Chapter 4

If I had a choice, I would have loved nothing more than to step away from business dinners, to breathe fresh air and exercise. But back then, I didn't dare stop.

If I had stopped, Carter's company would have collapsed before it ever took off.

Yet once he made his millions, he began to resent me for being 'stiff,' 'boring,' and lacking sexual charm. He ran after one young girl after another, all to break my pride and force me to beg for his affection.

Why on earth should I have begged?

Locked in that silent, agonizing war of attrition, my body slowly developed a malignant tumor.

At first, I brushed it off, popping painkillers by the handful. It wasn't until I collapsed on the kitchen floor and was rushed to the ER that I learned the truth: I had cancer.

That was three months ago. My health had plummeted at a terrifying speed. I didn't know how many days I had left.

The only thing tethering my soul to this earth was my daughter...

If Carter could find a woman who genuinely loved and cherished Lily, I could have closed my eyes and accepted death in peace. But Chloe Vance would never be that person!

I could no longer count on Carter for anything. I had to drag this broken, dying body of mine across the finish line to protect Lily!

Even if I only had one day left to live, I had to divorce him and place Lily in safe, loving hands.

I stood up, left the hospital, and went straight to an attorney to draft the divorce papers. Then, I sent Carter a text message:

Come home tonight. Non-negotiable.

Surprisingly, he agreed without hesitation, an easy compliance that caught me off guard.

When I stepped through the front door, the entire house was pitch black, save for a few glowing candles on the dining table.

A moment later, Carter walked out of the kitchen, softly humming "Happy Birthday."

"Elena, I know I've been harsh these past few days. But today is your birthday. I bought your favorite cake to give you a surprise. How do you like it?"

In the dim glow of the candles, his eyes shone brightly. But inside my chest, there was only cold, dead ash.

So, today was my birthday...

I had stopped celebrating my birthday three years ago—the very day he boldly brought another woman home on that exact date.

The sounds coming from that bedroom that night, the suffocating despair, the agony of having my heart ripped out piece by piece... I would remember that pain until my last breath.

I looked down at the cake, feeling an overwhelming surge of dark irony, and spoke quietly:

"Clear it away. I haven't celebrated my birthday in years."

Seeing his gesture rejected, Carter's face darkened with familiar impatience.

"What is your problem now? Can't you just let us have one decent evening together?"

Without a word, I walked over to the wall and flipped the light switch. The harsh, blinding overhead light illuminated Carter's sneering, irritated face.

I emotionlessly handed him the stack of legal papers.

"Sign it. We're getting a divorce."

Carter froze completely. A second later, a wave of violent fury crossed his features. He grabbed my wrist and threw me onto the couch.

"Elena, do you ever know when to stop? You have to pick tonight to throw a tantrum? Over that damn ski post?

Let me warn you: every time you use divorce to threaten me, you're pushing your luck. One of these days, I'm going to take you up on it!"

He believed those words would terrify me into submission, a smirk of superiority curling on his lips.

I merely looked at him with a deathly pale face and quietly pulled my wrist from his grip.

"I'm tired, Carter. Let's get divorced. I won't take a dime of your marital assets."

His eyes widened in shock. We stared at each other in dead silence. Finally, he let out a venomous laugh.

"Fine! Tonight, I'll teach you what happens when you play stupid games!"

He snatched the pen, scrawled his signature across the divorce papers, and threw the packet violently at my face.

The force of his throw sent the loose sheets flying, knocking my hospital paperwork onto the floor between us. The air in the room instantly turned to stone.

"What the hell is this?"

Lowering my eyes, my heart completely numb, I bent down and gathered the reports from the floor.

"A biopsy confirmation. I have advanced breast cancer."