Chapter 1

I married Merrick, the man I loved with all my heart.

After three years of devotion, I thought even a heart of stone would melt.

Yet when I lost our baby and was wheeled into surgery, he rushed off to save his abused first love.

He told me we could always try for another child.

Later, he insisted on taking her messy divorce case.

When I begged him not to, he claimed she was too fragile for anyone else to handle. He told me it was just work and asked me to understand.

He held me close and swore it would only take six months.

What he didn't know was that I had late-stage liver cancer.

And I didn't even have six months left to live.

1

I lost the baby in my third month of pregnancy.

Lying in the cold hospital bed, I stared blankly at the ceiling.

For three years of marriage, having Merrick's baby was all I ever wanted.

When the test finally came back positive this year, I thought my prayers had been answered.

I never imagined the joy would vanish just as quickly as it arrived.

Merrick rushed over from his law firm and pulled me into a tight embrace.

"It is going to be okay, Amber. We can always have another baby."

Just as the nurse came to wheel my gurney toward the operating room, his phone rang.

I caught a glimpse of the caller ID. It was a familiar name, his first love, Rosalie.

His brow furrowed deeply as he answered. His entire focus shifted instantly to the voice on the other end.

I instinctively squeezed his hand.

He checked his watch and gave me a hurried, reassuring look.

"Amber, go ahead into surgery first. Something urgent came up, but I will be right back by the time you are out."

The words I wanted to say died in my throat.

As always, I chose to be understanding, forcing a faint smile and nodding.

The nurse pushed my bed forward.

I watched Merrick's frantic back retreat down the hall without looking back once.

It felt as though we were two travelers bound for completely different destinations, never meant to walk the same path.

The heavy operating room doors swung shut just as he stepped into the elevator.