Chapter 1

I was diagnosed with stomach cancer. My husband cheated on me. I left with nothing and a mountain of debt.

I had once heard that when life hit rock bottom, it would eventually bounce back. I believed it. Because my bounce back began the moment I met Samuel Stone.

*****

The afternoon I got my stomach cancer report, the sky was gray and heavy.

I sat on a bench outside the hospital, staring at the paper in my hands while the doctor's words kept replaying in my head. "From what we saw in the endoscopy, things look relatively optimistic, but you need to get admitted as soon as possible and schedule surgery. If you delay, the cancer cells could spread at any time."

The doctor, a man in his early thirties, had been so serious while he spoke. That was the only detail I still remembered from that conversation.

I was stunned by the results, completely blindsided.

My life had always been disciplined. I didn't eat spicy food, never drank alcohol, and never stayed up late. I couldn't wrap my head around why I, of all people, had cancer.

The autumn chill cut straight through me.

I sat on that bench until the cold wind seeped into my bones, and only then did I finally drag myself home.

By the time I walked in, the sky was already dark.

The empty rooms and the cold stove met me in silence, and for the first time, I felt no urge to cook dinner.

Even if I made a meal, no one would eat it. I'd just end up tossing it out.

I couldn't even remember the last time my husband, Eric Johnson, came home before ten at night.

He was a programmer at a major company—always busy, earning a high salary. Just his monthly bonus was at least a few thousand dollars.

And me? I was just an online novelist writing unpopular stories, bringing in only a few hundred a month. Compared to him, what I contributed to the household was almost nothing.

Lately, during the rare moments we did see each other, he always complained that I didn't understand how hard he worked. He said we had less and less to talk about.

For a long time, I thought the endless arguments and the cold shoulder between us were my fault.

Until one day, I found a lipstick stain on his shirt collar.

That was when I finally understood that our fights had nothing to do with me. He had simply found someone better.

But I never confronted him about it.

Back in college, I had once been bright and ambitious. I'd been admitted to a prestigious university with top scores in the literature department.

But all of that drifted away after graduation. I married my boyfriend, Eric.

After we married, Eric didn't want me to work. He wanted a hot dinner waiting for him when he got home, and he expected me to stay in and handle the housework. He promised he'd take care of me.

I hadn't wanted to give up on my dreams, so I compromised. I stayed home and wrote.

But three years of near-isolation and a career that never really took off had slowly worn down all my edges.

So when I discovered the truth, I didn't even dare to fight.

My instinct was to avoid it.

But tonight, staring at the empty rooms, I felt a sudden wave of disgust at this life.

Maybe that diagnosis had triggered something reckless inside me.

At one in the morning, Eric finally pushed the door open.

When he saw me sitting on the couch, he froze for a moment. "You're still up?"

I lifted my head and looked at him coolly. "Where were you?"

Eric casually hung his coat on the rack and loosened his tie. "Isn't it obvious? I was working late, of course."

"I just called your boss. He said you left the office at seven," I said.

He stiffened, then snapped, his voice rising in disbelief, "Lucy Bennett, are you out of your mind? Why the hell would you call my boss?"

I didn't get angry. I just met his eyes calmly. "So, where were you really?"

"Where I go is none of your business. Just worry about yourself." His tone sharpened, full of irritation.

Then he turned toward the bedroom.

I stood up and blocked his path. "Eric, we need to talk this through."

"Talk about what?" He shoved me aside. "Lucy, are you seriously picking a fight with me in the middle of the night?"

I looked at the man in front of me. The way he stared back, all I could see was impatience. Not a trace of warmth remained.

When did the man who once doted on me disappear?

I hadn't noticed at all.

No, maybe I had noticed long ago. I just couldn't face it and kept lying to myself.

A wordless exhaustion rolled through my limbs like a tide.

At that moment, I suddenly understood one thing. If a man no longer loved one, nothing one said mattered.

Right then, the door to the other room opened.

Eric's mother, Delphine Johnson, came out wearing a coat. "It's so late. What are you two arguing about? I only just fell asleep."

Delphine had been on a short trip and came back today to catch up on sleep.

She looked at me annoyingly. "Lucy, why are you still up? Staying up late is terrible for you. When are you going to have a baby?"

Here we went again—the same old topic.

Since her husband died, Delphine had moved in with us. Every time we crossed paths, she reminded me we needed children.

When we first married, we were young and hadn't thought much about kids.

But now we'd been married three years. I'd always liked children, and I wanted to have one with Eric.

But getting pregnant wasn't something one person could force.

For almost six months now, Eric and I barely saw each other, let alone had the chance to sleep together.

"I don't stay up late, Mrs. Johnson," I said. "And having a baby isn't something I can do on my own."

"Sure, sure, that's always your excuse." Delphine rolled her eyes. "His heart isn't with you. Maybe you should think about what you're doing wrong. You just stay home all day writing those trashy novels. How much money do they even bring in? If you have the time, you ought to put some effort into your appearance. You don't even make up when you go out. You're completely unappealing. No wonder Eric doesn't like you."

Turning to Eric, she asked with concern, "Why are you working so late again? Are you hungry? I'll make you a snack."

"No, I'm fine," Eric snapped, in a foul mood. He glanced at me, dropped a line, and walked back into the bedroom.

After he left, Delphine shot me another glare. "You do nothing all day and earn nothing. I really regret agreeing to Eric marrying you."

Then, Delphine left.

The door slammed. I stood there motionless for a long time.

Each of Delphine's words hammered into my chest.

I'd heard these comments before, but tonight they cut deeper than ever.

Maybe I'd finally had enough.

Complaints I used to be able to ignore now sounded unbearably loud.

I didn't go to our room that night. I sat on the couch outside the living room and stared out the window.

That hospital report had made me realize my life had become a joke.

All these years, I'd focused on loving others so much that I'd almost forgotten how to love myself.