Chapter 1

I was diagnosed with cancer, and on the day I received the diagnosis, it was the birthday of my wife's adopted son, Logan Smith.

Before the birthday party even began, I coughed up a mouthful of blood, which my wife, Rosalie Smith, said ruined the celebratory atmosphere. As such, not only did she refuse to take me to the hospital, but she also locked me in the basement.

Rosalie looked down at me, her gaze ice-cold. "Xander Kastel, you really know how to pick your timing. Of all days, you had to cough up blood on Lolo's birthday. I would've overlooked it if it were any other day. But how dare you do it today?"

I lay sprawled on the damp ground, the front of my white shirt soaked through with blood. As I begged her to take me to the hospital, violent cramps tore through my stomach, followed by unbearable pain.

It felt like death was slowly creeping toward me.

A flicker of disappointment crossed Rosalie's eyes. Her voice sounded surly as she said, "You're still trying to lie to me? I already asked your doctor. Your cancer is still in the early stage. It won't spread or make you cough up blood at all!

"You deliberately staged this on Lolo's birthday just to get back at Caleb. You've really calculated everything to the last detail!"

I drew a deep breath and despairingly said, "I'm your husband! Rosalie, I'm begging you! Take me to the hospital. I swear I'll never show up in front of you again."

At those words, Rosalie's expression darkened. She bent down and grabbed me by the throat, hissing viciously, "Don't play these push-and-pull games with me. As long as you stay here quietly until midnight passes and Lolo's birthday is over, of course, I'll take you to the hospital.

"Once you've recovered, you'll still be the Smith family's live-in son-in-law."

With that, she stood up and moved to leave.

My pale hand clung to her leg, refusing to let go. I lifted my ashen face and continued to plead, "Take me to the hospital. I'm begging you!"

Rosalie let out a cold laugh, then forcefully shook my hand off and kicked me in the shoulder. Without hesitation, she turned around and locked the door.

I could hear her frosty voice coming from outside the door as she gave instructions to the butler, Edward Hardin.

"Edward, watch over Xander. No one is to let him out without my permission."

After that, I heard her say that my agonized screams were annoying. Thus, she decided to take her first love, Caleb Anderson, and Logan to celebrate the boy's birthday at a hotel instead.

That kick from Rosalie had sent me crashing hard onto the floor, making me instinctively curl into myself.

Just then, a heat surged up my throat, and I coughed up a mouthful of fresh blood, staining my white shirt with another patch of red.

I forced myself to crawl forward, inch by inch, leaving a trail of blood across the floor behind me as I did so.

Using every ounce of strength I had left, I finally reached the door and pounded on it with my fist.

"Edward! Let me out! It hurts so much!"

Edward pressed his ear to the door and listened to the commotion inside. He then rolled his eyes, saying mockingly, "Mr. Kastel, stop the act already. Ms. Smith made her instructions clear. If I let you out, my pay gets docked. You can't be making trouble for an ordinary person like me."

He continued, "Alright, quit your screaming. Because of you, we couldn't even hold the birthday party we prepared for so carefully at home.

"Once Mr. Logan gets back from his birthday celebration, he'll want to eat the birthday cake I baked. I don't have time to waste here with you."

I clutched at my clothes. The pain was growing more and more intense.

When I heard Edward say he was leaving, I became absolutely frantic. I shouted loudly at him, "Edward! Don't go! I'm really in so much pain that I could die!

"I know you don't have the authority to decide. You just need to call Rosalie.

"I don't know what's happening, but I keep throwing up blood. If I don't get to the hospital soon, I'm really going to collapse from the pain!"