When Ivan first realized that the brooch Cordelia had given him was left at Yuna's place, he had dismissed it as mere coincidence.Perhaps his anger toward Cordelia the other day wasn't just about fearing she would cause trouble for Yuna, but also a concern that she would find the brooch there and overthink it.Ivan felt a strong sense of pity for Yuna. There was a time he had loved her deeply, but now that affection had transformed into sympathy.He was sorry for Yuna's situation, but more so, he felt guilty for having developed feelings for Cordelia. He had once promised Yuna that he would love her for a lifetime, but now, Cordelia was his future.So, when he learned that Yuna had leukemia, he had been devastated and filled with self-reproach.He had disregarded Cordelia's feelings to accompany Yuna to the hospital and willingly complied with any reasonable request the latter made.Even when Yuna had embraced him out of nostalgia while they strolled through the campus, he hadn'
Yuna was actually an orphan.In the past 20 years, the only thing she had learned was deception. Once, she had sold out the innocent girl who had always regarded her as a sister for a few hundred dollars to buy alcohol.The first time she saw Ivan, she already plotted to use the persona of a pitiful girl who had worked hard to survive to trick him.Later, when meeting Ivan's parents, she had deliberately claimed she was pregnant to squeeze out more money. In the end, she successfully took away a million dollars and went abroad.She was clever enough to know that her little tricks could never fool Ivan's parents. Therefore, she had never intended to marry Ivan.Unfortunately, Yuna's life abroad hadn't turned out well. Most of the men she had attracted weren't wealthy; some had pretended to be affluent, while others had nothing to offer.Eventually, a painter fell head over heels in love with her, but Yuna unfortunately became pregnant with his child. The painter swore to earn a go
But never had Ivan imagined that one day, he would receive news of Cordelia's death.To be precise, she had already died a month ago.Ivan was bewildered. He couldn't understand how someone who seemed perfectly fine would suddenly pass away.Yet, the memories he had buried deep within surged forth, biting at his heart.Ivan recalled Cordelia's increasingly pale and frail face, how she would often disappear into the bathroom for half an hour at a time, coupled with her growing silence.All of them were precursors he had deliberately ignored while lost in his focus on Yuna."How could this be?" Ivan muttered under his breath.He locked himself in his room for an entire night. It was then that he discovered Cordelia's journal."May 20, 2023. I've been diagnosed with terminal stomach cancer. The doctor said I only have a few months left. The first person I thought of was Ivan, but then I saw him with another woman at the hospital."The way Ivan looked at her was so gentle. He neve
Ivan had no idea about Yuna's social media posts, nor did he realize that Cordelia had been living in such agony all along. What could have been mended was now a shattered dream.His world had collapsed.…On the day of Cordelia's funeral, Ivan showed up. However, he was turned away by her parents upon their return to the country. Her brother, Cedric Lange, nearly beat him into a bloody pulp.Cedric grabbed Ivan by the tie and glared at him with hatred. "You promised to take good care of her, yet you let her suffer in despair until death."I'm not as kind as Lia. She loved you, and even in her dying moments, she thought of you. She was so good-natured that even when Yuna bullied her, she never thought of fighting back."But my parents and I won't forgive you. Do you want to see Yuna's true colors? I hope after finding out the truth, you'll live a long and awful life to experience the hell Lia went through."Ivan looked up and watched as Cedric threw down a flurry of investigativ
The setting sun cast a faint blush over my pale face. My hands trembled slightly as I held the diagnosis of my terminal stomach cancer.Dazedly, I dialed the number pinned at the top of my contacts.The familiar ringtone snapped me out of my daze, and I instinctively turned my head.Not far away, my husband, Ivan Sartore, was frowning as he held a woman in his arms protectively. Her face was pale without makeup, but something about her stirred sympathy.I recognized her. Early in my relationship with Ivan, I had once stumbled across her photo tucked inside his wallet. I had asked him who she was, and he had wordlessly snatched the photo back with barely concealed impatience.It wasn't until later that I learned the truth from his sister, Iris Sartore. The woman's name was Yuna Lindsay, and she was Ivan's first love.He had been head over heels for her, but their relationship had fallen apart after his parents disapproved of them. Yuna had gone abroad in a fit of anger, and Ivan h
I looked up at Ivan and studied every flicker of emotion on his face. I thought if I could see even a hint of happiness, I might be able to forget everything that happened in the hospital.However, Ivan's expression was nothing but panic, and then, for a brief second, disgust.My stomach twisted, and my heart tightened. I felt suffocated."That's good news, Lia. I'll take care of you and be a good father."He turned his head away as he spoke.I knew Ivan couldn't lie. His eyes always gave his true feelings away.I felt drained all of a sudden. I forced a smile and said, "I was just kidding. I'm not pregnant."Ivan looked back and chided with slight reproach, "You shouldn't joke about something like that."Yet, I saw relief in his eyes.That night, Ivan slept soundly beside me.Meanwhile, I couldn't stop tossing and turning as I stared at Yuna's recent social media post. Earlier, I had messaged Iris, and she had shared with me Yuna's Instagram profile."Cordelia, my parents a
Yuna's eyes filled with uncertainty like a deer caught in the headlights. "Ivan is lucky to have a wife like you. I wish you both happiness."When I made to leave afterward, I noticed something out of the corner of my eye. There was a brooch resting on her couch, its pink diamond glinting under the sunlight.Nausea hit me hard. I clutched my chest and rushed out of Yuna's home.As I crouched by the side of the road, I vomited bile. My mind was consumed by a single thought.Why was Ivan's brooch at Yuna's house? Did they do something on the couch?…When Ivan came home that night, he was furious.The door slammed shut with a bang, which echoed in the hallway. The sharp noise pierced through my head, making me feel dizzy."Cordelia! Why did you look for Yuna?"His voice was loud and angry—something he had never directed at me throughout our marriage."She's already suffering enough. Why did you go and make things worse for her?"I stared at him dumbfoundedly, then tried to d
As Ivan wished, I stopped seeking Yuna out. But her posts on social media constantly reopened my wounds that never had the chance to heal."Sick and lost my appetite, but luckily, I have a good friend to coax me into eating."She posted that while I was writhing on the floor in pain, unable to take a single bite of the meal I had painstakingly prepared.My mind was filled with images of Ivan's tender behavior, something I had never been the recipient of.From that day on, I started keeping a journal, scribbling down thoughts that haunted me.Yuna had posted again. Her caption read, "Eleven, you've grown so much. He's taken such good care of you that you're now so chubby. I still remember the day we adopted you."The photo was of Yuna holding a white ragdoll cat.I had always liked Eleven, but the cat had never warmed up to me.When I first tried to offer him a treat, I was scratched on my wrist in return. Ivan had apologized, but he had never considered sending the cat away.O