Everyone says Brandon Foster loves me to the bone. I'm the only one who knows he has a secret lover—a poor student I once sponsored.

On our wedding night, he brushed me off with the excuse of needing to entertain the guests. In truth, he was busy fooling around with her.

Well, I don't care about that anymore.

I have cancer, and my time is running out.

I don't expect him and his lover to both lose their minds when they find out, though.

When I walked out of the doctor's office with my test results, the hospital's advertisement screen played the scene of Brandon proposing to me.

Under a dazzling starry sky, deep blue fireworks lit up the night. He wore a white suit and kneeled in a rose garden, opening a box with a diamond ring inside.

The scene was so beautiful that it looked like something straight out of a romance drama.

I overheard some patients' family members chatting with a nurse.

"I'm really so jealous of Ms. Pace. Meeting a man like Mr. Foster is the luck of eight lifetimes."

"They really are the model couple of Arkmery, no doubt about it."

…

I walked past them expressionlessly, as if the person they were talking about wasn't me.

Brandon really did love me.

We grew up together as childhood sweethearts, and he pursued me for ten years.

When I finally accepted his confession, his eyes reddened in front of everyone. He held me carefully in his arms and promised, "Daniella, I will treat you so, so well."

In everyone's eyes, he truly did.

After taking over Foster Group, he spent a billion dollars building a rose castle for me. He shelled out a fortune for artificial snowfall just because I casually mentioned wanting to see snow.

Five years ago, when we got into a car accident, he shielded me and ended up permanently injuring his legs. He almost lost the ability to stand.

I felt so guilty that I couldn't sleep at night. But one night, I heard him quietly crying.

I asked him what was wrong.

He covered his face with a blanket and, in a hoarse voice filled with lingering fear, said, "I don't even dare think about what would've happened to you if I hadn't been there during the accident."

I never doubted for a second that his love for me was anything but genuine.

But I also knew something else.

He was keeping a mistress. She was a girl I once sponsored who had grown up in poverty.

He placed her in the company as his secretary.

A month ago, I went to his office to bring him lunch and walked in on them kissing.

They didn't even bother closing the door all the way, so I saw everything clear as day.

He lifted her up and pinned her against the floor-to-ceiling window.

I stood in the doorway, frozen to the spot, with my hands and feet feeling ice cold. When the woman finally opened her eyes and saw me, she smirked provocatively.

She deliberately teased Brandon right in front of me. "Mr. Foster, next time, why don't we do it at yours and Ms. Pace's house?"

"That would be thrilling," he replied.

I was so disgusted that I felt like throwing up. I even started wondering if everything in front of me was just some sick illusion.

…

That woman's name was Lexie Gilmore. She was a college student from the countryside and a few years younger than Brandon and me.

When I was in college, I found her on a charity website. Her family favored boys over girls, so they didn't allow her to continue schooling after middle school because they had no money. So, I sponsored her.

I did that for years.

I watched as, thanks to my sponsorship, her grades improved. She got into the best high school in her county and later into a top-tier university.

All these years, we occasionally exchanged letters. She told me about her teenage troubles and her school crushes.

She was like a delicate bud, soft but full of life, blooming before my eyes.

Through those letters, she also learned about my ties to the Foster family's business. So, after graduating from college, she applied for a job at Foster Group.

She was just an ordinary college graduate—no matter how hard she worked, she couldn't compare to the applicants from top universities at home and abroad or people with extensive internship experience.

However, I happened to see her resume on Brandon's desk.

Thus, I gave her a chance and got her into Foster Group, making her Brandon's secretary.

I never imagined that she would go after my fiancé—the Brandon I once believed loved me the most in this world.

…

Brandon and I grew up together.

My parents had a marriage of convenience, and after I was born, they naturally went their separate ways.

From a very young age, my butler and a group of nannies were the only people around me.

In kindergarten, my butler was the one who attended all my parent-teacher meetings. My classmates, not knowing any better, made fun of me for being a child nobody wanted.

Only Brandon stood in front of me and defended me. He kept defending me for 22 years.

Everyone firmly believed we would stay together and be happy forever. I believed it, too.

That was until I found out about him and Lexie.

