Chapter 1

Roxanne's POV:

"Ms. Keane, the test results aren't very optimistic. You have late-stage pancreatic cancer. Your life expectancy is expected to reduce to less than a month's time if you refuse treatment. Are you sure you want to do this? Will your husband agree to it?"

"I'm sure, yes… He'll agree to it too," I said.

After ending the call with the doctor, I gazed around the empty room. An overwhelming sadness rose up within me.

I had thought the pain was just from gastritis, a recurring health issue that I faced. Who knew it'd turn out to be cancer?

I sighed and looked at the photo on the desk. Silas, who was 18 when the photo was taken, gazed back at me.

I could still remember the day we took this photo even after all these years.

Snow had fallen onto the top of our heads, dusting our hair white. Silas had turned to me with a grin and asked me whether this counted as us growing old together.

I felt a little dazed as I recalled how blissful our lives used to be.

Silas and I were childhood friends who got together when we were both 18 years old. After graduating from university, we rented a basement unit together and I stood by his side even as he faced countless hardships. I watched as he built his business from the ground up.

That was when he gave me a luxurious house and an expensive car.

Since I enjoyed dressing up, he'd always have the latest collections from famous designer brands delivered to my doorstep upon release. He'd also take time out of his busy schedule to go on trips with me, as he knew I enjoyed traveling. He'd give me the best surprises during our anniversaries too.

He even put all the blame on himself when we found out that I was infertile.

Everyone said Silas loved me to death.

But Silas was also the one who started sleeping with his secretary in the seventh year of our marriage. He gave Megan Reeds a villa, using it as their little "love nest". He went from coming back home every night to spending his nights away from home.

The nicer Silas was to Megan, the worse he was to me. It seemed as if the mere sight of me was enough to make his brows knit together in irritation.

Not wanting to think any further of this matter, I took a deep breath and started cleaning up the broken shards on the floor. These were from some plates that were shattered during my quarrel with Silas a few days ago.

It had been the day of our anniversary, and I had been waiting for him at home after cooking us a nice meal. He'd promised me he'd return home right after work, but he ended up coming back at 2:00 am.

He'd clearly been with Megan again.

After an explosive argument, Silas finally said the words that killed all remaining hope within me.

"I need to have a child of my own, Roxanne."

I fled the house in a panic, afraid of hearing what he might say next. He didn't come running after me either. I then spent a week at the old house. I only went to the hospital for a checkup when my gastritis flared up again.

Seeing how dust had gathered on the floor, I knew Silas hadn't returned home in the past couple of days. As I bent down to continue cleaning up the mess, my test results fell out of my coat pocket.

I paused my movements, gazing at the document. Should I tell Silas? Would he be sad if he knew I was going to die?

My eyes began to redden even as my own thoughts amused me.

The Silas now was no longer the Silas I used to know. He'd probably say that I deserved this fate in that cold tone of his.

I took a deep breath and continued cleaning up.

All of a sudden, the pitch-black room brightened up. Someone had switched on the lights.

I narrowed my eyes as I turned to look at the door. Silas was standing there with a clear lipstick mark on the collar of his white shirt.

He looked at me with a raised eyebrow. "Finally done throwing your tantrum?"

Instead of replying, I quietly slipped the test results back into my coat pocket.

I hadn't expected him to come back, so when the lights switched on, I flinched and accidentally cut my hand. I hurried to the kitchen to wash the wound.

"Did you just attempt to self-harm? Is this another one of your tricks? You really are a spoiled brat, Roxanne Keane!" Silas scoffed.

Even though I had let go of most of my expectations toward him, I was still wounded by his words. After all, Silas would never have spoken to me in such a tone in the past.

Silas used to patiently console me whenever we got into arguments since he knew I was insecure. Sometimes, I'd even leave the house on my own after getting upset. But Silas never got frustrated and would even accurately locate me.

When I asked Silas why he never got angry, he said, "Because I want to spoil you to the max and make sure you never, ever leave me."

That had been how things were for more than a decade. Yet, everything changed the moment Megan showed up.

I switched the tap off and took out a first-aid kit to bandage the wound.

Silas' tone softened when he saw how quiet I was. "That's enough, Roxanne. You know I'm just putting on an act with Megan. All the CEOs and executives that I know do the same thing, yet everything remains right and dandy back in their homes.

"I'll send Megan out of the country once she gives birth to our child—"

Silas' phone rang before he finished speaking. He glanced at it before turning around to walk to the living room.

"Where are you, Mr. Huntington? I'm all alone right now, and I'm so scared. Can you please hurry back…" Megan's coquettish voice rang out from the other end of the call.

