Chapter 2

"Think whatever you want." Evelyn didn't argue. She just stood up and walked away.

Daniel froze for a second. He had expected her to at least scold Noah. He really had gone too far with what he said.

Evelyn was halfway up the stairs when Zoe suddenly followed.

"Evelyn, it's been so long since we had some sister time. Let me keep you company," Zoe said sweetly.

As soon as she drew close, the smile on her face twisted, and her voice dropped to a harsh whisper. "You really are pathetic, Evelyn! You brought that report on purpose, didn't you? You thought you could steal Daniel and Noah away from me? Dream on! I'm not letting that happen!"

The next second, Zoe grabbed Evelyn's hand and raised her voice. "Evelyn, don't! I'm sorry! It's my fault!"

A heartbeat later, Zoe lurched backward, dragging Evelyn with her.

The two of them tumbled down the stairs. Evelyn's head cracked hard against one of the steps before her body hit the floor. Her skull rang, everything buzzing and spinning. Before she could even understand what had happened, she heard Daniel and Noah shouting in a panic.

"Zoe!"

"Aunt Zoe!"

Zoe curled up on the floor in tears. "Evelyn! I never meant to take Daniel and Noah from you! They just feel bad for me and want to take care of me while I still have time! Why did you push me down the stairs?"

"Evelyn! Have you lost your mind? Zoe is sick!" Daniel roared.

Noah saw the blood on Zoe's forehead and glared at Evelyn with pure hatred. "I don't have a murderer for a mom! I hate you! I hate you!"

Neither of them even glanced at the blood trickling down Evelyn's hairline.

Daniel rushed to scoop Zoe up, completely focused on her. Just before he left, Daniel seemed to remember something. "Noah, stay here and look after your mother."

"I don't want to!" Noah jumped back as if he'd been asked to touch something filthy. "She hurt Aunt Zoe! If she dies, she deserves it! Aunt Zoe is the only one who matters!"

Daniel and Noah didn't hesitate again. They rushed out with Zoe and disappeared.

Staring at the empty doorway, Evelyn's vision went from black to white and black again before finally cutting out.

When she opened her eyes again, she was still on the floor. Six full hours had passed. The smear of blood on the hardwood beside her had dried to a dark brown.

Neither Daniel nor Noah had come back once.

A small, humorless laugh slipped out of her. So, this was her good husband and son. They abandoned her without a second thought to hover over Zoe and her dramatized condition, not even bothering to check whether she was dead or alive.

Evelyn forced herself upright, every movement stiff and slow. On her way back up the stairs, her gaze caught on the wall calendar. She picked up a pen and drew a circle around the date 15 days away.

Just 15 more days, and she could finally be gone. She would leave Daniel and Noah for good.

...

When Daniel and Noah finally returned, three more days had passed. They had stayed at the hospital with Zoe, guarding her by her bedside over a minor injury as if she were made of glass.

Meanwhile, Evelyn, who had smashed her head on the stairs, was apparently not worth a second thought.

The first thing Noah did when he stepped back into the house was march up to Evelyn and accuse her, "Mom, why didn't you go see Aunt Zoe? She almost got a concussion because of you. You should go apologize."

Looking at Noah's tyrannical posture, Evelyn almost laughed.

"She got hurt, and I didn't?" she asked.

Noah faltered, as if it had only just occurred to him that Evelyn had fallen too. His hesitation lasted only a couple of seconds, though. Then, he lifted his chin, full of defiance and indignation.

"That's your own fault! If you weren't so jealous of Aunt Zoe, nothing would've happened."

Evelyn had known he would say something like that, but the words still stabbed into her chest like a knife. She held his gaze in silence.

Noah started to fidget and edged behind Daniel, suddenly unsure of himself.

Daniel frowned. "Why are you picking on a child?"

He stepped forward and reached toward Evelyn. "Let me see. Is it bad?"

Evelyn turned her head away, refusing his touch. She didn't need any of his fake concern.

Daniel's hand grasped at nothing. He froze, thrown off balance in more ways than one. Her rejection made something twist uncomfortably in his chest, and his brows knitted together as he spoke.

"Zoe is your sister. She has stomach cancer. She might not even have two months left. Why do you have to fight with her over everything? Do you really think someone who's about to die can still take anything from you? Evelyn, stop being so selfish!"

Selfish?

Evelyn almost laughed.

Wrong. They were all wrong.

She was the one with cancer. She was the one who was dying.