Chapter 1

I was diagnosed with cancer, and my entire family urged me to give up on treatment.

My sister-in-law, Hailey, was thrilled and immediately started introducing matchmakers to my husband.

My husband, Jason, said, "Once you’re gone, someone has to take care of our daughter, Lily."

He even started openly bringing other women to our house.

I divorced him, took my half of the assets to pay for my medical bills, only to discover it was a massive hospital mix-up.

The one who actually had cancer was him.

When he came begging me for money to treat his illness, I gave him the exact same advice.

"Once you're gone, I can't be left with no money to take care of our daughter."

Both Jason and I had been feeling some discomfort in our stomachs lately.

Since it was the weekend, we decided to go to the hospital together for a checkup.

To our surprise, Jason only had mild indigestion, while I was diagnosed with stomach cancer.

When the doctor handed me the report, I felt like I had been plunged into an ice bath.

I was still so young. Why was life so cruel to me?

I grew up as an orphan and had a rough childhood. When I met Jason, he was so warm and caring. We had worked so hard to build a comfortable life, and just as things were getting better, this piece of paper was handed to me like a death sentence.

Before I could even process my grief, my mother-in-law, Brenda, called. She didn't even say hello before she started nagging.

"Hailey said you two went to the clinic today. What a waste of money! You’re both so young, what could possibly be wrong with you? If you have cash to burn, you should have bought Hailey a new iPhone instead!"

I swallowed my tears and whispered, "Brenda..."

Hearing the tremble in my voice, Brenda instantly got tense. "Is something wrong with my son?"

My voice shook. "No... it's me. I was diagnosed with stomach cancer. Brenda, I don't want to die."

I had been married to Jason for ten years, and I had always treated Brenda like my own mother.

Having never experienced parental love, I poured my heart and soul into his family.

Even when we were broke right after our wedding and had to eat cheap instant noodles, I would save up to buy Brenda premium steaks to help her nutrition.

I thought Brenda would comfort me and tell me to stay in the hospital for treatment.

Just like every time she got sick, I would quit my job and stay by her hospital bed twenty-four hours a day.

But instead, her voice turned cold and sharp.

"Don't you dare check into that hospital! That's just a giant scam to steal your money! Trust me, I've lived long enough to know how these things work. Cancer can't be cured anyway. Get your butt home right now and don't let the hospital rob us!"

It felt like a lightning strike. It took me a long moment to realize that my mother-in-law was actually telling me to give up and die.

I practically screamed into the phone, "But I don't want to die!"

But my desperation didn't earn an ounce of pity from Brenda. She scoffed.

"Getting sick is your own bad luck. Don't you dare drag our whole family down with you! Besides your mortgage and car payments, you promised to pay for Hailey’s college tuition. She’s only a sophomore. Do you want to throw her tuition money into a hospital black hole?"

I was shaking with rage. I grabbed Jason’s arm, begging him to speak up for me.

I couldn't believe that after ten years of marriage, he could remain so indifferent.

But Jason just stood there, staring at the floor. After a long silence, he finally spoke. "I think Mom is right. Even if we don't count Hailey, Lily still needs to go to school. You can't be so selfish that you leave me broke and alone."

What a line! "Broke and alone."

I had poured all my money and energy into this family for years, never spending a single dime on myself. Is this what I got in return?

I stared at him. "If you were the one diagnosed with cancer today, would you refuse treatment?"

Jason looked at me right in the eye, acting all righteous. "Yes, I wouldn't treat it. I know how heavy our financial burden is. If I got sick, I would spend my remaining days working to make as much money as possible, leaving every cent to you and Lily."

I almost laughed out loud.

He only said that because he knew he was perfectly healthy!

It’s easy to act like a martyr when it’s not your flesh on the line!

Last winter, when a severe flu swept through the city, I was the first to fall ill. Jason refused to let me go to the clinic, claiming that "someone had to take care of our daughter."

I had to drag my feverish body around the house, cooking three meals a day for the four of them.

If I was even five minutes late, Hailey would roll her eyes and call me dramatic.

But when Jason and Brenda caught the flu a few days later, Jason was the very first to call an ambulance and check himself into a private ward.

He even demanded that I deliver hot, homemade soup to him and Brenda three times a day.

If he were the one with cancer today, he’d probably already be lying in a hospital bed, demanding I sell my organs to pay for his treatment!