Echoes of a Broken Crown

Kathleen Walton suffered from liver cancer and needed a transplant. She discovered her husband of five years, Joshua Hayes, planned to give her liver donor to someone else. He also had a mistress and a child.

The truth shattered Kathleen's heart.

An unfaithful man was worthless, but she resolved to reclaim the liver meant for her.

Kathleen dialed a number she hadn't called in five years. "I'm going to Jaxperton for surgery. Pick me up in three days."

After she left, Joshua lost his mind.

…

In her third year with liver cancer, Kathleen finally found a suitable donor.

When her doctor called, Joshua tucked her blanket gently and stepped onto the balcony to take the call.

He always spoke to doctors privately to spare her worry. That day, Kathleen felt a sudden urge. She grabbed the Bluetooth earpiece from the bedside, slipped it into her ear, and cracked the balcony door open.

"Are you sure you want to give Kathleen's liver to Ella's mother?" a voice asked.

"I'm sure. I can't watch Ella lose her mother. She gave me a daughter," Joshua replied.

"But Kathleen might only have three months left without the transplant," the voice pressed.

"She has three months. She can wait. Another will come," Joshua said.

Their words hit Kathleen like a thunderbolt. Her ears rang, her mind went blank, and one phrase echoed endlessly. "She gave me a daughter."

Everyone knew Joshua adored her. Over three years, countless hospital stays saw him care for her tirelessly.

She disliked hospital food, so he drove back and forth six times a day to bring her meals he cooked himself.

During her brushes with death, he knelt outside operating rooms, praying. He even spent a day worshiping at a church to secure her a blessing.

How could a man so devoted betray her?

Footsteps snapped Kathleen out of her thoughts. She convinced herself she misheard.

They loved each other for ten years. Even as her illness worsened, he never spoke of giving up. He wouldn't betray her.

As she reached to remove the earpiece, a new call came in. "Hello? Honey, it's our daughter's birthday. When are you coming?" a soft feminine voice asked.

Kathleen's world crumbled again.

"I'm on my way," Joshua answered tenderly.

"Daddy, I want that Barbie doll we saw at the mall!" a child's voice chimed.

"I already got your gift, sweetheart. Wait for me," Joshua said.

Tears spilled as Kathleen removed the earpiece.

She clung to hope moments ago, but now her body felt ice-cold. Joshua had another family?

At eighteen, Joshua came to the Walton family after his parents' death left him alone. Kathleen fell for his melancholic eyes and quiet demeanor at first sight.

Their love flowed naturally from college to marriage. Joshua treated her like a princess, vowing to her parents he'd cherish her forever.

During her illness, he stayed by her side, never complaining despite her volatile moods.

On countless painful nights, he held her close, crying, begging her to hold on and not leave him. She survived each crisis for him.

She thought a transplant would bring light after darkness. She never imagined a worse hell awaited.

"Why are you crying?" Joshua asked, rushing in.