All Chapters of If Time Could Turn Back Again: Chapter 1 - Chapter 9

9 Chapters

Chapter 1

The clock chimed in the early hours of the morning. I stared at the sky-blue cake on the table as its frosting slowly melted. My birthday had come and gone in silence.I walked slowly to the table and looked at the forgotten cake. I picked it up and took a bite. "Happy birthday," I told myself.Then, without a second thought, I threw it into the trash can.Madison Carter pushed the door open just as I was tossing the cake away. She curled her lips in displeasure and held up the bag in her hand. "Cass, I went out of my way to bring you takeout from a well-known restaurant."As she stepped closer, I caught the scent of alcohol on her, along with an unfamiliar man's cologne. When she opened the bag, I glimpsed leftovers inside."I'm not worthy of something so fancy," I said.These were the scraps from her lavish dinner with Lucas Whitfield. The thought of it, on top of the physical discomfort I was already feeling, made my voice turn ice-cold."Cassian Wilder, I was out all day and

Chapter 2

"I already have someone right by my side," Madison said.As I listened to her, a sudden wave of discomfort hit me. I rushed into the bathroom and coughed up a mouthful of blood. The sadness that washed over me made me let out a few weak, hollow laughs.By the time I rinsed the blood away, Madison was already standing there, beautifully dressed with exquisite makeup. "Today is my mom's birthday. You didn't forget, did you?" she said.I shook my head. "I didn't forget."She walked over and reached for my arm out of habit, but I quietly stepped aside. When I didn't give her an easy out, she immediately became angry out of embarrassment. "What are you throwing a tantrum about? I don't owe you anything."I turned to look at her. It was a face I knew so well, yet it felt more and more like a stranger's."I don't want to argue with you today," I said flatly.As soon as I finished speaking, I left the house ahead of her.By the time I arrived at the restaurant, Lucas was already sittin

Chapter 3

Madison didn't know how to reply to me, and tears began streaming down her face. Seeing her cry made my chest ache, but I still turned away and left without looking back.I hailed a cab. As soon as I got in, I coughed up a mouthful of blood before I could even speak. The driver was startled and insisted on taking me to the hospital.I didn't refuse. I slumped in the backseat and opened my phone. Lucas had posted a photo of himself with Rosalie and Madison on Instagram. The caption read, "Happy birthday, Mom."I let out a scornful laugh. Lucas really couldn't wait and was already calling Rosalie "Mom".Just then, Lucas suddenly sent me several selfies he had taken with Madison over the past few days. In the photos, the two of them leaned close together, smiling brightly at the camera."Cassian, a sick man like you who could drop dead any day, should stop clinging to Madison. She likes someone like me, and I'm the only one who can make her happy," he said.I didn't respond to his p

Chapter 4

I didn't expect the caller to be Madison. I had already blocked her number, so she had borrowed someone else's phone to reach me.Her voice was thick with tears, and the urgency in it was clear. "Cassian, I heard from a friend that your condition has gotten worse. She also told me that you don't have enough money for the surgery. If you had told me sooner, I would have given you the money for your treatment."Where are you? I'll come to you right now with the money. Nothing can happen to you. You're going to be okay."I wondered when money had become the only thing she ever talked about."Are you with Lucas right now?" I asked quietly.She paused, then answered anxiously, "No. I ended things with him. No one matters more to me than you."Affection that came too late meant nothing. I had long since lost all hope in her."Madison, I won't be a burden to you anymore," I said. "Even without Lucas, there will always be someone else beside you. Whatever happens to me from here on out,

Chapter 5

Madison's tone softened a little after hearing my response. "Then don't block me again. Please just let me keep getting updates from you, okay?"Hearing her plead like that, I gave a half-hearted response.Our conversation brought me back to how we had first met. At the time, I was still in graduate school, while she had already graduated but hadn't landed a job she wanted, taking on whatever work she could while sending out applications.I had met her by chance at a dinner with classmates from my department. An older student from my department had a few drinks and urged her to get my contact information. He joked that I was a good investment and that she shouldn't pass up the opportunity.It was meant as a lighthearted remark, but Madison reached out to me and eventually asked me out.She always put herself in a humble position around me. I sympathized with everything she had been through, and over time, I developed feelings for her. After we got together, our friends saw us as a

Chapter 6

Madison said, "It was my mom who insisted on setting me up with Lucas. You know how hard she worked to raise me. I didn't want to upset her, so I just went along with everything."I turned my head away, feeling that her constant talking was getting on my nerves."Once you're done with this surgery, let's go back and get married, okay?"When I heard Madison's words, I suddenly remembered that she had said the same thing the last time I had surgery.She always talked about marriage, but the timeline kept getting pushed back. First, it was when the company got on track, then when it grew bigger, then when we had saved up enough money for a house, then after my surgery.She didn't want to lose me, yet she couldn't bring herself to commit to marrying me.This time, I gave a different answer. "I'm not going to marry you."I lay in the hospital bed and watched her sit quietly beside me. Memories from the past came rushing back one after another, but what we were now felt completely dif

Chapter 7

"Don't tell Madison about this yet," I said to Emilia.Over the past few days, Madison had stayed by my bedside, taking care of me, but I still hadn't changed my mind. I told her that even though the surgery had gone smoothly, my condition hadn't fully improved, and the doctor said I had at most a year left to live.Madison held my hand and said softly, "Cassian, I want to be with you through whatever time you have left."But she didn't keep her promise. In less than two days, she came to me in a rush and said, "My mom has been admitted to the hospital. I have to go back and take care of her immediately."I didn't try to stop her. Before she left, she lingered at the door and told me she'd be back to see me soon.After Madison left, Emilia stood beside me and couldn't help snorting. "She's not coming back to see you."I watched Madison's figure disappear into the distance and felt nothing but relief.…I cooperated fully with my treatment and stayed in the hospital for another

Chapter 8

It was a wedding invitation from Madison and Lucas. That explained why Madison hadn't contacted me after returning home. Her determination to stay by my side didn't last long.It was possible she simply couldn't stand up to Rosalie. Either way, she had made her choice.I closed the invitation. I had taken her off my blocked list at her insistence, yet she had hidden her wedding post on Instagram specifically from me.She sent me a message on WhatsApp. "Cass, how have you been lately? My mom hasn't been doing well and needs someone with her. I miss you."I looked at her hypocritical message and didn't reply. Still, I noticed that her stomach was slightly rounded in her wedding photo.That was a good thing for her. Madison had always loved children. Now she was finally going to have one of her own.…Six months into my new job, I ran into Madison.She stared at me, clearly caught off guard. "Cassian, what are you doing here? I thought—"Her stomach was noticeably swollen. She wa

Chapter 9

I watched Emilia standing there with a wide smile, waiting for me, and rushed over to pull her into a tight hug.Madison witnessed the entire scene. She stood still as she watched me hold Emilia and kiss her. Looking completely defeated, she didn't come over. Instead, she walked away with her head down.…After Emilia returned, she immediately threw herself into work, and we made our relationship official.One day, out of nowhere, Rosalie showed up at my door. She looked worn down, unlike the confident woman I had last seen. She stared at me in disbelief. "Cassian, I heard from Madison that you've fully recovered. Is that true?"I hadn't forgotten what Rosalie had said about me. But she was an elder, and my life was in a good place now, so I no longer held onto resentment over her past insults. "Mrs. Carter, I've recovered."When she heard my words, regret spread across her face. "I came here to tell you that Madison has never stopped caring about you. I was the one who forced he

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