People scattered, terrified. Ethan came
running.
Lily was a mess, bruised and bleeding,
sobbing in his arms.
I didn’t know where the strength came from,
but before he could say anything, I slapped
him across the face.
Five red marks appeared on his cheek.
“You knew she was lying, didn’t you?”
“How could you be so cruel? I would have
warmed you up, even if you were made of
ice.”
“Three years. Do you know what it was like
<
for me in there?”
I couldn’t hold it in anymore. All the hurt, all
the anger, burst out like a dam had broken. I
covered my face and wept.
Sam had asked me if I regretted loving Ethan.
Before, I hadn’t known.
Now, I did. I really regretted it.
“Olivia, I didn’t…”
He tried to explain, but Lily pulled him away.
I broke down, apologizing to him. “It was my
mistake. Loving you was my biggest mistake.
I shouldn’t have loved you.”
The air around me felt thin, suffocating. I
く
didn’t have the strength to deal with them.
I just wanted to escape.
My anxiety was getting worse. I was having
panic attacks. I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t sit
still. I wanted to sleep, but sleeping was a
nightmare.
At night, I’d close my eyes, and my mind
would race.
I hated going to bed, but I was always
exhausted.
Sam gave me a sedative.
I lay in the hospital bed, barely aware of my
surroundings.
く
An old woman sighed. “Such a nice girl.
How’d she get like this?”
I smiled. “I don’t know. I just can’t be happy
anymore.”
Lily came to see me, smirking. “Ethan and I
are getting married. He wanted me to give
you the invitation.”
She shoved a red envelope into fighting
hands.
Was she really that insecure? I was barely
holding on, and she still needed to prove
something?
“Congratulations, then.”
I didn’t have the energy to fight.
Г
Thinking back, if it hadn’t been for me, they
would have been married long ago.
Ethan had been in love with her. If she hadn’t
been so proud, I never would have had a
chance with him.
Then, when he finally committed to me, she
changed her mind.
I’d loved Ethan for seven years, giving him
everything I had, but it wasn’t enough to
overcome his feelings for her.
Sam walked in and said coldly to Lily, “The
patient needs to rest.”
He gave me another shot, and I felt a little
better. I drifted off to sleep.
く
When I woke up, the invitation was gone.
Sam was sitting by the bed, looking sad.
“What’s wrong?” I joked. “I’m not dying. Not
just yet.”
“You have kidney cancer.”
The air froze. I forced a smile.
“How long do I have?”
“Six months, tops.” He delivered the verdict
like he was the Grim Reaper.
Six months? Enough.
“Help me get out of here.”
<
“Are you crazy?” He stared at me.
If I only had six months, I wanted to see the world. I didn’t want to spend my last days smelling like disinfectant.
The hospital felt too cold, too dead.
I didn’t go to Ethan’s wedding.
I wandered the streets for hours, and then I
had a taxi take me to my grandmother’s
grave.
My parents died when I was young. My
grandmother raised me. She gave me all the
love I needed. When she died, my whole world
fell apart. I sat in front of her tombstone,
telling her about my childhood.
Then Ethan showed up.
He looked tired and worried, like he’d rushed
there. He was breathing hard.
When he saw me, he grabbed me and held
me so tight, I could barely breathe.
“I know everything,” he said. “I know it all.”
I didn’t know what he was talking about.
“Let go… I can’t breathe!”
