If Time Could Turn Back Again

The clock chimed in the early hours of the morning. I stared at the sky-blue cake on the table as its frosting slowly melted. My birthday had come and gone in silence.I walked slowly to the table and looked at the forgotten cake. I picked it up and took a bite. "Happy birthday," I told myself.Then, without a second thought, I threw it into the trash can.Madison Carter pushed the door open just as I was tossing the cake away. She curled her lips in displeasure and held up the bag in her hand. "Cass, I went out of my way to bring you takeout from a well-known restaurant."As she stepped closer, I caught the scent of alcohol on her, along with an unfamiliar man's cologne. When she opened the bag, I glimpsed leftovers inside."I'm not worthy of something so fancy," I said.These were the scraps from her lavish dinner with Lucas Whitfield. The thought of it, on top of the physical discomfort I was already feeling, made my voice turn ice-cold."Cassian Wilder, I was out all day and

Madison didn't know how to reply to me, and tears began streaming down her face. Seeing her cry made my chest ache, but I still turned away and left without looking back.I hailed a cab. As soon as I got in, I coughed up a mouthful of blood before I could even speak. The driver was startled and insisted on taking me to the hospital.I didn't refuse. I slumped in the backseat and opened my phone. Lucas had posted a photo of himself with Rosalie and Madison on Instagram. The caption read, "Happy birthday, Mom."I let out a scornful laugh. Lucas really couldn't wait and was already calling Rosalie "Mom".Just then, Lucas suddenly sent me several selfies he had taken with Madison over the past few days. In the photos, the two of them leaned close together, smiling brightly at the camera."Cassian, a sick man like you who could drop dead any day, should stop clinging to Madison. She likes someone like me, and I'm the only one who can make her happy," he said.I didn't respond to his p

Madison's tone softened a little after hearing my response. "Then don't block me again. Please just let me keep getting updates from you, okay?"Hearing her plead like that, I gave a half-hearted response.Our conversation brought me back to how we had first met. At the time, I was still in graduate school, while she had already graduated but hadn't landed a job she wanted, taking on whatever work she could while sending out applications.I had met her by chance at a dinner with classmates from my department. An older student from my department had a few drinks and urged her to get my contact information. He joked that I was a good investment and that she shouldn't pass up the opportunity.It was meant as a lighthearted remark, but Madison reached out to me and eventually asked me out.She always put herself in a humble position around me. I sympathized with everything she had been through, and over time, I developed feelings for her. After we got together, our friends saw us as a

"Don't tell Madison about this yet," I said to Emilia.Over the past few days, Madison had stayed by my bedside, taking care of me, but I still hadn't changed my mind. I told her that even though the surgery had gone smoothly, my condition hadn't fully improved, and the doctor said I had at most a year left to live.Madison held my hand and said softly, "Cassian, I want to be with you through whatever time you have left."But she didn't keep her promise. In less than two days, she came to me in a rush and said, "My mom has been admitted to the hospital. I have to go back and take care of her immediately."I didn't try to stop her. Before she left, she lingered at the door and told me she'd be back to see me soon.After Madison left, Emilia stood beside me and couldn't help snorting. "She's not coming back to see you."I watched Madison's figure disappear into the distance and felt nothing but relief.…I cooperated fully with my treatment and stayed in the hospital for another

I watched Emilia standing there with a wide smile, waiting for me, and rushed over to pull her into a tight hug.Madison witnessed the entire scene. She stood still as she watched me hold Emilia and kiss her. Looking completely defeated, she didn't come over. Instead, she walked away with her head down.…After Emilia returned, she immediately threw herself into work, and we made our relationship official.One day, out of nowhere, Rosalie showed up at my door. She looked worn down, unlike the confident woman I had last seen. She stared at me in disbelief. "Cassian, I heard from Madison that you've fully recovered. Is that true?"I hadn't forgotten what Rosalie had said about me. But she was an elder, and my life was in a good place now, so I no longer held onto resentment over her past insults. "Mrs. Carter, I've recovered."When she heard my words, regret spread across her face. "I came here to tell you that Madison has never stopped caring about you. I was the one who forced he