Chapter 1

I was in late-stage leukemia when I finally got matched with a bone marrow donor.

Her name was Chloe Hart. She came to us after seeing the ad we posted asking for help.

Back then, Chloe said she couldn't even scrape together enough for next month's rent.

She heard that even if the match didn't go through, she'd still get a few hundred bucks in compensation, so she showed up.

But after more than a year, her donation never happened. What I got instead was Chloe and my boyfriend, Ethan Grant, standing right in front of me, holding hands.

*****

Ethan was my best friend since childhood, and the boyfriend I'd loved for years.

I lay in the hospital bed, bald and so thin I barely recognized myself. There were so many times I thought I couldn't go on, but Ethan was always by my side, giving me strength and helping me keep fighting.

From the day I was diagnosed, he dropped everything. He practically lived at the hospital and the bone marrow bank, mobilizing everyone he knew to help search for a donor.

He'd always hold my hand and say, again and again, "Wanda, don't give up. I'll find the matched bone marrow for you. I'll save you. Once you're better, we'll take our wedding photos and move to Provenis like you always dreamed."

I believed Ethan, and that faith carried me through round after round of chemo, all the way until Chloe was found to be a match.

Chloe was a special girl, completely different from me.

I was reserved and didn't talk much, but Chloe was lively and cheerful, with two cute dimples when she smiled that made her likable.

At first, I was touched by her kindness and the tough family background she came from, so I tried my best to take care of her.

I said to her, "These are all clothes I bought before. I can't wear them anymore, and they've never even been used. If you see anything you like, feel free to take it.

"Here's fifteen grand. Spend it on whatever makes you happy. And once you've donated, we'll definitely show our gratitude.

"After you graduate, I'll help you find a job that's both easy and pays well."

Ethan was just as dedicated. He went with Chloe to all her pre-op check-ups, helped her stay healthy, and looked after her daily needs.

But then, he gradually started spending more and more time with Chloe.

He'd chat with Chloe, keep her company and help her relax, and he even remembered all her favorite things. When she mentioned she'd never seen the ocean, he decided to take her to a coastal city to see it.

I couldn't help but feel jealous, so I mentioned it to Ethan.

Ethan looked at me, his eyes full of exhaustion. "Wanda, I'm only human. I'm tired, too. I want to take some rest."

I forced down the bitterness. "Then stay a few more days there. I can manage by myself."

The day after they got back, I caught them wrapped up in each other's arms, kissing like nobody else existed.

I'd gone up to the hospital rooftop for some sunlight, only to see Chloe throwing herself into Ethan's arms, all playful and flirty. Instead of pushing her away, Ethan pulled her in closer and kissed her right back.

My phone slipped from my hand and crashed to the floor, the sound echoing.

Ethan saw me standing there, but didn't let go of Chloe. Still holding her hand, he walked over and said calmly, "Wanda, Chloe and I are together now."

I didn't make a scene. I just asked him, "Is Chloe still going to donate her bone marrow?"

"Yes." Ethan nodded without a second thought. "I promised I'd save you, and I will. But Wanda, from now on, my concern for you will only be that of a friend. The one I love now is Chloe."

"I get it," I said, forcing a smile as the last bit of light faded from my eyes. "Thank you for being willing to save me."

The hospital quickly set the date for the bone marrow transplant.

My attending doctor, Charles, came by to reassure me. "As long as the surgery goes well, you'll start to recover and get your life back."

I nodded, and all I hoped was that nothing would mess the transplant up this time.

But when I thought things couldn't get any worse, trouble found me again.

The night before the surgery, Chloe changed her mind again.

She said, "Wanda, you know surgery is risky. What if something happens to me, and even after I'm gone, everyone keeps calling me the other woman? That's too much for me to take."

As she spoke, she glanced around at the room full of doctors and nurses.

I knew she must've overheard them sticking up for me.

"So, what do you want?" I asked.

"I want you and Ethan to announce your breakup on social media. And right after that, Ethan needs to make it official that I'm his girlfriend," Chloe said.

I didn't hesitate. "Okay."

Right in front of Chloe, I left all the group chats with Ethan in them, and deleted our entire chat history, from childhood up to now.

Then I wrote a breakup post: [Wish you well.] And with that, I put an end to more than ten years together.

Chloe stared at the post for a long while before finally nodding.