Chapter 2

That scar on my stomach, coiling like a centipede with its claws, was truly ugly.

But in reality, it was proof of the love William and I once shared.

Years ago, his mother disapproved of me because I was an orphan. William was willing to sever ties with his family just to marry me. But on the day of our wedding, he got into a car accident, and I disappeared without a trace.

I only returned six months later, with this scar on my stomach.

Everyone said I was a gold digger who ran off the moment William had his accident, only to come crawling back after being dumped by someone else.

Ever since then, our love turned to resentment and revenge.

But what he didn’t know was that after the accident, he had been gravely injured and needed a kidney transplant. I was the one who had donated mine to save him. I then went into hiding to recover for six months.

I couldn't tell him because I was dying. I had late-stage kidney failure.

I didn’t want him to live the rest of his life burdened with guilt.

I just wanted to spend the little time I had left by his side. I wanted to complete the wedding we never had.

With only a week left to live, he still refused to marry me.

The room was filled with the sound of my muffled sobs, yet William remained unmoved.

He grabbed my chin and asked, "What is it then?"

"I–" I hesitated, unable to say the words in the end.

William let out a cold laugh, pulled Jennifer into his arms, and walked away.

I could no longer hold myself up. My body collapsed to the floor.

When I woke up, I was in the hospital.

My doctor, Mike Sommer, looked furious. "You had a high fever all night. Your condition has worsened. Whether you make it through tonight depends on luck."

I let out a shaky breath. "So soon?"

But I still hadn’t finished the wedding with William.

Wouldn’t it be a shame to die just like this?

I smiled bitterly and asked Mike to keep my condition a secret. Then, despite his protests, I discharged myself and returned home.

As soon as I stepped inside, I saw William sitting on the couch. He stared at me gloomily.

"Why didn’t you just die out there? Why did you come back?"

His words sent a shiver down my spine. 'I am dying,' I thought.

I ignored the sharp pain in my heart and said softly, "William, I agree to the breakup. I won’t bother you anymore.

"But I have one condition. Give me a wedding. No marriage license, no legal ties, just put the ring on my finger yourself, like a real husband would."

I asked carefully, knowing he would refuse.

However, I still held onto a faint glimmer of hope.

"Fine. I’ll do it."

His unexpected answer made my heart pound.

I quickly said, "After the wedding, I’ll disappear from your life forever. I won’t interfere with you and Jennifer."

The moment I finished speaking, his expression turned icy. He clenched his jaw. "What a deal, huh? Whitney, I’ll make sure to play my role as your husband at the wedding."

The way he emphasized the word 'play' sent a sharp pain through my heart, but I was satisfied.

William hated me so much that he arranged the wedding for that very night.

That was fine. I might not even make it to tomorrow.

A bloody taste filled my mouth. I swallowed a handful of painkillers and put on my wedding dress before heading to the venue.

But when I arrived, there were no flowers and no guests.

Williams was also nowhere to be found.

Had I come too late?

Stumbling, I searched every corner of the hall, but to no avail.

Panic crept in as I reached for my phone to call William.

Suddenly, the giant screen in the center of the hall lit up.

On it, William, dressed in a tailored suit, was kneeling before Jennifer in her white gown.

He was proposing.

"Jennifer, marry me," he said.

"I, William, swear to love you and only you for the rest of my life. I will never let you down."

It was the same vow he once made to me.

Now, it felt a knife stabbing into my heart.

I collapsed to the floor, unable to believe what I was seeing.

William had played me again, and I was foolish enough to believe him.

I couldn’t hold it back anymore. Blood gushed from my throat, pain ripping through my body as if I were being torn apart.

With the last bit of my strength, I lifted my head, desperate to see William one more time.

But in the end, I couldn’t.

Darkness swallowed me whole.

I died alone on a night no one would remember.

Later, an ambulance took my body to the hospital.

I hovered above as a ghost, watching Mike desperately try to save me, only to collapse in defeat, sobbing on the ground.

"Thank you, Mike," I whispered, but he couldn't hear me.

Then, he reached into my pocket, pulled out my phone, and glanced at it before dialing a number from his own.

I floated closer.

It was William’s number.

"What?" William answered almost instantly.

"No–" I wanted to stop Mike, but it was useless.

"Mr. Gavin, this is Whitney’s doctor," Mike said, his voice hoarse. "Please come to the hospital as soon as possible."

"Doctor? Hospital?" William let out a chuckle.

"What, did she fail at one trick and switch to another?

"Let me guess. Now she wants me to believe she’s dying?

"Tell her this. If she’s going to die, she'd better do it somewhere far away so I don’t have to see it."