When I first learned the truth, I couldn't sleep for nights on end.

Brandon thought I was just having pre-wedding anxiety. After all, my parents' love lives were a mess, and everyone in our social circle knew it.

So, he had a traditional medicine doctor prescribe me something. No matter how busy he was, he still made time every day to brew the medicine for me and made sure I drank it.

It was just like when I studied abroad. Back then, I called him to complain about how much I hated the food, and without hesitation, he flew over to be with me and cooked for me every day.

Brandon Foster—the same Brandon who didn't even trust a washing machine to clean my underwear and insisted on washing it by hand.

How could he possibly betray me?

No matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't make sense of it. But I supposed, in the end, I didn't need to anymore.

A month ago, after finding out about him and Lexie, I went to the hospital for a check-up.

The doctor said I had a rare disease. I didn't have much time left.

Brandon was in the kitchen making dinner when I got home.

From the entryway, I watched him wearing his loungewear and an apron while he cooked. My eyes started to sting a little.

Maybe I stared too obviously, for he quickly noticed and turned around to smile at me. He turned off the stove, washed his hands, and got on his knees to help me change my shoes.

"You've been out shopping all day. Are you tired? What did you buy?" he asked.

Before going to the hospital, I told him I was going to the mall.

He reached out for the medical report. I paused for a second, forced a smile, and shook my head. "I'm not tired. I didn't buy much."

He didn't think too much about it and just told me to rest on the couch for a bit as dinner would be ready soon.

But unexpectedly, right at dinnertime, an uninvited guest showed up.

Lexie handed him a file and apologized, "Sorry, Mr. Foster. I forgot to get your signature on this."

I only glanced at it briefly, but I clearly saw that there were faint, suggestive water stains on the document.

Brandon twitched his eyebrows. The next second, he blocked my view and spoke with an unmistakable sharpness in his tone. "Don't let this happen again."

I knew exactly what he meant. He was telling Lexie not to be so blatant in front of me.

Lexie's eyes reddened slightly, and she whispered an apology.

She hadn't been gone long before Brandon suddenly said he needed to go buy some seasoning and left after her.

I trailed behind them from a distance.

Sure enough, after just a little while, I saw him at the end of the garden path, holding that delicate woman in his arms, comforting her gently as she sobbed.

"I'm not mad at you. I just told you before not to show up in front of Daniella so often. She'll overthink things, okay?"

Lexie had already noticed me. She raised an eyebrow at me and whined coyly, "But this time wasn't my fault. Mr. Foster, you were the one messing around in the office…"

By the end of her sentence, her voice had turned into that sickeningly sweet tone.

Brandon playfully tapped her nose and whispered something I couldn't hear. Soon, the two of them were kissing.

My vision blurred, and I had no idea how I got home.

When Brandon came back, I was sitting on the couch, waiting for him.

He met my empty gaze, and maybe he felt a little guilty because he clumsily tried to explain, "The store in our area is closed. But it's fine. I can cook without that seasoning. I'll buy it next time."

I hummed softly and looked away.

I didn't tell him there was a lipstick stain on his collar, which Lexie left on purpose.

…

A few days later, my wedding dress arrived. It was an intricate, high-end design with shimmering diamonds embedded into the skirt.

When it was delivered, Brandon went to pick it up himself. "Be careful, don't ruin it."

He suggested I try it on, but I didn't have the energy to deal with him anymore. I just smiled. "It's fine. We already did the fitting."

"Alright."

Brandon finally noticed I looked a little pale. His expression was filled with concern. "Daniella, are you feeling okay?"

I shook my head and brushed him off. "It's nothing. I just didn't sleep well last night."

Brandon still looked worried and insisted on taking me to the hospital, but his phone rang as soon as he helped me into the car.

He turned his back to me to check it. He frowned like he was dealing with something complicated at work.

Then, he turned around and said apologetically, "Daniella, I'm sorry. There's an issue with a contract. I have to go back to the office."

I nodded silently and slowly clenched my hand around my phone.

Before leaving, he reminded me again to get checked at the hospital and said he would ask for my test results when he got home.

But just moments later, I looked down at my phone and saw a message from Lexie.

