Zayn Ulrich and I have dated for seven years. However, when he's prosecuted and sent to prison, I leave him without hesitation. I turn to his best friend instead.

Now, Zayn is out of prison. He rises from the ashes and uses every means possible to force me into marrying him.

Everyone says he truly loves me, but no one knows the truth. Every night after our wedding, he brings different women into our bed, not even sparing my own sister.

This is his punishment for my so-called betrayal.

What he doesn't know is that I risked my life to clear his name—I willingly walked into a mafia hideout and traded one kidney and half my liver for the key evidence that saved him.

Unfortunately, my time is running out.

"Ms. Lacroix, are you sure you want to schedule the euthanasia program for next month? Are you sure you'd like to donate all your organs too?"

"I'm sure," Cadence Lacroix replied, her tone bitter as she looked down at the test report filled with alarming results. "Given my condition, I'm just living on borrowed time."

All of her organs were failing with no hope of recovery. At most, she had only one year left to live.

Rather than dragging things out in bed during her remaining days, she would rather leave with dignity and make a small contribution to society.

Under the doctor's mournful gaze, Cadence stood up and left the hospital.

When she returned home and opened the door, she immediately heard amorous noises coming from the bedroom.

Her already pale face turned a shade whiter. She quickly hid her health report and leaned against the bedroom door. As she listened to the sounds of intense lovemaking inside, her nails dug deep into her palm without her realizing it.

She had long lost count of how many women Zayn Ulrich had brought home.

In their two years of marriage, he had brought home different women every day. Then, he made love to them right in front of her and insisted that she stay and watch.

After one whole hour, the noises inside gradually died down. Zayn walked out of the bedroom shirtless.

When he saw Cadence leaning against the door, he ordered coldly, "Why are you just standing there? Cassidy is thirsty. Go pour her a glass of water."

Cadence's heart skipped a beat. For a moment, she thought she'd heard wrong.

"Cassidy?" she repeated breathlessly.

She strode to the bedroom door and looked at the woman on the bed.

Cassidy Lacroix bore a striking resemblance to her sister. At the moment, she was lying weakly on the bed. She was dressed in Cadence's silk nightgown, which had been torn to shreds.

Cadence's hands trembled slightly. She turned around and looked at Zayn with reddened eyes. "Do you know what you're doing? Cassidy is my sister! How could you do this?"

Zayn grabbed her wrist and pressed it against the wall.

A mocking glint appeared in his deep-set eyes as he responded indifferently, "So what? Oh, that's right. She's your only remaining family. How does it feel to be betrayed by the one you trust the most? Awful, isn't it?"

Zayn's voice was icy. His gaze was dark and stormy. "You deserve every bit of this, Cadence!"

Cadence closed her eyes as a bitter feeling surged from within.

She and Zayn had been childhood sweethearts. They had been madly in love since they were young. They'd dated for seven years and had long been ready to get married.

But right before the wedding, a scandal broke out at the hospital Zayn managed. The supposedly respectable medical institution was exposed to have been involved in organ trafficking. Zayn was deemed to be the main culprit and was swiftly sent to prison.

In one night, Zayn went from a promising and successful businessman to a criminal behind bars.

He sent Cadence countless messages and made endless calls to explain himself and beg her to believe in him. He insisted his name would soon be cleared, and he would be released.

But at the lowest point in his life, when he needed her most, Cadence broke up with him and announced that she had started a new relationship with his best friend.

Even when Zayn was charged and arrested, he had remained calm the whole time. But when he heard that news, he broke down instantly and threatened to kill himself. He knelt on the ground and begged the police officers to let him see Cadence.

He went too far with his threats to end his life. Due to massive blood loss, he was sent to the hospital for emergency treatment.

But all he got was news that Cadence had gone abroad with her new boyfriend.

Zayn refused to believe Cadence could be so heartless. He borrowed someone else's phone and called her over and over. Yet, his calls never got through.

He didn't care about his injury and insisted on going to the airport to find her. Halfway there, his body couldn't take it anymore, and he collapsed.

Still, Cadence left without looking back. She didn't even leave him a message.

From that moment on, Zayn's love for Cadence turned into vengeful hate.

He hated her to the core. After his release, he went to great lengths to marry her, only to humiliate her night after night.

What he didn't know was that Cadence had risked her life for him. Through his friend, she had tracked down the organ trafficking operation. She traded one kidney and half of her liver for the key evidence that cleared his name.

Cadence's silence only fueled Zayn's anger. Fury blazed even more ardently in his eyes.

He flung her off and wiped the hand that had touched her with a tissue in disgust. "What are you standing there for? Cassidy is still waiting for you to get her some water."

Cadence's steps toward the kitchen were slightly panicked. She poured a glass of warm water and placed it on the bedside table. Her hand couldn't help but tremble slightly.

"Thank you." Cassidy's voice was hoarse after a round of intense lovemaking. "I'll be in your care after this. Zayn said I can move in after this. We're all family. You don't mind, do you?"

Cadence froze for a moment before asking through gritted teeth, "He's lost his mind. Have you lost your mind too?"

Her slightly mocking tone provoked Cassidy, whose voice suddenly turned shrill. "That's right. I have indeed lost my mind! You've always been better than me. Everyone always loves you more. No one in our family ever cared about me!"

