Chapter 2

It was an unlucky day for me. I was bumping into everyone I didn't wish to meet.

Simon wore a neat white coat, with an attending physician's badge pinned to his chest. He looked much more mature than he had two years ago.

I lowered my head and turned to the side, trying to slip away. "Excuse me, I'm looking for Dr. Horton."

Simon pressed his hand against the doorframe, blocking my path.

"Dr. Horton was urgently reassigned elsewhere. I'm handling his patients for now." He stared at me, his eyes dark and unreadable. "You just vanished without a trace. Amy, I never agreed to the breakup."

I squirmed under his gaze as a wave of guilt washed over me. I replied, "It's over between us, Dr. Litt."

Simon ignored my words, reaching out to pull me into the room. "Let's get the basic check-up done. You look terrible."

With that, he turned to fetch the blood pressure monitor.

I knew him well. He was very stubborn and wouldn't back down until he got his way. If I refused to cooperate, I probably wouldn't be leaving any time soon.

So I gave up resisting and rolled up my sleeve, revealing my arm dotted with needle marks of all sizes, old crisscrossing lash scars, scars from dog bites, and calluses from the years I'd spent surviving alone in the mountains.

Simon froze, his gaze fixed intently on those marks. "How did you get through all those years after you pushed her away? Amy, you sacrificed so much for her. Was it really worth it?"

I tried to cover up those unsightly scars. "It's all in the past now."

With red-rimmed eyes, Simon strapped the blood pressure cuff around my arm. "Has your injury gotten better? Does it hurt anywhere else?"

Suddenly, my stomach churned, and that familiar, wrenching pain washed over me. I turned my head and covered my mouth as I coughed. The cough soon turned into a violent coughing fit, and fresh blood seeped through my fingers.

Simon's expression changed. He dropped whatever he was holding and hurriedly grabbed my shoulders. Then he pulled out a handful of tissues and pressed them into my hands.

"What's going on? Amy, tell me the truth."

I took the tissues and wiped the blood from the corner of my mouth, averting my gaze.

I couldn't hide the truth anymore.

"It's stomach cancer."

Simon went still. The office was so quiet that the only sound was his heavy breathing.

After a long while, he finally spoke in a hoarse voice. "Is that why you left without a word two years ago? Who gave you the right to make that decision for me? Do you really think I'm someone who can't endure hardships with you? I wish you'd relied on me just once. I wish you'd let me face this with you!"

My eyes stung. I remained silent.

When I was first diagnosed, the doctor told me I had less than a year to live. Simon was at a crucial point in his career then, and I didn't want to hold him back. After all, I couldn't even save myself. How could I drag him into the abyss with me?

But I never expected to live for another two years.

Simon took a deep breath and called the inpatient department on the landline. "Arrange a private room for me right now."

I supported myself using the desk and stood up. "I'm not staying here. I don't have the money to pay for it."

Simon turned to look at me, gritting his teeth. "Don't worry about that. If you dare walk out that door today, I'm going to follow you everywhere."

I felt sorry for making Simon shoulder a hopeless mess like me all over again.

But Mom was different. I would rather have her hate me than leave her with even the slightest reason to worry about me.

I reluctantly followed the nurse to my room, and by some strange coincidence, it happened to be directly across from Mom's.

I changed into a hospital gown and lay in bed with an IV drip running.

Not long after, the door opened. Mom walked in, her expression frosty. She had probably heard from the nurse that Simon had personally arranged a room for me and even waived my deposit.

Mom had always been suspicious by nature. She probably assumed I was taking advantage of Simon's compassion to win him over.

"You're quite the schemer, aren't you? You're actually putting on a pitiful act to win over Dr. Litt."

I leaned against the pillow, trying to suppress the bitterness in my chest. "I'm just here for treatment."

Mom stared at me for a few seconds before lowering her voice. "Just a heads-up. Dr. Litt is the man I've chosen for my daughter to marry."