Chapter 1

Kayla Greenfield had prepared herself for this moment, but hearing the doctor say she had little time left still hit her like a ton of bricks.

She couldn't bring herself to accept it. "I still have so much to do. Is there any other option than staying in the hospital?"

Another coughing fit hit her, and when she pulled her handkerchief away, it was splattered with specks of blood.

The doctor looked like he was in a tough spot. "We can prescribe a strong medication that will give you a temporary boost, but you will only last a week at most."

"A week… that should be enough…" Kayla muttered, lowering her head with a wry smile.

A week would be enough to get her affairs in order before she passed.

Kayla left the consultation room with the prescription. A familiar voice reached her ears as she passed the obstetrics exam room.

"Doctor, is that for real?"

Driven by instinct, Kayla stopped and looked over her shoulder. The door was slightly open, and she caught a glimpse of the people inside the exam room.

It was supposed to be Winston Atwood's working hours, but instead, he was in the ward, smiling joyfully as he hugged a young woman. He rested his hand on her belly.

"Tiff, you're pregnant! This is for real!" he exclaimed.

Tiffany Sullivan shyly leaned into Winston, Kayla's husband. They looked like they were madly in love.

"Win, we're having a baby. We're going to be parents," she said.

The sight of it pierced Kayla's heart.

A sharp, metallic taste rose in her throat, and she coughed violently, spitting up fresh blood. She dabbed at her mouth with a tissue before sitting on a bench in the hallway, trying to catch her breath.

A woman nearby kindly offered her a bottle of water. "Here, take this. Drink up and take a breather."

The woman spotted the wedding ring on Kayla's finger and asked, "Where's your husband? You're so sick. Why isn't he here looking after you?"

Kayla managed a weak, tired smile. "He's tied up with work."

The woman sighed and muttered about how the younger generation didn't know how to care for their families.

Kayla lowered her gaze, took out her phone, and messaged Winston, "Where are you?"

Winston immediately checked his phone in the exam room.

After a moment, Kayla received a flood of replies.

"I'm in a meeting at the office, babe. What's up?"

"I can't wait to get off work and see you."

"Do you want that strawberry cake from Northvale? I'll get it and bring it home for you, okay?"

Kayla found herself marveling at how unpredictable people could be.

Winston had a mistress carrying his child in secret, but he continued to shower Kayla with sweet nothings. Was it really possible to draw a line between love and carnality?

But none of that mattered to her now.

She didn't reply to his text. Instead, she left the hospital.

The sky was a faded gray, and a drizzle hung in the air. Kayla stood on the sidewalk, umbrella in hand, staring at the diagnosis report.

A bitter smile crossed her face as she thought about having just a week to live. That was enough for her to say goodbye to this world and Winston.

Her phone died while she was on her way home. As soon as she reached home and turned her phone back on, it was bombarded with messages from her friends.

"Kay, you're so lucky! If I had a husband like Mr. Atwood, I'd wake up smiling every day!"

"Damn, Kay, your husband is something else! Everyone's buzzing about how he's flaunting his love for you!"

"He dropped a fortune just to make his wife happy—that's the most romantic thing ever!"

Confused, Kayla clicked on the news link. It turned out that Winston had paid 50 million dollars at an auction today for a white gold, diamond-studded barrette.

During a media interview, he gave a small smile and said, "There's no special reason. I just thought my wife would love it when I saw the barrette."

That interview clip quickly took over every media headline and trending list in less than half an hour. Tags like "Atwood Group CEO's Lavish Spending", "Mr. and Mrs. Atwood's Fairytale Love Story", and "Men Who Treat His Wife Like a Queen Wins" dominated the feeds.

Kayla cracked a bitter smile. She knew the truth about their marriage all too well.

If this had happened a year ago, she might've been swept away by Winston's extravagant gesture. But now, she felt nothing at all.

Last Christmas, Kayla and Winston went to Atwood Manor to spend the holidays. One night, while Winston was showering before bed, his phone rang.

Kayla answered the phone and politely asked, "Hello, who's calling? This is Win's wife. He can't take the call right now. Is there something you need?"

There was no response on the other end. After a moment, the caller hung up.

It was meant to be nothing worth remembering, but something about it bothered Kayla, and she couldn't ignore the unease it caused.

She traced the number, only to find it was registered under Winston's name. How could he be calling himself from a different number?

Kayla's suspicions grew, and she kept digging until the private investigator she hired sent her a batch of photos.

Winston had declared his undying love for her, but the photos showed him in a tight embrace under a streetlamp with a young, attractive woman, kissing her passionately.

Kayla's heart went cold when she realized Winston had been seeing a mistress all along.

His mistress, Tiffany, was a minor actress under Atwood Group. She never made a name for herself, yet her "lucky breaks" kept coming.

Kayla could easily tell whose influence was behind that. It turned out that the person who was sweet and loving with her was cheating on her.

She didn't get a wink of sleep that night. Flashbacks of her time with Winston kept running through her mind.

Kayla was Amethyst City's celebrated beauty, with admirers flocking her door. But only Winston had persistently courted her for five years.

He showered her with love and affection, and eventually, she opened up to him and married him.

On their wedding day, he blanketed every street in Amethyst City with white roses. Everyone couldn't stop talking about their romantic love.

Kayla remembered how Winston had taken her arm. His voice was shaking with excitement as he vowed to stay by her side forever before both families.

She couldn't figure out how things got to this point. How could Winston go back on his word after promising to grow old with her?