Chapter 2

A violent ringing filled my ears. It took me several seconds to find my voice.

"So... you agreed?"

Ethan sighed, feigning reluctance. "Cora, she might be adopted, but she's still your sister. She's family. And this is just a paper marriage. Once she's in remission and discharged, I'll still be your husband. Chloe's father."

Before I could reply, six-year-old Chloe chimed in, tugging my sleeve. "Mommy, Mama Serena has been so sad lately! You need to be understanding!"

I stared at the father and daughter standing before me.

This was the man I had loved for a decade.

This was the child I had nearly bled to death to bring into this world.

I had done nothing wrong. I had been a devoted daughter, a faithful wife, a loving mother.

And my reward was utter betrayal.

Fine. Since Serena wanted everything that was mine, she could choke on it.

I didn't want any of it anymore.

I looked up at Ethan. "Okay. I agree."

A flash of stunned disbelief crossed Ethan's eyes. "Really?"

Without missing a beat, he pulled pre-printed divorce papers out of the coffee table drawer and placed them before me.

I curled my lips into a self-deprecating smirk.

Ethan, oh Ethan... you didn't even bother hiding how eager you were.

I grabbed a pen and signed my name with a steady hand.

The moment the ink dried, Ethan's face flushed with solemn relief and feigned tenderness.

"Cora, as soon as Serena recovers, we'll remarry immediately. I promise you, I will never abandon you."

He quickly signed his name, letting out a heavy breath. "You've grown so much more sensible, Cora. I was wrong in the past too. I shouldn't have been so impatient with you. Once Serena beats this, I'll never let you worry about a single thing again!"

"Yeah, Mommy!" Chloe piped up like a little adult. "You're being so nice to Mama Serena. I'm proud of you!"

Looking at them, every ember in my heart turned to ash.

Until this very second, I had clung to one final shred of hope for Ethan and Chloe.

Now... nothing remained. Except death.

I stood up, planning to retreat to my bedroom.

A violent, crushing wave of dizziness slammed into my skull. My vision blackened, and my knees gave out.

In the final split-second before the darkness swallowed me, I caught a glimpse of Ethan's frantic face rushing toward me.

...

I woke up shivering from bone-chilling cold.

When I opened my eyes, I found myself still lying flat on the cold hardwood floor.

Standing above me, Ethan and Chloe looked down with unvarnished disgust and disappointment.

"Daddy, see? I told you Mommy was faking it!" Chloe huffed. "Mommy, can you stop being so childish? You're making us late to visit Mama Serena at the hospital!"

Faking?

Ethan looked at me with deep frustration. "Cora, can you stop throwing tantrums? Didn't I tell you? Even if we signed the papers, you're the only woman I love! You don't need to pull pathetic stunts like playing dead just to test my loyalty!"

Listening to him, a hollow laugh bubbled in my chest.

The lethal blockers worked wonders. For seventy-two hours, they completely suppressed my cancer symptoms, making my skin look flushed and healthy, like a normal person's.

The trade-off was rapid, catastrophic multi-organ failure on the third day.

It seemed the drug's disguise was flawless.

I gritted my teeth and dragged myself up from the floor. "My blood sugar just dropped. It's nothing. I'll go to the hospital with you. There are still a few asset transfer documents Serena needs to sign."

Ethan nodded. No surprise on his face—my parents must have already bragged to him about my surrender.

At the hospital, Serena was propped up on pillows, watching TV.

"Cora, you're here!" Her face was pale, but her energy was high. The smug, venomous triumph in her eyes didn't escape me.

"Thank you for trusting me with your brand, Cora. Don't worry, I won't let you down!"

"That's right, sweetheart," Eleanor beamed, sitting on the edge of the bed. "With Serena running your stores, you can just sit at home, relax, and collect quarterly dividends. Isn't that wonderful?"

I pulled the remaining legal folders from my bag. "Since that's the case, I'll hand over my private liquid assets and real estate to her management as well. That way, I won't have to worry about anything ever again."

Dead silence fell over the room.