Chapter 2

It was the results from my follow-up checkup last week. The hospital wanted me to come pick up the report as soon as possible.

I changed my clothes and headed out.

While I was waiting for the elevator, I bumped into Sonia Kerr from next door. She gave me a worried look. "Tia, you don't look so good. Everything okay?"

I shrugged it off. "I'm fine, just haven't been sleeping well."

She hesitated, then finally blurted out, "Did your guy bring someone home last night? I thought I heard a woman laughing."

The elevator arrived, and I stepped inside without saying a word.

What was I supposed to say? That it was just a friend?

Sonia wasn't wrong. Arthur had brought women home before, more than once. He never bothered to explain.

I asked him once, and he totally blew up, saying I didn't trust him and that being with me was getting more and more exhausting.

After that, I stopped asking.

If I didn't ask, he had no reason to blow up at me.

And if he didn't get mad, we could keep pretending everything was fine.

Even though I had no clue why we were still together.

How did we even find out about all that?

It was actually pretty crazy.

About a year ago, Arthur and I woke up one night, both from the exact same dream.

We both dreamed we were actually living inside a novel.

He was the main character, I was the heroine, and the book was called "The Broken Mirror." It was about a couple who broke up for three years and then got back together.

At first, we didn't buy it. We thought it was a freak coincidence that we'd had the same dream.

But then, things from the dream started happening for real, even the little stuff matched up perfectly.

I started to get scared.

But Arthur laughed, looking genuinely thrilled.

He said, "Isn't this awesome? See, we're meant for each other. No matter what, we can't be separated. It proves we're destined to be together, and whatever happens, we'll always have a happy ending."

He spun me around in his arms, grinning like he'd won the lottery. "Tiana, you can't escape me now."

I didn't say anything.

Back then, we were so in love that there wasn't a hint of doubt between us.

I still can't believe how two people who loved each other so much could end up like this.

The beep of the machine snapped me out of my thoughts.

I swiped my hospital card at the self-service kiosk, and the report printed out.

I could read every word on the page, but none of it really sank in.

Malignant tumor. Advanced stage.

I sat down in the hospital hallway, clutching the report.

People walked past, some crying, some laughing, some holding newborn babies, faces glowing with happiness.

And I sat there, blank-faced, all alone.

I was numb. I couldn't even cry.

It felt like I'd already cried myself dry after all those countless nights waiting for Arthur to come home.

I pulled out my phone and opened my chat with Arthur.

The last message was from him: [Don't bother me for the next few days.]

It was sent yesterday afternoon.

I wanted to tell him I was dying and see how he'd react.

He'd probably say I was pretending, that I'd do anything to keep him, and then call me pathetic or gross.

Or maybe he wouldn't even bother to reply.

I locked my phone and slipped the report into the side pocket of my bag.

As I reached the entrance of the apartment complex, I happened to see Arthur's car pulling out.

There was a woman in the passenger seat. She had long hair and a pretty profile. The car rolled past, the engine growling as it went by.

I stood by the curb, the wind making me pull my jacket tighter around myself.

Why would I ever expect him to feel sorry for me? He couldn't even be bothered to look my way anymore.

When I got back to the empty apartment, Arthur's dirty clothes were still in the trash can, lipstick stains facing up.

His pillow smelled like some unfamiliar shampoo. It was sweet, almost cloying.

I pulled off the sheets from his side of the bed and tossed them into the washing machine. Then I sat on the edge of the bed, doing nothing.

The washing machine rumbled on, sounding like some old, busted machine about to fall apart.

That afternoon, I got a video message from one of Arthur's buddies.

I opened it and saw Arthur at a hotel in Sciera.

He had his arm around that long-haired woman, grinning and raising his glass to the camera.

In the video, someone nearby started teasing, "Arthur, what if your girl finds out?"

Arthur took a sip of his drink and grinned. "Her? Don't worry. She never gets mad."

Everyone in the video burst out laughing.

The long-haired woman leaned into his shoulder, and he smiled and pulled her closer.

I stared at that video for a long time.

He was not the Arthur I used to know anymore.

The man who used to wait for me in the rain, who treated me like I was his whole world, was gone.

The guy in that video was a stranger now, someone who thought he could hurt me over and over, and I'd keep forgiving him.

Suddenly, I remembered something Arthur said to me ages ago. "Tiana, if you dare die before me, I'll come after you and give you hell."