Stone-Bound Fate

"Your time is running out. Go home, Evelyn. Say say your goodbyes."

The Chief Healer’s voice was gentle, but the words that came out of his mouth plunged me into total despair

I already knew the outcome , but hearing it still made the tears spill over.

A vicious witch cast a petrification curse on me the moment I was born.

If the curse isn’t lifted by the time I turn twenty-eight, I will turn completely to stone and die.

It took me 10 years to finally find the only antidote for my curse — Dragon Heart Marrow.

Unexpectedly, the Dragon Heart Marrow I’d waited so long to get was snatched away by my husband.

He transplanted it into Selene, my fake younger sister, just because she had a mild case of heart exhaustion.

I walked down the clinic corridor in a daze, there were only seven days left until my twenty-eighth birthday.

When I pushed open the door to Selene’s ward, my parents, my husband Cassian, and even my five-year-old son Noah.

All of them were clustered around the bed to care about her.

What a happy little family.

Seeing me enter, Cassian immediately stopped his action and walked toward me. "Evelyn , what did the Healer say?"

I just looked at him.

He was too guilty to meet my eyes, and quickly stammered out an excuse. "It was an emergency, Evelyn. If I didn't give Selene the marrow, she’ll die from the pain."

My mother stepped up, her face hardening. "Cassian is right. Evelyn, this is a matter of life and death. You’re not going to be unreasonable and throw a tantrum over this, are you?"

The truth I’d originally meant to say died on my lips.

"I'm not mad," I said flatly. "The Healer said there will be good news in a week."

I went on to add , the invisible black veins of my curse aching . "Good news for all of us."

Cassian looked immensely relieved."Another marrow source so soon? I knew it. I made the right call."

My father exhaled loudly, chuckling as he looked affectionately at the bed. "Our Selene is truly blessed. If we hadn't given her your marrow, she definitely wouldn't have made it to next week."

My mother nodded in fervent agreement. "Her blessings are just beginning." Then, her gaze snapped to me, turning freezing cold. "Unlike someone else. You could have just waited, but you had to make a massive scene and disgrace our entire family."

Even though I had already given up on them, the words still twisted like a knife in my gut.

I gripped the fabric of my skirt, my knuckles turning white, forcing the tears back down.

Cassian looked at me and tried to sound gentle, but his words broke my heart. "You were way out of line yesterday, Evelyn. You need to apologize to Selene."

I stared at him in disbelief.

Selene stole the antidote that could save my life , and I was the one who had to apologize?

"He's right," my mother sneered. "If you hadn't bullied Selene yesterday, her heart wouldn't have flared up. You should be thanking the gods she’s lying here safe. Otherwise, I’d disown you right now."

I remembered yesterday when she cornered me by the staircase, deliberately flaunting the hickey on her neck and bragging about how rough and affectionate my husband was with her.

Enraged, I gave her a light shove, never expecting her to deliberately lose her balance and tumble down the stairs.

After my husband helped her up, he slapped me hard across the face.

I was knocked to the ground. As the world spun around me, my mother cursed me.

My father merely stood a short distance away with cold indifference, as if he too thought I deserved to be punished.

Right after that, my curse flared up and a sharp pain shot through my chest.

Selene clutched her heart too, whimpering that it hurt terribly.

Yet everyone thought I was faking it, while they believed she was true.

At the thought, I tugged my lips into a bitter smile and said quietly, "Sorry. It’s all my fault."

The room went completely silent.

No one expected me to be this tamed.

Cassian narrowed his eyes, probing my face .

On the bed, Selene’s brow twitched. She looked at me with an expression that screamed, *How are you this good at acting?

My parents exchanged wary looks andthought I was putting on an act..

Only Noah , my five-year-old son believed and threw his tiny arms around my legs happily.

"Mommy!" Noah cheered. "I'm so glad you finally admitted you were wrong!"

He looked up at me, his eyes wide and serious. "Don't ever bully Auntie Selene again. Or else I won't love you anymore, just like Grandpa and Grandma!"

I looked down at him.

I could endure my parents' cruelty. I could endure my husband's betrayal.

But him? The child I carried for ten months? The child who now actively chose the woman who stole my life?

The stone spreading inside my veins didn't hurt nearly as much as this.

I had no strength left to fight.

My freezing fingers brushed his warm cheek. I smiled. "Okay. Mommy will listen to everything you say."

My mother crossed her arms, nodding in deep satisfaction. "Well, it looks like you’ve finally learned your place, Evelyn."

Cassian let out a long, heavy breath. "My wife has finally grown up."

The sight of his hypocritical face made me feel nauseous enough to throw up.

"Ah—" Selene suddenly whimpered from the bed, gripping her chest. "It hurts..."

Cassian instantly shoved past me and rushed to her side.

Noah also let go of my legs instantly and cared about her. "Auntie! Where does it hurt? I will blow it away!"

My parents rushed forward, their eyes immediately red with heartache.

I stood far away , a clown watching a play I wasn't cast in.

I couldn't stand the the atmosphere in the room

"I'm tired," I muttered to the air.

I didn't wait for a response. I turned my back on all of them, and walked right out of the ward.