Chapter 4

The harder I drank, the messier I puked.

Luckily, Warwick was moved by my sincerity and signed the release form.

He slapped a bill on the table. "I'll let it slide, but you still gotta cover my medical expenses."

I stared at the number on the bill, totally at a loss.

"Mr. Parker, all my money's in my investment funds. Can I get you the cash in a few days?" I asked.

Warwick locked eyes with me, and I couldn't even look him in the eye.

"Okay," he said.

Just hearing that one word felt like I'd been let off the hook. I dashed out of the hotel like my life depended on it.

When I got home, a stabbing pain shot through my liver, and it felt like needles were jabbing into every bone in my body. The agony was almost enough to make me pass out.

I fished a new box of ibuprofen out of my bag, popped a few pills without even grabbing water, and after half an hour, the pain finally dulled a little.

Suddenly, I spat out a mouthful of blood.

Seeing how dark it was, I knew I'd hit mid-stage liver cancer. My time was running out.

It didn't take long to go from mid-stage to late-stage.

The cancer would spread everywhere, invade my bones, and my organs would slowly shut down. In the end, I'd die from the pain.

And before that, I'd have to endure three more waves of agony.

*****

Half a month later, I was hosting the rehearsal for Warwick and Juliet's wedding.

I was in a lot of pain.

But I could still grit my teeth and push through it.

At the wedding, Warwick held Juliet's hand, gazing at her with deep affection.

"Whether we grow old together or face sickness, I'll always love and respect you. I'll do everything I can to make you the happiest woman alive," he promised.

Hearing that, my eyes stung with tears.

Warwick used to say those words to me, too.

But I couldn't keep my promise.

Because of my illness, I couldn't be the one to grow old by his side.

After the rehearsal, I locked myself in the bathroom and cried silently for an hour.

When I finally opened the door, Juliet blocked my way, forcing me back inside.

"Warwick is mine. Only I deserve a man as amazing as him!" she snapped.

"You left him when he loved you most, just because you were shallow and only cared about money. Now that you're gone, stop clinging to him.

"They say the best exes are the ones who act like they're dead.

"You should do the same. Don't even think about stealing my man, or I'll ruin you. I've got millions of fans, and I'll have them drag you through the mud online!"

I nudged her aside and, while casually washing my hands, said, "Ms. Coleman, what are you even talking about? I adore my husband and my kid. Mr. Parker and I live in totally different worlds. He's not mine, so I don't even bother looking his way."

"Fine. You'd better stick to your word," Juliet warned.

With that, she walked out.

As I walked out of the hotel, I saw Warwick scoop Juliet up in his arms and gently set her down in the van.

We broke up years ago, so why was I still hurting?

Maybe it was just my liver cancer acting up again.

I clutched my chest, fooling myself that it was just my liver and not my heart.

Back in my cramped old apartment in the city's backstreets, I kept replaying the video I'd shot of their rehearsal, over and over again.

I went over every tiny detail, searching for anything that could be improved or fixed.

After all, this was Warwick's wedding—the biggest day for the man I'd loved all these years.

I fussed over every little thing because, deep down, I imagined I was the one marrying him. It felt like this was my big day, too.

After hours of poring over the footage, I could feel another flare-up coming on.

I was almost out of ibuprofen, so I decided to head out and pick up some more. But the moment I opened the door, I wished the ground would just swallow me up.

"Monica, so this is your idea of high society?" Warwick said as he stepped inside, taking in the room.

Nothing had changed since the day we broke up six years ago.

The only thing that changed was how old everything looked.

The things stayed the same, but we'd changed.

"My husband just bought a huge villa, like, ten thousand square feet—but it's way out in the suburbs. So I crash here while I'm working, just to make life easier," I said, keeping it casual.

"Sometimes my husband brings our kid over to hang out with me, and other times I head back to spend time with them."

"Is there a problem, Mr. Parker?" I asked, just trying to keep up the act and cover up my earlier lie.

But Warwick had an insanely sharp memory. He pointed at the things he'd left behind in the room.

"Won't your husband mind using the things I left behind?" he asked.