Chapter 1 William I Think I'm Dying

Jeanette Young never imagined her 25th birthday gift to be a diagnosis report of advanced stomach cancer. The doctor's words kept echoing in her mind. "Your condition is complicated, Ms. Young. Chances of recovery are close to zero, and you have… three months left at best." As the image of her twisted, ravaged stomach on the diagnosis report crossed her mind, her fingers couldn't help but tighten around the document. Jeanette stood at the hospital's entrance and hesitated for some time before pulling out her phone to dial William Ashford's number. Since her foster mom—Evelyn Young's—death, Jeanette had no family left. William, her husband in name, was the last person she could turn to. She called ten times in a row, but no one picked up. Just as she was about to lower her phone in defeat, a photo from an anonymous number popped up on her screen. Her blood ran cold as she tapped on it. The photo featured William, the man who'd long seen her as invisible, holding another woman in his arms. His eyes were full of gentleness as he gazed at the woman. When Jeanette saw the woman's face, she nearly collapsed on the spot. It was her! Jeanette stared at the photo with fireworks blooming behind the two, bursting into bright letters that spelled a name—Giselle Wills. She was the first woman William had ever loved for seven years. Back then, their relationship had been passionate and fiery. They were even preparing for their engagement until William was ambushed by a rival just before the big day. He nearly lost his life, and was declared a vegetable by the doctors. As his fiancée, Giselle stayed by his bedside to take care of him for just two days before leaving Heria without looking back. The Ashfords had been ready to give up on him, but foolishly and hopelessly in love, Jeanette couldn't bear to see him die just like that. She volunteered to take care of him, stayed by his bed day and night, and meticulously tended to him. A year later, William miraculously opened his eyes. The first thing he did after waking up was send his men to deliver a marriage agreement to her. Jeanette had naively believed that her long-held secret love had finally found its reward, but the photo now served as a hard slap of reality in her face, brutally jolting her awake. So, was his so-called business trip just a cover to reunite with his first love? Looking at Giselle's blissful expression in the photo, Jeanette felt as if her heart was being sliced into pieces. The pain was so overwhelming that it spread to her stomach. Doubling over, she clutched her abdomen as her whole body trembled with agony. When her gaze fell on the lipstick mark on William's collar in the photo, her vision swam. In the three years of her marriage with William, they'd never had any gesture of affection, let alone shared intimate physical contact. Yet now, he allowed another woman to share such closeness with him. A surge of fierce indignation rose within her chest. She shoved the diagnosis report into her bag and flagged a cab home. Once she arrived, seeing the silent, empty house brought a bitter smile to her lips. William had never cared about her birthday or any anniversary anyway. After a brief silence, she turned to the butler, George Walter. "George, please call William and tell him there's an emergency at home. He needs to be here." George nodded and glanced at her with sympathy. "Understood, Mrs. Ashford." She caught that look, but there was nothing else she could do when William wouldn't even take her calls. She was a pitiful wife indeed. A wry smile tugged at her lips as she turned and headed upstairs. After her shower, she slipped into a lingerie set. It was her 25th birthday gift from her best friend, Sienna Tate. Sienna had encouraged her to seize the chance and pounce on William. Jeanette had been hesitant. For years, she'd waited and prayed that William would truly fall in love with her and start seeing her as his true wife. But now, reality proved that it was all just her delusion. Though she was the rightful lady of the Ashfords, his heart had always belonged to someone else. Now, she was dying, and time was slipping away. She refused to give in, knowing she couldn't keep living this way. And if she couldn't have his heart, then at least she'd take his body. As the thought crossed her mind, she looked up at her reflection in the mirror. She'd kept herself in shape all these years. The thin fabric clung to her body and traced the faint, alluring lines of her figure. The doctor's words echoed in her mind again, and she couldn't help but dig her nails into her palm. Soon enough, her illness would drain her body until she lost the only pitiful, fragile beauty she had left. But for now, she would use it for one last bet. She didn't want to leave behind any regrets before she died. … Half an hour later, the door opened. When William stepped in, his gaze landed on the figure lying quietly on the bed. He walked up to stand by the bedside and frowned. "This better be important, Jeanette," he said impatiently. The words had barely left his mouth before Jeanette threw herself into his arms and slipped her hands under the hem of his shirt, clumsily fumbling at his belt. William's breathing hitched. He seized her wrist hard, and his voice was laced with barely restrained anger as he hissed, "You had Grandma call me back just for this?" Grandma? Jeanette looked up puzzledly. She hadn't involved William's grandma—Cordelia Lovelace—at all. "I never reached out to Cordelia. I couldn't reach you, so I had—" "You know perfectly well that George answers to Grandma," he snapped, cutting her off and yanking his hand away before she could finish. She stumbled back onto the bed. The loose robe slipped from her shoulders to reveal the lingerie underneath. Her curves were accentuated by the lace fabric like a tantalizing invitation. William's gaze darkened, and his Adam's apple bobbed subtly. But just as quickly, he regained his composure, and his gaze hardened. Back then, he'd married Jeanette out of responsibility and because Cordelia adored her. And now, she had the nerve to use Cordelia as a pretext to lure him home. His gaze was icy as he stared down at her. "I made myself clear before we married, Jeanette. You've crossed the line." Under his cold stare, she trembled and felt utterly stripped of dignity. Still, she refused to let it end just like that. As he turned to leave, she gathered her courage and announced, "William, I think I'm dying."