"Sharon, do you regret it? Abandoning Jace while he was still unconscious for a measly seven million? Do you even know how much he makes in a single day now?" That was Cecilia. She was still as ruthless as ever. That woman always exaggerated the truth, turning the seventy thousand check into seven million.

That surgery left me with irreversible damage. It wasn't until I went to Kevern for a check-up that I found out my right lung had been completely removed. My health had deteriorated over the past year. My breathing was getting weaker and last week, the doctor gave me a critical diagnosis. He said I might not survive if I didn't get treatment.

I turned to face her, my voice unwavering. "I don't regret it." I don't regret giving up my lung to save Jace. I had done my research and I knew lung transplants had a high rejection rate. The fact that his body accepted mine perfectly was the best possible outcome.

The woman in front of me curled her lips into a smirk. "You really are a disgusting gold-digger."

It was then that I recognized her. She was the surgeon who had performed my operation, Mila Sage. Was she Jace's mysterious fiancée? She finished washing her hands and was about to leave when I instinctively reached out to stop her. "Wait, you're Dr. Sage, right? You were the one who operated on me back then … "

Before I could finish, Jace grabbed her wrist, not sparing me even a glance. His cold voice echoed in my ears. "Honey, why are you talking to a stranger?"

Mila clung to his arm, pouting. "It's your fault for spilling coffee all over her earlier. I just wanted to apologize."

My words caught in my throat, unable to utter a sound. He called me a stranger. Jace, who once risked his life to save me, now treated me like a stranger. I gripped the wall for support, barely keeping myself from collapsing. The manager reassigned me to the lobby. By the time their meeting ended, it was already 8 p.m.

My ankles were raw from my high heels when I got the news that I had to work overtime. "Sharon, Lowen from the restaurant called in sick. You'll have to help serve dishes for a while."

"Manager, my shift is over."

"I'll pay you overtime, alright?"

I had no choice but to grit my teeth and push through. I went upstairs to the restaurant to help out. I thought I had successfully avoided any unwanted encounters, but I still ran into Jace.

The hallway to the private dining rooms was long and there was no way to avoid him. I could only step aside to let him pass, but he stopped right in front of me. "How much for one night?"

I was stunned. It wasn't until I saw the mocking smile on Jace's lips that I realized what he was talking about. "Sir, I'm just a waitress. I'm not selling myself!" I spoke too quickly and almost bit my tongue.

He scoffed. "You'd go with an old man, so don't pretend you have any pride. How much do you want for a night with me? A hundred thousand? Two hundred thousand?"

I knew my face must've turned pale, but there were cameras here. So I couldn't throw the food in the man's face. I clenched my jaw and forced myself to respond. "Sir, don't make baseless assumptions about others."

His lips pressed into a thin line, his voice unbearably cold. "Oh, right. I almost forgot you're someone who thinks even seven million isn't enough. Why would you settle for just a hundred or two hundred thousand?"

I turned and walked away, refusing to engage any further. But Jace grabbed my wrist. "I am curious, though. If you have already taken the money, why are you still working here as a waitress? Hoping to hook another rich fool?"

I struggled to free myself from his grip, then hurried to the private dining room. After handing the dishes to the server inside, I left as quickly as possible. Another second there and I would have suffocated.

My breathing grew unsteady. I gasped for air, but it felt like no oxygen was reaching my lungs. Darkness clouded my vision and then I collapsed. Just before I lost consciousness, I heard a familiar voice calling my name, "Sharon." However, I knew it couldn't be him.

I had a long dream. It spanned the ten years from when I first met Jace to when we broke up. Back in university, I was just a broke student while he was the prestigious student council president. No matter where I worked part-time, I would always "coincidentally" run into him.

Our marriage was an accident. Right after graduation, my father fell into a gambling addiction. Not only did he lose everything we had, but he also managed to ruin a job opportunity I had already secured. Jace extended a lifeline. "Marry me and I'll fix it for you."

