation confirmation form. How long does the process usually take?"

The voice on the other end sounded heavy, sighing just before I heard the sound of a key turning in the lock outside the door.

I quickly hung up and flipped my phone face down, struggling to stand upright.

Leo ran in, clutching an old notebook with yellowed edges, heading straight for the living room.

That was my journal from when I was pregnant with him, documenting the three hundred-plus shots I'd taken to protect the pregnancy and the joy of counting his fetal movements.

I'd always kept that journal cherished in the living room's glass display cabinet.

I walked out of the guest room and saw Leo placing the journal directly under the plate Bella was holding.

"Bella, the table is a bit wobbly. I'll use this to prop it up so your food won't spill."

Blood rushed to my head. I strode over, intending to pull the journal out, but Bella deliberately pressed down on its edge.

She looked up, feigning innocence, but a subtle smile played on her lips.

"Eleanor, I'm so sorry. Leo said this was just an old, worthless notebook, so I used it as a coaster. Don't be angry with the boy. I'll just help you wipe it clean later."

The bottom of the plate scratched deep marks into the cover. The moment my fingers touched the journal's edge, Leo forcefully shoved me.

Unprepared, I stumbled backward and hit the wall. A dull pain shot through my back.

"Why are you scaring Bella? What's a few old notebooks worth anyway? Dad can just buy you new ones."

Leo stood in front of Bella, glaring at me with open hostility.

Daniel walked out of the kitchen, carrying a cup of hot milk. Without asking for an explanation, he frowned and reprimanded me.

"Eleanor, what's gotten into you first thing in the morning? You've completely ruined the atmosphere. What's the big deal if an old journal is used as a coaster? Is it worth laying hands on a child over?"

My fingernails dug deeply into my palms, blood seeping from my skin.

"That was my journal from when I lay in the hospital for half a year, fighting to give birth to Leo."

My voice was dry and tight. Daniel's eyes flickered with an unnatural expression, but he quickly hardened his face.

He pulled out his black credit card from his wallet and tossed it onto the dining table, sliding it towards Bella.

"Bella, after you eat, let Leo take you shopping. Use this card for whatever you want. Consider it compensation for the trouble you went through today."

He was using my money to please another woman, to compensate her for the 'shock' of using my journal as a coaster.

A metallic taste of blood rose in my throat. My legs gave out, and I slid down the wall, clutching my chest.

Cold sweat trickled down my forehead. I gasped for air, but it felt like I couldn't breathe.

Leo, standing by, rolled his eyes and snorted.

"Dad, look, she's acting again. Every time she can't win an argument, she pretends to be sick. That trick is so old. Bella, let's ignore her. We'll go buy a big Transformer."

Daniel looked at my pale face and trembling body, his brow furrowing. He took a step forward, but Bella grabbed his sleeve.

"Daniel, I feel a bit dizzy. Maybe I haven't adjusted to the time difference yet..."

Daniel immediately turned to steady Bella, not sparing me another glance.

I gritted my teeth, swallowed the metallic taste in my throat, and used the wall to slowly push myself up. I walked to the dining table.

Right in front of them, I forcefully pulled out the crumpled journal.

The cover was already stained with grease. I didn't look at it again, simply lifted my hand and tossed it into the nearby trash can.

Daniel's face changed as he saw the journal in the trash. He opened his mouth to speak but forced himself to remain firm, scolding me.

"Absolutely illogical, your temper is getting stranger and stranger."

Then he put his arm around Bella's shoulders and left with Leo.

Hearing the car drive away, I retreated to the guest room and collapsed onto the bed. Only after the dreadful palpitations subsided did I pick up my phone.

I dialed a number I hadn't called in a long time.

"Mr. Davies, it's Eleanor. I want to divest all my indirect shares in Vance Corporation."

When Daniel started his business, I sold my house and borrowed money to raise capital for him. The shares had always been registered under his name.

Mr. Davies quickly agreed, scheduling a meeting for tomorrow afternoon.

Just as I hung up, a new message arrived from my attending physician at the Central Hospital.

"Ms. Vance, your test results are in. Your heart failure has worsened significantly. Conservatively, you have less than three days. Please come to the hospital for admission immediately."

