Chapter 1

“The tumor in your brain is growing rapidly, and its location is quite problematic. The chances of a successful surgery are very low.

“If you don’t undergo surgery, you may have less than a year left.”

The doctor’s words echoed endlessly in her ears.

Layla Xander stumbled out of the hospital in a daze. By the time she got into a cab, the medical report in her hand was already crumpled from her grip.

Finally, it dawned on her. She needed to tell her fiancé, Sean Perry, about this.

Her hands trembled uncontrollably as she pulled out her phone and typed a message with great difficulty:

“Sean, come home early. I have something to tell you.”

Suddenly, a loud crash jolted the car, sending it shaking violently.

The impact threw her forward, her head hitting the seat in front of her. Pain shot through her skull, and her vision went black for a moment.

Chaotic noises erupted all around her.

Before she could process what was happening, the car door was yanked open, and a young man leaned in. “Miss, are you alright?”

“I’m fine.”

Layla instinctively waved him off, her mind focused solely on getting home as quickly as possible. She didn’t notice the sudden shift in the young man’s expression.

The next moment, the young man, Carter Lucas, grabbed her wrist firmly. “I’m taking you to the hospital right now!”

“There’s no need.”

Ignoring her refusal entirely, he scooped her up into his arms without hesitation and strode quickly toward the back door of a Rolls-Royce Cullinan.

“Uncle William, I’m taking her to the hospital!” he called out.

The car window lowered halfway, revealing a man’s cold, refined profile. Gold-rimmed glasses rested on his high nose bridge, and his sharp, almond-shaped eyes remained fixed on the tablet in his hands, engrossed in his work.

Even amidst the chaos, he exuded an air of calm control.

“Go ahead,” William Lucas said without looking up.

Only after receiving permission did Carter move forward, carrying Layla quickly.

She felt her head growing heavier and couldn’t stop herself from leaning into Carter’s chest.

…

When Layla opened her eyes again, she found herself lying on a hospital bed, her head throbbing dully.

There was no one else in the room.

Forcing herself to sit up, she took a moment to steady her breathing. Then she remembered that she had asked Sean to come home.

He hated it when people were late.

Her chest tightened with anxiety. Ignoring the dizziness that threatened to overwhelm her, she got out of bed and hurriedly left the hospital room.

The emergency room lobby was bustling with people. Supporting herself against the wall, Layla slowly made her way forward. Out of the corner of her eye, she suddenly caught sight of a familiar figure in the crowd.

It was Sean!

He was holding Xena Xander in his arms, his steps hurried. Before Layla could react, they disappeared into the crowd.

She froze in place, unsure how much time had passed before her phone buzzed in her pocket.

She pulled out her phone and saw Sean’s reply:

“I won’t be coming home today. We’ll talk about your matter tomorrow.”

How painfully familiar this scene was.

It wasn’t the first time Sean had put someone else ahead of her.

In Sean’s world, everyone and everything was more important than her, his fiancée. She just never imagined that one day, her younger sister, Xena, would take priority over her too.

Why?

Layla’s heart ached as if it were being torn apart. Why did it have to be Xena?

As if driven by some unseen force, she dialed Sean’s number. It rang for a long time before he finally picked up.

His tone was impatient. “Didn’t I already tell you I’m not coming home?”

“Where are you right now?” Layla asked, her voice hoarse, trying to suppress the urge to cry.

“Where else would I be?” Sean responded defensively, then added, “I’m at the office, really busy.”

Clutching her phone tightly, Layla’s bitter smile deepened. Great—he was still lying to her.

Perhaps sensing that something was off, Sean’s tone softened. “Layla, just stay home and wait for me. I’ll come back to you as soon as I finish work.”

“Ah, ouch…” A delicate, flirtatious voice interrupted in the background.

Layla heard it loud and clear, but she pretended not to notice. She lowered her voice and replied, “Okay, I’ll wait for you.”

