Seven Years a Shadow: The Stand-In's Escape novel Chapter 18

When I received the news that my bone marrow happened to be a match for my sister’s, I had just discovered I was pregnant.

My mentor, with a serious expression, pulled me aside. He said that if I wanted to donate bone marrow to my sister, I'd most likely have to terminate the pregnancy first.

He urged me to think carefully and to discuss it thoroughly with my husband.

I was indeed conflicted.

I had taken many herbal medicines to prepare for pregnancy and had tried for a long time to conceive.

When my husband found out I was pregnant, he was so excited that he wanted to shout it from the rooftops.

How could I bear to terminate the pregnancy?

But my sister Yuna was only twenty-nine. She was the family's precious pearl, raised by my parents since childhood. If anything were to happen to her, they wouldn't survive it.

So after a long afternoon of wrestling with my thoughts, I decided to go home after work that evening.

When I returned, they were all sitting together, enjoying a cheerful dinner.

In addition to them, my younger brother, Henry, and his girlfriend were there.

They were toasting, clearly celebrating some happy news.

But the warmth of the moment shattered when I walked in.

The room fell silent, and everyone stopped smiling, awkwardly setting their glasses down.

Only my mother forced out a few chuckles, pretending to be affectionate as she pulled me toward the table.

"I thought you were too busy to come, but I didn't realize you're the lucky one! Come sit down and eat with us."

But she didn't know, no matter how sweetly she spoke, the politeness and distance in her gestures couldn't hide the truth.

Suddenly, a mischievous thought struck me.

I turned around, gently took her hand that was barely resting on my arm, and said,

"Mom, I'm sick."

Her hand stiffened, but she allowed me to hold it.

"...Uh, if you're sick, just eat more, once you're full, all illnesses will go away."

She brushed it off, not even asking what I was sick with, and withdrew her hand as she moved the chair.

Henry furrowed his brow.

"South, are you here to ruin the mood on purpose? Every time something happy happens at home, you show up to ruin it."

"Today, Yuna got an opportunity for a foreign tour. Don't tell me you didn't come just to spoil it."

I ignored him and sat down at the chair my mother had pulled out for me.

"...I have leukemia."

Henry fell silent.