That's when I found out he was actually rich and didn't have to work part-time to make ends meet. He went against the world to marry me, living with me in a tiny rental apartment and taking the subway to work every day. We were once the most ordinary couple in the world. I still remember how he would beam with joy just because I cooked a meal for him, praising me, "Honey, you're amazing."

God knows how much I wanted to have a child with him. My mother died giving birth to me and my father raised me roughly. I had a weak constitution, so it wasn't easy for me to conceive. We tried everything to have a baby.

Even when his startup company was growing rapidly, he still made time to go with me for IVF treatments. The moment we found out I was pregnant, his eyes were filled with the entire universe. He hugged me tightly and said, "If it's a boy, he and I will protect you together."

Sadly, that child never saw the light of day. At the end of the dream, his cold face appeared. "Sharon, I find you disgusting. You better disappear completely and never bother me again!"

I desperately tried to grab his hand, but he drifted further and further away.

The hospital room was filled with the rhythmic beeping of the heart monitor. I struggled to open my eyes, only to see my father sitting by the bed, tears streaming down his face. "I'm so sorry, Sharon. It's all my fault. I've been a burden on you."

A wave of disappointment washed over me. I forced a bitter smile, mocking myself for even thinking that Jace had come to save me. "Dad, I want some water."

"When the manager called me last night, I was scared to death," he said, his voice trembling. "Sharon, tell me the truth. What are we going to do about your health from now on?"

I turned my gaze toward the window. A small bird perched on the ledge as if exhausted from flying. "Dad, stop the treatment. It's a waste of money. You should keep it for yourself."

At that moment, I lost all interest in the world. Everything I had gritted my teeth and fought for suddenly felt laughable. Jace built a billion-dollar company from scratch without relying on his family. At the same time, I am just an arrogant nobody who thought she was something.

I was going to die anyway. Why keep struggling? Just then, my phone rang. I picked it up and answered. "Sharon, don't say I never look out for you. Mrs. Hawthorne needs a guide to take her around Greenhelm Mountain and she specifically asked for you. The tip is $5000 a day."

"Manager, I'm still in the hospital."

"So, what are you waiting for? If you're fine enough to pick up the phone, you're fine enough to work. Do you know how many people would kill for this job?"

True enough. A day's tips were indeed equivalent to my month's salary. "Okay, I'll go."

After hanging up, my father grabbed my hand. "Don't go. You've been on a drip all night, your body can't take it. Sharon, it's all my fault, I'm the one who ruined you. I'll change, I promise I'll change … " He sobbed uncontrollably. His hair was streaked with gray, his youthful energy long gone.

"Dad, don't worry. I'm not dying anytime soon. I've been like this for a while now. I just need to go home and grab a few things before heading to the mountains." Soon, my dad took me to the hotel on his electric scooter.

A black business van was already parked at the entrance, clearly waiting for someone. The moment I stepped inside, the manager dragged me to the lounge area. "Mrs. Hawthorne, Sharon is here."

Mila didn't even look up. She said casually, "Help me put on my shoes."

I was momentarily taken aback and the manager immediately pressed my head down. "What are you waiting for? Not everyone has the privilege of putting on Mrs. Hawthorne's shoes."

He grinned obsequiously, but to me, it felt like my face was being pressed into the dirt. Still, what did dignity even mean anymore? I knelt down, took her ankle in my right hand and reached for her sneakers with my left.

"Just as I was about to put them on her, she suddenly stepped down hard. The sharp heel of her stiletto dug into the back of my hand. I gasped in pain and looked up at her.

"Oh, sorry. I was replying to a message, I didn't notice," Mila said without a trace of sincerity.

Pain shot through my hand as if my bones were about to break. I wanted to walk away right then and there. Still, the manager leaned in and whispered, "Don't forget, you've already taken two months' salary in advance. Even if I fire you, you still need to pay it back."

I clenched my teeth and swallowed my pride, silently finishing the task.

"I really don't understand why Jace thinks you're disgusting," she said with a smirk. "Your service is actually quite good. I'm very satisfied." She got up and walked away. I had no choice but to pick up her bag and follow. I didn't even notice the piercing gaze locked onto me from behind.