The bedsheets became crinkled from how hard Cassidy clutched them. "Only Zayn cares about me. But he only loved you! Even after being betrayed, he still insisted on marrying you!"

Jealousy filled Cassidy's tone as she cried, "You don't deserve this!"

Cadence let out a bitter laugh. "So you stooped so low as to climb into your brother-in-law's bed?"

"Even if it weren't me, someone else would eventually do that," Cassidy said blandly.

Then, she sat up and grabbed Cadence's hand. Her tone softened as she said, "The hospital called me. I know that you don't have much time left. Instead of letting some other woman take the position of Mrs. Ulrich, why not let me take care of Zayn in your place?"

"All my life, I've never fought with you over anything. Please relent this once. Let me be with him, Cadence," Cassidy pleaded.

Cadence shook her head. "You don't need my blessing."

Cassidy's expression became tense, but Cadence's following words made her relax. "He hates me so much. What could I possibly do to stop you?"

Cassidy picked up the glass of water and placed it into Cadence's hands while gently saying, "Then, help me one last time."

A wave of dread surged through Cadence's heart. She instinctively tried to pull her hand back, but Cassidy suddenly yanked it forward and splashed the entire glass of water onto her own face!

At the same time, she let out a piercing scream. "Ah! No!"

Zayn rushed through the door and saw Cadence standing at the bedside with the glass in her hand, and before her was a soaked Cassidy, who looked especially pitiful.

"Cadence, what the hell is wrong with you?" Zayn held Cassidy in his arms, looking at Cadence with disgust. "Cassidy is your sister!"

Cassidy burrowed herself into his embrace, choking back sobs. "Zayn, don't scold Cadence… She was just too shocked…"

"Stop being a fool! Why are you still defending her when she's been nothing but horrible to you?" Zayn said in exasperation.

He looked down and said softly, "Don't worry. As long as I'm here, no harm will befall you."

Cadence snapped out of her daze and looked at the affectionate scene before her. She felt an icy chill rise in her chest.

She turned and walked away, leaving behind that sickeningly sweet scene without looking back.

That night, Zayn and Cassidy seemed to be intent on paying back Cadence for earlier. Once again, they made love obnoxiously and made a ruckus.

"Cassidy, I love you so much…"

"Zayn, I love you too. Ah!"

Cadence was resting in the room right next door. She bit her lip hard and pulled the blanket over her head to drown out the sounds.

She, too, had once been like this with Zayn. They had once been entangled in each other's arms on the same bed, and his voice was just as tender back then.

They had once held each other tightly as they dreamed of a future where they grew old together, surrounded by their offspring.

However, times had changed. In the end, those dreams turned into illusions that popped easily like soap bubbles.

As Cadence thought of this, a wave of deep sorrow surged in her heart. Tears slid down her cheeks soundlessly.

Cadence barely slept that night. Early the next morning, she got out of bed with faint, dark shadows beneath her eyes.

At the breakfast table, she quietly ate her oatmeal while Zayn and Cassidy were busy being all lovey-dovey like they were putting on a show for her.

"This bread tastes amazing, Zayn. You have to try it." Cassidy spread jam on a piece of bread and brought it to Zayn's lips.

Zayn smiled and accepted the bread by biting down on it and holding it in his mouth for a moment. Then, he held it and took his time savoring it.

The sight of this caused Cadence to feel a pang in her heart.

Immediately after that, a sharp and very real pain started in her abdomen. It gradually intensified until cold sweat broke out on her forehead.

"What's wrong with you?" Zayn frowned from across the table.

"I…" Cadence opened her mouth but couldn't utter a single word.

The next second, she coughed up a mouthful of blood. Her entire body began to sway, and she looked like she was close to passing out.

"Cadence!"

Zayn's expression changed into one of horror as he shot up from his seat. "I'll take you to the hospital right now. Hang in there!"

At that moment, the anxious and worried look on his face made Cadence feel as if she had returned to all those years ago when they were a loving couple.

Back then, Zayn would panic whenever she had a slight cold or fever. He would rather he were the one who was sick instead of her.

Thinking of that, Cadence felt a tingle of warmth in her otherwise weary heart.

But that touching moment vanished just as quickly as it came.

Cassidy smiled faintly and stood up leisurely. "Don't panic. Look here. I happened to find an empty blood bag in the bathroom this morning."

She then pulled a blood bag with its contents emptied from her pocket.

Zayn's expression instantly turned grim.

"Cadence, I think the blood you just coughed up came from a bag like this. You wanted to make Zayn feel sorry for you. Am I right?"

Cassidy looked at Cadence with a disapproving expression.

"That was fake? Were you just putting on an act?" Zayn silently withdrew his hand and stood still. He glared at Cadence frostily.

"You're so dumb." Cadence forcefully swallowed the metallic taste in her throat and casually wiped her mouth. "Of course it's fake. I didn't think you'd fall for it, though."

"You… You're so vile!" Zayn exclaimed with contempt. "Even if you really are dying, it has absolutely nothing to do with me! If you're going to die, don't die in front of me! You're such an eyesore!"

Zayn clenched his jaw and spoke in a furious voice.