Brain Tumor, My Foot!

Halfway through packing, my eyes locked on a dark green box shoved into the back of the cabinet—the one Nathan always said was off-limits.Well, too bad. What else did I have to lose?I flipped it open, and the pain hit like a wrecking ball.Inside were plans Nathan and Rainee had made—"99 things to do together."The first card on top? Real cute: [In this life, I want to have a beautiful baby with Rainee.]And the back? A gut punch: [Last time, Liana accidentally got pregnant. I'll only have kids with Rainee. Thankfully, she miscarried.]The baby I'd dreamed about for so long—Nathan hated it from the start.Everything clicked. He never let go of Rainee. He never wanted me. I was just the paycheck.I blinked back the tears, snapped a few photos, and put the box right back where it was.Then, the front door beeped. My stomach flipped as I peeked through the crack.Nathan. With Rainee.He looked excited, holding her hand. "Rainee, my brain's been a little off since the accident

Nathan stumbled toward me, bloodshot eyes bulging as he roared, "Liana Carter! You lied to me!"He raised his fist like he was going to do something, but it just hung there before dropping limply to his side. His voice turned bitter. "No, wait. You're a doctor! Why didn't you tell me sooner? Were you just waiting for me to die?!"Clara stepped in like a shield, shoving him back before he could get any closer. "What are you even talking about? The hospital called you a long time ago, telling you to come back for treatment!"You told them no one in your family had cancer! You said it couldn't be cured, so what was the point of treating it anyway!"When Nathan reached for me again, Clara didn't miss a beat. "The hospital has call recordings. Should I pull those up for you?" Her tone cut through the chaos like a knife.That was it. Clara's support cracked something inside me wide open, and all the bitterness and pain I'd shoved down came rushing out. Tears spilled before I could stop

Just then, Rainee walked up behind me, yanking off her sunglasses. Her face was twisted in disgust. "Cut the act, Liana! I talked to a lawyer. The company's marital property. Nathan's been running it all along, so it belongs to him—fair and square!"I couldn't help but laugh. " You should've done your homework. The land for the company was bought before we got married. It didn't start operations until afterward."Nathan's face turned red as he shoved her aside. "Rainee! Didn't I tell you not to come here? What the hell are you doing?!"She stiffened and snapped back, "Oh, so I'm not allowed here now? Don't forget, without me, you'd have nothing! You idiot!"Nathan ignored her and turned to me instead, his eyes wild, voice cracking. "Liana, please don't listen to her. I don't care about the company—take it if you want. Just... don't divorce me! Don't leave me!"I stared back, unflinching, feeling nothing but icy emptiness.The truth was simple. I'd bought the company when the mark

Nathan slumped against the wall, his whole body convulsing before he vomited violently.Rainee shrieked. "Disgusting!"Everyone froze—cops, bystanders, even the wind seemed to stop for a second. Nurses and doctors rushed in, trying to get Nathan onto a hospital bed, but he thrashed like a trapped animal."You're not taking me!" he roared. "I'm not leaving! I don't want to die!"A nurse stepped in, firm but calm. "Who said you're going to die? Lie down and stay still!"Rainee let out a cold, bitter laugh. "Oh, he's dying, all right. What's the point of pretending? There's cancer eating away at his brain!"Nathan froze. His bloodshot eyes locked on her, wild and furious. In a flash, he lunged, grabbing her by the neck with both hands. "If I die, you're coming with me!"This is your fault! If it weren't for you, Liana wouldn't have left me! I wouldn't be like this! It's all because of you!"The cops surged forward, yelling, "Nathan Hale! You're already under investigation for assa