Chapter 1

My head spun as I processed what I had just heard.

My bag slipped from my grasp and hit the floor. The medical report inside fluttered down beside it.

Across the living room, candlelight flickered over the table where my boyfriend and my best friend sat together, sharing what looked unmistakably like a romantic dinner.

Ethan Bennett rose calmly from his seat.

"You're home. Why didn't you tell us you were coming back?"

My face went pale. I pressed my lips together and forced myself to speak.

"What were you two talking about?"

Vivian Carter quickly jumped in, changing the subject. "Eve, I won first place in the city competition, so Ethan wanted to celebrate with me. We didn't mean to leave you out. We thought you were working late."

Ethan slipped an arm around my shoulders and guided me toward the table.

"Just give us a heads-up next time you're coming home," he said. "You're making it sound like we deliberately excluded you."

I stared at him as my eyes began to sting. "What about what you two were just saying? Don't you have anything to explain?"

Ethan's expression darkened. "Can you stop overthinking everything?"

Vivian bent down and picked up the medical report. She gave a strained laugh, clearly trying to defuse the situation. "Eve, we were just joking. You didn't seriously take that…"

Then she looked down at the report, and her voice trailed off.

Ethan immediately stepped in. "She's right. You always take things too seriously. Honestly, it's exhausting."

I laughed bitterly. If I hadn't gone to the hospital myself for another test, they would have dismissed everything with a few careless words.

And this wasn't the first time.

Over the past five years, moments like this had happened again and again. Quietly. Subtly. So gradually that I had convinced myself I was imagining things.

A chill crept down my spine.

Ethan glanced at the report in Vivian's hands. His expression changed instantly. For a brief moment, he and Vivian exchanged a look. Then they both turned toward me.

Vivian spoke first. "Eve, it's not that serious. You've always pushed yourself too hard with dancing. We're just worried your body can't handle it anymore."

I stared at her in disbelief.

"You're a dancer too," I said. "You know better than anyone what it takes to succeed. If you want to make a name for yourself, you train until you have nothing left to give."

My voice trembled as the words poured out. "You've spent the last five years doing exactly that. And now you're standing here telling me to take care of my health?

"All these years, while I've been stuck on the sidelines helping you like some idiot… did you enjoy watching me play that role?"

"That's enough, Evelyn!" Ethan's voice cut through the room. "You're going too far."

He stepped in front of Vivian protectively. "For five years, Vivian has been the one holding the company together while you were resting. You don't have to thank her if you don't want to, but you have no right to stand here and put her on trial."

Vivian's face crumpled. Tears welled up in her eyes.

"Eve, you have Ethan. But I have nothing." Her voice was soft and trembling. "I've had to fight for everything I have. How could I possibly afford to stop?"

But what did I have five years ago?

I closed my eyes and slowly let out a breath. Then I opened them. "I'm going back to the dance company."

"No." Ethan didn't hesitate. "Vivian is about to represent the city in an upcoming performance. If you suddenly go back now, it would create a mess."

Tears spilled down Vivian's cheeks.

"Forget it, Ethan," she whispered. "That position was originally Eve's. I'll give it back to her."

Ethan looked at her with unmistakable tenderness.

"Don't say that." His voice softened. "It was always yours."

Something twisted violently inside my chest, and the pain was so sharp it made me nauseous.

Ethan rubbed his temples as though I were the one making everything difficult. "What I mean is, Vivian has put so much into this performance. We can't just let all that effort go to waste."

He turned to me. "Just listen to me, Eve. Stay home. Be my wife. I'll take care of you for the rest of your life."

His next words hit even harder. "We can have a baby, too. You won't feel so alone anymore."

I stared at him. For the first time, I barely recognized the man standing in front of me.

Ethan and I had grown up together. We had been childhood sweethearts.

Ever since I was little, I had dreamed of becoming a professional dancer, and Ethan had always supported that dream.

He used to promise that one day, he would make enough money to build the greatest dance company in the world so I could perform on stages everywhere.

I could still hear his younger voice, full of absolute certainty.

"Eve, you're going to be the greatest dancer in the world."

The memories came rushing back, and my eyes burned.

Something in Ethan's expression softened when he saw the tears gathering in my eyes.

"If you really insist on going back," he said, "then wait until Vivian finishes this performance. After that, I'll send you back to your old company."

My heart sank.

The "old company" he was referring to was nothing more than an abandoned backstage facility. There were no performances, no audience, and no future waiting for me there. It was nothing but a place where I could disappear quietly.

My gaze hardened. "I'm going back to exactly where I was before."

Ethan's expression darkened. "Evelyn, enough is enough."

Beside him, Vivian suddenly began to cry. "Ethan, I'm the one who took Eve's place. That position should have been hers."

The anger immediately disappeared from Ethan's face. He turned to Vivian at once, his voice softening as he comforted her.

I couldn't bear to watch their little performance anymore.

Without another word, I turned and walked back to my room. Then I picked up my phone and called the person in charge of the dance company.