"I already have someone right by my side," Madison said.

As I listened to her, a sudden wave of discomfort hit me. I rushed into the bathroom and coughed up a mouthful of blood. The sadness that washed over me made me let out a few weak, hollow laughs.

By the time I rinsed the blood away, Madison was already standing there, beautifully dressed with exquisite makeup. "Today is my mom's birthday. You didn't forget, did you?" she said.

I shook my head. "I didn't forget."

She walked over and reached for my arm out of habit, but I quietly stepped aside. When I didn't give her an easy out, she immediately became angry out of embarrassment. "What are you throwing a tantrum about? I don't owe you anything."

I turned to look at her. It was a face I knew so well, yet it felt more and more like a stranger's.

"I don't want to argue with you today," I said flatly.

As soon as I finished speaking, I left the house ahead of her.

By the time I arrived at the restaurant, Lucas was already sitting there with Rosalie, chatting and laughing. Madison joined them, smiling. None of them acknowledged me, so I found a seat in the corner.

After a while, Rosalie turned her gaze toward me. "Cassian, there's something I've been wanting to tell you."

I politely looked up at her. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught Lucas, his expression smug.

"You and Madison have been together for years, so you know how hard she worked to get where she is," Rosalie said. "You have an illness that could come back at any time. I don't want Madison to become a widow. That would be a miserable way to live."

Rosalie let out a heavy sigh. "If you truly love Madison, you should let her go so she can find real happiness."

When Madison and I first started dating, she wasn't well off. She and Rosalie lived in a small apartment that was about 430 square feet. I was the one who rented them a place downtown and took care of every little detail of their lives.

Back then, Rosalie had told me, "Madison is lucky to be with you. As long as the two of you are doing well, I have nothing to worry about."

It was a shame how quickly people could change.

I arched an eyebrow slightly and looked at Madison. "Is that what you think too?"

She hesitated for a long moment but said nothing. The answer was obvious enough.

I stood up. "Then I'll do as you wish and divorce Madison."

This was a family gathering, and as an outsider, I didn't belong there. I had barely stepped out of the restaurant when Madison came after me. "Cassian!"

She called out my name, but I didn't slow my pace. She sped up and stepped in front of me, catching her breath as she demanded, "How can you just walk out like that? What about my mom's dignity? You never used to have such a bad temper. What's gotten into you?"

I let out a short, bitter laugh. So she had chased after me just to blame me for embarrassing Rosalie.

"I've already given her plenty of respect by agreeing to leave you after hearing her out. I also asked for your opinion, and your silence said everything," I replied.

Hearing my words, Madison's expression turned awkward. She was so flustered that she couldn't meet my eyes. "You know how my mom is. She's just worried about my future. Besides, Lucas is so outstanding. Understandably, she'd want me to get back together with him."

I couldn't figure out what she was trying to get at with that explanation. Was she trying to make me leave willingly without holding anything against Rosalie?

"Madison, isn't it a good thing that I'm stepping aside so you and Lucas can be together?" I asked.

As I was about to leave again, Madison grabbed my hand. Her voice carried a hint of urgency. "I don't even know why my mom said all that out of nowhere."

I watched her fumble through that weak excuse before prying her fingers off my hand. "Better late than never. You accepted it just fine yourself, didn't you? You're successful, young, and pretty. Someone like Lucas suits you well, doesn't he?"

Our relationship had changed completely over the years. When we first met, she had fallen for me at first sight. Her love had been cautious, with a hint of insecurity.

I had spent years encouraging and supporting Madison until she overcame her low self-esteem. But now, she and Rosalie treated me like a burden that would get in the way of her happiness.

Madison didn't know how to reply to me, and tears began streaming down her face. Seeing her cry made my chest ache, but I still turned away and left without looking back.

I hailed a cab. As soon as I got in, I coughed up a mouthful of blood before I could even speak. The driver was startled and insisted on taking me to the hospital.

I didn't refuse. I slumped in the backseat and opened my phone. Lucas had posted a photo of himself with Rosalie and Madison on Instagram. The caption read, "Happy birthday, Mom."

I let out a scornful laugh. Lucas really couldn't wait and was already calling Rosalie "Mom".

Just then, Lucas suddenly sent me several selfies he had taken with Madison over the past few days. In the photos, the two of them leaned close together, smiling brightly at the camera.

"Cassian, a sick man like you who could drop dead any day, should stop clinging to Madison. She likes someone like me, and I'm the only one who can make her happy," he said.

I didn't respond to his provocation.

…

While I waited for my test results at the hospital, my attending physician, Owen Kensington, rushed over, his expression grim. He had been a year below me in high school. "You finally decided to come in for a checkup. I've urged you so many times."

Noticing how unwell I looked, his tone softened slightly, though he still let out a heavy sigh. "Cassian, you need to get the surgery as soon as possible. The longer you delay, the faster you're burning through your life."

I gave a bitter smile and said bluntly, "I don't have enough money."

Owen froze for a moment. After all, everyone had seen me as wealthy back in school. He believed that no matter how badly I was doing, I should still be able to afford the surgery.

"What kind of life have you been living all these years? I have some savings, and I can cover part of it for now. We can figure out the rest later. Right now, saving your life is what matters most."

When he saw I was about to refuse, he cut me off. "Where is your girlfriend? Last time you were in treatment, she cried her eyes out and said she'd spend whatever it took to save you. Why has she disappeared now?"

He just had to rub salt in my wounds. I had never been this pathetic. It was as if all my dignity had been crushed and ground into the dirt.

Seeing me hesitate to answer, Owen could guess more or less what was going on. "Cassian, don't lose hope. Medical treatments are becoming more advanced. As long as you don't give up, things can turn around."

After hearing his words, I nodded firmly. He called over an intern named Emilia Bennett. "Emmy, please take extra care of this patient. I'm going to talk to the director about getting him a specialist consultation."

After chatting with Emilia, I learned that she had also attended my high school, a few years behind me.

Emilia was a cheerful young woman. Seeing my constantly gloomy expression, she would stop by now and then to chat and try to lift my spirits.

During that period, I blocked Madison entirely. She vanished from my life as though she had never been part of it.

Not long after, Emilia brought me good news. My condition was classified as a rare disease, and her supervisor happened to be a specialist in that area. They wanted me to go abroad for a more structured treatment program, which would also provide them with a real clinical case for their research.

Most importantly, my medical expenses would be fully covered.

I agreed without a second thought. If I could recover, that would be ideal. Even if the treatment failed, at least contributing to medical research would mean my life had counted for something.

Owen asked if I needed to contact my family, and I shook my head. My parents died in a car accident years ago. I had once considered Madison my family, but that was no longer the case.

Just as I was about to board the plane to leave for my treatment, an unknown number called me.