Chapter 1

The afternoon my critical condition notice was issued, Reid Ashford popped a bottle of champagne in the lab.

In the photo he posted on his Instagram, he and Tessa Caldwell stood side by side, their backs bathed in the golden light of the setting sun. Their white lab coats shimmered like liquid gold.

The caption said only one thing. [Ten years passed. Finally, we did it.]

Everyone said Reid was devoted, spending ten years of sleepless nights all in saving me.

When the nurse, her eyes rimmed with tears, handed me her phone to show me the post, I was staring at the rhythmic waves on the monitor screen beside my bed.

What none of them knew was that the drug had been perfected a year ago.

And I was the only candidate who wasn't allowed to take it.

*****

It was the middle of the night when Reid Ashford finally showed up at the hospital.

He stank of alcohol, and his white coat still smelled like a woman's perfume.

"Chloe, how are you feeling?" he asked.

I looked at him and asked quietly, "Reid, when will you let me try the drug?"

He frowned. "Tessa says your chances of making it are only thirty percent if you take it now. It's just too dangerous."

"And what about Mr. Aldridge's daughter? What were her odds when she got it last month?" I pressed.

Reid hesitated. "She was only in stage three. You're late-stage. That's a whole different story."

"She donated 10 million to your research," I stared him down. "Is that what makes us the same?"

His face fell. "Chloe, how could you think that of me?"

"Didn't I develop this drug for you?" he added.

I watched him get all self-righteous, and I couldn't help but laugh.

"Reid, do you remember how I ended up with this?" I asked.

Ten years ago, there was an explosion in your lab.

I rushed into the flames to pull him out, and I breathed in all those chemicals.

The diagnosis read that I had acute chemical lung injury, irreversible fibrosis.

He sat by my hospital bed and promised, "Chloe, I will cure you. I swear."

He was about to say something when his phone suddenly rang.

It was Tessa.

"Mr. Ashford, the lights in the lab just went out. I'm a little scared. Can you come over?" she whimpered.

Her voice was sugary sweet, almost on the verge of tears.

Reid jumped up. "Don't worry. I'll be right there."

I caught his sleeve. "Reid, I still have something to say."

"We'll talk another time. Tessa's alone. I'm worried about her," Reid said.

He pulled away from me and walked out without so much as a glance back.

After Reid left, I asked the attendant to check up on that rich guy's daughter for me.

Sure enough, she was on the new medication Reid developed.

Three months in, her condition was stable, and she was back to living like nothing ever happened.

Me? I was already on my third critical condition notice.

The next day, I forced my barely holding-together body to sneak over to Reid's lab.

Standing outside the door, I heard Tessa's voice.

"Mr. Ashford, how about we give this new batch of meds to Mr. Benson's daughter? They're willing to throw in another 15 million for the lab," Tessa suggested.

There was a brief silence inside, then Reid spoke in a gentle tone, a voice I hadn't heard from him in a long time.

"Tessa, I know you're doing this for the lab, but..." Reid said.

"But what is it?" Tessa interrupted, her voice tinged with grievance.

"Mr. Ashford, I know I probably shouldn't say this, but is Chloe's condition really that serious?" Tessa said.

She continued, "Every time she's in critical condition, it's always when you're swamped. Last time, when you had to present at that international conference, she was rushed to the ICU.

"And now, just as we're about to celebrate our big breakthrough, she gets another emergency notice. Isn't that just a bit too convenient?"

She sighed softly, "Mr. Ashford, you've already made so many sacrifices for her. Mr. Benson's investment could decide the future of the whole project. You can't keep letting her drag you down."

Reid was silent for a long time.

I held my breath, waiting for his answer.

"You're right," he finally said. "Maybe I've spoiled her too much. Fine, we'll go with your suggestion. Let's give this batch to Ms. Benson first."

His voice turned cold. "Anyway, Chloe's condition probably isn't as urgent as she makes it out to be."

So all those times I was fighting for my life, in his eyes, it was just me putting on an act.

I pushed the door open, breaking the peaceful atmosphere inside.

Tessa, startled, instinctively moved closer to Reid, who turned slightly, half shielding her with his body.

Reid's expression turned uneasy. "Chloe? What are you doing here? You shouldn't be running around in your condition."

"If I hadn't come, would I have died without even knowing why?" I rasped, fixing him with a hard stare.

Tessa peeked out from behind him, her voice full of concern, though her eyes darted away. "Chloe, how could you get out of bed? Didn't the doctor say you need to rest?"

"Doctor-ordered rest?" I scoffed. "You mean while you guys give away my life-saving meds to someone else?"

Reid's face went stone cold. "Chloe, watch how you talk. Tessa's only looking out for you."

"Looking out for me?" I snapped, pointing right at Tessa. "Looking out for me by talking you into handing my meds over to someone else? By suggesting I'm just pretending to be sick?"

"I didn't." Tessa's eyes filled with tears as she looked at Reid, her voice trembling with hurt. "Mr. Ashford, I just didn't want you to wear yourself out."

Reid's voice went ice cold. "Chloe, just look at yourself. You're acting paranoid and making a scene. Tessa's always got your back, and you just keep twisting everything she says."

I could hardly believe my ears. "Making a scene? Reid, I'm the one stuck in that hospital bed, waiting for death. I'm the one who can't even get the meds I need."

"Enough," he barked, cutting me off.

"You really think if you collapse right now, I'll just drop everything and be at your bedside like before?" he demanded.

He stepped forward, eyes blazing. "Chloe, how long are you going to keep playing this game?"

I was shaking so hard that I could barely stand. "You really think I'm faking being in critical condition?"

Tessa reached out and grabbed his arm, trying to calm him down. "Mr. Ashford, please, Chloe's probably just scared out of her mind."

"She's not scared; she's just selfish," Reid snapped, like he finally had somewhere to vent.

"If it wasn't for me, you'd be dead already," he shouted.

"Be grateful you're still breathing, and stop being so selfish," he added.

"Now that we've finally made some real progress, and Tessa's the one who brought in the investment, all you ever think about is yourself," he yelled.

He put his arm around Tessa's shoulders, making it clear he was both claiming her and protecting her.

"If it weren't for Tessa always sticking by me, always supporting me, I would've fallen apart ages ago, and you? All you ever do is use your illness to keep me tied down. What have you ever done for me?" he snapped.

I stared at the two of them, and suddenly, they just seemed like strangers.

Where was that boy from ten years ago, the one who held my hand and swore he'd save me?

How did he become someone who only knew how to use guilt against me?

I summoned every last bit of strength and whispered, "Reid, do you really think it'd be better if I just died?"

He frowned, impatience written all over his face. "There you go again, always pulling the same stunt. Just go back and rest. Don't get in the way of me and Tessa working."

With that, he turned away from me, lowered his head, and spoke gently to Tessa. "What happened to your hand? Did you bump it just now? Let me take a look."

That gentle tone was something I hadn't heard from him in ten years.