Seven years ago, I found a little homeless boy.

I nurtured him carefully, and seven years later, he became famous all over the country.

He wrote a love song for me, and countless fans cried after listening to it.

After I rejected his proposal for the eighth time, he started dating other girls and various scandals broke.

As long as he was happy. After all, I didn't have much time left.

...

"Melody, look, Hayes has gone crazy again. Yesterday, he was with the rising star Eloise Perez, and today he's with the national sweetheart Cora Smith."

My assistant Lilith rushed into my office and anxiously showed me the scandal photos of Hayes Lewis with other female stars.

I tiredly rubbed my temples and nodded. "Got it."

"Melody, what's wrong? You don't look well. You've been wearing heavy makeup lately."

Looking at the worried look on Lilith's face, I forced a smile and said, "I have been suffering from severe insomnia for the past two months, so I am not at my best. It's nothing serious."

As soon as Lilith left, I broke out in a cold sweat.

It hurt. It really did.

Hayes, you're a jerk.

I also want to be with you forever, but I don't have that chance anymore.

Why can't you let me have some peace of mind when my life is almost at its end?

Over an hour later, I stood up weakly and Hayes barged into my office.

He grabbed my hand and stared at me fiercely. "Are you resigning?"

"Yes, I'm tired and want to quit," I said calmly.

"Are you leaving?" Hayes looked flustered.

"Hayes, I have already done what I promised you. I cannot be with you for a lifetime."

Hayes said coldly, "Why?"

He paused, as if he had figured it out, and became at a loss for what to do.

It was very rare. He made me feel like I vaguely saw the stubborn little boy from seven years ago.

"Are you angry? I..."

I pushed Hayes' chest and glanced at him calmly. "I'm not angry. As long as you're happy."

"Even if I really want to be with Cora, you won't be angry?" Hayes gritted his teeth.

"No." I picked up my bag and left.

Hayes froze, and I didn't dare to look back.

I felt a sudden warmth on my back. Hayes hugged me from behind.

He said in an injured tone, "Melody, don't abandon me. You promised to always be with me."

"I'm sorry. I'm going back on my word." I looked up, trying hard to hold back my tears, but to no avail.

Hayes slowly let go of me. "Melody, you're so cruel."

I left the office.

Afterward, it only took me a week to hand over the job to Lilith and she would be Hayes' new agent.

Lilith had been working under me for three years and knew Hayes' temperament quite well. After I left, she was the most suitable candidate to take over.

After that, I packed up and flew to France.

After arriving in France, I sent a text message to Hayes.

I told him that I was ready to retire early and travel the world with my childhood sweetheart. When we got tired, we would come back to get married.

I could imagine how furious and crazy Hayes would be when he received the message. He must hate my guts.

But I wanted him to hate me.

I arrived in France, a romantic country. Hayes once said he would take me to Provence to see lavender and propose to me on that dreamy purple lavender ranch.

However, after he became popular, he became busier day by day, and his schedule was always full.

We often rushed to catch planes and traveled around various cities, but we never had time to stop and have some fun.

I knew I would never wait for that dreamlike proposal and ring, but I still wanted to see Provence with my own eyes.

On the day I arrived in Provence, I was in a very good mood. Even though I was alone, I took a lot of photos.

Hayes called me many times, but I didn't answer. He sent countless text messages and WhatsApp messages, but I didn't reply to any of them.

Instead, my childhood friend Eric Taylor called me after receiving the express delivery I sent.

"Melody, do you really want to wait for death all alone? Where are you? Please tell me and let me stay by your side, okay?" Eric said in a voice choked with tears.

Eric was not only my childhood friend but also my attending physician.

He advised me to undergo chemotherapy, but I didn't want to. Anyway, I was going to die. I didn't want to die looking so ugly without hair.

"Don't worry. I'm fine now. I'm taking my medicine on time," I said weakly.

"Where are you? Melody Miller, where are you? Don't be so cruel to yourself, okay?" Eric pleaded in a low voice.

He waited for me for seven years.

I told him early on that I didn't have feelings for him, but he never stopped thinking about me.

Until three years ago, I told Eric clearly that I only loved Hayes. Eric finally gave up and treated me like his younger sister.

"I'm staying where I agreed to meet Hayes. If he gets married in two years, then you can tell him about me. No, he is very loyal. Just wait a few more years. I'm afraid he can't handle it."

As I said that, tears streamed down my face.

Eric sobbed, "If he can't handle it, do you think I can?"

I looked at the lavender and said, "I'm sorry. I'll let you know when I can't make it."

The phone slipped from my hand. It hurt. It really hurt.

Eric said it would hurt, but I didn't expect it to hurt so much. It hurt like hell.

