I Died The Day He Won The Championship

My boyfriend Julian is a chess grandmaster, a genius. At sixteen, he became the youngest grandmaster in North American history.I gave him ten years of my life, but a ring was never on the table.But when he reached the pinnacle of his career and won the Grand Slam, he still refused to break the pact he'd made with his family about his career."According to my plan, I'm not considering marriage or any other form of long-term commitment until all my goals are achieved."I didn't argue with him. I quietly packed his luggage for the World Championship and wished him the best.He had no idea that at the very moment he was lifting the championship trophy with the world watching,I was dragging my failing body to sign my own name on a euthanasia consent form....Before every tournament, Julian would turn his study upside down.He was the type to forget everything once he was focused on a chess game.He'd put on a jacket but forget his watch, or put on a shirt and forget to button it.Forg

With Julian out of the house, I started to let loose in the apartment.I turned the stereo up to full volume and opened a bottle of red wine I had been hiding for a long time.Before, I never dared to be myself, always catering to Julian's preference for quiet.But now, in the little time I had left, I was going to enjoy my own life.Before heading to the hospice, I decided to organize this home I had lived in for ten years one last time.Julian's chess manuals and trophies took up most of the space.In the corner of the desk lay the half-written diary where I used to record our sweet moments together.Thinking about why it was abandoned, I gave a bitter smile.At the time, Julian was climbing the world rankings, training more than fifteen hours a day, leaving no time for me.Since I had nothing better to do, I started keeping a diary to preserve our memories, writing down every anniversary, every small gesture of affection.When I showed it to him, full of anticipation, secretly hopin

Julian hung up the phone.His last words to me were, "Ava, next time, try to come up with a less stupid excuse."The dial tone buzzed in my ear, and the room fell back into a dead silence.The irony was that when I finally mustered the courage to tell the truth, Julian no longer believed me.Perhaps because he felt I had defied him for a rare moment, his playing style in the next match changed dramatically. He shifted from his usual steady approach to something more aggressive.But to his credit, every move was fast, precise, and ruthless.He forced his opponent into an impossible position before the other man even knew what was happening.Twenty-three minutes. A swift victory.In a tournament with a schedule as tight as the World Championship, this was almost unheard of.But as soon as the match was over, he headed straight for the airport, skipping the routine post-game interview.Reporters swarmed the airport, aiming their cameras at him."This is the first time you've used such an

The next day, news of Julian's dramatic change in play was everywhere.[JULIAN'S PLAY STYLE SHOCKS CHESS WORLD; EXPERTS BAFFLED][CHESS PRODIGY FALTERS—ARE PERSONAL ISSUES TO BLAME?][CHLOE RODRIGUEZ HINTS FIANCÉE'S 'EMOTIONAL INSTABILITY' IS THE CAUSE]The nurses in the hospice wing always tiptoed around me, watching my expression.They thought I didn't want to see any of it.But I didn't care about anything anymore.I just quietly finished the teddy bears in my hands.Every stitch was a final piece of tenderness I had left to give.The night before the procedure, I finished all my preparations.I packed and shipped out all the stuffed animals I had spent eight months sewing.Along with them, I mailed six funeral invitations.The precise scheduling of the procedure meant I could even arrange my own send-off.The nurse, Lisa, stared at the man on TV who had just won the semifinal."Should we save one for him?"I shook my head, my gaze swept past the screen."No."Julian deserved champa

When I filmed that video, I went to great lengths not to look so haggard.The side effects of chemotherapy had made me lose twenty-five pounds.Anything I managed to swallow came right back up.I thought I looked too worn out on camera, so I forced myself to spend half an hour putting on makeup.But when I saw my own inappropriately bright red lips in the mirror, it was a little frightening.I suddenly remembered a time I was with Julian at an interview, and I overheard some gossip reporters whispering in the restroom."If it weren't for her being Julian's girlfriend.""I really wouldn't want to do this interview. She's boring, has no charisma, and is bad for ratings.""Her on-camera presence is terrible. Chloe is so much more beautiful and radiant.""Too bad Chloe's interview schedule is completely booked..."After hearing that, I stood in the restroom practicing a few smiles, trying to seem more natural.I just never thought that after all that practice, when I finally sat in front o