Chapter 1 Chapter 1

When I found out I did not have much time left, it had been six years since Zac Xander and I broke up and six years since we became family. I rushed home in a panic and went straight to his study. I asked him if he was really going to marry Evelyn Gibson. He sneered at me, saying I was delusional and could not stand to see him happy. I stood there frozen, unable to muster a single word in response. Looking into his cold eyes, I slowly realized that Zac had probably hated me all along. Forcing a smile, I said, "But Evelyn isn’t the right match for you." I had my own selfish reasons, but I also knew there would never be a good outcome for the two of us. So, his future wife should not be someone like her, a socialite with a terrible reputation. "And what about you, the daughter of a mistress? Are you supposed to be my perfect match?" He glanced at me sideways, his eyes filled with disdain, as if he could see right through my thoughts. Zac stood up, the light casting half his face in shadow. His hair fell loosely across his forehead, obscuring his expression. "Emma, nothing in the Xander family has anything to do with you, an outsider.""But I never..." I tried weakly to explain that I did not care about the Xander family’s wealth. But Zac did not listen. He got up and walked away without a second thought for my words. "Brother..." Zac, dressed sharply in a suit, suddenly turned around, his wolf-like eyes glaring at me. "What did you just call me?" When I first saw Zac at my mom’s new husband’s place, I knew why he had broken up with me. But I thought we could get along peacefully, never imagining he had hated me all this time. He allowed people at school to bully me without a second glance, standing by as rumors about me spread. Yet I stubbornly refused to call him "brother," as if doing so would mean there was no future left for us. "Brother, can we stop fighting, please?" I pleaded, the pain in my chest becoming unbearable. "Don’t call me brother! Emma, aren’t you disgusted with yourself?" Hearing his harsh words, I started to feel dizzy. I staggered and collapsed to the floor. "Emma, what kind of act are you putting on this time? If you’re going to die, go do it somewhere else!" He ignored me and walked out of the study without looking back. I struggled to get up. I touched my nose, and looked at the blood on my hand, my gaze dimming. But... Zac, I was sick. I was dying. Couldn't you just care for me? Could you just hold me, even for a moment? …… I knelt on the floor, frantically trying to wipe away the bloodstains. But as soon as I cleaned it up, bright red droplets fell again. It felt like it would never stop, like no matter how much I wiped, it would never be clean. I completely broke down. Sitting on the floor, curled up into a ball, I cried silently. I could not understand why fate was treating me like this. When I thought I had found true love, I discovered that my ex-boyfriend was about to become my stepbrother. When I wanted to stop loving Zac, I was diagnosed with late-stage liver cancer. Dazed, I walked toward the door, only to find my mom waiting there, worry etched on her face.

Chapter 2 Chapter 2

She did not ask if I had argued with Zac. Instead, she looked at my face with concern and asked, "Where did the blood come from?" I saw that familiar look of fear and panic in her eyes. It was the same expression she had before she remarried, a reminder of the scars left by my biological father’s abuse. Not wanting to worry her, I forced a smile and said I was just stressed out. Only then did Mom breathe a sigh of relief and urge me to get some rest. I pushed through the pain as I made my way back to my bedroom and lay down, cold sweat breaking out on my forehead. I swallowed a few painkillers dry and closed my eyes, hoping sleep would take over. If I could just fall asleep, the pain would go away. In my dreams, there was no cold-hearted Zac, and no mother always in tears. In my half-conscious state, it felt like I had gone back to the sweetest times with Zac. Back then, I still lived in the slums of the South District, and we were in the purest kind of love. We wa

Chapter 3 Chapter 3

After all, he wished for my death so much. I might as well give him one last surprise. "Who cares if you lose weight or not? I’d be thrilled if you starved to death!" Zac let out a cold snort and brushed past me. He then poured a glass of warm water, placing it on the table. "Seeing you ruins my mood. If I’d known, I wouldn’t have come back!" He seemed disgusted to be in the same room as me, leaving without even touching the water he had just poured. I watched him grab his suit jacket and hurriedly walk out of the villa. He treated me like an enemy, and avoided me as if I were a plague. That was how it had been for six long years. How had I managed to survive it? As I stared at the rippling surface of the glass of water, I could not resist taking a small sip. The warmth was familiar. At that moment, my vision blurred. Honestly, I did not even know myself anymore. I could not figure out why, after our breakup, I kept chasing Zac like I always ha

Chapter 4 Chapter 4

Anna wiped away her tears with a smile. "Yes, for sure." I was sorry, I lied to you. Deep down, I silently regretted my words. I had lied to the one person who knew how little time I had left. At most, I only had a month to live. …… When I dragged myself back to my room, utterly exhausted, someone who should not have been there was waiting for me. The room was filled with the nauseating smell of cigarette smoke. Having barely eaten all day, I instinctively ran to the bathroom and vomited until I was dizzy. I did not even hear Zac's footsteps approaching. I was half-kneeling on the floor, reaching up to flush the toilet, when I suddenly felt a warm grip on my wrist. "Are you pregnant? When did you sneak off behind my back? Planning to bring some bastard into the family to steal my inheritance?" He pinned my hand against the wall, leaning over me, his eyes bloodshot as he stared at my stomach. "Emma, if you want to stay in the Xander family, you’d bet

Chapter 5 Chapter 5

This was the only photo I had left of us. I would have to burn it for my afterlife self. After all, if the baby on the road to the afterlife ever wanted to know what her father looked like, I would be able to show her this picture. I would tell her that she had parents who loved her very much, so she could grow up bathed in love. …… The next time I saw Zac, he was back to his usual polished and dignified self. He effortlessly mingled with the guests, occasionally handing Evelyn some snacks to keep her satisfied. She looked annoyed by the whole event, her face showing clear signs of impatience. Then Zac leaned down and whispered something in her ear. And just like that, her mood flipped and she looked delighted. I thought she would go back to rest, but to my surprise, she walked straight toward me. "Are you Emma?" she asked with a bright smile, looking effortlessly perfect, like someone without a care in the world. "Zac thought I’d be bored, so he asked me to come fi