Chapter 1

For five years, Kayden kept me at the center of his world. But when my heart condition worsened and I became a burden in his life, all his tenderness went to a perfectly healthy girl named Cherry.

He forgot my fatal allergies, missed my emergency rescues, and was even late to sign my pre-surgery consent forms because he was busy fixing Cherry’s leaking pipes. He always assumed I was trapped on a hospital bed, unable to go anywhere, so he could take his sweet time.

But he forgot one thing. When a woman’s heart goes completely cold, she strips away all your privileges.

When I crossed his name off my emergency contacts and medical proxy forms, one by one—and when I reclaimed my life under the care of my lead surgeon—the man who was always late finally lost his mind, kneeling in the rain, begging me to look back.

The lights in the bridal shop were blindingly bright, making my pale face look even more ghostly.

I stood in front of the giant floor-length mirror, draped in a long, trailing lace wedding gown. Beside me, the consultant stood with a tight, awkward smile.

"Miss Summer, is Mr. Kayden still not here? The back of this dress really needs his input for the final fit..."

I looked down at my phone. The screen was completely blank.

Half an hour ago, Kayden had sent me a quick voice note. The background noise was incredibly loud, like he was standing on a busy street.

"Summer, the pipes in Cherry’s rented apartment burst, and her landlord is ignoring her. She’s just a girl, sitting in a flooded room crying. I’m going over to help her handle it. Try the dresses on yourself first, okay? Be a good girl."

"Be a good girl."

He always used those words to brush me off.

I took a deep breath, and a familiar, sharp pain shot through my chest. It felt like an invisible hand had clamped down hard on my heart. Breathing suddenly became a struggle.

"Miss Summer?" The consultant noticed something was wrong and rushed to support me.

My vision went black, and I lost consciousness completely.

When I woke up, I was on a hospital bed. The sharp smell of bleach burned my nose, and the heart monitor beside my bed beeped rhythmically.

The ward door was suddenly pushed open.

Kayden rushed in, panting, sweat dripping from his forehead. In his hand, he held a cup of Starbucks.

"Summer, you scared the hell out of me! How do you pass out just from trying on a wedding dress?"

He walked over to the bed and held the coffee out to me.

"I grabbed this on the way. Your favorite, a hazelnut latte. Drink some while it’s hot."

I stared at the steaming cup, making no move to take it.

Hazelnut.

I have a severe, life-threatening nut allergy. Even a tiny trace would cause my throat to swell, suffocating me. For a heart patient like me, it was a death sentence.

The nurse beside the bed gasped and was about to speak, but a well-defined hand reached out and snatched the cup away.

"She has a severe nut allergy. Are you trying to put her back in the ICU?"

The voice was cold, calm, and carried an undeniable authority.

It was my lead surgeon, Dr. Ethan Vance.

He was in his white lab coat, his silver name tag gleaming under the fluorescent lights.

Kayden froze. He looked at his empty hand, then at Dr. Ethan, and finally at me. A flash of embarrassment crossed his face.

"I... I got it mixed up. I bought this one for Cherry. She was so shaken up today and insisted on having something sweet. I just grabbed one for you on the way, I forgot you can’t have nuts."

On the way.

Cherry’s apartment was in the far north of the city. The bridal shop was in the south. The hospital was dead center.

To comfort a "shaken" female coworker, he had driven across the entire city. Yet, he forgot that his fiancée, who had a severe heart condition, couldn't touch a single peanut.

I looked at him, and suddenly, everything felt incredibly pointless.

"Just leave," I said softly.

Kayden frowned. "Summer, what are you throwing a tantrum for now? I told you, I just got the orders mixed up. If it's that big of a deal, I'll go buy you another one."

"No need."

I turned over, facing the wall, leaving my back to him.

"I want to rest."