Burned Once, Never Again (Niamh and Castiel)

It was already 3:00 am when Niamh left the hospital. She was there for a few hours.

"I'm sorry, Billie," she said apologetically.

"It's fine, don't worry about it."

Billie didn't care about that. Seeing the bruises on Niamh's face, she only grew more determined to help her escape from Castiel as quickly as possible.

If this went on, she feared things might escalate to a deadly point.

The people around Castiel were far from simple, and who knew how much suffering Niamh had endured over the years by his side.

Now, with their obvious intent to push Niamh to the brink, it was clearer than ever.

After the recent revelations, Billie understood that all those incidents from the past were meticulously planned traps, all designed to ensnare Niamh. That night, Niamh found no peace.

Neither did Castiel at the hospital. Macy's eye infection worsened, and the doctors urged immediate surgery, warning that the infection could have severe consequences. However, the biggest hurdle they faced was the lack of a cornea donor. Despite Lucian's efforts

to secure one, every lead either fell through or encountered complications.

Their last resort was a live donation, but the grim reality was that no one, no matter how desperate, would willingly trade their sight for money.

The situation seemed increasingly hopeless.

The next morning, Renee was already demanding to be discharged from the hospital.

Castiel looked helpless as he tried to reason with her. "The doctor said they need to observe you for three more days."

"No need for that. I know my body best."

Every patient would say something like that, but did they really know more than the doctors?

Castiel was already on edge, but everyone was giving him more trouble.

"How's Macy?" Sienna asked.

It was just a simple question, but was enough to make Castiel and Renee get into an argument.

Renee was angry when she thought about Niamh "I was wrong about Niamh! I didn't expect her to be so evil. She doesn't deserve to be my daughter-in-law." "Mom!" Castiel's eyes darkened as he looked at Renee.

Chanter

Castiel's expression further fueled Renee's anger, In the past few years, whenever Renee voiced. her dislike of Niamh, Castiel had always looked at her with the same. expression.

Now, seeing him like this only made Renee's anger flare up even more.

"So this is the woman you chose? I really don't understand what you saw in her. Sienna said that Niamh still hasn't apologized to Macy. Is that true?Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g

Although she didn't like Macy either, Renee often saw herself as standing on the side of righteousness, believing that Niamh had committed a serious wrong.

Now, since the truth couldn't be hidden anymore, she felt that a pretense was necessary.

Castiel was already frustrated about this matter, and Renee's words only exacerbated his anger toward Niamh.

Renee, unaware of the complexities involved, said angrily, "Such a malicious act should be met with an appropriate response. Niamh should donate her corneas to Macy so she can experience firsthand what being blind feels like."

These words, though rooted in perspective, weighed heavily on Castiel's heart like a heavy stone. Renee continued, "Not only is her malice unforgivable, but now that the truth is exposed, she still shows no remorse. Does she think that as long as public opinion shifts, she can escape responsibility? If it weren't for our family's protection, she would've been in prison by now."

Castiel's mind was a whirlwind of confusion.

Thoughts of repentance, malice, corneal transplants, and imprisonment all clashed and jostled, overwhelming his sense of clarity.