Chapter 5
Ethan tried to explain, "Emily, she had some urgent business at the company..."
He trailed off, the words dying in his throat as he met Emily's sorrow-filled gaze.
Emily looked at him. With a hoarse voice, she said, "Ethan, don't lie to me."
Ethan was silent for a moment, then pulled her into his arms. He murmured, "I'm not lying to you."
Emily closed her eyes, just like she always did, taking in Ethan's clumsy excuses without protest.
She said, "I don't need anything else from you, Ethan—just be there for me these next two days."
Ethan felt a weight lift off his shoulders. He replied, "Alright."
Back in the room, Ethan held Emily tighter than usual.
His kisses brushed softly over her lips, lingering with a tender hesitation before drifting down to her neck.
Ethan was intimately familiar with Emily's body, but tonight, she felt distant—her responses muted, almost absent.
It had been ages since they'd been this close.
Ethan's touch wasn't gentle.
Emily couldn't help but knit her brows and pleaded, "Ethan, go easy."
Ethan paused and let out a low laugh. He sneered, "You never used to be this soft. Stop pretending."
His next moves were harsher still, like a raging storm crashing down.
Emily buried her face in the pillow, hiding all her pain deep inside as silent tears fell.
Her body wasn't what it used to be.
Her survival hinged on Ethan's love; only with his love did she heal and feel truly alive.
But now Ethan's love was dwindling—no longer even enough for her to cling to life beside him—and she had no way left to be well.
Afterward, Ethan wrapped his arms around Emily and murmured, "You have to start eating more, okay? You're so thin you almost poke me."
His brows knit tight, the disappointment in his eyes saying the sex hadn't given him what he wanted.
Emily nodded and said, "Alright."
Seeing her downcast eyes only made Ethan even more irritated. He snapped, "Why are you acting like this again? What's bothering you now? Am I not taking good enough care of you?"
Emily's throat tightened as she replied, "That's not what I meant."
Ethan couldn't be bothered to listen anymore. He yanked the covers off and got out of bed. He said, "I'm going out for a smoke. You should get some sleep."
With that, he strode out of the room.
The clock now stood at 1 day, 23 hours, 39 minutes, 37 seconds—until Emily died.
For breakfast, Ethan had made Emily a special herbal dish.
The bowl was steaming, its aroma filling the room.
Ethan set it in front of her, and he said coldly, "I made you a new herbal dish. Don't act so fragile over this."
Emily managed a wry, bitter smile as she said, "Yeah, I get it."
She picked up the spoon and took a small sip of the food.
But the moment it hit her stomach, Emily slapped a hand over her mouth and stumbled to the bathroom, her body wracked with violent heaves.
By the end, there was nothing left—only the bitter sting of bile in her throat.
Ethan's face instantly darkened. He demanded, "Emily, what do you mean by this?"
He followed her to the bathroom door, then his words caught, and he fell silent.
What he saw stopped him cold—Emily was hunched over the sink, so thin that she looked all skin and bones.
He frowned, about to say something.
But before he could say anything, his phone suddenly blared.
The caller said, "Mr. Rivers, you need to get to the hospital right now—your mother's seriously ill."
The situation was urgent, and they had no choice but to put their travel plans on hold.
On the drive back, Ethan couldn't help but feel he'd let Emily down, so he spoke in a low voice, trying to comfort her, "I owe you big time for this. Next time, I'll spend twice as much time with you, alright?"
Emily shook her head and said, "It's alright. Your mom's health comes first."
It was never about the trip. She just wanted him there with her.
But to their shock, when they arrived at the hospital in record time, the one lying in the hospital bed wasn't Ethan's mother—it was Claire.
Ethan's mother, Sophia, was perfectly fine, sitting by Claire's bedside and chatting with her, a gentle smile on her face.
Sophia calmly handed Emily the divorce papers, with Ethan watching.