Silas consoled her in a tender voice, as if she were the most precious thing to him.

I didn't utter a single word. After bandaging up my hand, I cleared the dishes on the table. They had been left out for the past week.

Silas ended the call and walked out of the house without looking back.

"Silas," I called out.

"What is it now?" he asked impatiently. "Meg is having a fever right now, so I need to go over and take care of her. Don't you start causing trouble again."

"Let's get a divorce."

"Are you actually out of your mind, Roxanne Keane?" Silas' brows knitted together as he looked at me. "First, it's self-harm. Now, it's a divorce. What's next? Will you drop dead on the spot?"

"What if I told you I'll be dying soon?" I asked softly.

But Silas had already slammed the door shut. The noise echoed throughout the large building before silence settled in again.

A sudden pain flared in my abdomen. I hurriedly took some painkillers and swallowed them.

It hurt so bad.

I wanted to tell Silas that I was actually going to die. I dialed his phone number with shaky hands, but the only answer I received was a busy tone. Silas had blocked my number.

I smiled silently and looked at the calendar hung up on the wall.

"Today marks the first day of my farewell to you, Silas Huntington," I said.

Chapter 2

Roxanne's POV:

After resting for a couple days, I contacted a reseller I knew in order to sell off all my clothes and jewelry.

"Mr. Huntington spoils you so, Mrs. Huntington. He only just ordered the latest fashion collection for you yesterday, and he's already asking you to clear your wardrobe?" the reseller said.

I only smiled in response.

As I casually scrolled through Megan's social media feed, my eyes fell on her most recent post. It was uploaded earlier today and showcased a handbag from this season. It seemed like the latest seasonal collections had found their new owner.

After seeing Anna White off, I asked my best friend, Jennifer Houston, to join me to check out some properties.

I drove out to the countryside with her in tow and stopped outside a cemetery. Jennifer gave me a strange look. I didn't explain myself to her and only brought her into the cemetery with me.

The cemetery was situated in a picturesque location filled with hillocks and rivers. It was a prime gravesite choice for many wealthy families. The cemetery staff warmly introduced us to the place. After walking through the entire cemetery, I chose a spot I liked and paid the deposit.

My parents had passed on some years ago, and I was also an only child. Since I knew there wouldn't be anyone to make my burial arrangements for me, I decided to choose a prime burial plot for myself.

Silas had raked in a lot of money throughout his years of working, but I could never bear to spend any of it. Instead, I always saved it up for him.

Who knew that by the time I finally came to my senses, I'd be spending Silas' money in such a place?

Sure enough, one was doomed to a miserable life the moment they cared about another man too much.

The cemetery staff asked me about the name of the owner of the plot.

"It's me. The plot is mine. I bought it for myself." I wrote my name down on the form.

I then left the cemetery with Jennifer while everyone else watched on with a mixture of shock and pity.

The moment we got into the car, Jennifer shrilled, "What on earth is going on, Roxanne? Why are you scouting gravesites for yourself?"

Fear and concern filled Jennifer's eyes. She was scared of losing me.

I couldn't help but think about Silas. If he'd been the one who'd joined me today, would he have been scared too?

"Roxanne!" Jennifer cried, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"I have pancreatic cancer. The doctor says I have about a month left to live," I said, gazing out the car window. My voice was so calm, it was as if I wasn't talking about myself but someone else instead.

I had initially thought to come here alone. But it really was a little pitiful to have to face such a day alone. Plus, I still needed Jennifer to help me settle my posthumous affairs.

I felt a surprising sense of gladness as I watched Jennifer's eyes redden with unshed tears.

So, there were still people in this world who cared about me.

But what followed right after was an intense pain in my abdomen. The consistent stabbing pain was so bad that cold sweat broke out all over my body.

Jennifer wanted to bring me to the hospital right away, but I pleaded with her to take me home instead.

In truth, I was scared too. I was scared of lying alone in a cold hospital. I didn't want to be confined to those small hospital beds. I tried my best to stay conscious in order not to worry Jennifer too much. Unfortunately, I still blacked out in the end after being overwhelmed by the pain.

As I flitted between consciousness and unconsciousness, I heard Jennifer making a phone call.

"Silas Huntington! Get your ass back home right now, you bastard!" Jennifer yelled.

Jennifer had already left by the time Silas reached home. I was seated on the couch with a cup of warm water in my hands.

I had lost a good amount of weight in a mere handful of days. My once-snug clothes now draped loosely on me.

How torturous this cancer was.

"What trick are you pulling now? When will you finally stop, huh? Do you have any idea how busy I am?" Silas' brows furrowed together.

