Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Cade let out a cold, cruel laugh. "Fine. Let me make this crystal clear. I don't care if you have a cold or cancer. Even if you were dropping dead tomorrow, I am still divorcing you!"

With that, he slammed the door and walked out.

I grabbed the edge of the table to steady myself, my vision turning dark.

I had loved him for seven years. I never expected it to end like this.

From that day on, Cade began a campaign of cold silence to force my hand.

He ignored my texts and refused to take my calls. Even when I went to his office, he wouldn't come down to see me.

Yet, I saw his face everywhere in the media.

"Harrison Group CEO Caught Kissing Girlfriend on the Street―True Love Reunited!"

"Cade Harrison Spends Thirty Million to Make His Beauty Smile―The Ultimate Romantic."

"Sources Say Wedding Bells are Ringing!"

The blurry photos showed a couple clinging to each other on a New York street. He looked regal in his tailored suit.

He was looking down at the woman in his arms with such tenderness.

Even through the screen, I could feel the depth of his affection for her.

The comments section was filled with congratulations.

"They look so perfect together! A match made in heaven."

"I heard he stayed single all these years just to wait for her. So romantic!"

"Wow, he's such a loyal man. Every girl's dream."

No, that wasn't right.

I typed quickly with trembling fingers. "Cade Harrison was married. We got married three years ago..."

But before I could even finish, the insults and mockery flooded in.

"Is the person above crazy? Look in the mirror. You think a man like Mr. Harrison would want someone like you?"

"Just another delusional fan trying to ruin a beautiful story."

My comment was quickly buried under thousands of hateful messages.

I sat in the silence for a long time. I watched the sun dip below the horizon until the room was pitch black.

In that total darkness, I felt a bone-deep exhaustion.

I felt like I hadn't slept in years.

When I finally woke up, I was drenched in a cold sweat.

The pain had woken me.

It was a sharp, biting sensation that seemed to come from my very bones. I thrashed around on the bed, unable to find comfort.

The doctor told me the cancer cells had spread through my whole body. I had less than three months left.

He suggested I try to enjoy the time I had left. He told me to eat what I wanted and go where I wanted. He didn't want me to have regrets.

What were my regrets?

As I fought through the pain, a blurry thought crossed my mind. My biggest regret was meeting Cade when I was eighteen.

If I had known I would die so young, I never would have chased him.

Cade was a year ahead of me in college. By the time I started, he was already a campus legend.

He wasn't just a brilliant student with a perfect resume; he had the kind of face that belonged on a movie poster.

As someone who appreciated beauty, I fell for him instantly.

I followed him from classrooms to clubs, from the campus to the city streets. Everyone knew I was obsessed with him.

At the time, my best friend and roommate, Lila Somerset, told me to stop being so boy-crazy.

She said, "What's the point of him being handsome? Don't you know his family is dirt poor? Poor men can't give you anything but bad luck."

I was stunned when I heard that.

Because just the night before, I had heard Lila's name come out of Cade's mouth.