Chapter 1

Late-stage stomach cancer.

The doctor said I had at most six months left. If I went abroad for treatment, there was a one in a thousand chance of recovery.

As I walked out of the hospital, I looked up at the sun, staring until my eyes watered from the pain.

This warm sunlight would soon no longer be mine to enjoy.

As I stood there, my phone rang. I rubbed my eyes and answered. Olivia’s angry voice came through.

“Jack! Where the hell have you been?!”

“Didn’t I tell you to come apologize to Ethan right away?”

“Get your ass back here now!”

Listening to this barrage of words, my heart clenched in pain.

“Something came up.”

The voice on the other end suddenly fell silent, then her breathing became rapid.

A few seconds later, Olivia spoke through gritted teeth.

“Fine, fine, fine! You dare to talk back to me now!”

“Jack, I don’t care what you’re dealing with.”

“Even if you were dying!”

“You need to come back right now! This instant! And get on your knees to apologize to Ethan!”

[But I really am dying]

I didn’t say these words out loud. I didn’t want her to know.

Since I had decided to leave, there was no need for any further entanglement with her.

I responded affirmatively to the phone, then hung up.

On the other end, Olivia stood frozen, listening to the dial tone.

She slowly turned to look at the man sitting on the couch, speaking in a disbelieving tone.

“He… he dared to hang up on me?!”

Crack!

Olivia, her face contorted, smashed the phone on the ground, shrieking.

“Jack actually dared to hang up on me!!”

“How dare he!!”

“I’ll kill him! Kill him!!!”

Olivia stomped on the shattered phone repeatedly until it was crushed to pieces.

Seeing that she had finished venting, Ethan walked over and took her into his arms, gently patting her back.

“Olivia, it’s not worth getting angry over someone like him.”

“Even if he died, no one would care.”

Olivia pouted, snuggling against Ethan.

“But I can’t stand seeing him bully you.”

Ethan lightly caressed her face, chuckling softly.

“It’s alright. I don’t take someone like him seriously.”

“How about this - if he apologizes this time, I’ll let bygones be bygones. What do you think?”

Olivia breathed in Ethan’s scent greedily, her face flushed.

“Ethan, you’re so kind. That’s what I love about you. While that loser isn’t back yet, why don’t we…”