Everyone knew that Clement Lance was surrounded by an undignified lickspittle, namely me, Katherine Hermosa.

I had waited ten years for him to say, "Katherine, let's get married."

On the day of the premarital check-up, I was diagnosed with stomach cancer.

But Clement went to pick up the woman he couldn't forget back home.

I hid the critical illness notice behind my back. Clement looked at my pale face and said, "Katherine, you're so stubborn."

After my death, Clement, who was always proud and reserved, never married. He cried hysterically in front of my tombstone.

1.

I'd pestered Clement for ten years, going from a shy girl to a hot pop star.

I was his lover.

In other words, everything I had was from him.

At three in the morning, Clement reeked of alcohol, with a hint of red at the corners of his eyes.

Probably because I had eaten the wrong thing for dinner, I had a burning pain coming from my stomach.

Still bracing myself, I served black coffee and dutifully sat next to him.

My makeup was clean.

It was his favorite look.

"Why are you so late today?"

Clement didn't say a word but pulled me into his arms the next second.

The violent movement inadvertently swept the coffee on the table to the ground.

The black liquid splashed onto the white silk dress like a dark rose in full bloom.

His ragged breathing matched his cool lips in the scented room. I responded to him with the same passion.

I could never say no to Clement.

His voice was low.

"Windsor, I love you."

I suddenly opened my eyes. A sharp pain in my stomach made me fall right down.

Yes, my name was Katherine.

Windsor Quill was the woman Clement couldn't have.

He seemed to sense something as well, his eyes regaining their clarity as he rubbed my hair.

Then, he lit up a cigarette.

Clement cupped my face and locked eyes with me.

He said, "Katherine, marry me.

"Katherine, let's get married."

I was overwhelmed by his sudden words, but he clearly didn't need my answer.

He made a quick determination to have the premarital check-up the day after tomorrow.

Then, he told me, "We'll get a marriage license after the check-up."

The pain I had just felt eased.

I lay on the bed, circled in his arms, feeling his breath.

I finally got the person I had loved for ten years. I should have been happy, but there was always a bitterness in my heart that was hard to ignore.

I didn't sleep a wink.

2.

Clement hadn't come back. The pains in my stomach became frequent. It was probably gastritis, an old one.

On the day of the premarital check-up, I put on the perfect makeup and drove to the hospital early.

The sun was shining, and I thought to myself as I looked at the bright sky, "I'm going to be twice as nice to him when we get married.

I love him. I get to be by his side as a wife for the rest of my life."

The great joy seemed to wash over me.

I didn't want to wait in the lounge, so I stood in the doorway.

I wanted to see him as soon as he arrived.

It was a bit hot. I bought two cold drinks.

An hour had passed since the appointed time.

He was late.

Besides, I couldn't get through to him.

The joy I had just felt was washed away. Anxiety paired with the searing heat. I swallowed half my drink in one gulp.

Suddenly, I had the most excruciating pain in my stomach in such a long time.

The sweat soaked my clothes.

My cell phone rang at the right time. I thought it must be Clement calling.

I forced the pain and answered it, my voice tinged with sobs.

"Clement..."

There was a two-second pause on the other end of the line. Then, a female voice came through.

"Ms. Hermosa, please bring your family to the hospital immediately. We have tentatively diagnosed you with stomach cancer..."

I saw a huge LED display in a mall across the street from the hospital.

Above was a photo of Windsor at the airport, and Clement was standing behind her.

I didn't hear what the caller said afterward. I only felt dizziness.

There was a piercing tinnitus in my ears.

Clement's face slowly zoomed in on the display. My heart raced with it, and then it went black.

3.

When I woke up, I was in the hospital. It was already the afternoon of the next day. Xena Quirita was sitting next to me.

Her eyes were red from crying.

"Katherine, I will find the best doctor for you."

I had brought her out of the mountains, and she was now my agent.

I rubbed her head and shook mine gently.

I could only live for a maximum of 10 months without treatment for advanced stomach cancer.

But it was enough for me.

There was a missed call from Clement on my phone.

He had called me at two in the morning.

I called him back.

"Katherine, come back now."

He then hung up the phone.

I stuffed the critical illness notice into my bag. I looked pale in the car window mirror.

Xena took me home.

I told her I was quitting the entertainment industry and asked her to organize one last farewell party.

Xena agreed, with suppressed tears in her eyes.

