Chapter 2

The apartment Cassidy shared with her mother, Kate Sherman, sat on the outskirts of Jervia. She needed to take a long-distance bus to get home. At this hour, no buses were running. She tried to book an Uber, but after waiting anxiously for five minutes, no driver accepted the request. Just as she was pacing around at a loss, a black Maybach pulled up in front of her. The rear window rolled down, revealing an impossibly handsome face. Cassidy froze for a moment and said blankly, "Mr. Archer?" The man had striking, chiseled features. Behind his gold-rimmed glasses, his deep-set eyes looked steely and sharp. He was just as distant and aloof as ever. His presence was intimidating. Stefan Archer studied her for a while before saying, "Get in." His tone allowed no refusal. Cassidy glanced at her phone. Still no Uber driver. She bit her lip and hesitated for a second before canceling the ride and opening the car door to get in. Stefan's baritone voice sounded beside her. "Why were you alone on the street so late? It's raining. Why didn't you bring an umbrella?" As he spoke, his driver tactfully got out and retrieved a brand-new towel from the trunk. He then handed it to Stefan through the rear window. Stefan took it and passed it to Cassidy with his slender hands. "Dry yourself. Don't catch a cold." "Thank you," Cassidy murmured as she took the towel out of its plastic wrapping to dry her hair. The heater was cranked up high inside the car. Cassidy gradually felt warmth returning to her body. In the confined space, Stefan's clean, woody scent drifted over her. It stirred up some old, bittersweet memories. Cassidy met Stefan for the very first time five years ago when she was a junior in high school. Zoe Archer, who sat next to her in class, was a very close friend of hers. One weekend, Zoe invited Cassidy to her house to hang out. That was the first time Cassidy had ever set foot in a villa. Standing before the luxurious house, 17-year-old Cassidy's eyes widened with shock. That was also the first time she experienced how the rich and poor were a world apart. Zoe held Cassidy's hand and took her on a tour of her family's villa. When they passed the swimming pool, Stefan happened to come up from the water. Cassidy unexpectedly met his gaze. She froze on the spot because she was utterly stunned. She had never seen someone so good-looking. Stefan was exceptionally handsome and had refined features that looked as if they were sculpted by God himself. The setting sun had cast an orange glow over him. Water droplets clung to his hair and shimmered dreamily. His defined abs had been on full display. Cassidy heard the violent pounding of her own heart. It echoed endlessly on that summer evening. She had fallen in love with Stefan at first sight. However, she kept her feelings for him buried deep in her heart. Later that summer, after she graduated from high school, she went to Zoe's house again. She heard from Zoe that Stefan seemed to be in a relationship. His girlfriend was his childhood sweetheart. She was beautiful and outstanding in every way. In other words, she was the perfect match for Stefan. Not long after, Cassidy saw Stefan's girlfriend in person at Zoe's birthday party. Just as Zoe had said, she and Stefan were like a match made in heaven. Watching them stand together from afar, Cassidy felt a deep sense of inferiority. Her secret crush had come to an unceremonious end that very day. "Where are you going?" Stefan's cool voice pulled her back to the present. Cassidy said awkwardly, "Could you take me home? I need to see my mom, but I can't get a ride. I'll pay you for the trip." "Address." And so, Cassidy gave him her address. With the heater running, it didn't take long for her clothes and hair to dry. The entire drive passed in silence. As they neared the entrance of her apartment complex, Stefan finally spoke up. "If you need help with anything, you can always ask me." Cassidy hadn't expected him to say that. She assumed he was just being polite and didn't take it seriously. "Thank you, Mr. Archer," she said, grateful for his help. "I've wired the fare to you." They had exchanged numbers before, but they hadn't really been in touch over the past few years. Right after thanking him, Cassidy hurried out of the car and rushed home. Stefan watched her figure until it disappeared. Then, he slowly withdrew his gaze. Right then, his phone rang. It was a fall from his friend. "What took you so long? Don't tell me you ran into some kind of trouble on the way," the person on the other end joked loudly. Stefan's voice was even and emotionless. "Something came up. I won't be going tonight. You guys have fun." "What? You're ditching me again? What on earth could have come up?" "Something important." … Cassidy ran all into the elevator. When she got home, Kate was sitting on the couch, her face pale and worn. Erica was sitting beside her, keeping her company. "Mom, what happened?" Cassidy asked, out of breath. Earlier, Erica had only said Kate needed her without explaining anything over the phone. Erica sighed. "Kate, you should tell Cass yourself." "Cass…" Kate began but hesitated. "Mom, what's the matter?" Cassidy asked, dread tightening in her chest. She had a terrible premonition. The dread pressed down on her, and she found it hard to breathe. Kate looked at her for a moment. With a pained look on her haggard face, she said hoarsely, "I have stomach cancer." Cassidy's ears rang and her mind went completely blank. Erica said, "Cassidy, you need to talk some sense into her. She's only in her 40s. How can she give up on treatment? If I hadn't come by tonight to drop something off and happened to see her medical report, she would've kept hiding it from you." Kate sighed as tears welled up in her eyes. "Don't try to persuade me. It's stomach cancer, not gastritis. There's no cure. Instead of draining us dry to get myself treated, I'd rather save the money for Cass." Cassidy took two steps toward Kate. Her legs suddenly felt weak, and she nearly collapsed. In a gravelly voice, she said, "Mom, what are you saying? How can my studies be more important than your life?" Kate broke down. "Cass, this illness can't be cured. I don't want to die either. I'm not afraid of dying. I'm just afraid of leaving you all alone." "Then live," Cassidy said as she sat beside Kate. She rested her head against Kate's and wrapped an arm around her shoulders with tears streaming down her face. "Please listen to me," she pleaded. "You should get treatment. Don't give up, okay? I can't go on without you, Mom…" Erica chimed in to persuade Kate as well. "That's right. The doctor said it can be treated. You're in stage three, so it's not too late. Don't give up." Kate shook her head, crying. "We can't afford the medical fees. I've only managed to save a little over 100 thousand dollars all these years. I've already asked the doctor. The whole treatment would cost millions. "Where do we get that kind of money? And even if we do have it, there's no guarantee it will work. Let's just forget it." Cassidy said firmly, "Don't say that, Mom. I'll figure out how to get the money. You don't need to worry about that. I've saved some money from my part-time jobs. We'll use my money to get you admitted first. Tomorrow morning, I'll take you to Jervia Central Hospital." "Cass…" Kate tried to argue. Cassidy's voice broke "Mom, I'm begging you. I really can't live without you. Do it for me, please?" Kate let out a long, weary sigh and finally gave in. That night, Cassidy slept with Kate. It had been many years since the two of them had shared a bed. She curled up in Kate's arms, just like when she was little. "Mom, you're my only family. Please don't leave me," Cassidy whispered. Kate stroked her hair with tender affection. "Cass, you have to take good care of yourself." Cassidy gripped the hem of Kate's sleeve. "Mom, I'll take care of myself, and I'll take care of you too. You'll be fine." She barely slept at all that night. She was afraid that if she closed her eyes, she might wake up to find Kate already gone. In the darkness, she bit her lip and silently cried until her tears ran dry.