Chapter 2 Don't You Dare Die Before the Divorce

Aleena stared at me with undisguised disgust, clearly convinced I was putting on another act. "Seriously, Josiah? This again? Have you run out of ways to get back at me? Is that why you're pretending to be dying, just to make me feel guilty?"

I shook my head and tried to explain, but she grabbed my neck.

"Listen to me, Josiah! I'm not falling for your bullshit! If you want to die so badly, go do it somewhere else. Don't you dare drop dead in front of me!"

Her fingers tightened around my neck as another thought crossed her mind.

"And you'd better stay alive until our divorce is finalized! I don't want to be tied to you even in death!"

I stared at her, struggling to breathe as her words sank in.

I'd always known how much Aleena loved Quinn, and after everything that had happened between us, I hadn't expected her to show me any kindness. Still, hearing her say she couldn't wait to be rid of me—even in death—hurt more than I wanted to admit.

Unable to bear looking at her, I turned my attention to Neil. His expression darkened, and I guessed that mentioning Quinn had upset him.

"Don't be jealous," I managed to say. "You look just like him, so I'm sure you'll get the happy ending he never did."

Whatever Aleena heard in those words only fueled her anger. She shoved me aside and stood, clutching the broken LEGO pieces to her chest. I lay sprawled on the floor, blood still running down my face. She looked at me like I was something she couldn't wait to get rid of.

My chest hurt as I tried to get up. Before I could stand, a violent cough seized me, and I spat up blood.

Aleena wanted to say more, but the blood stopped her. She looked at me with a deep frown, and I saw something in her eyes besides hatred.

A small, silly part of me hoped she might finally realize something was really wrong. I wondered if she'd feel even a little sad if she knew I was dying.

The sharp smell of blood filled the air.

Seeing how bad I was, our housekeeper, Lily Parker, quickly came over and took out her phone to call an ambulance.

Before she could, Aleena snatched the phone and threw it against the wall. "Don't bother. People like him always live forever."

She looked at my injuries, and a cruel smile appeared on her lips. "Josiah, you took something precious from me, and I promise you'll pay ten times more."

Then, she kicked my bleeding leg aside and bent to pick up the last LEGO piece beside it. Taking Neil's hand, she headed for the door and left.

As she passed Lily, she casually added, "Make sure that cripple pays for your phone."

I watched her walk away, each step snuffing out the last flicker of hope I'd been holding on to.

…

Only after Aleena and Neil left did Lily finally come to me. She helped me sit up, and I thanked her before trying to stand with her help. However, as soon as I put weight on my injured right leg, a sharp pain hit me. I barely had time to react before I passed out.

While I was unconscious, I dreamed of a time when Aleena and I still loved each other.

In the dream, our home was decorated with wedding ornaments, and we'd been married for only a day.

Aleena meant everything to me then, and I couldn't imagine spending my life with anyone else.

I remembered walking past her study and seeing her assemble the LEGO model of a pair of skis Quinn had given her as a wedding gift. I felt jealous that she cared so much about something from another man, especially since I knew how much Quinn had meant to her.

So, while she went to get water, I quietly took two LEGO pieces and hid them.

Later, when she couldn't find them, I offered to buy her a new set.

Aleena looked at me for a moment, then realized what I'd done. Instead of getting angry, she sighed. "Josiah, there's a time and place for jealousy. We're married now. Do you really think I'd run off with him?"

She was right, of course. We were legally married and had started our life together as husband and wife. I should have felt safe in our relationship, but deep down, I still feared losing her.

After all, Aleena and Quinn had once been deeply in love. If Quinn hadn't left to study abroad, I wasn't sure Aleena and I would ever have ended up together.

Back then, she understood why I felt unsure. Even when I acted childish or got jealous over small things, she was patient and always told me I was the one she'd chosen.

For a while, I believed that would be enough.

But everything changed after Quinn came back. As Aleena spent more time with him, the little things she once found funny about me slowly became things she hated. My jealousy started to annoy her, and the comfort she once gave so easily became harder to get.

Then, Quinn died, and whatever remained of our marriage fell apart completely.

…

The sound of someone crying slowly woke me from my dream. When I opened my eyes, I was in a hospital room that felt painfully familiar.

It brought back memories of the hospital where I'd spent weeks recovering three years earlier, around the time of Quinn's funeral.

By then, my right leg was broken, and I was still in a hospital bed when Aleena visited me after the funeral.

She was angry.

Before I could ask what was wrong, she snatched up one of the skis I'd used to win my first gold medal and started striking my injured leg with it.

She kept striking my injured leg until the ski snapped. My leg never fully healed after that.

Even now, just thinking about that day made my leg hurt.

I turned my head and saw Dr. Jeremy Clark beside my bed, talking seriously with Lily about my condition and how to care for me. When he noticed I was awake, he stopped and came over, looking worried.

"Josiah, I told you to stay in the hospital and continue your chemotherapy," he scolded. "You've only been out for a week, but look at yourself. Are you trying to get yourself killed?"

My leg hurt so badly it was almost numb, but somehow, I still had the energy to joke with him.