Clement sat on the sofa with his collar slightly open, revealing his collarbone.

He still looked handsome.

I skillfully made a steak and served it to him.

Clement pressed his lips and placed a bank card and a resource notice in front of me.

"With the new album coming out, this is the best avenue for hits. It follows up with guaranteed exposure traffic for you as well."

For the first time, I looked up at him straight with a stubborn look in my eyes.

"So doesn't it count?"

Clement came close to me. His hot breath sprayed on my forehead.

"Katherine, I think you are smart enough. I don't like the way you are now."

I pushed him away with a sneer.

"Clement, have you been treating me as Windsor for too long and forgotten that I am Katherine?"

I was Katherine who made your arm bleed from biting it the first time we met.

He clamped my chin, and his eyes slowly filled with disgust.

"Don't forget that I gave you everything you have. How can you compare with Windsor?

"Without me, you would have starved to death."

Suddenly, there was a sound of unlocking the door. Then, a slender woman in red walked in.

"Clement." Her voice was tender.

Then, she suddenly covered her mouth and said carefully, "Did I come at the wrong time?"

Clement let me go and strode towards Windsor. He considerately covered her with his coat and left holding her hand.

I clearly saw the pride and provocation in Windsor's eyes when she looked at me.

I let out a long sigh and thought, "What a lively day today!"

Almost at the same time, I received Windsor's message.

In the car mirror, Windsor's eyelashes brushed across Clement's cheek.

They were ambiguous in the photo.

4.

I had just wanted to be with him during my last moments.

Saying goodbye properly to the person I had loved for ten years would allow my life to have no regrets.

Unfortunately, Windsor had come back.

On the evening when Clement took Windsor away, I curled up in a corner, suffering from stomachache.

There was a sound of the door being opened.

Windsor stood against the light, stepping towards me in her slender high heels with an elegant and gentle smile.

"Clement's suit was stained. He asked me to get a new one."

Her tone was ambiguous. I guessed what had been going on.

I pointed at Clement's wardrobe.

"I just came back. I don't know Clement's preferences. Ms. Hermosa, please help me choose one.

"We're going to meet Clement's parents tonight."

For all these years, Clement had never taken me to meet his parents.

As she spoke, my stomach seemed to sink inch by inch.

It hurt a lot.

I couldn't stand up because of the pain, and my voice was hoarse.

It sounded like I was trying my best to suppress my tears.

"The dark-colored one at the end of the wardrobe is his favorite.

"Pair it with a burgundy tie. It's in the drawer below."

I had once secretly replaced the cufflink with my initials on the sleeve of that suit.

Clement had discovered it, but he had just turned it and left it on his wrist.

Windsor quickly put away the suit. She walked in front of me and cast her shadow over me.

I looked up at her. My forehead was covered with sweat. I looked weak and miserable.

"Katherine, I'm back. He doesn't need you anymore."

Perhaps people really couldn't feel sorrow when they were in extreme pain.

Of course, there was no reason either.

I didn't know where my strength came from, but I picked up the crystal bear next to me and threw it at her.

The everlasting flower in the crystal bear splashed out from around her feet, creating a blood-red scene.

"Windsor, aren't you getting married? Why did you come back?

"Why?"

Clement happened to come in and saw this scene. He protected Windsor behind him.

His cold eyes stung me.

He said, "Katherine, you are so stubborn."

5.

Yes, Windsor was getting married.

The news that Windsor was getting married had been reported the night Clement proposed to me.

It made headlines, and Clement went out drinking late at night.

I thought that was the end of my ten-year love affair.

But just before we were to be married, she came back.

I held onto the toilet and retched. I couldn't eat for several days, and I was rapidly losing a lot of weight.

Xena called me and sounded panicked.

"Katherine, there is a conflict. Windsor's first concert after returning home is on the same day as your concert.

"Your fans are already fighting. I can't control it at all.

"Katherine, should we stagger the time? Can you still hold up?"

I was instantly overwhelmed.

"I see. I'll call you back later."

Windsor's return this time was grand.

She had so many fans. I had participated in a talent show when I first debuted. Because my voice was a bit like hers, I had been called "Little Windsor".

In other words, I had debuted under her name.

I opened Twitter and saw that our fans were fighting fiercely. Even the official Twitter account criticized it.

[Clean up the chaos in the entertainment industry.] These big words made my head hurt.

I started to read the comments.