The call ended abruptly. Sean didn’t even have time to say goodbye. He was too busy worrying about Xena.

Lowering her phone, Layla felt her heart, which had been aching moments ago, go completely numb. It was as if it had stopped beating, leaving an emptiness that swallowed her whole.

Sean had forgotten.

This afternoon, they were supposed to pick up their engagement outfits together.

…

Back at the villa, Layla locked herself in the bridal bedroom and fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.

In her dreams, her twenty-six years of life flashed by like scenes from a film.

She was switched at birth.

At twelve, her adoptive father’s gambling habits left him drowning in debt, and her adoptive mother tried to use her as a bargaining chip to extort money.

In the end, they both ended up in prison.

She returned to the Xander family, but the fake daughter, Xena, who had been raised in the Xander family, could no longer return to her original family.

At first, the Xander family tried everything to make it up to Layla. Those were the happiest days of her life.

But over time, things began to change.

The unfamiliarity of blood ties couldn’t compete with the deep bond the Xanders had formed with Xena after living together for so many years.

She became the outsider in the Xander family, always out of place. The familial love she longed for was something Xena flaunted in front of her like a trophy.

Then Sean appeared. He was a ray of sunlight piercing through the darkness of her life.

People mocked her, calling her desperate and pathetic, but they didn’t know she saw Sean as her lifeline.

She had always believed Sean cared about her. Why else would he have stayed with her all the way to their engagement?

Their engagement banquet was just a week away.

“Marry me, and I’ll take care of you for the rest of your life.”

“I will.”

But in the hazy light of her dream, Layla was stunned to see the bride-to-be on stage suddenly transform into Xena.

Frozen in place, she could only watch helplessly as Sean slid the engagement ring onto Xena’s finger.

Layla jolted awake, drenched in cold sweat.

The morning sunlight was already streaming through the window. The room was empty as always, just her alone.

Sean hadn’t come home last night.

Layla didn’t want to dwell on whether he had spent the night with Xena.

The vivid dream left her with a pounding headache, as if reminding her of her limited time and urging her not to waste it on others.

When she got out of bed to wash up, she noticed a large blood-stained bandage on her forehead.

It turned out her injuries from the car accident yesterday were more serious than she had realized.

She rummaged through the medical kit and changed the dressing herself, wincing in pain. Gritting her teeth, she thought bitterly, “Even when you’re about to die, you can’t handle a little pain?”

After she finished, Layla looked at her reflection in the mirror.

Her face was pale, her eyes dull and lifeless. Overnight, she looked far more haggard than before.

“I’ve lived all these years and still haven’t figured out how to truly live,” she muttered.

She found herself laughing at how absurd it all was. Such a short life, and she had spent it living for others.

Her mind, once clouded and chaotic, suddenly became clear.

She took a long shower, then headed downstairs. Mrs. Lincoln, the housekeeper, was already busy in the kitchen.

“Miss Xander, once I’m done tidying up, let me know if there’s anything else we need from the supermarket,” Mrs. Lincoln said, her voice warm.

“That won’t be necessary,” Layla replied. “Just make me some soup.”

Mrs. Lincoln paused, peeking her head out of the kitchen to look at Layla. “Is Mr. Perry not coming back for a meal?”

“I don’t know.”

Layla sat at the dining table, phone in hand, typing out a message. Her fingers hesitated briefly. “He probably will.”

“Not that it matters. He likely won’t be able to stomach a bite anyway,” she thought to herself.

With that thought, she sent the message she had been drafting in the group chat:

“I’m breaking off my engagement with Sean Perry.”

Mrs. Lincoln didn’t know what she was doing, but she couldn’t help finding Layla’s behavior odd.

For years, Layla had been the one cooking for Sean, spoiling him with meals tailored to his taste. He had grown so picky that only her cooking satisfied him. Even when she was sick, she would drag herself into the kitchen, terrified he might go hungry.

But today, it was as if she had become a completely different person.