Three days. I stared at the numbers on the screen, my dry lips curling into a bleak smile.

Good. Divesting the shares and completing the donation procedures would be enough.

Only two days remained until the final deadline.

Daniel pushed open the guest room door. Without even looking at my pale face, he held out his hand for the keys to the Ocean Bay Beach House.

That was the house he bought with his first big money, registered in my name, and the place where he proposed to me.

I lay against the headboard, unmoving, and looked at his expectant face, asking what he wanted the keys for.

He impatiently tugged at his tie, his face full of displeasure.

"Bella is feeling down and wants to clear her head by the sea. I'm taking her and Leo to stay at the Ocean Bay for two nights. She just got back and has nothing. As the lady of the house, can't you be generous enough to lend her the house for a few days?"

To take another woman to the place he proposed, for a vacation, and expect me to hand him the keys myself.

I pulled open the drawer, found the keys, and the access card, and tossed them onto the duvet.

"Take them. You can use everything inside however you like."

My straightforward attitude surprised Daniel a little. He took the keys, looking uncomfortable as he explained they were just going to relax.

I didn't respond, turning my back to him, and picked up my phone to text Mr. Davies.

"Also, please draft a divorce agreement for me. I don't want anything. Send it to me as soon as possible."

Seeing that I ignored him, Daniel snorted, took the keys, and slammed the door shut as he left.

In the evening, I heated the doctor's prescribed medicine in the kitchen. The bitter smell made me cough uncontrollably.

Laughter and playful shouts from Bella and Leo came from the living room as they packed their bags.

Suddenly, a gasp was followed by the sound of something heavy falling. Bella had fallen down the last three steps of the staircase.

She sat on the floor, clutching her ankle, tears streaming down her face.

Hearing the commotion, Daniel rushed downstairs. He picked Bella up tenderly, then spun around, glaring fiercely at me as I emerged from the kitchen.

"Eleanor, look what you've done! So what if I borrowed the keys to your old beach house? Do you really have to be so malicious as to push someone down the stairs?"

My hand, holding the medicine bowl, trembled. A few drops of scalding medicine splattered onto my hand, leaving a red mark.

"I was in the kitchen the whole time. I wasn't even near the stairs."

Bella, nestled in Daniel's arms, shook her head tearfully.

"Daniel, don't blame Eleanor. I just lost my footing. Maybe she accidentally bumped me as she passed."

Daniel completely exploded. He strode over and kicked the bowl of medicine out of my hand.

The ceramic bowl shattered on the floor, and the life-saving medicine I had just spent three hours brewing splashed everywhere, soaking my pants.

I looked at the mess on the floor. The stabbing pain in my chest returned, and I lost the strength to even stand upright.

My knees gave out, and I sank to the floor, reaching out with a trembling hand to pick up the pills that were still usable.

The moment my fingertips touched a pill, Leo stepped on my hand, grinding his heel into it.

He gritted his teeth, glaring at me with intense disgust. His small face was full of loathing.

"You wicked woman, not only do you bully Bella, but you also cook this stinky stuff at home. I don't deserve a mom like you, you make me so ashamed!"

My finger bones were throbbing, and my skin scraped against the broken ceramic, starting to bleed.

Hearing my own son utter such words, I didn't cry; my eyes didn't even well up.

I pulled away my bloody, bruised hand, looked at the clear shoe print on its back, and forced a smile.

A smile at the eight years of devotion that had led to this outcome.

Daniel, seeing me still smiling, looked even more disgusted. He picked up Bella and walked out without a backward glance.

"Come on, Leo. Let's take Bella to the hospital for a check-up. This crazy woman can stay home and reflect."

The three of them left. Thunder rumbled outside the house, and a few minutes later, the rain began to pour.

All the lights in the house suddenly went out, plunging the surroundings into darkness.

The throbbing in my chest turned into a continuous, excruciating pain. I fumbled for my phone, only to find it dead.

I could only crawl along the wall towards the landline in the living room. A mere few meters felt like twenty minutes.

Finally, I reached the receiver and pressed it to my ear, but there was no sound.

