All Chapters of Goodbye, Mr. Reynolds: I Have Nine Months to Live: Chapter 1 - Chapter 5

AliceYou know that feeling when your world crashes right in front of you, and you can only watch while the pain sinks deep into your stomach? That was exactly what I felt when those words rained down on me.“You have nine months to live.”The wallclock adjacent to me began to tick louder than it already was, each strike sounding like sand slipping through an hourglass. On the very day I learned I was going to be a mother, the doctor sat across from me, his face blank, quietly handed me a terrifying, nine-month death sentence.Seven years of marriage. Seven years of suffering, tears, and forced silence. And now, the one miracle my body had finally created was going to kill me.Tears spilled down my cheeks before I even realized I was crying. ​“What do you mean?” I asked, my voice barely a whisper. I couldn't even draw a full breath, as if invisible hands were squeezing my lungs.The doctor watched patiently with that sympathetic look on his face. I didn’t blame him, but I hated it.

AliceSometimes I caught myself imagining a totally different life—one where I was healthy, where Charles still looked at me the way he did when we first got married, and where I wasn't hiding medical records or counting pills.I was just arranging the medical report inside my drawer when heavy footsteps sounded behind me.I shoved the drawer shut and locked it just as Charles walked past the half-open door, his cold gaze sweeping over me before he continued down the corridor without a word.​I sank against the cold wood of the dresser, clutching my chest. Once upon a time, I would have prayed for him to turn back, pull me into his arms, and ask me what was wrong. But that loving husband had gone years ago. Now, all that remained between us was silence and secrets.A sharp knock sounded on the bedroom door.“Mrs. Reynolds?” the maid called out. “The driver is waiting for you and Mr. Reynolds.”Right. The annual corporate gala. I had completely forgotten.I wiped my wet cheeks and caug

Alice​Who needs an alarm clock when your own body wakes you up choking for air? These days, the sound of my coughing has become the alarm clock I never asked for. Every morning, before I even had the chance to wake up fully, my chest would tighten and I would almost cough out my lungs. Sometimes it went on for just a minute; other times, it would extend into minutes of painful coughing until tears filled my eyes. Today was no different.​I coughed for a long while, left gasping for air as if I had just finished running a marathon. Mornings weren’t my favorite part of the day anymore. They just served as a constant reminder of the reality of my life.​I sat on the bed waiting for my chest to stop heaving and the dizziness to pass before getting to my feet. I went over to where I hid the medicine and saw that three of the bottles were already empty. One had just two tablets left. Picking it up, I shook it slightly and heard the sound of the two pills dancing against each other, as if t