[Windsor is back. It's time for Katherine to give up your position.]

[Do you really think Katherine can marry a wealthy man? Isn't she just Windsor's stand-in?]

[How dare Katherine compare with Windsor?]

[Mr. Lance and Windsor are a perfect match.]

Well, Clement had never hidden his preference for me. Someone interested could see that Clement and I had a close relationship if they dug deeper.

For example, the buttons on Clement's clothes.

For example, the resources that Clement helped me get.

For example, the various banquets Clement had taken me to and my blurry profile in his sports car.

For example, he would come to my every concert, no matter how busy he was.

The sudden pain in my heart brought me back to my senses.

I continued to check Twitter, and a post caught my eye.

[I'm just a passerby. Whose concert do you think Mr. Lance will go to, Windsor or Katherine? If you guess correctly, I'll give you a bag of snacks.]

There were many comments below, and someone even created a poll specifically for it.

I chuckled. I already knew the answer.

But I wanted to take another gamble.

So, I quickly called Xena back.

"The time remains the same, still three days later."

Xena hesitated.

"Do we still give Mr. Lance the concert ticket this time?"

"I'll give it to him."

6.

I walked into Clement's office with my lunch box and concert ticket.

The receptionist knew me but stopped me this time.

I looked at her expression and realized that Windsor was probably with Clement now.

I took off my sunglasses and smiled, "When Mr. Lance is free, please help me pass the lunch and this ticket to him."

But when I came out of the underground parking lot, I saw Clement and Windsor.

Windsor clung to his arm, giggling sweetly, holding my lunch box.

She clutched the ticket in her hand as well.

Its wrinkled appearance seemed like my damp first half of life.

I thought, "It's really unfair. But I'm almost dying. What do I have to be afraid of?

I choose to feed it to the dogs rather than give it to you."

Then, I immediately got out of the car, walked in front of the two, and stood still.

"Sorry to bother Mr. Lance on you date. I'm here to take my things away. That way, they won't affect you."

I spoke and reached for the things in Windsor's hand, but Windsor let go of her hand one second before me.

She did it on purpose. But to outsiders, it looked like I didn't get them.

The soup splashed everywhere, and most of the ticket was soaked.

Windsor apologized in shock. But when she got close to me, she whispered, "I know you have a terminal illness. You'd better die far away. See. Being a mistress will kill yourself."

I slapped her.

Clement immediately pushed me away. I sat in the soup, looking extremely miserable, while he was carefully checking Windsor's face.

"Katherine, apologize." He suppressed his anger and looked down at me.

I ignored them. I picked up the ticket, folded it up, and put it away.

I picked up the lunch box. I was covered in grease, looking embarrassed.

I turned and walked back to my car.

"Clement, you won't be able to eat this meal anymore.

"Sorry to bother you today. I wish you a happy life."

After the concert, I would announce my complete retirement from the entertainment industry and return to the mountains to live out my last life.

And I would never see Clement again.

That night, I was in so much pain that I was covered in sweat.

It was raining heavily outside. But Clement came back rarely.

I didn't hand him the towel, nor did I get up to cook. I just lay in bed silently.

It seemed like a silent confrontation.

Walking into my room, he took out a stack of contracts and put them on the table. I sat up and looked at him.

"These resources are all yours. The contracts start at three years, which is enough for you to become a top singer.

"These villas will also be in your name."

I smiled, but my pale face probably didn't look good with the smile.

"Is this considered a break fee, Mr. Lance?"

Clement pulled his tie. The cuffs of his sleeves glowed with ivory white.

"I'm getting engaged to Windsor." He walked towards me, put his arm around my waist, and made me get close to him.

"But I also hope you can be with me, Katherine."

I couldn't help laughing. And it got louder and louder.

"Clement, I just realized that in these ten years, I didn't know you at all.

"You are shameless."

I raised my hand and threw the stack of papers at him. He just stood there, looking at me coldly.

He grabbed my chin and forced me to look up at him.

"Katherine, behave yourself.

"I can give you these resources, so I can take them back. You can only rely on me."

I tried my best to push him away. But I was too weak.

The sharp pain in my stomach mixed with the pain he was forcing on me.

I felt like I had experienced a death. A tear slid down my tightly pressed lips, which seemed to burn him. He suddenly stopped, hugged me, and coaxed me in panic.

He said, "I'm sorry.

"I love you, Katherine."