Chapter 1
On the day I was diagnosed with late-stage cancer, the System descended out of nowhere. It claimed that it could convert the negative energy resulting from physical and emotional pain into health points that would be added to one's lifespan.
When I got home, my husband and son were happily celebrating his lover's birthday.
Since his lover was staying over, my husband said there weren’t enough rooms in the house and told me to stay at a hotel.
Naturally, I refused. Before my son could scold me, I told the father and son, "There's no need to go to all that trouble. Hugh Lingstroem moved nearby with his daughter after his divorce. I can just stay at his place.
"I’ve already informed him, and he's coming to pick me up. As a token of my appreciation, I gave him the tie I gave you for our anniversary. You aren't going to wear it anyway.
"As for you, my boy, I'm giving the amusement park tickets I bought for you to Ceci. I don't think you have time to go with me anyway."
My words made the father and son so incensed that their faces turned purple with rage.
The System emitted a dull beeping before declaring that I was beyond saving.
To my surprise, it absorbed a significant amount of negative energy the next instant and extended my lifespan by six months.
I smiled and rebutted the System, which had gone erratic momentarily: [You didn't specify who had to be the one suffering the emotional hurt.]
In the living room, Timothy glared at me ominously. "Sibylla, what do you mean by all that?"
I ignored him. As I arduously endured the pain from the cancer tormenting my body, I headed to the entrance foyer to put on my shoes.
Marilyn Zebron, Timothy's lover, tugged at his sleeve timidly.
"Tim, please don't be angry. Sibylla's probably just in a bad mood. Maybe I should go... It's quite convenient for me to grab a cab home."
As she spoke, her eyes became red-rimmed. She looked as if she had suffered a great injustice, yet she was determined to put on a brave front.
I felt sick just watching her, but Timothy was completely taken in by her act.
My son, Lester, jumped up from the couch to shield Marilyn protectively as he yelled at me angrily.
"Mom! You're picking on Mari again! She came all the way here to celebrate our birthday, but you're being so mean!"
I looked at that strawberry cake on the table, which was Marilyn's favorite flavor. "Birthday? Is it my birthday? Or your dad's? I don't think so. Oh, it's Marilyn's birthday!"
Timothy opened his mouth as though he wanted to say something, but no words came out.
"Sibylla, stop with the attitude. Marilyn doesn't have any family here. I treat her like a sister. What's wrong with throwing her a birthday party?" Timothy finally managed to say.
"Nothing wrong," I said as I put on my shoes leisurely. After that, I straightened up. "So I'm not doing anything wrong either. Hugh's raising his daughter alone, and I see him as a friend. Staying at his place for a night is perfectly normal too, isn't it?"
"You!" Timothy blurted out. However, behind the fury, I detected a sense of humiliation and consternation at being stung by my words.
System: [Emotional Hurt Points +200. Congratulations, Host. You have gained one month of lifespan.]
A soothing, warm sensation spread through me after the System's prompt popped up. The suffocating heaviness in my chest caused by my terminal illness seemed to have lessened considerably.
At long last, the sense of physical relief dispelled the gloom that had been weighing on my heart for so long.
Even the System was astonished by this outcome.
System: [Incredible. I didn't know my setup could do this. In all my years as the Negative Energy System, this has completely upended my understanding of things.]
I tried to contain my delight and shot Lester a look.
"As for you, I bought two tickets to the amusement park and was planning to take you this weekend. But since you like spending time with Mari, I guess those tickets are wasted on you. I'll give them to Ceci and bring her there instead."
Lester's face turned red with anger. He had been begging to go to that newly opened amusement park for weeks.
"No! Those are my tickets! Why are you giving them to someone else?" he shouted at me.
"Because I'm your mom and I paid for them," I replied coolly.
"Lester, you should be more mature. You have Mari with you, so don't get so hung up on a couple of tickets. Don't worry. I'll take some nice photos with Ceci and send them to you," I added.
Lester's brave front collapsed instantly. He burst into tears and threw himself into Marilyn's arms.
"Mari, I hate Mom! Will you be my mom? I only want you! Will you take me to the amusement park?"
Marilyn hugged him and pacified him in a gentle voice. However, her eyes were not on him but were glaring provocatively at me as a taunting smile crept across her lips.
"Hush, hush! Don't cry, Lester. I will take you to the amusement park tomorrow," she cooed gently.