I had nothing to say back to him.

The front door opened again, and Megan walked in. She had a bag of fruits in hand.

Before I could ask Silas what was going on, Megan hurriedly said, "I insisted on coming over, Mrs. Huntington. I heard about you passing out when I was shopping with Mr. Huntington earlier today, so I figured I'd come and pay you a visit too."

I snorted.

"What's with the attitude?" Silas snapped, his brows knitted tightly together. "When did you become so uncultured, Roxanne Keane?"

"Does your definition of 'cultured' include cheating on your lawfully-married wife?" I gazed coldly at him.

Silas was left speechless.

"Please don't get angry, Mrs. Huntington. It's all my fault. Please don't blame Mr. Huntington," Megan said in a shaky tone, even as glee flitted across her face. "If you don't like me or want me here, I'll leave at once."

"I'm coming with you!" Silas roared angrily. "This house isn't fit to be a home anymore with such a vindictive woman around!"

As I looked at how furious Silas was, I recalled what our first day of moving into this house had been like.

Silas had held my hand and brought me on a tour of the entire house. When we were done, we cuddled on the couch, where he said that his home was wherever I was.

Yet now, he was saying this place wasn't fit to be called a home anymore.

My hand tightened around my cup of water as I looked down, holding my tears back with all my might.

Silas held Megan's hand and was about to leave when his phone suddenly rang. He hesitated briefly before striding over to the balcony to answer the call.

Megan eased up on her act right after seeing Silas walk away. She gazed at the flower vase on the table and asked, "Looks like the flowers have been swapped with lilies. You like daisies, right?"

I furrowed my brows together. How did Megan know?

"You don't really think this is my first time coming here, do you?" Megan chuckled lightly. Her gaze drifted all over the room. "Each corner of this house—the couch, the kitchen, the study, yes, even the bed you share with Silas—I'm more acquainted with them than you think."

I was utterly frozen to the spot. It felt like I had been splashed with ice water.

I had carefully picked out every single piece of furniture in this house, yet now, they seemed so vile and filthy to me.

"By the way, has the chair in the study been changed? It's not very comfortable…"

I raised my hand and slapped Megan on the cheek, unable to listen to her go on any longer.

Megan's cheek immediately swelled up.

She chuckled softly, then instantly started sobbing.

"I'm so sorry, Mrs. Huntington. I swear it won't happen again," Megan cried.

I was brutally shoved aside in the very next second.

"What is wrong with you, Roxanne Keane?" Silas roared.

Chapter 3

Roxanne's POV:

Silas held Megan in his arms in a protective manner.

I opened my mouth to speak but found myself unable to utter a single word.

Tears finally blurred my vision. I realized I could no longer see the 18-year-old boy I knew in the man standing before me.

Silas turned away from me and marched out the front door with Megan in his arms.

"Would you still treat me this way if I told you I was about to die, Silas?" I asked.

He didn't look back when he answered, "If death is what can make you stop this foolishness once and for all, then you might as well drop dead."

I collapsed onto the floor, instantly losing all strength in my limbs.

Ha!

So that was how much Silas wished me dead, huh?

He never returned home after that day.

I didn't mind it at all. I just prepared a checklist for my funeral and posthumous affairs. I went to have my funeral portrait taken and bought the last set of clothes I would ever buy in this life.

After a few days of waiting, I went to retrieve the portrait upon receiving the photographer's message. A wave of emotions swelled within me as I gazed at myself in the portrait.

I was about to head home when I bumped into Silas and Megan after turning a corner.

"What are you doing here? Are you following me?" Silas asked.

I didn't want to argue with him.

My stomach was starting to hurt again. All I wanted to do was to hurry and leave.

"Mr. Huntington, Mrs. Huntington seems to have come here to get her photos taken," Megan said, reaching out to grab my portrait.

I hurriedly stepped back.

"It seems like Mrs. Huntington doesn't want us to look," Megan said in a meaningful tone even as an aggrieved look appeared on her face. "With how secretive she's being, one might just think she's hiding something from us."

Silas' expression changed subtly as he gazed at the portrait. "What on earth are you hiding?"

My pain was starting to worsen. I didn't want to interact with them further, but Silas gripped my wrist to stop me from leaving. His gaze was filled with suspicion and disgust as he looked at me.

But I no longer felt hurt by such a look anymore.

"It's none of your business," I said, flinging his hand away.

But Silas managed to grab onto the side of the frame.

As I struggled to pull the portrait back, it accidentally fell on the ground. My funeral portrait was thus revealed for all to see.