"Did Mr. Foster tell you there was some emergency at work again? Hehe! Well, he does have something to do at the office."

Then, I received a video call request.

My throat went dry. I closed my eyes for a moment, trying to find the strength to answer.

It was a view in a fitting room.

Lexie was wearing the wedding dress that Brandon and I had spent so much time working with the designer to perfect. The delicate straps slipped off her shoulders as she draped herself over Brandon.

His hands roamed greedily up her smooth, pale thigh. In the middle of the wet, obscene sounds of their kissing, his voice was husky and low.

"Ms. Pace…" The driver's voice pulled me back to reality.

That was when I realized that my nose was bleeding again. I pressed a tissue against it and turned off my phone. "Take me home."

The driver hesitated. "But Mr. Foster told me to take you to the hospital…"

I let out a soft laugh. "It's fine. He won't give you a hard time over it."

After all, whether he had me in mind was another matter entirely.

I never planned on going to the hospital. No matter how many checkups I had, the results would always be the same. If there was no cure, then there was no cure. There was no need to keep going through the motions.

But I didn't expect to fall asleep on the way back. I wouldn't wake up no matter how much the driver called out to me. It scared him half to death. He broke out in a cold sweat and rushed me to the hospital.

By the time I woke up, it was already the next afternoon.

The driver's face was as pale as a sheet, and he was trembling as he looked at me.

I figured he must have already found out. To reassure him, I said, "It's okay. I'll talk to Brandon about it."

The driver hesitated as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he just sighed. His eyes were red-rimmed as he looked at me.

After all, he had watched me grow up. Seeing me like this must have made him feel awful.

Not long after, Brandon called me. His tone was evasive as he asked where I was.

I paused for a moment when a sudden sneaky thought crossed my mind. I told him, "I'm at the hospital."

I wanted to see if, after all this time, hearing that I was sick would still make him lose sleep at night.

But reality proved that I was overthinking it.

As soon as I spoke, I heard Lexie's voice over the phone. "Brandon, my chest feels so tight. I was having heart palpitations just now."

"What's going on? Don't move. I'll take you to the hospital right away!"

Then, without another word, Brandon hastily muttered that something had come up and hung up on me. He probably hadn't even heard what I said.

As I listened to the dial tone, I suddenly felt like crying.

A moment later, though, I let out a quiet laugh.

I wanted to go home, but the doctor insisted I stay another day.

After dinner, I found the hospital room stuffy and went outside for a stroll. I didn't expect to run into Brandon and Lexie.

They had just come out of the obstetrics department, looking overjoyed.

Lexie was cradling her stomach with one hand, her face glowing with happiness. Brandon was watching over her carefully, his gaze full of affection so tender it was enviable.

They walked straight toward me, yet they didn't notice me until they were right in front of me.

"Daniella!"

Brandon looked startled and instinctively shielded the woman beside him. "What are you doing here?"

Then, stumbling over his words, he explained, "There's nothing going on between me and Lexie. I just came with her for a checkup. She wasn't feeling well. You know how it is. She's all alone here, with no family or friends…"

I looked at him steadily. He felt like a stranger to me now. I almost wanted to laugh.

"Yeah, I got it," I replied softly. "A friend of mine is sick. I came to visit her."

Brandon relaxed at that, stepping forward. "Then, let's go home?"

Lexie frowned and called out to him in a low voice, "Mr. Foster—"

Before she could say anything else, I cut her off. "It's fine. The driver's waiting for me downstairs. You should take Ms. Gilmore home first."

After all, she was pregnant. That was something to celebrate. Without me around, they could enjoy the moment properly.

Lexie hesitated, looking somewhat surprised. She seemed like she wanted to say something.

Brandon frowned. "Daniella! Don't throw a tantrum. Lexie really isn't feeling well."

I was at a loss for words. I turned to say something to him, but I no longer had the energy.

In the end, I only gave a slight nod. "I'm not throwing a tantrum."

He studied me for a moment as if checking whether I suspected anything. Once he was sure I didn't, he let out a breath and left with Lexie.

I watched them go.

Brandon never looked back. Lexie, on the other hand—the one who had always tried to provoke me—glanced over her shoulder with an unexpected hint of concern in her eyes.