The intense pain that penetrated deep into my bones couldn't be stopped even by medication. In a daze, I remembered what had happened seven years ago.

That year, I was twenty-five years old.

I entered the industry when I was twenty, and by the time I was twenty-five, I had become a top-notch agent in the entertainment industry.

In just five years, I made two celebrities famous all over the country.

One night, I was so drunk and tired from socializing that I stumbled into an alley with high heels in my hand.

As I passed by a trash can, I saw a young boy squatting next to it, gnawing on a dirty doughnut.

I only glanced at him and paused involuntarily.

As a skilled agent, I thought this young boy was truly amazing even though he was covered in dirt.

"What's your name? Why are you here?" I drunkenly pressed him against the wall and bombarded him with questions.

"Hayes Lewis. My parents died, and my relatives didn't want me. So I ran away from home." A hint of grievance but also pride flashed in his eyes.

His words immediately struck a chord with me.

I was an orphan and grew up in an orphanage with Eric.

When I was twelve, I was adopted by foster parents. After a few good years, my foster parents passed away in an accident, and I was alone again.

I struggled to grow up on my own and met some great people. I entered the industry at a young age and worked harder than others. Finally, I made a name for myself at the age of twenty-five.

Eric had better luck than me. He was adopted by a healthy and wealthy couple and received a good education and resources, unlike me, who could only rely on myself.

"No one wants you, but I do! Come with me, and in a few years, I will make you famous all over the country," I said drunkenly, slapping my chest.

The young boy's eyes sparkled at this, and he followed me home.

After I sobered up, I realized that Hayes was only fifteen years old and still in school.

Hayes was very obedient. He could do everything and was willing to learn. I was bad at caring for myself, and he was the opposite of me.

As long as he was around, my house was always spotless.

I had a weak stomach due to bad habits for many years, but with Hayes around, I could occasionally eat three meals a day.

I took Hayes to visit some celebrities and paid a teacher to teach him to dance. Hayes was very hardworking and really talented.

No matter how difficult the dance moves were, he could imitate them after watching them twice, and he could even dance better than the teacher.

Even the teacher praised Hayes' singing, saying that he was suited for this line of work and praised my good judgment.

I started training Hayes to pave the way for him alone.

The entertainment industry was like a melting pot and every step was difficult. I just wanted to use what I had to make things easier for Hayes.

When Hayes finished his studies at the age of eighteen, he bid farewell to the celebrities and teachers I had found for him.

They all said there was nothing more they could teach Hayes. I knew that Hayes now only needed an opportunity.

Afterward, whenever he had free time, Hayes would write lyrics and compose songs, striving for all-round development.

Hayes was very clingy to me.

He kept pestering me to taste the dishes he cooked and evaluate each dish.

Hayes also liked to take me shopping. When he saw a nice dress in the shop window, he insisted that I try it on for him. If it looked good, he would buy it.

Whenever I said he still needed me to support him, he would let me deduct it from his future earnings and insist on buying it.

He was very childish.

Sometimes Hayes threw a tantrum and got angry with me.

When I raked around in his school bag and saw love letters from other girls, I read them out loud in front of him and jokingly asked him whether he liked the girls. He would get angry and not talk to me for an hour.

When Eric had free time, he would invite me to have a meal together and Hayes would follow along reluctantly. The injured look on Hayes' face was hilarious.

I didn't pay attention to my health and always had cold drinks and spicy food. Every time my period came, I suffered from severe pain. At such times, Hayes became very domineering.

He took away my cold drink and didn't even let me eat anything spicy. When I got my period, he applied heat to my stomach and prepared some ginger tea for me.

With Hayes around, I was no longer just busy. Occasionally, he gave me little surprises and I felt warm.

After the SAT, Hayes followed me to the company. With my strong recommendation, the company promised to spare no effort to support him as long as he could win the championship in a singing competition.

But if he failed, I had to accept the company's arrangement and train another newcomer.

That would take away my energy and attention, as well as the resources in my hands. Naturally, I was unwilling to do that.

But to make sure Hayes would get a chance, I could only agree.

Hayes clenched his fists tightly and said unwillingly, "I don't want you to train someone else."

"Then you have to perform well and definitely win the championship," I smiled and touched his head on tiptoe.

Hayes looked awkward. "I've grown up. Don't treat me like a little boy."

"Who said you're not a little boy? I'm ten years older than you. In my eyes, you are a little brat!" I teased him.

"Melody, do you think I can win the championship?" Hayes said, watching TV.

On the TV, the previous contestant was singing a love song.

"If you can't win, who can? Don't you trust my judgment?" I glanced at him impatiently.

"Yes, I do. Please don't act like I'm a baby." Hayes frowned.