The Man Who Donated a Kidney to Me Proposed a Month Later, Claiming He Was Terminally Ill and Didn't Want to Pass Alone – But Right After We Said 'I Do,' He Took My Hand and Whispered, 'Now I Can Finally Tell You the Truth'

I opened my mouth, then stopped.

Her anger wasn't really aimed at me.

"Everyone thinks he's amazing."

It was fear wearing armor.

"You think he'll keep giving pieces of himself away until there's nothing left for you."

Her face changed. Barely.

"Everyone thinks he's amazing."

"He is."

"See?"

"And you have every right to be mad at him."

I looked down at the ring on my hand.

Sophie sat beside me.

"He fixes everybody's problems. Neighbors. Friends. People from work. Somebody calls at midnight, he's already finding his keys. Everybody says he's generous. Nobody asks what it costs us."

I looked down at the ring on my hand.

I had loved Nathan's generosity because I benefited from it more than anyone.

Sophie had lived with the cost.

"He should have told me about you."

My parents stood near the empty tables.

"Obviously."

"And he should stop treating love like making decisions alone."

Sophie snorted. "Good luck."

When I returned to the venue, the party was over, but nobody had gone home.

My parents stood near the empty tables. My brother had loosened his tie. Mara sat with her hands wrapped around an untouched glass of champagne.

Nathan was waiting by the garden doors.

"What happened?"

My mother came toward me first.

"Are you all right?"

"No."

Her eyes moved to Nathan. "What happened?"

Nathan opened his mouth.

I stopped him.

Nathan looked at my parents, then at my brother.

"Tell them."

His face went pale.

"Claire—"

"You wanted to decide when everyone learned the truth. You don't get to do that anymore."

Silence settled over the room.

Nathan looked at my parents, then at my brother.

"I have a twelve-year-old daughter," he said. "And I married Claire without telling her."

"You let my daughter make a legal promise."

My mother's expression changed.

Not anger at first.

Disbelief.

Then anger.

"You let my daughter make a legal promise to you without giving her the truth."

Nathan looked down.

"Yes."

Nobody rushed to comfort him.

Dad stepped beside her. "Why?"

Nathan's jaw tightened.

"I told myself I was protecting Sophie. Then I told myself I was protecting Claire. Really, I was making sure nobody had the chance to tell me no."

Nobody rushed to comfort him cafar .

Not Mara.

Not my parents.

"What stops?"

Not me.

I walked closer.

"Our marriage continues only if this stops."