My parents died in an accident when I was 16 years old. That leaves me and my stepbrother, Freddie Sanford, to rely on each other.

At 20 years old, I get drunk and confess my feelings to him. But instead of being gentle as usual, he lashes out in fury. "Rosalie Hunter, do you have no shame at all? I'm your brother!"

From that day on, he gets back together with his first love, Bianca Reed. His attitude toward me plummets and turns cold as ice.

What Freddie doesn't know is I'm sick. To me, every day feels like a countdown.

On the day of their wedding, I quietly reach the end of my life.

When I open my eyes again, I've returned to two years ago.

At the same time, I learn an unbelievable piece of news.

Freddie has been dead for three years.

It had just started pouring when I came out of the hospital after my follow-up.

Standing at the entrance, I stared at the word "terminal stage" printed on the diagnosis slip. Strangely, I felt relieved.

Both tests came back with the same result. I had no choice but to accept it.

At this moment, I felt extremely calm as if a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. I decided not to think about it and called Freddie Sanford.

I'd been keeping this from him, but I figured it was time to come clean.

The call barely rang once before a robotic voice informed me he was on another call.

My heart sank. I knew he had declined it on purpose.

Freddie had grown sick of me ever since I confessed to him when I was drunk.

To him, I'd gone from his obedient sister to a shameless woman trying to seduce her own brother. But in fact, we weren't even related by blood.

I didn't give up. I called again and again, until he finally picked up.

"What is it?" His voice was frighteningly cold.

My heart sank even further. Clenching the diagnosis slip, I found myself at a loss for words.

"What exactly do you want?" he snapped.

Freddie's patience was wearing thin. I could practically picture him frowning on the other end of the line.

He never used to be like this.

I pressed my lips and looked out at the curtain of rain. "Fred, can you come pick me up from the hospital? I need to talk to you."

As soon as I said that, he lashed out furiously. "Rosalie Hunter, are you seriously faking an illness right now? Is this fun for you?"

Freddie ended the call before I could even respond.

I stood frozen, unable to make sense of his sudden outburst. But the next moment, a message from his girlfriend, Bianca Reed, popped up. Everything became clear.

"Are you trying to ruin our date? Who do you think you are?"

It was just two simple sentences, but the mockery in them cut deep.

I didn't reply. Instead, I tapped into Bianca's profile almost on instinct.

One glance was all it took for a chill to sweep over me. I stood frozen on the spot.

Freddie had proposed to her.

The photo grid was filled with all sorts of jewelry and luxury goods, with a huge diamond ring particularly standing out.

My eyes locked on the photos of them kissing and their group shots with friends. I stared blankly before crouching down and covering my mouth.

I was unable to hold back my sobs. They were getting married, and I was the last to know.

Freddie hadn't breathed a word to me. Was he afraid I'd show up and ruin the proposal? His outburst earlier was because he thought I was making a scene.

So that was how low he thought of me.

The diagnosis slip was all crumpled in my hand. I recalled what the doctor had said. "Ms. Hunter, given your current condition, you likely have less than a month left. I suggest informing your family soon so they can start making arrangements."

Freddie finally softened a little and texted to ask where I was.

A glimmer of hope rose in me. I thought he might come to pick me up.

However, the one who showed up was his good friend, Hugo Gilbert.

Sitting in the car, Hugo showered me with concern. He kept hinting between the lines that Freddie was trying to set the two of us up.

I forced a smile, though my heart felt like it was being ripped apart.

For the past four years, Freddie had always kept a close watch on me.

Whenever a guy appeared around me, he would go out of his way to dig up every detail about him. He'd then lecture me, telling me not to date too early.

He knew Hugo liked me.

Back then, he had been completely against it. He'd even warned Hugo that I was still too young. If Hugo had any thoughts about me, they could forget about being friends.

Yet now, Freddie was the one pushing me toward Hugo.

The thought nearly brought me to tears again.

What was he so worried about? I wasn't going to cling to him.

Besides, I wouldn't even have the chance since I was dying.

While we were stopped at a red light, Hugo asked if I wanted to have dinner together.

The hopeful, slightly nervous look in his eyes reminded me of myself when I confessed to Freddie.

I turned him down without hesitation.

Perhaps it was my pale face or how weak my voice sounded, but Hugo only wore a disappointed smile without saying another word.

The traffic was heavy on the way back. It was already dark by the time I got home.

The house was quiet. Freddie wasn't back yet.

He probably wouldn't be back tonight either.

With a sigh, I walked into the hallway and sat down, staring blankly at the white camellia in the garden.

Freddie and I had planted this camellia tree together three years ago.

At that time, I had just watched a romance film.

In the movie, the leads planted a sycamore tree together. But I wanted to plant a camellia with Freddie instead.

I didn't really know why.

Maybe it was because the first time I saw him, the camellias in the park were in full bloom. He stood there in a white shirt, looking just like one of those flawless white petals.

When I brought this up, Freddie was a little surprised. However, he didn't ask any questions since he always doted on me.

We planted it on a warm morning. And along with it, a quiet longing had rooted in my heart.

A deafening clap of thunder yanked me back to reality.