I traced the telephone line down and found a smooth cut. The phone line had been severed.

Leo had been messing with craft scissors just before they left. He had personally blocked his own mother's last chance at life.

The intense pain completely overwhelmed me. I curled up on the cold floor, my consciousness beginning to fade.

I didn't even have the strength to breathe. I could only lie there, silently waiting in the dark, powerless house.

I don't know how much time passed. The rain stopped. The faint light of dawn filtered through the window, and faintly, the wail of an ambulance siren could be heard outside.

The mansion's front door was forcibly smashed open.

A team of people in uniforms rushed in, their flashlights sweeping across my face.

This was the private emergency medical team I had prepaid a high price to hire two days ago.

The lead doctor knelt, checking my pupils, and urgently directed them to put me on a stretcher.

"Patient is in deep shock, heartbeat extremely weak. Immediate stretcher transfer, quickly!"

My body was numb. They carried me onto a stretcher and rushed me into the emergency room at Central Hospital.

With the jolt of the defibrillator, I briefly regained a sliver of consciousness.

The attending physician stood by the bed, holding a report, his face grim.

"Ms. Vance, your heart function is completely lost. You can't undergo a transplant surgery. The machines can only maintain your vital signs for the last two hours. Do you have any family members you need to speak to?"

A layer of mist clouded the oxygen mask. I used my remaining strength to weakly shake my head.

No family left.

The nurse looked distressed. According to regulations, she had to call my immediate family for confirmation.

She dialed Daniel's number, which was on file, and put the phone on speaker by my pillow.

It rang for a long time before someone picked up. From the other end, cheerful music and the sounds of fireworks played.

"Daniel, look at that firework, it's so pretty! Leo, come take a picture!"

Bella's joyful laughter echoed into the emergency room. The nurse paused for a moment before raising her voice.

"Hello, is this Mr. Daniel Vance? This is the Central Hospital emergency room. Your wife, Ms. Eleanor Vance, is in extremely critical condition and could pass away at any moment. Please come immediately to sign some papers."

There was a brief silence on the other end, then Daniel's extremely impatient shout.

"Eleanor, are you done yet?! Bella finally got to the amusement park to clear her head. Why do you have to pick this moment to fake your death and ruin the mood?! I'm telling you, even if you die at home today, I won't come back to see you!"

After the noise, the phone seemed to be snatched away, and Leo's shrill voice came through.

"Exactly! Stop lying, you always use this trick. If you're really sick, then get on your knees and beg Bella for forgiveness, or we're absolutely not coming back!"

The medical staff in the emergency room exchanged glances, their eyes full of shock and sorrow.

The ventilator hissed rhythmically. I raised my bloody and bruised hand, trembling.

The nurse quickly brought the phone closer to my ear. I swallowed a final mouthful of bloody saliva and parted my dry lips.

"No need to come back. I hope you... have fun."

My voice was soft, without a ripple of emotion. After speaking, I used my last ounce of strength to press the end call button.

The nurse, with reddened eyes, handed me the confirmation form for refusing resuscitation and consenting to organ donation.

I didn't hesitate. I held the pen and shakily signed my name at the bottom. The pen slipped from my grasp and fell onto the bedsheet.

The breath that had been trapped in my chest for eight years finally dissipated.

The lights above me blurred, and the alarms from the instruments faded into the distance. I was finally free.

The monitor let out a steady, long beep, and only a flat line remained on the screen.

Dozens of miles away at the amusement park, fireworks lit up the sky one after another.

Daniel shoved his phone back into his pocket, his brows deeply furrowed, and muttered a curse under his breath.

Bella, linked arm-in-arm with him, pointed at the fireworks in the sky and laughed.

He forced a smile, but his phone in his pocket vibrated violently again.

Annoyed, he pulled out his phone. It was the same number from before. He answered, about to unleash a tirade.

A cold female voice came from the other end.

"Mr. Vance, this is the Organ Donation Department at Central Hospital. Your wife, Ms. Eleanor Vance, has been confirmed deceased, and organ procurement has been completed. Please come to the morgue as soon as possible to claim her remaining belongings."