"Oh? Why is it in black and white?" Megan pretended to act surprised even as the corner of her lips curled up slightly.

I gazed at the portrait on the ground, defeatedly accepting my fate.

It seemed that Silas had still found out. Would he feel any ounce of regret? Would he regret having treated me so horribly near the end of my life?

"So this is what you've been trying to hide from me?" Silas' cool and composed voice rang out. His expression darkened, though there wasn't the slightest bit of pain or regret in it. "What? Are you actually planning to kill yourself?"

The man who used to get so worried about me all because I had a cough was now suspecting me of using death as a way to cause a scene. What was more pathetic was that I'd actually had a sliver of hope that he'd react differently.

I chuckled lightly. "Why not? I can't wait to see the look of regret on your face when it happens."

"Go to hell, then!" Silas knocked into me as he stormed off without looking back.

I fell onto the ground, unable to support myself any longer.

The onlookers gasped in fright.

Megan hurriedly came over to help me up. As she held onto my arm, she leaned in close to my ear and whispered, "Do you see that? Things won't change even if you die. Silas doesn't love you anymore."

I flung her hand off with my remaining strength, something Silas happened to witness.

"Don't bother with Roxanne," he said coldly to Megan. "She's used this trick countless times now. If she wants to put on an act so badly, then let her!"

I only managed to reach home with the help of some kind onlookers.

After taking a painkiller, the pain in my abdomen began to subside.

I lay on the couch, utterly exhausted. I covered my eyes with my hand as Silas' words echoed repeatedly in my ears. "Go to hell, then!"

I recalled how I'd gotten terribly ill one winter many years ago. My condition had been so grave that the doctor had released several emergency warnings in response.

We didn't have a lot of money at the time, so Silas had gone knocking on his family's and friends' doors in order to borrow some for my treatment. Silas had been so utterly humiliated and looked down on during that time.

I pitied him and didn't want to become a burden to him, so I stubbornly refused to take my medicine or get any treatments.

Silas ended up kneeling before me in the hospital.

I still recalled the sight of him—a six-foot-tall man—on his knees and holding my hands as he begged tearfully, "Please, Roxanne. Please, I beg you—please take the medicine."

Yet, Silas was the one who most wanted to see me dead right now.

I gazed at the calendar on the wall and saw that there were barely any days left until the end of my one-month life expectancy period.

Good thing Silas' wish was about to come true.

Chapter 4

Roxanne's POV:

As the days passed, my health began to worsen. I became more drowsy, and flare-ups got more frequent.

Jennifer wanted to take me out of the house, but I refused. All I wanted was to be alone and live out my final days in peace.

But Megan wasn't intent on letting me off that easily and constantly sent me messages.

Sometimes, she'd send photos of her traveling with Silas; other times, it'd be selfies of them in luxurious hotels. There were even photos of Silas while he was sleeping.

My heart no longer stirred when I looked at these photos.

But one day, Megan sent me a special photo—it was the old house that Silas and I used to live in.

I was about to ask her what was going on when she sent me another text.

"His present to me."

I immediately panicked and called Silas' number, but it still went unanswered.

I forced myself to focus even as my thoughts were unsettled. I quickly hailed a cab to the old house.

It was the first house Silas and I lived in after we left the basement unit. Both of us had witnessed his company grow while living in this house. We had also spent many tender and loving moments here.

That house contained memories that belonged to us and only us.

However, I was the only person who still remembered them now. Even so, I still wanted to preserve these final fragments of memory.

I hurried over to the old house, only to see the front door wide open. Construction workers filtered in and out the door. The house was a mess inside.

I instantly spiraled out and yelled at the workers to stop, but they all ignored me.

All I could do was call Silas' number in a panicked daze. He finally answered after over a dozen calls.

"Yes, I'm renovating the house. Meg wants to move in and live there," Silas said.

It was nearly 1:00 pm by the time Silas arrived at the old house. All the workers had already left. Meanwhile, I'd spent five hours waiting there for him.

But that didn't matter much anymore.

"Why are you renovating the house? You know how much this place means to me," I asked shakily.

Silas knew very well how many wonderful memories were made in this house and how important it was to me. He knew that I'd come here to lick my wounds and wait for him whenever we argued…

Silas knew it all, yet he'd done such a terrible thing as to give the house away to Megan all because she wanted it.

Silas didn't answer. The sound of high heels clacking on the ground rang out behind him.

It was Megan.

"Don't blame Mr. Huntington, Mrs. Huntington. I'm the one at fault. Things have been really busy at the office, so I figured I'd rent a place closer to the office building. Mr. Huntington then said he owns a property nearby.