I stared at the diagnosis slip that was now wrinkled from my tight grip. I was torn between telling Freddie and keeping it to myself.

At some point, I drifted off.

In a daze, I felt warmth embracing me. Someone sighed and gently lifted me up.

I forced my eyes open and met Freddie's cold, sharp gaze.

I didn't know if it was just my imagination. For a split second, I thought I saw deep sorrow in those dark eyes.

"Fred…" My voice was hoarse from being out in the wind all night.

Seeing that I was awake, Freddie threw me onto the couch without the slightest hint of sympathy.

He cut me off coldly. "Rosalie, do you really think this will make me feel sorry for you?"

My chest tightened. I lowered my eyes and smiled bitterly. "I just accidentally fell asleep."

His eyes grew colder.

"I made it very clear to you that day. We can only be siblings even if we're not related by blood! If you don't want me to hate you even more, then stop playing any tricks!"

Freddie's words cut through me like a knife, leaving my heart raw and bleeding.

I suddenly remembered the diagnosis slip crumpled in my hand. Gripping it tighter, I quickly tried to hide it behind me.

Freddie noticed my movement and frowned. "What are you hiding?"

"Nothing." I shook my head quickly.

Suspicion filled his eyes as he leaned down to grab my hand. However, his expression changed in the next second.

At the same time, I felt warmth trickling from my nose. I was having another nosebleed.

Freddie quickly grabbed tissues for me. Seeing that the blood wouldn't stop, he questioned what was happening while calling his private doctor.

I stopped him in a hurry. "It's nothing. I've just been too stressed. It'll stop in a bit."

He suddenly erupted in fury. "Rosalie, why are you being so dramatic?"

That one sentence made my heart freeze completely. Unconsciously, a self-mocking smile tugged at my lips.

I was indeed being dramatic, going so far as to hide my condition.

Perhaps realizing his tone was too harsh, Freddie irritably rubbed his brow.

When he spoke again, his tone had softened, as if trying to hold himself back. "Come with me to the doctor. A sudden nosebleed isn't something to take lightly."

His rare gentleness made my nose sting. My grip loosened slightly. "Fred, actually I…"

Just as I was about to tell him the truth, the front door swung open. Bianca walked in.

As if completely oblivious to the tension in the room, Bianca strode toward us and greeted me.

Freddie's eyes softened almost instantly the moment he saw her. "What are you doing here?"

"I missed you." She leaned into his arms naturally and pouted.

As she spoke, she glanced at me, her eyes glinting with triumph.

Freddie wrapped an arm around her slender waist and tapped her nose affectionately. "Once we move in together, we can see each other every day."

Bianca blushed as she pulled a wedding invitation from her purse. She handed it to me and asked, "Rosy, will you be my bridesmaid on our wedding day?"

I took the card and stared at the gold lettering. My heart ached terribly as if something had seared a hole right through my heart.

Just before I wanted to turn her down, Freddie beat me to it.

He shot me a look full of disdain. "Forget it. She's not the right fit."

I forced a smile. "He's right. I'm really not."

It wasn't exactly usual for the groom's sister to be the bridesmaid.

Bianca didn't press further. She simply let out an exaggerated gasp. "Oh dear, Rosy, your nose is still bleeding. Should I have Fred take you to the hospital?"

Before either of us could speak, she suddenly pouted again. "Though I guess he'd have to miss the lunch I prepared with love."

Instinctively, I looked at Freddie. His eyes lingered on me for only a brief moment before his voice turned cold. "She's old enough to go on her own."

For a second, I was speechless. Of course, nothing about me mattered anymore when Bianca was around.

"No, thanks." I lowered my eyes, fighting back tears as I covered my nose and walked out of the room in embarrassment.

Back in my room, I immediately took my special medication, which barely stopped the nose bleeding.

Just as I was hiding the pills and the diagnosis slip, the door swung open. Bianca strode in and looked at me with a mocking smile.

After glancing around the room, she said, "Once Freddie and I get married, I'm turning this place into storage."

I recalled all the cruel things she'd been saying to me in private. I couldn't hold back anymore and asked, "Why do you hate me so much?"

She scoffed. "Because you're shameless!"

Her answer didn't surprise me.

Bianca was sharp. It was no wonder she could tell I had feelings for Freddie.

"You don't have to act like this. I'm not trying to come between you two," I said.

To be honest, I'd given up the day Freddie got back together with her.

Even if it hurt so much that I could barely breathe, I'd still wish them happiness. Because over the years, Freddie had treated me well.

Whether as someone who loved him or as his sister, I wanted him to be happy.

Bianca suddenly laughed. "How is that even possible?"

I frowned. When I was just about to explain, Freddie suddenly walked in. The words stuck in my throat.

"What are you two talking about?" he asked.

At the same time, he eyed me warily, as if I might harm Bianca.

A bitter feeling rose in my chest. I didn't say a word.

Bianca suddenly grabbed my arm and smiled at him. "I was asking Rosy to help me with the lunch."

Freddie glanced at the two of us in confusion. But in the end, he didn't ask any questions.

Looking at Bianca's warning gaze, I didn't protest since I knew some things had to be made clear eventually.