She Asked Him To Cancel Their Daughter’s Surgery For A Game Chapter 07

She Asked Him To Cancel Their Daughter’s Surgery For A Game Chapter 07

Everett locked himself in his study after the funeral

My phone was still sitting on the desk.

A forensics technician had recovered the deleted call records and audio logs.

The night he canceled the surgery, the doctor on call had warned him.

“Mr. Caldwell, the ischemic clock is already ticking on this kidney.”

“If the patient isn’t admitted in time, it goes to the next person on the national waitlist.”

His own voice came through the recording, flat and cold.

“It’s Willa’s birthday. She’s too worked up.”

“I don’t want her going into a major surgery like that.”

The doctor tried to push back again.

“But she’s been waiting three years.”

In the background, Vanessa sobbed softly beside him.

He paused.

“Cancel it for now. I’ll take full responsibility.”

Hearing his own voice say it made his stomach violently turn.

He barely made it to the en-suite bathroom before he was on his knees, throwing up until there was absolutely nothing left but bile.

He’d told himself he didn’t know what canceling the surgery would mean.

The recording proved he’d known exactly what he was doing.

He’d believed the Caldwell money could fix anything.

That Willa could just keep waiting. That I would always be there to clean up the mess.

The milk glass was still on the corner of the desk.

Tox screen results confirmed prescription sleeping pills were in the glass.

His own pills. From the bottle of Ambien he kept for his insomnia.

He had crushed them himself. Stirred them into the milk. Watched me drink every last drop.

He remembered the way I’d looked at him when I took the glass, eyes red, my voice barely holding together.

“Everett, you’re not going to cancel the surgery, right?”

He had pulled me into his arms.

“I won’t. Trust me

Killing someone didn’t require a knife.

A broken promise. A glass of laced milk. A phone call.

That was enough.

When Vanessa got back from Mount Alder, she came straight to the estate.

Black dress. White flowers in hand.

“Everett, I’d like to pay my respects to Elise.”

Everett sat in the dark. He didn’t look up.

“Why?”

Vanessa’s eyes welled up with forced tears.

“I didn’t want this to happen.”

“It was just a stupid game. I never thought you’d actually go through with it.”

Everett finally looked at her.

“You didn’t think I would?”

He pulled up the security footage from the birthday party.

In the footage, every face in the room changed the second the words left Vanessa’s mouth.

Someone off-camera told her to pick a different dare. She smiled.

“I just want to see who matters more to Everett: Willa or me.”

Everett paused the video.

“That’s you, saying exactly that.”

Vanessa’s face went pale.

“I’d been drinking. I wasn’t thinking straight.”

“I lost everything in that accident, and you promised to make it up to me.”

Her hand went to her stomach, and the tears kept coming.

All I wanted was one perfect day with you.”

“Elise had a husband. A daughter. I had nothing.”

Everett stood up.

“So you gambled with my daughter’s life to see if I’d pick you?”

Vanessa stepped back.

“You’re the one who made the call. You’re the one who put the pills in her milk.”

“I didn’t force you to do anything, Everett.”

Vanessa wiped her eyes, her tone shifting.

“Elise could have waited for another kidney.”

“Instead, she gave up her last one on purpose. Like some kind of martyr.”

“She wanted to make sure you’d never be able to forget her.”

Everett swept the flowers violently off the table.

“You’re right. I canceled the surgery myself.”

“So no, I don’t get to put all of this on you.”

He moved toward her.

“But I’m done using what I owe you as an excuse to destroy everyone else.”

Vanessa grabbed his arm.

“What about what I lost?”

“I can never have children!”

Everett pulled her hand off. His voice was hollow and raw.

“You saved my life. I’ll make sure you’re taken care of financially with medical bills, living expenses, whatever

you need.”

“But I’m never seeing you again. And I’m never making someone else pay for what I owe you.”

Vanessa stared at him. Then she let out a cold, bitter laugh.

“Elise is dead, Everett. Who exactly are you putting on this show for?”

The blood left Everett’s face.

Vanessa said it slowly, every word deliberate and cruel.

“You never chose her when she was alive

“You’re only crying now because a dead woman can’t forgive you.”