"He said it was a little old now but that he could renovate the place for me. I didn't know this house was so important to you, Mrs. Huntington. Please don't worry, I'll have the construction workers restore the place to its former glory right away," Megan said timidly.

She then walked into the house.

"Oh… They've already demolished most of the place…" Megan said with a soft sigh, though her lips curled in delight.

She was doing this on purpose.

I balled my hands into fists, but Silas stepped in front of her right away.

"Are you trying to hit her again? It's just a stupid old house!" he barked.

"Stupid old house? In that case, I'm no more than 'stupid old Roxanne' to you too, aren't I?" I snapped.

Silas shielded Megan behind him and said, "Don't cause a scene now. Meg needs this for her work. If you like this neighborhood, I can buy you a new house in the area."

"I don't want a new house." I gazed at him with reddened eyes. "This is the only house I want."

Silas' brows knitted together. "Don't start making a fuss now, Roxanne!"

"Don't blame her, Mr. Huntington. It's all my fault." Megan clasped Silas' hand. She then turned to me and said, "Why don't I pay you back…"

"Pay me back? With what? Get the hell out of my home!" I roared at her.

I shoved Megan with all my might. She stumbled backward, scraping her hand against the corner of the wall. Megan's brows furrowed together in pain.

Silas instantly grew worried and held her hand to check on it. He then turned and snapped at me, "You want this house, don't you? In your dreams! I bought it, so I'll decide what I want to do with it! And don't you forget who it is who's taking care of you right now!"

Chapter 5

Roxanne's POV:

Silas left with Megan.

I leaned against the wall outside the front door, feeling a little out of breath.

My phone rang as a text came in. Megan had sent me a text message.

"I win. Just you wait—I'm going to take away every single thing that belongs to you."

I glanced at it and switched off my phone before walking back into the old house. All the furniture in the house had been moved out. The floor tiles had been bashed in, and several unopened cans of paint sat in the corner of the balcony. The paint was pink, Megan's favorite color.

The entire house was utterly empty. Nothing remained.

The window seat I adored had been shattered. My favorite floral table cloth had been tossed into the trash. The curtains Silas and I had carefully picked out had been dumped in the dumpster downstairs too.

All of it had been neglected and tossed away.

I paced around the house, finally coming to terms with reality.

I took one last look at this house that used to be my home, then walked away without looking back.

Once I returned to the villa, I scanned all the furniture in the building. Megan's words echoed in my mind. I swiftly contacted a furniture disposal company and threw out all the furniture Megan had mentioned before. I didn't want anything to bother me in the final days of my life.

It was late at night by the time the staff from the disposal company left.

I lay on the rug, drenched in sweat. However, I felt a sense of relief I'd never experienced before.

As the days passed on the calendar, I found myself growing calmer. As I consumed more painkillers over time, I became less conscious throughout the day.

But one day, I felt incredibly energized.

I contacted a courier and asked him to deliver two documents. One was to Jennifer and included some instructions I'd written for her as well as a list of my assets. The other was to Silas. It was a divorce agreement that I'd already signed early on.

Even in death, I wanted to sever all ties to him.

Neither of us wanted to see one another, so there was no need to discuss this in person. Plus, I was certain Silas would sign the agreement.

After settling the courier, I sunbathed in the yard. The weather was perfect, and my mood had lightened up greatly.

As I gazed at my pale face, I thought of putting on some lipstick.

While searching for my lipstick in the bedroom, I happened to find my old diary. It had been left forgotten in a corner of a drawer, caked in dust.

I flipped the diary open. Its entries spoke of my history with Silas—from our growing affection for each other and his confession when we were still youths, to our wonderful time spent in university. What followed was Silas starting his career, setting up his company, and expanding the business…

I had written so many words in each entry. I couldn't help but smile as I read through the pages.

But the words in the later entries began to decrease. The final sentence I'd written in the diary was—"Silas didn't come home again".

I looked at the date. This entry was from years ago. I stopped writing in my diary ever since then and even forgot about the book itself.

I sat in front of the study and hesitated for a moment before picking up a pen.

Dusk had fallen by the time I finished writing my entry.

As my abdomen started hurting again, I swallowed a couple of painkillers with practised ease. I then lay down on the rug. The painkillers seemed to be taking effect. The pain in my body began easing up. I felt my body growing lighter and lighter too.

In a daze, I saw an 18-year-old Silas running toward me in the snow. His nose had turned red from the cold, but he was still grinning happily. He reached out to me, his eyes glowing brightly.

I gazed back at him and placed my hand in his. Both of us then ran into the snow.